"I can't," Kimberly said in an anguished voice. "I can't get into the Power Chamber again."
Rita growled, "If you want me to show you where Tommy is, I need the power of the Zeo Star," she lied as she paced back and forth in front of Kimberly, who was sitting on a small flat rock next to the rock bed where Zedison lay in a deep sleep induced by Rita's magic wand. "Since I don't know where Billy is currently hiding, you will have to go to the Power Chamber alone and steal the Zeo Star."
"If the Zeo Star is not in the Power Chamber, the Zeo Rangers will not be able to use their powers to fight against the Machine Empire," Kimberly protested anxiously. "The Earth will be left vulnerable."
Just then, Zedd came into the chamber and looked down at Zedison, "He is no better in the sleep than he was awake," he grunted in an angry tone. "Is that bomb you left for the Machine Empire going to detonate soon and wipe those rust buckets out? The sooner it does, the sooner we can all go home."
"You left a bomb with the Machine Empire?" Kimberly asked, her voice suddenly fearful. "If Tommy's with the Machine Empire when the bomb goes off, he'll be destroyed along with the others there."
Rita nodded and gave Kimberly a look, "If you steal the Zeo Star quickly enough, I can locate Tommy through his piece of it," she explained in a menacing voice. "The Rangers won't have use of their powers, but I know that you love Tommy enough to want to save his life; no matter the cost."
"I love him, but not enough to risk hurting others," Kimberly replied in an uncertain voice. "If I take the Zeo Star forcefully, the ones holding the powers of the Star pieces could end up just like Mark."
Zedd grunted, "Kimberly has a point," he said in a gruff voice. "And it could also make Zedison worse."
"I doubt that," Rita snapped, aggravated at Kimberly's conscience. "Very well then, Kimberly…"
Before Kimberly could reply, Rita pointed her staff at her, "Perhaps you need a little help to realize that you will be saving Tommy's life and helping us get rid of the Machine Empire at the same time!" she shouted, cackling as Kimberly was hit with a red beam by the wand. "You will follow my command or else both Zedison and Tommy will die when the Machine Empire is destroyed! I need that Zeo Star!"
There was a flash of light and Kimberly suddenly found herself in a fuschia Ninjetti uniform with a vicious looking Crane symbol on her chest instead of an animal symbol. Her hair was covered by a head covering and there was a red glow in her normally calm eyes. A fuschia tinged sword was now in her right hand.
"Dark Crane, you are ready!" Rita crowed, deeply amused by what she had done. "You will now be able to enter the Power Chamber without difficulty and steal the Zeo Star by touching it with your sword."
Kimberly nodded and took a swipe at the air with her sword, "Yes Mistress," she replied in a dark tone.
"You may damage the Power Chamber if Zordon and Alpha try to stop you, but DO NOT cause damage to either of them!" Zedd interjected, awed by his wife's power. "Your only goal is to get the Zeo Star."
Kimberly bowed and immediately straightened up, "I will do your bidding, Master and Mistress," she said in the same dark tone. "After I return, I will be ready to take my place in your kingdom."
As Kimberly vanished, Rita grinned at Zedd, "Once we have that Zeo Star in our possession, we will send the Power Rangers to rescue Tommy without their powers and then we will have our day of victory!"
"One, two, three…kick." Ashley heard as she walked into the main area of the Youth Center. She immediately saw Jason, who was wearing a karategi and a fancy looking belt with a matching headband, leading a group of people, all of whom were wearing karategis and white belts, across the mats.
Ashley watched as the group of people all suddenly kicked upwards and then got into fighting stance, "Again," Jason said, not noticing that she was watching them. "One, two, three and then kick upward."
"I'm going to give you to the count of three to tell me where your sister is, Laura," Ashley suddenly heard a slurred, anxious voice say in a sharp tone as she hid in the closet trying to be very quiet. "One, two…"
The closet door was suddenly forced open and Ashley felt herself being pulled out by her mother, who was high or drunk more often than not. It was then that the beatings usually happened; they were usually plucked out of their hiding places, verbally abused, and then beaten for several hours at a time.
