2002
Corinth Prime
"What have I done?" Dr. J., a founding scientist of Corinth Prime, said in an anxious voice as the computer screen turned red, allowing the very minor virus to overtake the entire network of the growing city.
Alarms blared and a young man came rushing into the lab wearing khakis, sneakers, and a t-shirt with a little boy in his arms who was wailing at the top of his lungs, "Gem, I thought I told you to put Ziggy to bed!" Dr. J. said in an anxious voice, sighing as Ziggy reached out for her. "Where are K. and Gemma?"
"Gemma's gone!" Gem cried out anxiously as Ziggy continued to wail. "I don't know where K. got to!"
Dr. J.'s eyes widened, "You lost my daughter and your sister?!" she exploded amidst the alarms.
Gem nodded and suddenly faded in an out, causing J. to grab Ziggy, "The computers are damaged," Gem managed to say before he faded out of view. "It wasn't your virus…it was something else…a group…"
"Not Alphabet Soup!" Dr. J. shouted, terrified that they had finally found K. and taken her away.
The computers suddenly went blank and Dr. J. held the wailing Ziggy close as she rushed deeper into the lab that she and Gem had built shortly after marrying despite their differences. Small black portal-like holes suddenly started appearing along the wall that listed the names of the other founding scientists, which included Ziggy's now deceased parents, who had died of a sickness not long after Ziggy's birth.
"Portals!" Dr. J. shouted anxiously, her eyes widening when Ziggy started to squirm. "Ziggy, no!"
The earth suddenly trembled violently, causing Dr. J. to lose her grip on Ziggy and as he fell through one of the portals, debris fell from the ceiling and sent her to the floor in a lifeless heap very quickly.
Angel Grove
Deeply exhausted from doing training runs with several new paramedic trainees after giving them a classroom orientation that morning, Jason silently entered Ernie's and saw that Ernie was working at the counter since it didn't appear that anyone was around.
It had been over a month since he and Laura had returned from Hawaii, Jason reflected as he sat at a table near the door, and he had gone to work for the Angel Grove Fire Department in both training and administrative duties. While he worked all day, Laura had volunteered with various sports teams around Angel Grove to get in practice for being a teacher at Angel Grove High in the fall and they were both seeking counseling together to deal with the impact that Tommy's decision had left on them.
Even though Jason and Laura had made a life for themselves, Jason found that each day out in the field drained him emotionally and physically. His father was the Lieutenant in charge, however, and Jason wanted to do his best to live up to the expectations he felt he had on him having worked on 9/11.
"Hey Jason, how was work today?" Ernie asked as he came over to the table where Jason was sitting.
Jason sighed, "I went out on a bunch of training runs today," he replied in a tired voice. "It was a really busy day between the morning classroom stuff, the training runs, and after work meeting."
Ernie nodded, frowning at how beat Jason looked, "Are you okay?" he asked in a concerned voice.
Not wanting to admit that a full day of being on the street like he was in New York was exhausting him to the point where he went to bed early most evenings, Jason nodded, "I'm all right, Ernie," he lied.
"I'll make you something to eat, all right?" Ernie replied gently, not buying that Jason was all right.
As Ernie disappeared into the kitchen, Jason closed his eyes and wondered where Rocky was, as he knew that Malcolm and Kat were knee-deep in wedding plans, Adam was teaching, Tanya was pursuing a career in Performing Arts Education by working at theaters in the area, Billy and Kimberly had moved away with Trent, and Rocky was keeping busy with mysterious things while TJ, Ashley, Cassie, Carlos, and Justin were all in the beginnings of college or university. Even his own wife was volunteering.
With time and work not a priority at the moment, Jason slept soundly for what seemed like an eternity and was woken by the sound of a plate being set down on the table, "…Here you go, Jason," he heard Ernie say in a calm voice as he opened his eyes and saw a burger and a salad. "A nice, balanced meal."
Jason smiled, "Thanks," he replied in a tired voice, frowning as he suddenly heard loud sirens nearby.
Ernie frowned and muttered something about trouble as he moved back to the counter and while Jason silently picked at his food, Dr. Oliver entered the Juice Bar with a young girl, who was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a backpack, and a little boy who was wearing oversized clothes and looked very nervous.
"Ernie, is Malcolm or Rocky around?" Dr. Oliver said as he approached the counter. "I need to talk to them about getting some information about martial arts classes. I have a couple of new kids to care for."
