"Frank, are you still here?" Dr. Oliver heard the gentle voice of Dr. Cranston ask. "It's…"
Dr. Oliver sighed as he looked up at Dr. Cranston, "I'm well aware what time it is, but I'm the closest thing Rocky has to a parental figure right now, Aaron," he replied in a tired voice, slowly loosening the tie he had worn to graduation. "I have a group of wards and students very worried about their friend."
"Well, it seems that Rocky's having bad side-effects from the chemotherapy," Dr. Cranston explained in a concerned voice. "He's got some fluid and blood in his lungs, so surgery to put in chest tubes is necessary. Unfortunately, that is only one of the problems that have surfaced; his heartbeat is irregular and because of the fluid, Rocky seems to be developing pneumonia that makes surgery very risky."
Dr. Oliver nodded, but didn't say anything, "I can still put the tubes in, but Rocky can't be put under until we stabilize his vital signs a little more," Dr. Cranston continued calmly. "If you were to come in and try to keep Rocky calm during the procedure, it would be very helpful. He's not feeling great, but he's also extremely scared."
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver nodded, stood up, and followed Dr. Cranston into the room where Rocky was being treated. Rocky was lying flat on a bed with a gown and blanket covering his body; his face was pale and covered with sweat while a mask was fitted over his face so he could try and keep calm.
Just as Dr. Cranston was about to speak, Rocky suddenly let out a painful moan and passed out, causing the monitor connected to Rocky by a single clip to whine, "Wait in the hall!" Dr. Cranston shouted.
Deeply shaken, Dr. Oliver returned to the hallway and made a beeline for the nearest phone so that he could make it clear to everyone that Rocky's condition was serious; positive thinking was needed now.
Adam sighed wearily as Justin finally drifted off to sleep on the couch under the blanket that Tommy had dropped off hours ago. Once they had gotten back from the prom, Justin had refused to sleep until he heard something about Rocky's condition and he, Laura, Tanya, Cassie, and Ashley had played cards for a bit before Cassie and Ashley had gone to bed. Laura and Tanya had also gone to bed eventually.
"Justin finally asleep?" Tommy asked softly as he entered the living room and saw Adam sitting on the couch next to the sleeping Justin. "How long have you been up for, Adam? You should go to bed."
Shaking his head, Adam stood up, "Jason called about half an hour ago and said that he and Malcolm were coming over to visit," he replied in a tired voice. "Doctor Oliver hasn't called yet."
"I know, but I thought I'd see what food was around here for breakfast," Tommy replied in a tired voice, having been unable to sleep because of what had happened. "I'm glad we have no school today."
Before Adam could reply, the phone rang and Adam quickly grabbed it and hightailed it out of the den so that Justin wouldn't wake up, "Doctor Oliver?" Adam asked quietly into the phone. "How's Rocky?"
Tommy, who had followed Adam from the room, frowned as an expression of shock crossed Adam's pale face, "Oh man," Adam replied, listening to Dr. Oliver explain that Rocky was in very serious condition at the moment and it was now a waiting game. "Should…should I tell the others?"
Adam nodded as Dr. Oliver explained that the news should be broken gently and it should be made clear that nothing in Rocky's case was certain yet. He also listened as Dr. Oliver relayed instructions about taking care of the house, getting groceries, and making sure everyone took care of themselves.
"All right," Adam replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "See you later, Doctor Oliver."
Sighing, Adam hung up and gazed at Tommy, "Rocky's not doing well, but your uncle said that nothing's really certain right now," he replied quietly. "When everyone's awake, we'll have a chat about it, but your uncle also said that we should take care of the house and get some groceries sometime today."
"I'll do that after breakfast since I don't want to wake anyone else," Tommy replied in a calm voice as he walked towards the kitchen. "Adam, you should probably get some more sleep if you can."
Adam shrugged, "I'm awake, but I might do some practicing out in the yard for the coaching camp I'll be going to in Los Angeles after finals are done," he stated softly. "The camp's in L.A. until July."
"Nice," Tommy replied encouragingly. "I'll come get you when breakfast is made up, all right?"
Adam nodded and silently walked off in the direction of the door that would let him into the backyard while Tommy went into the kitchen, deeply surprised when he saw a shimmering object on the counter that had elegant handwriting on it and was addressed to TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Carlos, and Justin.