More than once over the years, Laura, who had done every free course offered through school, had waited until their parents were passed out or gone and then she would do her best to take care of their injuries with what little first aid stuff they had around.
When the injuries were too severe or they didn't have what was needed to fix it, Laura would take money from the stash their parents kept for parties and they would take a bus to Angel Grove Hospital since nobody knew them in that area. Ever since Laura was 12 and she was seven, that had been their routine.
"Ashley, are you okay?" Dr. Oliver asked as he hobbled into the Youth Center and saw Ashley staring at nothing in particular and looking almost rigid. Ashley sighed and nodded even though she stayed quiet.
Dr. Oliver frowned, "Ashley?" he asked again just as Rocky, Adam, and Tanya came into the room.
Ashley quickly turned around, "Can I skip Jason's class for today?" she asked in a quiet voice. "I'm tired."
"Are you okay?" Dr. Oliver asked, giving Ashley a concerned look. "You seemed so excited about it."
Ashley shrugged, "I'm just very tired from school," she replied softly. "Can I get something to eat?"
Dr. Oliver was silent for a moment and then pointed to a nearby table, "Why don't we sit down and I'll let you get something to eat after you tell me what's bothering you?" he suggested in a firm voice.
"I just started remembering stuff," Ashley replied in a semi-irritated voice as she marched over to the empty table and sat down in a huff. "It was cool of you and Tommy to come help us, but…"
Letting out a patient sigh, Dr. Oliver quickly hobbled over to the table and sat down, "I understand that you and Laura had a hard life, Ashley," he replied gently. "I'd like for you to trust me at some point."
"I was just thinking about when I was younger and how Laura used to take care of both of us after our parents hurt us," Ashley replied in a quivering voice as tears pooled in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry…"
Dr. Oliver sighed, "Don't apologize for being sad," he replied gently. "Would you like a tissue?"
"Here," Adam, who had unwittingly overheard the conversation, said as he held out a handkerchief.
Ashley sniffled and quickly took the handkerchief, "Thanks," she replied softly as she wiped her face.
"Why are you crying?" Adam asked, relieved to see Rocky and Tanya walk over to the Juice Bar.
Dr. Oliver quickly gave Adam a warning look, but Ashley quickly blew her nose and sighed, "I'm just sad about Laura being in the hospital," she lied in a nervous voice. "I've got homework to do, though…"
Adam didn't move, however, so Ashley slowly stood up, "Doctor Oliver, can I get a snack before I start my homework?" she asked nervously, hurrying away when Dr. Oliver nodded without any reluctance.
"How's Laura doing, anyway?" Adam asked in a quiet voice. "That seizure she had was pretty scary."
Dr. Oliver was quiet for a moment and then cleared his throat, "Jason's father took the rest of the day off to keep an eye on her since Jason's mother wanted to spend time with Malcolm," he explained in a soft, very concerned voice. "I'm not sure if they'll let me visit, as I'm not Laura's parent or guardian…"
"You're like a father to her and a lot of us, Doctor Oliver," Adam replied softly. "Everyone knows that."
Dr. Oliver suddenly smiled, "That's very nice of you to say, Adam," he replied in a kind voice even though he knew that Tommy would be the closest thing he would ever have to a child, as he was unable to have any biological children due to a serious accident years ago. "However, I don't wish to replace anyone's parents whether they are alive or not; it would be disrespectful to them and to Zordon to do so…"
"Class dismissed," Jason, who had suddenly noticed Adam and Dr. Oliver, said in a cheerful voice.
As the students filed out of the room to change back into their street clothes, Jason walked over to the table, "How's it going?" he asked in a gentle voice. "I thought you'd be at the hospital, Doctor Oliver…"
"Ashley's getting a snack before she does her homework and we'll go over to visit Laura after the homework is done," Dr. Oliver replied as he looked over at the counter. "Where did she go?"