The girl looked around the room nervously while the boy looked up at Ernie, "Is there food here?" the boy asked as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. "I forgot to eat breakfast today and I've been running."
"Nick, what did I tell you to do if you needed to eat?" Dr. Oliver asked in a concerned voice.
Nick sighed, "Tell you," he replied solemnly. "Can we please get something cool here, though?"
"Yes," Dr. Oliver replied in an amused voice. "Do you want something for supper here too, Kira?"
Kira shrugged and looked around the room, "Is there a guitar or a piano or something?" she asked softly.
"Kira, you need to eat before you start with the music, okay?" Dr. Oliver said in a gentle voice.
Kira reluctantly nodded and took a seat at the counter while Dr. Oliver helped Nick sit at the counter because he looked reluctant to sit. Quickly finishing his meal, Jason gathered his things and waved to Dr. Oliver as he walked outside. Once the sun touched him, Jason smiled and looked up at the afternoon sky, frowning when he heard sirens in the distance because they meant that someone was in trouble.
"Hey there, Jase," Jason suddenly heard as Malcolm came up the sidewalk. "How was work today?"
Jason sighed, frowning as he looked at Malcolm, "I'm not sure how long I can keep doing active duty," he confessed in a distressed voice. "Ever since 9/11, I just find myself exhausted after doing simple runs."
"Have you talked to Laura about how you feel?" Malcolm asked softly. "She is your wife, after all."
Jason shrugged, "She seems so happy," he replied softly. "Hearing about my problems would..."
A car suddenly pulled up in front of the Youth Center and Laura got out, smiling as she approached Jason, "I thought you'd be here," she said in a kind voice, kissing his cheek. "How was work?"
Malcolm gave Jason a look and silently went inside the Youth Center while Jason and Laura walked over to the grass and sat down, "Laura, I'm not sure I want to do ambulance runs for the rest of my career because even getting into an ambulance for work makes me remember," Jason explained softly.
Laura was silent for several moments and finally nodded, "Well, why are you doing paramedic runs if you're not comfortable with it?" she asked softly. "You can teach classes or be an administrator."
Jason smiled and frowned when he suddenly felt the ground trembling violently, "Earthquake," he said in an anxious voice, springing to his feet and helping Laura to her feet. "Let's get inside."
As the earthquake suddenly increased in intensity, Jason and Laura hurried into the Juice Bar and saw Dr. Oliver standing in front of a table while Kira and Nick huddled underneath it holding his legs while Malcolm and Ernie were hidden under the counter, "The floor's going to split open!" Kira howled.
Suddenly, the floor near the entrance cracked and Laura quickly pulled her and Jason away from it just as loud crashes could be heard outside. The shelves suddenly fell behind the counter, engulfing Malcolm and Ernie in supplies and items that broke when they hit the two of them, nearly knocking them out.
"I wish this would stop," Laura whimpered, burying her face in Jason's shoulder. "I hate quakes."
A few seconds later, the shaking stopped and Dr. Oliver helped Nick and Kira out from under the table while Jason and Laura hurried over to the counter. Malcolm was very shaken, but looked uninjured while Ernie had been injured and cut up by falling items, "Ernie!" Laura exclaimed anxiously.
"I'm okay," Ernie said in a shaky voice, noting Malcolm was holding him down. "Can you help me up?"
An earsplitting wail filled the air as Jason, Malcolm, and Laura helped Ernie up and Laura frowned as she saw that Nick was crying while Kira silently examined the crack in the floor near the entrance, "Are the earthquakes always really bad here?" Kira asked in a nervous voice, gazing worriedly at Jason.
"Sometimes," Jason replied in a concerned voice. "Come on, let's see if we can find some help."
The sounds of blaring horns and crying filled the air as Rocky rushed towards the scene of a crash that had happened right before his eyes as he was walking from the university to the Juice Bar. There was only one car involved, but the intensity of the earthquake had sent it off the road into a light pole.
Rocky frowned as he saw an unconscious Adam and Kat in the car and remembered that Adam had given Kat a ride from the university so that she and Malcolm could discuss the wedding, "Adam, Kat!" he called out as he forced the driver's side door open. "Adam, Kat, it's Rocky! Can you hear me?"