Frowning, Tommy stepped away from the counter and wondered if they were instructions from Dimitria about when the Turbo Rangers were to go to Phaedos, "Tommy, what are you doing up?" Justin asked in a sleepy voice as he wandered into the kitchen. "I heard the phone ring and you and Adam talking."
"I'm making breakfast," Tommy replied calmly, determined to keep his cool. "I think this is for you."
Justin gazed at the envelope briefly before picking it up and opening it, "It's from Dimitria," he explained in a concerned voice, frowning as he read the note. "She says that TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Carlos, and I are to meet at Headquarters at sunset where our guide will take us to Phaedos. That's really, really soon."
"If you need to phone TJ and Carlos, you can," Tommy offered gently. "They need to know."
Justin sighed, "Could I just ride my bike over to the shelter after I get dressed and talk to them?" he asked, wondering why Tommy seemed so somber. "They live at the shelter and it's not far."
"Yeah, sure," Tommy replied, eager to make things easy on Justin. "I'll save some food for you."
Justin nodded and, carefully clutching the card, he silently left the kitchen. For a few minutes, Tommy enjoyed the silence and was about to start making food when he heard voices coming from the direction of Ashley's room. Confused as to what was going on, Tommy silently wandered off down the hallway.
Ashley and Cassie were standing in the middle of Ashley's room in their pajamas with a big piece of posterboard folded on the floor while crayons, markers, tubes of glitter and glue, and scissors were scattered across the floor, "Oh, hi Tommy," Ashley said softly. "We're making a get well card."
"For Rocky?" Tommy asked in a concerned voice. "Ashley, Cassie, can we talk for a minute?"
Exchanging a concerned look, Ashley and Cassie nodded, "My uncle called a few minutes ago and Rocky's not doing well, but nobody really knows anything yet," Tommy explained in a concerned voice, unaware that Justin was in his room dressing and could hear them. "A card is a good idea, though."
"Is Rocky dying, Tommy?" Cassie asked in a worried voice. "He got so sick last night at the prom."
Tommy frowned, "He's not doing well, but nothing's certain yet," he replied in a somber voice.
Ashley frowned, "This isn't fair," she commented sadly. "Rocky's been through so much already."
Having heard the whole conversation, Justin had quickly written a note and left it on his bed before grabbing his bike helmet and quietly leaving the house. Ashley suddenly turned away.
"It's just not fair," Ashley whispered anxiously, tears filling her eyes. "Why Rocky?"
Unable to control herself, Ashley ran over to her bed and flopped down, allowing her sobs to fill the bedroom, "Ashley?" Laura's sleepy voice asked from the room over. "Hang on, Ashley, I'm coming."
There were footsteps and Laura came into the room wearing a t-shirt and sleep pants, "Rocky's really sick, Tommy said so," Ashley sobbed as Laura joined her on the bed. "Doctor Oliver called."
Frowning, Laura gently rubbed Ashley's back, "Malcolm and Jason are going to come over in a bit," Tommy explained gently. "Oh, you guys got a letter from Dimitria about Phaedos."
"What?" Ashley asked in a shocked voice, quickly sitting up. "Why didn't Justin tell us?"
Tommy sighed, "Justin went to the shelter to tell TJ and Carlos," he replied calmly. "The note said that you five are to meet at the new Headquarters at sunset and your guide will take you to Phaedos."
"At sunset?" Ashley and Cassie asked in a shocked voice. "I don't know if we're ready…"
Laura sighed, "Ashley, Cassie, you two along with TJ, Carlos, and Justin were chosen to take on the responsibility of being Power Rangers and it's really unfortunate that you don't have Zordon to guide you like we did," she explained in a calm, but firm voice. "You five aren't needed here like you are on Phaedos and I believe that time on Phaedos will be able to help you find Zordon and save his life."
"I'll miss you," Ashley replied softly. "Will you bring me back something cool from Africa, Laura?"
Even though she was now wondering if she and Tanya should go in case Rocky got worse, Laura nodded and hugged Ashley, "You need to take a few clothes with you," Laura said in a gentle voice as she stood up. "Since you're leaving tonight, make the card and I'll make sure that Rocky gets it somehow."