Jason turned and saw that Ernie, Tanya, and Rocky were at the counter, but Ashley wasn't there, "I wonder if she went to the bathroom or something," Jason said in a concerned voice. "Tanya?"
"Yeah?" Tanya asked in a curious voice as she turned to look at Jason. "What's up?"
Jason sighed, "Can you see if Ashley's in the bathroom?" he asked in a worried voice. "She's missing."
Nodding, Tanya got to her feet and hurried out of the room, "Doctor Oliver, Ashley's right here," Ernie suddenly said as he came around the counter with a nervous looking Ashley. "She was doing dishes."
"Dishes?" Dr. Oliver asked in a worried voice as he slowly stood up on his crutches. "You don't have to do dishes here for food, Ashley dear. If you want to buy some food, I can help you with that."
Ashley nodded and quickly rolled down her sleeves, "How much homework do you have tonight?" Dr. Oliver asked in a gentle voice. "If you don't have a lot, maybe we could walk up to the hospital, visit Laura, and then get some dinner on the walk back home. It's a nice night and I could use the exercise."
"Isn't that gonna be hard on your leg?" Ashley asked in a curious voice. "Why not just take a bus?"
Dr. Oliver shrugged, "My leg will be fine," he replied in an upbeat voice. "It's not a very far walk."
"You know, I could drive you guys up there," Jason gently offered. "I want to visit Malcolm anyway."
Ashley reluctantly nodded just as Tanya came back into the room, "Ashley, where were you?" Tanya asked in a worried voice as she spotted the young girl. "Are you okay? You look really upset."
Deeply afraid that Tanya would judge her harshly, Ashley quickly darted behind Dr. Oliver, "I'm going to drive Doctor Oliver and Ashley up to the hospital so they can visit Laura," Jason replied in a worried voice. "David took Katherine to visit Malcolm after school, but I had a karate class to teach, so…"
Suddenly, Bulk and Skull came into the Youth Center in their Junior Police uniforms and walked right over to the counter, "Two milkshakes, please," Skull replied in a pleasant voice. "We're celebrating."
Ashley sighed and quickly hurried out of the Youth Center, "Ashley!" Jason said as he hurried after her.
"I assume you passed your English test, Mister Bulkmeier?" Dr. Oliver asked softly. "Congratulations."
Bulk nodded, but frowned as Dr. Oliver quickly hobbled out of the Youth Center, "What's with everyone being in a grouchy mood tonight?" Bulk asked in a shocked voice. "Detective Stone was the same way..."
Tanya sighed and she and Adam exchanged a look; they needed to tell Zordon what was going on.
I don't even have the strength to sit up without help right now. How on earth can I continue to be a Ranger? Malcolm thought sadly as he lay in his hospital bed, silently gazing at a covered tray of food that a nurse had brought by ten minutes before. Rita really did a number on me just for my power…
A jolt of pain suddenly shot up Malcolm's back, causing him to wince, "Hey" Katherine said in a gentle voice as she entered the hospital room with a small stuffed tiger in her hands. "I got this for you from the gift shop to cheer you up. I saw your dad on the way in and he said you've been asleep all day."
"I don't have energy to do much else," Malcolm replied faintly. "I can't even sit up without help."
Katherine nodded and walked over to the bed, "Do you want some help with your dinner?" she asked in a soft voice as she gently tucked the tiger in the crook of Malcolm's arm. "Maybe eating would help."
"My stomach feels really queasy," Malcolm replied softly. "Kat, how am I supposed to help the world stay safe from evil if I can't even sit up in a hospital bed without help? I'm feeling super frustrated…"
Katherine sighed and gently took Malcolm's cold, IV-covered hand in her own, "Zordon's not going to expect you to rush your recovery," she said in a soft voice. "We'll manage until you're well again."
"Katherine, I saw Mark," Malcolm replied weakly. "Rita took everything I had and gave it to him…"
Tears came to Katherine's eyes and she sat down in the chair beside the bed, "Rita didn't take your heart or your mind, Malcolm," she said in a soft voice. "You used your heart to escape…"
"I had this weird dream that told me I could escape if I really wanted to," Malcolm replied in a faint voice as Helen came into the room. Helen smiled at Katherine as she walked over to the other side of the bed.