Sirens filled the air and the car sparked and hissed, making Rocky realize that the car was going to explode and kill Adam and Kat if he didn't do something. Swallowing hard, Rocky forcibly undid the seatbelt and grunted as he pulled Adam from the driver's side and a safe distance from the car before returning to the passenger side for Kat. A small fire started under the hood as Rocky kicked the passenger door open because it wouldn't budge on its own, but Rocky concentrated on freeing Kat.
"Rocky?" Kat's weak voice suddenly spoke as Rocky dragged Kat away from the car. "What...?"
Rocky groaned as he gently laid Kat on the grass next to Adam, "You and Adam went off the road during the earthquake," he explained in a shaking voice, frowning as Kat slowly sat up. "You should stay still."
"Is Adam okay?" Kat asked fearfully, frowning as she saw Adam laying unconscious nearby. "Adam!"
Sirens filled the air and Kat screamed as the car suddenly exploded, sending debris and flames everywhere, "This wasn't a natural earthquake," Rocky said in a concerned voice. "It felt wrong."
Mercer Industries - Reefside, California
"Not again!" Tommy, who had been trying to recreate the power of the gems ever since his uncle had refused to give the original ones over, groaned as melted fragments of metal fell between the table that had cracked when his experiment had created a tremor. "I don't understand why this isn't working!"
There was a heavy silence and a light suddenly flashed on, revealing an exhausted looking Allan Mercer, "What are you doing here?" he asked sharply. "I swore to Billy you wouldn't come around the lab."
"Your lab is the only one that has the technology to recreate those gems that my uncle won't give to me," Tommy replied in an anxious voice, frowning as Allan approached the work table. "Just as the metal was solidifying, there was some sort of earthquake and the metal cracked like glass."
Allan frowned in confusion, "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked in a confused voice. "Everyone thinks you went back to MIT after you and Kimberly had that fight. Why are you in Reefside?"
"That's not any of your concern," Tommy replied coldly as he faced Allan. "I tried and I failed."
The lights suddenly flickered and when they came back on, Tommy had disappeared and Allan was left alone with nothing but damaged equipment, "What did you want here, Tommy?" Allan asked softly.
Miles away in the safety of a house that had enough technology to keep him from being detected by the wrong people because he had used every moment of his time at MIT making things to keep himself safe and comfortable, Tommy threw off the experimental teleportation watch and hurried into the safety of his office. The best thing for him to do was to just calm down and prepare for his upcoming teaching job in the fall that colleagues had referred him to after learning that he had come from Reefside long ago.
Tommy knew that the time would come when those gems were needed and his uncle would just have to deal with it if he wasn't willing to give them up. Either way, Tommy mused, the gems would be his.
Angel Grove
Dr. Oliver sighed heavily as he watched Malcolm talk to repairmen near the door while Jason helped the paramedics patch Ernie up and Laura teach Kira and Nick to dance on the mats. The earthquake had made him uneasy and he couldn't help but feel like Tommy was involved even though his vague letters claimed he was still at MIT. Dr. Oliver felt like Tommy wasn't being fully honest and he also knew why.
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver silently walked over to the counter where Jason was sitting with Ernie while other paramedics bandaged his head, "Ernie, how are you feeling?" Dr. Oliver asked in a kind voice.
"I'm all right, but I might go home after they're done with me," Ernie replied in a concerned voice.
Dr. Oliver nodded and sighed, "I suppose I should take Kira and Nick home soon to see what the damage to my place is," he replied in a kind voice. "I just hope everyone's all right and the damage is minimal."
"Can we stay here for a while, Doctor Oliver?" Kira asked softly. "We wanna make sure Ernie's okay."
Ernie smiled as the paramedics finished bandaging his head, "I'm all right, kids, but I think I'm going to go home," he replied in a tired voice as the phone rang. "Oh, excuse me for just a moment."
Silence filled the room as Ernie answered the phone and he suddenly frowned, "Yeah, Malcolm's right here," he replied, gazing at Malcolm as he held out the receiver. "Malcolm, it's Rocky calling for you."
Frowning, Malcolm walked over to the phone, "This is Malcolm Scott," he said calmly. "What?"
Dr. Oliver, Jason, and Laura frowned as Malcolm's eyes widened in shock, "...I'll come right away or as soon as I can," Malcolm replied in an anxious voice as he nearly dropped the phone. "Thanks, Rocky."
"What's wrong, Malcolm?" Jason asked in a concerned voice as Malcolm silently hung up the phone.