Wanting Ashley and Cassie to get to work, Laura silently left the bedroom and Tommy followed after her, "I don't know if Tanya and I should go since nobody knows what's going on with Rocky," Laura commented in a distressed voice. "I mean, what if something happens and we're not here for him?"
Immediately recognizing that Laura was on the verge of an emotional lapse, Tommy sighed, "I think that you should just go get dressed since Jason and Malcolm will be over at any time," he replied in a concerned voice. "They'll probably be here by the time Justin gets back from the shelter."
Laura nodded and sighed before she walked down the hallway to her room and Tommy was about to return to the kitchen when he noticed the note on Justin's bed. Frowning, he went into Justin's room and saw that Justin had forgotten the note that Dimitria had left; maybe he had memorized it?
Over at the Lee Scott's house, Katherine and Mark had come over to visit Malcolm and Jason since Helen was shopping and Thomas was resting after his long night of work. Wanting to be courteous, Malcolm had made a light breakfast for everyone and all four of them were at the table, slowly devouring it.
"You're sure it's tonight you have to leave?" Katherine asked softly, gazing worriedly at Mark.
Turning his head towards Kat's voice, Mark nodded, "I knew that I wouldn't be back here for long and there's so much that I still have to learn," he replied calmly. "The Turbo Rangers will meet me at the Headquarters this evening and I must be ready. Zordon is special and needs to be found before…"
"Before it's too late," Malcolm finished in a concerned voice. "I hope it doesn't come to his death."
Jason sighed, "That's something I don't want to talk about," he replied softly. "I don't know what happened to me after Billy's death, but I really need some time away from Angel Grove. That's why I applied to that school in New York; my dad went there for a year before he met my mom during the holiday visit home and he came back to be with her. I hope Laura and I can have holiday visits."
Katherine and Malcolm smiled at each other, "Sometimes, people need to get away from their surroundings for healing," Mark spoke up softly. "I can understand how you feel about losing a friend due to something terrible; even though my friend didn't die in the car accident we were in, he blamed me and suffers with permanent injury to this day. My best friend's name was Anton Mercer and we were best buddies even though he was a grade ahead of me and was working on trying to get a scholarship to a very prestigious science university when the accident happened. After the accident, I was having trouble moving on, so my parents sent Kat and I to be with the Truehearts."
Jason nodded, but didn't say anything for a long time, "Malcolm and I are going over to Doctor Oliver's in a little bit to hang out with everyone there," he finally said softly. "Did you two want to come?"
"I've got to do some packing, but you should go, Kat," Mark replied calmly, knowing that he only had so much time before he had to go and meet with the Rangers. "I'll be all right by myself."
Katherine smiled and Malcolm also smiled, "I could stay and help you finish and then we can all go there together," he replied calmly. "Jason, do you mind going over to Doctor Oliver's by yourself?"
"It'll give me a chance to visit with Laura," Jason replied calmly as he stood up. "See you later."
Malcolm nodded and smiled at Jason as he left, but Jason was too deep in thought to notice.
Taking great care not to let himself be seen, Justin silently slipped off the elevator on the floor where Rocky would hopefully be. He had gotten to the hospital rather quickly on his bike and, after parking it behind a bush, he had gotten into the hospital and had peeked at the admission records because nobody was at the admitting desk. The book had told him that Rocky was currently on the surgical floor waiting for major surgery and not wanting to get caught, Justin had taken the stairs all the way up.
Now, as Justin walked down the quiet hallway, he spotted Dr. Oliver talking with an older man in scrubs near the other end of the hallway just outside of the room. Justin quickly ducked behind a trash can and watched as Dr. Oliver walked off down another hallway, deep in conversation with the doctor.
Swallowing hard, Justin made his way down the hallway and slipped into the room, deeply horrified to see Rocky laying on a gurney with a blanket and gown covering his body while a tube was in his throat and connected to a machine. Justin came closer to the bed and frowned as he saw little things on Rocky's chest that were connected to another monitor and a clip on Rocky's IV-laden left hand.
"I don't know if you can hear me, Rocky, but it's Justin," Justin whispered, resting his hands on the bedrail because he was too afraid to touch Rocky for fear of hurting him. "The other Turbo Power Rangers and I got a note from Dimitria that says we have to leave for Phaedos tonight at sundown."