Katherine suddenly looked nervous, "How are you, Katherine?" Helen asked in a gentle voice.
"I'm all right," Katherine replied uncertainly. "If Malcolm needs to rest, I can come back another time…"
Helen chuckled, "You're fine," she stated in an amused voice. "I think it's about time for his supper…"
"I might be sick after I eat," Malcolm replied softly as he caught a whiff of the food. "Smells good…"
Helen smiled, "You don't have to eat very much, sweetie," she replied. "If you want, Katherine can…"
"Me and your mum will both help you," Katherine cut in, grinning impishly. "How about that?"
Despite feeling drained, Malcolm managed an impish grin, "Two lovely ladies helping me eat sounds like a pretty nice perk to being in the hospital for two days," he replied. "I care for you both so very much."
Katherine smiled and Helen gently stroked Malcolm's bangs off his face, but neither spoke; they knew Malcolm meant what he said, as he wasn't one to express his deepest feelings to just anyone.
White sterile walls greeted Laura as she opened her eyes and she quickly realized that she was in a small, yet very private hospital room. She was even more surprised to see Mr. Lee Scott still in his paramedic uniform and sitting in a chair against the wall with a small black book in his hands.
The seizure at school. I had another seizure. Laura suddenly remembered as tears came to her eyes.
"Laura, how are you feeling?" Thomas, who had looked up from his reading, asked in a soft voice.
For a moment, Laura was silent as she gazed down at her hospital gown, blanket, and the IV's and clip on her arms and hand, "A little silly," she replied nervously. "I can't believe I had a seizure at school."
"Fortunately, you are going to be fine and you don't have a seizure disorder," Thomas explained in a soft voice as she looked back up at him. "The doctor who took care of you was concerned, however, about your untreated and painfully obvious post-traumatic stress disorder. He wants to talk to Doctor Oliver."
Laura nodded and sighed, "I thought it had gone away by itself," she replied. "I feel so tired right now."
"Generally, people who experience seizures are tired for quite a while afterwards," Thomas explained, having seen that sort of thing during his many years as a paramedic. "Memory loss is also common."
Did I do something unusual before I had the seizure? Laura wondered, a look of fear appearing on her face as she tried to recall the day's events and what had led up to the seizure. I don't remember.
Before Thomas could comment, the door opened and a nurse poked her head inside the room, "Ah, you're finally awake, Miss Hammond," she said in a cheerful voice. "There's a Frank Oliver, Jason Lee Scott, and Ashley Hammond out in the hall wanting to visit you. Are you feeling up for visitors, dear?"
"I guess so," Laura replied in a tired voice even though she just wanted time to rest and think.
The nurse nodded and a moment later, the door opened, "Laura!" Ashley said in an anxious voice as she hurried over to the bed and gently hugged her sister. "I was so worried that you were super sick."
"I'm all right," Laura replied weakly, holding Ashley gently as Dr. Oliver came in. "Doctor Oliver, hi."
Dr. Oliver smiled as he walked over to the bed, "How are you feeling, Laura?" he asked nervously.
"Tired," Laura replied softly even though she was beginning to feel very uneasy about a vision-like thought that had suddenly entered her head about Kimberly being put back under Rita's control to cause trouble for the Zeo Rangers. "I'm still having a little trouble remembering what happened."
There was a moment of silence and Jason came into the room, "I stopped by to see Malcolm for a minute, but Mom and Kat are helping him eat," he said in a gentle voice. "How are you feeling, Laura?"
"Jason, would you mind sitting with Laura for a bit while I go visit Malcolm and get something to eat?" Thomas asked, quickly getting to his feet. "Doctor Oliver and Ashley can stay if they wish, but I'd very much like to get something to eat and stretch my legs. Laura, I want you to stay in bed, all right?"