Malcolm sighed heavily, "I guess Rocky was walking here from the university when he saw that Adam and Kat's car had crashed in to a light pole because of the earthquake," he replied anxiously, struggling not to cry. "Rocky got them both out before the car caught fire, but they're both hurt pretty badly."
"Oh, man," Laura replied softly, shocked that two of her good friends had been in a bad car wreck. "I have a thought; Jason, Doctor Oliver, why don't you two take Malcolm to the hospital and I can take Kira and Nick to Doctor Oliver's? You're both very close to Malcolm and I'm sure he needs support."
Nick looked curiously at Laura and silently walked over to her, as did Kira, "What a thoughtful idea, Laura, but I feel like you need to go with Jason and Malcolm," Dr. Oliver replied calmly as if he knew something Laura didn't. "Come on, Kira and Nick, let's go home and get supper started, okay?"
"Can we visit Jason and Laura later?" Kira asked softly as she led Nick back over to Dr. Oliver.
Dr. Oliver nodded, "I think so," he replied calmly, smiling at the two kids. "Let's get going."
Ernie sighed wearily as Dr. Oliver left with Kira and Nick in tow, "I'll close early," he said calmly, giving Malcolm a reassuring look. "Go make sure Katherine's okay. I'll help the workmen for a while."
"Thank you, Ernie," Malcolm replied in an anxious voice as Jason and Laura led him out of the room.
Pain shot through Adam's ribs as he tried to shift himself on the bed just enough so he could peer into the room where Kat was resting, having nearly passed out twice on the way to the hospital due to internal bleeding, "Adam, lie still," he suddenly heard a gentle voice say. "You'll hurt yourself."
Swallowing hard, Adam turned and saw TJ standing beside the gurney looking concerned, "TJ, do you know how Kat's doing and if Mark and her parents have been told?" Adam asked in an anxious voice.
"Cassie's her nurse," TJ replied calmly. "Cassie called Mark and he's letting their parents know."
There was an uneasy silence in the room and Adam suddenly saw Cassie come out of the room where Kat was resting wearing pink scrubs, "Adam, how are you feeling?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"How's Kat?" Adam asked shakily, sitting up even though he felt ready to collapse or pass out.
Cassie sighed softly and frowned at seeing how pale Adam was, "Did someone call Doctor Oliver or Tanya for you, Adam?" she asked in a concerned voice. "I feel like someone should be here..."
"Doctor Oliver got two new foster kids today," Adam replied weakly. "Tanya's out of town."
Cassie nodded and looked at TJ, "Go phone Doctor Oliver, will you?" she asked in a worried voice.
As TJ left, Adam wheezed and slowly slouched, "You need to rest," Cassie said in a concerned voice.
"I don't know what happened," Adam protested as Cassie lowered the gurney. "Malcolm's going to be angry with me if Kat dies. They were planning their wedding and it was going to be really great..."
Cassie nodded and sighed as Adam closed his eyes and allowed tears to stream down his face, "I can get you something for the pain if you'd like," she offered gently, knowing that Adam was in great pain.
"Go check on Kat," Adam replied in an anxious voice as a shaken Rocky suddenly came into the room.
Exchanging a concerned look with Rocky, Cassie silently left the room and kept silent as she went to the admissions area where Jason was waiting with a terrified looking Malcolm and a worried looking Laura.
"Cassie, how's Kat?" Malcolm asked anxiously. "Jason's dad called and needs Jason to work tonight..."
Jason sighed heavily, "This earthquake has caused a lot of trouble and damage," he explained softly.
"I'll stay here for as long as I need to," Laura replied softly. "Cassie, can you take Malcolm to see Kat?"
Malcolm sighed as he stood up and followed after Cassie just as Rocky came into the waiting area, "Adam decided to rest a bit," Rocky explained softly. "I might go visit Doctor Oliver for a bit..."
"I'll give you a ride since I've got to go to work," Jason offered as he stood up. "Love you, Laura."
Laura blew Jason a kiss as he left with Rocky and waited a few moments before she got up and walked over to the transparent door that led to where Kat was resting. Malcolm had silently climbed up on the gurney and was gently holding Kat in his arms while Cassie and several others nurses worked.
Tears filled Laura's eyes as she watched Malcolm gently whisper to Kat, who looked very tired, "If I had my Ninjetti Power, I could heal Kat," Laura whispered softly. "That earthquake wasn't natural."
"No, it wasn't," Mark's quiet voice suddenly spoke from behind her. "It was a man made one."