Rocky offered no reply, so Justin silently took Rocky's hand, "I really hope you don't die," Justin whispered, silently reaching into his pocket with his free hand and taking out a small charm that Dr. Oliver had bought him as a source of protection. "You need this thing more than I do right now."
Again, Rocky didn't show any signs that he had heard and Justin sighed before releasing his hand and stepping away. He was unaware that Dr. Oliver had returned and was watching him from the hall.
Taking great care to be quiet in case Rocky did wake, Justin silently tapped a few buttons on his Turbo communicator and teleported out of the hospital room, not seeing Dr. Oliver's worried look.
The Angel's Haven Shelter was quiet as Jason walked inside and saw that not a lot of people were around since the weather was so nice. He had elected to stop at the shelter on the way to Dr. Oliver's to make sure TJ and Carlos knew about the information that Mark had shared since it was essential.
Not surprisingly, TJ and Carlos were in the gym playing basketball, "Hey guys, how are you both doing?" Jason asked pleasantly as he wandered into the gym. "How come you didn't stay after the banquet?"
"We're not high school students and we had no reason to," Carlos replied softly. "Wanna join us?"
Jason shook his head, "Justin got a note from Dulcea this morning and you Turbo Rangers are to meet at Headquarters at sundown," he explained calmly. "Your guide will take you to Phaedos from there."
"Tommy called and said Justin was on his way, but he should have been here by now since it's not that far from Doctor Oliver's," TJ commented in a worried voice. "I hope nothing happened to him."
Jason nodded, "Justin's probably taking his time getting over here because Rocky got really sick last night at the prom and nobody really knows if he'll be all right," he replied in a concerned voice. "I think Justin and Rocky are very close and have been ever since Rocky got involved in being a Big Brother."
"If Justin's not at Doctor Oliver's and he's not here, where is he?" Carlos asked in a worried voice. "It's not like Justin to go off somewhere without telling someone where he'll be and for how long."
Jason frowned, "Do you guys want to come over to Doctor Oliver's with me and we can tell everyone else what's going on?" he asked, suddenly worried about where Justin had ended up going.
"Yeah," TJ replied in a concerned voice, setting the ball down. "I think that's a good idea."
A ray of blue touched down on the sand not far from Dr. Oliver's beach house and Justin sighed as he saw Alpha walking out from the basement exit, "Alpha?" Justin called out in an anxious voice.
"Justin, what are you doing here?" Alpha asked as he toddled over to where Justin was standing.
Justin sighed, "I don't know," he replied softly, frowning at Alpha. "I'm feeling really sick inside."
Alpha nodded, but didn't say anything as Justin sat on the sand, "Rocky's really sick and he's like my big brother, but I don't know if he'll be okay," Justin explained sadly. "Dimitria left us a note at Doctor Oliver's that said we need to meet here at sundown and our guide will take us to Phaedos."
"I know," Alpha replied calmly. "Dimitria is not here right now, but she'll return at sundown."
Justin nodded, but was kept from speaking when he suddenly heard thunder rumbling overhead, "Oh wow, it was really nice earlier," he commented in an anxious voice as he stood up. "Let's go inside."
Not wanting to get wet, Alpha quickly followed Justin into Dr. Oliver's basement and while Alpha secured the room, Justin found himself looking at photos and plaques of past Rangers that had somehow ended up in the basement, "Alpha?" he asked in a quiet voice, suddenly very curious.
"Yes?" Alpha asked as he came to Justin's side. "Ah, you found the Ranger Memory Wall!"
Justin looked confused, "The Memory Wall?" he asked softly. "Why is there a Memory Wall?"
"A Memory Wall allows those who are no longer Power Rangers to be remembered for their service and for their sacrifices," Alpha explained. "Not all of the Power Rangers survived long enough to enjoy their lives of service after being Rangers, but this allows them to never be forgotten even as time goes on."
Justin frowned, "And others do survive, but circumstances sometimes force them to give up their powers to others," Alpha continued in a softer voice. "When life offered past Rangers opportunities to help the world in other ways, Zordon always wished them well and commended them for their work."