Laura nodded, but frowned, "Ashley, go and get some dinner with Mister Lee Scott," she said in a firm, yet very tired voice as she released her younger sister. "Doctor Oliver, have you eaten yet?"
"I'll be fine," Doctor Oliver replied in a firm, yet very gentle voice. "Go on, Thomas, I'll watch things."
Realizing that Laura and Jason wanted to spend time together, Ashley moved away from the bed and silently left the room with Thomas, "Jason, I feel like something awful is going to happen," Laura said in a worried voice as she struggled to stay awake. "As I've been sitting here, I got an uneasy feeling and I had this vision in my mind about Kimberly talking with Rita; I think they're planning to steal something."
"The Zeo Star?" Jason asked in a worried voice, quickly falling quiet as a nurse came into the room with a covered dinner tray in her hands. He moved away from the bed so that the nurse could place the tray on the portable table, which she did very quickly before hurrying from the room to see other patients.
Laura sighed and gazed at the tray, "Maybe it's just because I'm hungry," she replied in a faint voice.
"Jason, can you help Laura start eating, please?" Dr. Oliver asked, intending to slip into the bathroom to contact the Command Center about Laura's supposed premonition. "I just have to use the facilities."
Jason nodded and took the cover off the tray as Dr. Oliver quickly hurried into the hospital bathroom. He knew that Billy would most likely be either at the beach house or at the Command Center and it was important that he, as well as anyone who might be with him, know of Laura's supposed premonition.
"…How are you feeling today, Rocky?" Alpha asked as Rocky lay on the bed undergoing yet another medical scan to see if the unhealed stripes on his back were starting to have an effect on his health.
Rocky sighed as he sat up, "I'm feeling great, actually," he replied as he looked over at Tanya, who was reading one of her textbooks to pass the time. "I really appreciate you coming with me today, Tanya, even though you probably had lots to do. I thought you had a study date with Shawn today? Adam, didn't you have to practice for anything today?"
"I broke up with Shawn," Tanya replied as she closed her book and returned it to her yellow backpack. Adam winced at hearing that, but chose to stay quiet.
Rocky frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that," he replied in a sympathetic voice. "Was it because of us?"
"No, it was my choice," Tanya replied gently. "David said that my personality changed while I was with Shawn and it took a while for me to realize it, but I finally realized the truth at the mystery party."
Rocky nodded and his gaze quickly traveled to the Zeo Star that hung in the metallic frame that had been recently constructed; all of the pieces glowed their color strongly except for Tommy's.
"I keep thinking about Tommy," Rocky said as he turned back to face Tanya. "I hope he's all right."
Tanya nodded and gasped as a piece of the wall suddenly opened and Billy stepped out with his arms around a large box, "Billy!" Rocky, Adam, and Tanya said in unison, both deeply surprised to see him there.
"Tanya, what are you, Adam, and Rocky doing here?" Billy asked nervously. "I thought I would be alone here."
Before Tanya or Rocky could reply, a shrill alarm sounded and Dr. Oliver's face appeared on the viewscreen next to Zordon's tube, "To anyone who is currently at the Command Center, evacuate immediately until further notice," Dr. Oliver's voice filtered through. "Danger is soon coming…"
"What danger?" Tanya cried nervously. "Zordon, how are Rocky, Adam, and I going to get out of here?"
Zordon flickered as Dr. Oliver's face faded from the screen, "Billy, take Rocky and Tanya through the secret passageway," he said in an urgent tone. "I feel that Laura's premonition is accurate…"
There was suddenly a loud boom outside, "Hurry!" Alpha screeched, gesturing to the passageway.
"Alpha, what about you?" Rocky asked as another boom sounded. "We can't just leave you."
Alpha whimpered and quickly gave Rocky, Adam, and Tanya a gentle shove towards Billy, "Hurry!" he repeated.
"We have to get out of here!" Billy yelled as he grabbed Tanya's arm and dragged her into the passageway with the box. Rocky sighed, gave Zordon and Alpha a worried look, and hurried after them.