Laura whirled around and was surprised to see Mark standing there with his cane in hand, "I may not be able to see, but my other senses tell me that the earthquake was the result of someone's quest for power that could not be had," he explained softly. "I, um, heard about Katherine's accident..."
"I might be able to help Katherine," Laura said, knowing she could try to use her powers once more.
Mark frowned in confusion, but didn't move, "Come with me and comfort them," Laura spoke softly.
Nodding, Mark allowed Laura to help him into the trauma room, "Kat, Malcolm, I need to talk to you for a moment," Laura said slowly as Mark stood there, silently listening. "There may be a way to save Kat."
Silence filled the room as Kat and Malcolm silently exchanged a look and nodded, trusting Laura's offer.
You know you want the gems, Tommy. Your uncle doesn't trust you enough to give them to you willingly, but I can help you take them and use them for what they were meant to be used for. Dominance.
Frowning as he rose from the computer desk where he worked on various projects, Tommy silently walked over to the table where he kept the broken devices of artificial power that he had made during his trespass at Mercer Industries. The devices glowed briefly, as if they were inviting him to act.
Tommy felt frustrated by the fact that he couldn't get access to the gems nor could he create artificial ones, but he couldn't help but wonder if he could summon the actual gems by using the artificial ones like he used to use his Morpher. Swallowing hard, Tommy silently picked up the device and exhaled.
A beam of light suddenly shout out of the device and engulfed both Tommy and the room he was in.
Violent shaking filled the house, shaking the overhead lights as Dr. Oliver quickly rose from the supper table and quickly pulled Nick from his chair while Rocky helped Kira and Justin away from the table, "Get under the table with Justin," Dr. Oliver commanded, sighing as Kira and Nick dropped to the floor.
"I'm scared!" Kira wailed as she dragged Nick under the table and clung to Justin as he joined them.
Dr. Oliver frowned, grabbing to the counter to help steady himself, "I need to get something from my office and then I'll come back," he said in an anxious voice. "Promise me you'll protect the kids."
Deeply confused, Rocky nodded and hunched under the table as Dr. Oliver tore off out of the kitchen and down the hallway as the earthquake continued, "Where's Doctor Oliver going?" Kira whimpered.
A loud crash suddenly filled the house and swallowing hard, Rocky quickly rose and bolted down the hallway towards Dr. Oliver's office. From the doorway, Rocky was horrified to see a grotesque, metallic creature standing over Dr. Oliver, who was laying on the floor gasping and trying to remain conscious.
"Why can I not get past you?" the creature asked in an aggressive voice. "Do I need to kill you first?!"
Dr. Oliver trembled as he slowly rose and leaned heavily on his desk, lifting one leg from the ground as if it were injured and there was a cut on his forehead, "That's not how it works," he replied weakly.
"You know Tommy wants those gems," the being growled. "He sent me to summon them."
Dr. Oliver's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything and instead held his arms up and crossed them in front of his face, closing his eyes as he did so. The room suddenly shook and the creature screamed in agony as it suddenly vanished in a blaze of darkness, causing Dr. Oliver to collapse to the ground.
"Doctor Oliver!" Kira, who had seen the monster briefly, suddenly shouted from the doorway.
Before Rocky could react, Kira took off running, "Go find Kira," Dr. Oliver spoke in a faint voice.
Shaking his head, Rocky knelt down next to Dr. Oliver, "What happened?" he asked worriedly.
"I felt something wasn't right when the earthquake started," Dr. Oliver spoke weakly, wincing as he did so because it hurt to breathe and talk. "Please, Rocky, just take care of Justin, Kira, and Nick if I..."
Sirens suddenly filled the air, "Kira found an ambulance!" Justin's voice suddenly called out anxiously.
"What?" Dr. Oliver asked in a faint voice, frowning as he heard the door open. "Who's here?"
There were footsteps, "Doctor Oliver?" Rocky heard Jason call out in a concerned voice. "Doctor Oliver?"
"Jason, we're in here," Rocky called out in a concerned voice. "You'd better bring all you can."
Within minutes, Jason and his partner had arrived and Jason flinched briefly as he knelt down next to Dr. Oliver, who looked like he had been through a war, "What hurts?" Jason asked in a concerned voice.
"Everything," Dr. Oliver replied weakly. "I was trying to protect Justin, Kira, and Nick from harm..."
The smell of the burning Towers and the screams of people flashed through Jason's mind briefly, as he was again dealing with having to help the injured through a very serious disaster situation. Dr. Oliver's calm eyes, however, immediately struck Jason and he quickly calmed his anxieties down.