Pangs of guilt and distress filled Justin's heart; he was torn between helping the Turbo Rangers find Zordon and staying in Angel Grove to be there for Rocky because most of Rocky's friends were moving on with their lives and Dr. Oliver would also be lonely. He didn't know what to do about his powers.
"Is something wrong, Justin?" Alpha asked softly, seeing the troubled expression on Justin's face.
Justin was quiet for a minute and then swallowed hard, "I don't know if I should continue being a Power Ranger, Alpha," he replied in a soft, but anxious voice. "My help is really needed somewhere else."
Thunder boomed loudly as Tanya carried a large bowl of popcorn into the den where Ashley, Cassie, Laura, Adam, and Tanya were now working on a gigantic card for Rocky. The folded card sat in the middle of a pile of newspapers while baskets of markers, crayons, glitter, and other craft supplies sat around the newspapers, "I brought some food to give us energy," Tanya announced softly.
"Popcorn for breakfast?" Adam asked in a surprised voice. "I thought Tommy was making…"
Suddenly, the smell of burnt eggs drifted through the den, "Tommy's distracted, but I think we'll all be a bit distracted until we know for sure what's happening with Rocky," Tanya replied softly. "I also think that there's not a lot of food in the fridge right now and someone needs to go do some shopping."
"I'll take care of it when Jason comes," Laura replied softly. "I just want to stay with Ashley for now."
Tanya nodded just as there was a knock at the door, "That must be Jason and Malcolm," Adam commented as he got up and left the room. "Maybe we can play a board game or something…"
There was silence as Adam answered the door, "Jason, what are you, TJ, and Carlos doing here?" he asked in a shocked voice as the three entered the house. "I thought Justin was going to the…?"
"I don't know where Justin is and neither do Carlos or TJ," Jason replied in a concerned voice, frowning as Laura came into the front room. "Laura, is Justin here? TJ said that Justin was going to the shelter."
Laura frowned, "No," she replied in a concerned voice. "Justin said he was going to the shelter."
Adam frowned, "So Justin's missing?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Where should we look?"
"He's not at the shelter or anywhere along the route between there and here because we looked on the way," Jason replied in a concerned voice. "He's probably upset about Rocky like we all are, but he should have told someone where he was going. Doctor Oliver has enough to worry about right now and he won't be very happy to know that Justin ran off without telling someone where he was going."
Laura gently touched Jason's arm, "Perhaps TJ, Carlos, Cassie, or Ashley can contact Justin on their communicators and find out where he's at," she replied gently, gazing into Jason's tired eyes. "Since they're going to be together on Phaedos and looking for Zordon, they need to learn to work and communicate with each other. Come into the kitchen and I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate."
For a moment, Jason was quiet and then nodded and followed Laura off to the kitchen, "Justin, this is TJ," TJ said in a soft voice as he lifted his communicator to his mouth. "Justin, can you hear me?"
It was long after noon by the time Justin had made his decision, but he was at peace with it and knew that it would help Zordon somehow, "Are you ready, Justin?" Alpha asked in a nervous voice.
Swallowing hard, Justin nodded and silently held his Turbo Morpher above his head, "I am," he replied in a calm voice, feeling calmer about his decisions than he had felt about anything in the last few weeks.
Alpha pressed some buttons and suddenly, Dimitria appeared on the computer screen, "Alpha, I received your message and I am very surprised to see Justin here alone long before the Turbo Rangers are to travel to Phaedos with their guide," she commented softly. "I sense that not all is well."
"Dimitria, I can't go to Phaedos because Rocky's really not well right now, the older kids are going off to live their lives, and I don't want Doctor Oliver to be alone," Justin explained, gazing at the woman clad entirely in white. "I know I have responsibilities as a Power Ranger, but I don't think I'd be much good on Phaedos if my heart was here on Earth with people I consider family. I want to give up my powers."
Dimitria was quiet for several minutes and silently nodded, "I know that the Turbo Rangers are needed to find and save Zordon before it's too late, but I don't feel like I'm supposed to take part in anything away from Earth," Justin continued softly. "I'm needed and loved here by the only family I've ever had."
"Justin, you have great courage and heart," Dimitria replied gently. "Yes, you are a Power Ranger and that comes with responsibilities to serve and protect the innocent, but you must also serve and protect that which your heart tells you. If you are certain that your place is with those on Earth who love you, I promise that you will never regret the decision you have made today nor will it go unrewarded."