As the passageway slid shut, Kimberly appeared in the Command Center and looked around, "Well, Zordon and Alpha, it looks like your precious Zeo Rangers care nothing for you and your safety," she said in a menacing voice as she walked over to the Zeo Star frame. "I need this star for my mistress."
"Kimberly, you are under another one of Rita's spells," Zordon stated. "We can help take it off of you."
Kimberly cackled, "I don't know any Kimberly," she replied as she brandished her sword towards the Zeo Star and promptly touched the blade against the center of it. "I am the Dark Crane; bringer of doom."
The Zeo Star flickered and then suddenly vanished from its frame into the sword, "Kimberly, without the Star, the Rangers will not be able to morph!" Alpha yelled anxiously. "Think about what you're doing!"
"I am," Kimberly replied in a less menacing voice as she held the sword out and it vanished into thin air. "There is no other way but this way."
A tear rolled down Kimberly's face, but she ignored it and instead cackled evilly as she disappeared. It was now time for Tommy to be saved.
It wasn't long before night had fallen and Malcolm found himself alone in his hospital room after their parents had taken Jason home after visiting hours ended, promising that he could stop by either before school the next day or after school.
As far as he knew, Dr. Oliver had stayed with Laura for a few hours and then had taken Ashley to their house at Laura's insistence. Katherine had managed to convince the on-duty nurse to let her stay half an hour longer, but then she had also left.
While Katherine and his mother were helping him eat dinner, Katherine had told him that Laura had suffered a seizure at school and was also in the hospital. Deeply concerned that it had something to do with Tommy's disappearance, Malcolm had wanted to visit her; however, he knew that it would be at least a few days before he would have enough strength to be of any help, so he decided to wait.
Even though he was tired, Malcolm found himself sitting in a chair by the window in his gown and a pair of scrub pants that he had been given by one of the nurses after supper. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened, as he suddenly felt even weaker than before and almost empty inside.
"Malcolm, are you awake?" Jason asked as he quietly opened the door and entered the room only to see that Malcolm was sitting at the window. "Mom and Dad got special permission from the hospital and decided to let me come back and sit with you tonight as long as I got enough rest for school tomorrow. Why are you sitting by the window? It's kinda cold tonight."
Malcolm sighed, but turned to face Jason, "Something's wrong, Jason," he replied in a hollow voice. "I can feel it inside."
"Me too," Jason replied, suddenly realizing that he felt unusually empty inside. "Do you suppose something happened?"
There was a moment of silence and then the door opened, "Jason, Malcolm, I have something to tell you," Laura said in a faint voice, trembling as she walked into the room holding to her IV pole for support. "I saw the Zeo Star being stolen."
"How do you even know about the Zeo Star?" Jason asked in a shocked voice. "You weren't there when we got our powers from it."
Laura sighed deeply, "I know a lot more than anyone realizes," she replied in a faint voice. "I just know that the Zeo Star has been taken."
"Who would want to take the Zeo Star and why would they want it?" Malcolm asked in a worried voice as he slowly got to his feet, walked over to the hospital bed, and sat on it. "I had a feeling that something was wrong when I felt empty, but do you think that the Star is destroyed?"
Laura shook her head and nearly collapsed because of the effort. Fortunately, Jason was able to put a supportive arm around her shoulders.
"I just know that Rita put Kimberly back under a spell and that Kimberly took the Zeo Star from the Power Chamber," Laura whispered in a trembling voice as she leaned on Jason for support. "That's all I saw and I don't know why; I thought Kimberly was out of Rita's reach."
Before Jason or Malcolm could reply, a nurse came into the room, "Sorry, I just had to visit my friends," Laura said before the nurse, who looked more concerned than anything. "I'm getting really tired, though. Could I please just go back to my room for the evening?"
The nurse nodded and Jason helped Laura to lean on her for support. As Laura was led from the room, Malcolm lay down on his hospital bed and silently stared at the ceiling for only a moment before he fell asleep. Jason then silently walked over to the window to gather his thoughts; if the Zeo Star had been stolen, how would they rescue Tommy?
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