Taking charge, Jason helped his partner secure Dr. Oliver to a backboard and within minutes, they were carrying Doctor Oliver out of the house in front of a horrified Justin, a shellshocked Nick, and a trembling Kira. Rocky, however, silently went to the shelf and pocketed the box with the gems in it. He knew that Dr. Oliver wanted them protected from Tommy and even if it cost Rocky his life, he would protect Dr. Oliver's treasures from harm.
Crying filled the air and realizing that he needed to be there for Kira and Nick, Rocky silently walked out.
Skull flinched as the address of the latest earthquake came over the radio, as he knew that was Dr. Oliver's house and that the man had just gotten some new foster kids. He watched as Bulk finished gathering statements and come back to the squad car that they shared during this emergency.
"Bulkie, there was damage at Doctor Oliver's," Skull commented solemnly. "Just heard it on the radio."
Bulk frowned and was about to speak when suddenly a rift opened in the middle of a nearby bench and Ziggy fell out on to the grass and immediately started to cry. Deeply alarmed, Skull immediately hurried over to Ziggy and gently scooped him up off the grass. Ziggy gave Skull a look and continued to cry.
"Let's take him to the hospital," Skull said in a concerned voice. "He could have gotten hurt."
Bulk nodded and they took the wailing Ziggy back to their squad car, "Drive gently and I'll hold Ziggy," Skull instructed as he got in the car, deeply relieved that Ashley was with Spike that day. "Come on."
"Okay," Bulk replied in an anxious voice as he ran around the car and quickly got behind the wheel.
Kat's breathing had slowed, yet was very relaxed and tears of gratitude filled Malcolm's eyes as Katherine slept soundly, exhausted from being healed. Laura had shown great faith and had silently managed to summon her aging Ninjetti powers to help Katherine be healed from all her injuries.
"How did you do it?" Malcolm asked softly, well aware that Mark was just outside the room with Cassie.
Laura sighed, "I had faith in my old Ninjetti powers," she replied softly. "I believed I could use them."
Malcolm nodded, but before he could reply, the door burst open and Mr. and Mrs. Hillard came into the room looking frantic, but calmed when they saw Malcolm and Laura with a sleeping Kat, "Oh, Mister and Mrs. Hillard," Laura spoke up softly as she stood up. "I can go now since you're here to be with Kat."
Before anyone could say anything, Laura silently left the room and spotted Mark and Cassie talking, but not in a peaceful manner as they had a few minutes ago, "Laura, dispatch just called in and said that paramedics were bringing Doctor Oliver in because he got hurt in the earthquake," Cassie explained in a fearful voice, her eyes brimming with tears as she clutched Mark's hand. "I don't know how bad it is."
Shock filled Laura's body, but she nodded calmly as loud sirens filled the air, "I should phone Ashley and then talk to Adam," she said in a voice that showed her attempt to maintain control. "Excuse me."
Nearly three hours later, Laura rose as Ashley came through the door looking rather anxious as she led a worried looking Spike alongside her, "I had to get Spike supper," Ashley explained anxiously. "Eugene said he would meet me here and take Spike home so we could spend time with Doctor Oliver for a bit."
"Rocky's with him now," Laura replied softly. "Adam visited for a bit, but he started to feel pain..."
Ashley nodded and guided Spike along, catching sight of Bulk and Skull in a room where Ziggy had been put until a room upstairs opened up. Instead of his blue sleeper, which had been taken by the police so they could try and figure out where he came from, Ziggy was wearing a green sleeper with one arm in a green tinted cast while small IV's dotted the other arm. Skull smiled at the sight of Ashley and Spike.
"Oh, the poor child must have been brought in after the quake," Laura commented softly, eyeing Ziggy.
Ashley shrugged and led Laura and Spike upstairs to the room where Dr. Oliver had been assigned after his fairly serious injuries had been patched up. Ashley remained outside with Spike while Laura went into the room and saw that Rocky was silently sitting at Dr. Oliver's bedside watching him sleep.
Several tubes and IV's were in various parts of Dr. Oliver's body while a cast covered his left leg and a gown and blanket covered his body. A small bandage covered the cut that had been on his forehead.
As Laura approached the bed, she was suddenly overwhelmed with an image of Tommy, who was in a room furnished with expensive looking furniture, lying on the floor holding a device in his hands that looked as if it was designed for evil, "Tommy?" she whispered, wondering if Tommy had caused it all.