Justin sighed, "I don't care about any rewards," he replied softly. "I just want to stay with Rocky and Doctor Oliver because they're the closest thing to family that I've ever had in my whole entire life."
"All right," Dimitria replied gently as she lifted her hands. "Close your eyes and relax yourself."
Justin closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. Almost immediately, he felt a wave of power surround him and lift off of him as if a heavy burden was being removed from his very young shoulders.
"Open your eyes, Justin," Justin heard Dimitria say in a soft voice. "The transfer is complete."
Justin slowly opened his eyes and immediately felt a little woozy, "Your powers are now gone, but they are being sent where they can be of help to another in need," Dimitria explained in a soft voice. "As I said, you will never regret the decision you made nor will your selfless sacrifice go unrewarded."
Even though Justin was starting to feel lightheaded and a bit queasy from having given his powers, he nodded, "I will send you to Doctor Oliver's current location," Alpha stated as he hurried over to a console and pressed some buttons. "The other Rangers will know of this when they come later."
Nodding, Justin closed his eyes and relaxed as he felt himself being teleported out of the room.
A light breeze drifted across Andros's neck, causing him to open his eyes and bring himself out of the meditation he had engaged in daily since coming to Phaedos. He rose and walked over to the enclosed bed where Zhane lay, fully dependent on life support and oxygen since he had arrived there.
"I hope help comes soon, my friend," Andros whispered as he rested his hands on the glass enclosure.
As expected, Zhane offered no reply or no sign that he was waking up and as Andros was about to turn away and return to meditation, a large beam of blue light suddenly came out of nowhere and encased the capsule that Zhane was in. The life support alarms suddenly went haywire and Andros gasped.
"What is going on in here?!" Ninjor shouted as he hurried into the room and saw the blue beam.
Andros was at a loss for words as the blue beam suddenly faded and revealed that the glass that kept Zhane connected to the oxygen and life support was gone, "Zhane?" Andros asked cautiously as he gazed at the life support machine connected to the bed. "Ninjor, these numbers are different."
"What?" Ninjor asked as he moved over to the machine. "These numbers cannot be correct."
Andros was quiet as Ninjor looked at him, "It was a blue light, so perhaps one of the Power Rangers that are set to come here gave up their powers voluntarily," Ninjor stated. "It has saved Zhane's life."
Andros looked shocked and was about to speak when Zhane's eyes slowly opened, "Zhane?" Andros asked in a quiet voice, silently hoping that Zhane would recognize him. "Zhane, can you hear me?"
"Prince Andros," Zhane replied in a faint voice, his body too weak to move. "Where am I?"
Tears of happiness filled Andros's eyes, "My faithful friend, you are safe and being taken care of," he replied, wanting to save the explanation of them being on Phaedos for when Zhane was stronger.
Zhane blinked and sighed before drifting into a more natural sleep, "You must allow Zhane to rest because his body needs to build up strength," Ninjor explained as he guided Andros away from the bed and over to the table where prepared food and drink sat. "And you must build your own strength."
As Andros ate, neither he nor NInjor noticed the Blue Morpher that had appeared in Zhane's hand.
The sight of Rocky resting in the post-op area on a gurney with tubes in his lungs and other medical procedures done to help keep blood clots from hurting him made Dr. Oliver tired, but he had been relieved to know that Rocky would be all right with medicine, rest, and time and more treatments.
Dr. Cranston had explained that since Rocky had a reaction to the chemotherapy, he would be switched to radiation treatments once he was strong enough. After Dr. Cranston had left him, Dr. Oliver had phoned the house and had updated everyone, emphasizing that Rocky would eventually recover.
Now, since Rocky was resting comfortably and would be moved to a private room later, Dr. Oliver was contemplating either going home or going to get something to eat. He had seen Justin leave and assumed that Justin would be back to say goodbye before going to Phaedos with the others. It was a bit heartbreaking, Dr. Oliver thought sadly, as he had come to think of Justin as one of his family and, unlike Ashley, who had Laura, Justin had nobody else and had relied on him, Malcolm, and Rocky heavily.