The image faded and swallowing hard, Laura silently approached the bed, "Hey," she whispered softly.
"Jason's dad went over to Dr. Oliver's for a bit to help Justin with Kira and Nick so I could come here," Rocky explained softly. "I'm the closest thing to family Doctor Oliver has since Tommy left the area."
Laura nodded and Rocky sighed, "Jason went to get me some dinner and said he's probably going to spend the night so I can go and take care of Kira and Nick," he explained softly. "Hope that's okay."
"I may stay with him," Laura replied softly, determined to be there for the man who was like a father.
Rocky nodded, "How are Kat and Adam?" he asked shakily. "I can't believe we wrecked in the quake."
"Kat's going to be fine," Laura replied softly. "Malcolm and Kat's family are spending time with her."
Rocky sighed just as Jason entered the room holding a large bag, "Here's some dinner for you to eat on the way home, Rocky," Jason said in a kind voice. "Laura, I'm going to walk Rocky out if that's okay?"
"It'll give me time alone with Doctor Oliver," Laura replied as she sat down at her mentor's bedside.
Sensing that Laura wanted to be alone with the man they considered a father, Ashley and Spike left with Jason and Rocky. Laura gently took Dr. Oliver's cold hands in her own and let out a quiet, tearful sigh.
Katherine sighed as she slowly sat up on the gurney and watched as Malcolm sat next to her, gently putting an arm around her as he did so. Mr. and Mrs. Hillard had gone home, as had Mark and Cassie, but Malcolm had chosen to stay and wait until Katherine was released. It was getting very late.
Just then, Adam came into their view, but he sat alone on a row of chairs in the middle of the hallway with his jacket on while his shirt sat in his lap. He looked tired and as if he had no friends in the world.
"Adam looks exhausted," Katherine spoke softly as she gazed at Adam. "Why is he out of bed?"
Malcolm shrugged and silently stood up, helping Kat to stand as he did, "We could go talk to him until someone releases you from here," he said in a kind voice. "I don't think he should be out of bed either."
Quickly joining hands, Malcolm and Katherine wandered out into the hallway, but Adam didn't look at either of them, "Adam?" Katherine asked softly. "Adam, I'm all right. You don't need to worry."
"I don't want Doctor Oliver to die," Adam whispered in a pained voice. "He looked really bad."
Just then, Adam noticed Jason and Rocky come down the hall and go off towards the exit, but he was in too much pain to say anything, "You should probably rest, Adam," Malcolm spoke in a gentle voice.
"I won't get any rest here," Adam spoke shakily. "I want to go rest in a normal bed tonight..."
Malcolm sighed and nodded just as Jason came back down the hallway and promptly noticed Adam sitting there looking ill, "Adam, you should be resting," Jason said in a concerned voice. "You look..."
"I'm going to take Adam home with me and he can rest at the house since Mom and Dad are out of town," Malcolm replied calmly, gazing at Jason. "Once Kat's released, I'll take them both in my car."
Jason nodded, "Rocky's gone back to Doctor Oliver's to help Justin take care of Kira and Nick," he explained in a tired voice. "Laura and I will stay here with Doctor Oliver tonight to protect him."
"Does anyone know how to get a hold of Tommy?" Katherine asked softly. "It's his uncle..."
Jason sighed, "I'll ask Doctor Oliver about it," he replied, having no desire to contact Tommy.
Nodding, Jason silently walked away from the group before they could figure out that he was angry at Tommy for basically disappearing and not staying in touch. With Dr. Oliver injured, Tommy was needed.
For once, Jason found himself grateful that few people were in the hospital at that time of night and that he didn't have to take care of anyone. He liked helping people, but he was tired just then.
As Jason passed the room where Ziggy was being held, however, a cry emanated from the bed where Ziggy was resting. Deeply concerned, Jason wandered into the room and over to the crying Ziggy.
"Hey, little one," Jason spoke softly, offering his hand to Ziggy. "Is your arm bothering you?"
Ziggy sniffled and looked up at Jason questioningly while offering his good arm, "Do you want someone to hold you, Ziggy?" Jason asked softly as he noticed the name on Ziggy's jumper. "Ziggy's a cool name."
Taking great care not to disconnect anything or jar the cast, Jason gently picked Ziggy up and held him.