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver turned away from the window and was surprised to see Justin standing there looking very tired, but also very much at peace, "Have you come to say goodbye before you go?" he asked softly, slowly walking over to his young adoptee. "I'll miss you a whole lot, Justin."
"I'm not going," Justin replied in a tired voice. "I gave up my powers and I'm staying with you."
Dr. Oliver's eyes narrowed as he gave Justin a confused look, "What are you talking about, Justin?" he asked in a confused voice, wondering why Justin would say that. "Sundown's coming pretty quickly."
"Rocky's sick and you've got work in the summer, so I can hang out with Malcolm or keep Rocky company while he recovers," Justin replied calmly. "Besides, you'd be really lonely without me."
For a moment, Dr. Oliver was silent and then he chuckled as tears came to his eyes, "Oh, Justin, you wonderful child," he replied in a surprised voice as he gave Justin a hug. "You're incredibly selfless."
Justin nodded, but didn't say anything because he was feeling tired and queasy from being teleported without powers, "Well, Rocky had some surgery and he has some special tubes inside of his body for a while so that his body can recover from the chemotherapy," Dr. Oliver explained gently, frowning when he felt Justin waver a bit. "Justin, are you feeling all right? You're shaking and you look kind of tired."
"I started feeling tired and queasy when my powers left me," Justin replied softly. "It got worse when Alpha teleported me to where you were and I ended up out in the rain. Is all of that normal?"
Dr. Oliver shook his head, "No, but I think some healthy food and some rest will help with that," he replied calmly, recalling when he sacrificed his own powers. "How about you and I go home?"
"Okay," Justin replied in a tired voice, deeply grateful to have found a father figure in Dr. Oliver.
As Dr. Oliver and Justin left the hospital, they didn't see an anxious Skull enter the emergency room entrance looking as if he had been in a fight. In reality, he and Kimberly had been sharing a quiet dinner and Kimberly had mentioned that she wanted to see Rocky, but Skull had gently recommended that they wait. Kimberly had gone ballistic and had promptly attacked him with anything within reach.
"Excuse me, I need some help," Skull spoke softly as he approached the desk. "I was at the Youth Center with my girlfriend and she ended up attacking me. She's being held there by the police, but I…"
Without warning, Skull collapsed against the desk from pain and the exhaustion of running away.
Jason's eyes widened at the sight of an agitated Kimberly restrained to a gurney and surrounded by paramedics while several police cars surrounded the Youth Center. He had gone to bring Malcolm and Katherine over to Dr. Oliver's for a late supper since Mark, TJ, Ashley, Carlos, Justin, and Cassie were all preparing to leave for Phaedos and they had seen the police and paramedics come to Ernie's.
"Detective Stone, what's going on?" Katherine asked in a concerned voice. "What happened?"
Detective Stone sighed, "Sorry kids, the Youth Center is closed for the night," he replied in a concerned voice. "We got a call from Ernie that a fight erupted between Kimberly Hart and Eugene Skullovitch and that Kimberly had attacked Eugene several times before Ernie could restrain her. Before we could talk to Mister Skullovitch, he ran off, but Kimberly is complaining of not feeling well and hasn't for a while."
"Kimberly hasn't been right since Billy died," Jason replied in a concerned voice. "Can we help at all?"
Detective Stone was quiet for a moment, "Detective Stone?" he suddenly heard Kimberly ask softly.
Jason, Malcolm, and Katherine silently watched as Detective Stone walked over to Kimberly and the two had a quiet conversation that left a shocked expression on Detective Stone's face, "Guys, release Miss Hart and I'll take her home," Detective Stone suddenly said in a calm voice. "Are you all right?"
There was a heavy silence as Kimberly was unrestrained and helped off the gurney by a concerned Detective Stone, "What's going on?" Katherine whispered in a concerned voice. "What happened?"
Jason, however, continued to watch Kimberly and his heart sank as she touched her stomach protectively while following Detective Stone to his car. He now knew why Kimberly was sick. Now that he knew what was up, Jason wondered what had happened between Kim and Skull to cause this.
"…Just a few more steps and then you can sit at the table," Tommy heard Dr. Oliver say in a gentle voice as the front door opened and footsteps entered the house. "Maybe I'll make some hamburgers."
Tommy looked up from the groceries he was putting away in the fridge and freezer just in time to see his uncle and Justin walk into the kitchen, "Go relax at the table," Dr. Oliver said calmly to Justin.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go?" Tommy asked softly as Justin sat at the table and immediately rested his head in his arms. "Laura, Tanya, and Adam are playing cards in the den because Laura's starting to miss Ashley even though she's not gone yet. Oh, Jason went to get Kat and Malcolm."
Dr. Oliver nodded, "That's fine," he replied calmly. "Justin's a little tired and not feeling well."
"I decided to give up my powers," Justin commented softly, gazing up at Tommy just as Laura, Tanya, and Adam came in to see about starting dinner. "I want to stay here and help Rocky while he recovers, hang out with Malcolm, and be there for Doctor Oliver since he's the only father I've ever known."
Tanya looked shocked, but Laura looked rather relieved, "That way, everyone else can go on with their plans and not have to feel bad about it," Justin explained softly. "I felt it was the right thing to do."
"I'm going to make some hamburgers for supper," Dr. Oliver cut in, seeing that Justin was tired and wanted to stop talking for a bit. "I thought that we'd have them with some fries and then maybe play a board game or watch a movie after supper. It's supposed to rain again later, so let's just stay inside."
As the sun slowly made its way downward, TJ, Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos teleported into the Headquarters that would soon revert back to being the basement of Dr. Oliver's beach house.
Dimitria and Alpha were both waiting by the computer, but there was no sign of Justin even though he had been the one to find the note, "Dimitria, where's Justin?" TJ asked in a concerned voice.
"Justin knew we were supposed to meet here at sunset," Cassie commented in an irritated voice, annoyed that Justin couldn't manage to be on time for something as important as going to Phaedos.
Alpha sighed, "Dimitria, can you show them where Justin is?" he asked, tired of Cassie's negativity.
"Here is where Justin has chosen to be," DImitria explained as her image faded to one of Dr. Oliver, Tommy, Jason, Katherine, Malcolm, Adam, Tanya, Laura, and Justin sitting around Dr. Oliver's table eating hamburgers and fries while talking. Justin was seated between Dr. Oliver and Malcolm.
Ashley's eyes widened, but TJ and Carlos looked surprisingly calm, "Justin has chosen to remain with those he considers family and help them however he can," Dimitria explained in a calm voice. "I have accepted his decision and his sacrifice for the ones he loves will never be forgotten nor unrewarded."
"Is Rocky going to make it then, Dimitria?" Ashley asked softly. "If Rocky were to pass away."
Dimitria smiled, "Rocky will recover with medicine, time, rest, and help, Ashley," she replied calmly, smiling at the four Rangers who had come ready to leave. "At the moment, however, you must all meet your guide and allow him to take you to Phaedos. There are those there who are waiting for you."
There was a flash of light and Mark suddenly stepped out of the darkness using his cane to travel; he was wearing a hoodie, khakis, and boots and had a bag over one shoulder, "Mark Hillard is our guide?" Cassie asked in a shocked voice. "How is that possible? You didn't say anything to us at graduation."
"The time wasn't right for me to say anything, Cassie," Mark replied calmly. "Are you all ready?"
TJ, Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos all exchanged glances before nodding, "All right, please join hands with me," Mark instructed softly, feeling as if some supernatural force was guiding him through this.
"Ai-yi-yi," Alpha muttered as he joined the circle and joined hands with Mark, TJ, Ashley, Carlos, and Cassie while Dimitria watched on the screen. "Changes are always hard, but this is for good."
Dimitria immediately vanished from the screen and Mark sighed as he, TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Carlos, and Alpha raised their hands in unison and were teleported out of Dr. Oliver's cabin almost immediately
Right before the computer powered off, an image of Justin hugging Dr. Oliver could be seen and even though the Turbo Rangers, Alpha, and Dimitria didn't see it, they knew that Justin was now at peace.
Okay, I didn't really watch Power Rangers in Space so I'm either thinking of making some chapters of the Turbo Rangers on Phaedos before they go look for Zordon OR I'm thinking of fast forwarding a few years to show how the original Power Rangers are handling adulthood and how the events of the changing world affect them and others around them. Please leave reviews and your thoughts on my ideas.