"Tommy..." Laura heard Dr. Oliver say in a faint voice as she sat there, gently holding his hand.
Laura frowned as Dr. Oliver slowly opened his eyes and immediately allowed tears to fall from them, as if he had just woken from a troubling dream, "Through his desire for the gems, Tommy summoned that evil power that attacked me," he spoke in a shaking voice. "He...he created some sort of technology..."
"It's okay," Laura spoke softly as she patted Dr. Oliver's hand. "Tommy isn't anywhere near here."
Dr. Oliver sighed tiredly, "Tommy was never like this before," he spoke softly. "He was always so good and kind until he went to school. Something happened that turned Tommy into what he is now."
"The incident on Muranthias," Laura whispered softly. "Tommy wasn't even there, though..."
Dr. Oliver gave Laura a pained look, "Who do you think told Anton Mercer that you and Tanya were Power Rangers?" he asked softly. "Anton Mercer was at MIT as a professor while Tommy was there."
Laura was speechless and Dr. Oliver nodded, "That is why I refused to give Tommy the gems when he asked," he spoke in a soft voice. "I could feel he had been influenced and had to protect the powers."
"Were the gems taken when you were attacked in your office?" Laura asked in a concerned voice.
Dr. Oliver shook his head and yawned, prompting Laura to sigh softly, "Rest," she whispered.
"Tommy is good, but he's under the influence of evil," Dr. Oliver spoke quietly as he fell asleep.
Deeply shaken by Dr. Oliver's words, Laura sighed and gently tucked his hands under the blanket before rising to stretch. She was both tired and hungry, but didn't feel right about leaving Dr. Oliver alone.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door and Laura looked towards it, deeply surprised when she saw Miss Appleby, who was wearing a short-sleeved sundress, come into the room with a large, very full gift basket in her arms, "Miss Appleby?" Laura asked in a confused voice. "How did you find out...?"
"My house got damaged a little bit and when I was looking for help, I ran into Farkas and Eugene," Miss Appleby told me in a worried voice. "Farkas was upset about Doctor Oliver being hurt in this disaster, so I decided to put together some things and come visit. Doctor Oliver and I are dear friends, after all."
Laura nodded, "I don't mind sitting with him for a while," Miss Appleby said softly. "Stretch your legs."
Smiling at Miss Appleby, Laura silently left the room and Miss Appleby silently sat at Dr. Oliver's bedside, very gently taking his hand in her own, "You're such a noble man, Frank," Miss Appleby whispered softly. "You've dedicated your life to protecting good people and you are such an amazing human being."
Deeply exhausted from the accident and the aftermath, Rocky found himself in Dr. Oliver's kitchen, helping himself to the dinner of spaghetti and meatballs that Justin had hastily prepared in an attempt to keep Kira and Nick distracted. Justin had also made sure to get Kira and Nick to bed for the night.
Now, while Rocky ate, he found himself reading through the post-degree programs that were available through Angel Grove University. He knew that Kat would want to help Malcolm manage the Juice Bar once they got married and even though he would still teach martial arts classes, Rocky knew his help wouldn't be needed as much then. Besides, having a business degree wasn't overly exciting for him.
The front doors suddenly opened and Rocky was surprised to see Katherine come into the kitchen, "Hi," he said in a surprised voice, his mouth full of food. "I thought Malcolm took you home so you could...?"
"Adam wanted to come here," Katherine spoke softly. "Malcolm's helping him to his room."
Rocky nodded and sighed, "I'm going to apply for a post-degree program at AGU for the fall and since I have my business degree, it will only take a year or less to get the educational courses," he replied in a concerned voice. "I took a few correspondence courses during my senior year, and I have taught a lot of martial arts courses, so that will count towards my teaching degree. I've been planning it out..."
Katherine nodded, "I know you want to work with Malcolm when you get married, so I've been planning this out ever since you two got engaged," Rocky explained calmly. "Doctor Oliver was helping me..."
"You'd be great at teaching school," Katherine replied softly. "It's a good way to prepare for a family."
A look of sadness filled Rocky's eyes, "I'm probably not going to have a family, Kat," he spoke softly.
"You'll meet someone wonderful and have kids someday," Katherine replied in a confused voice.
Shaking his head, Rocky set his book aside, "My chances of having kids are very low because of the cancer treatments I've had," he replied quietly. "If I teach, it's like I'm being a parental figure."
Katherine smiled just as Malcolm came into the room, "Adam is sound asleep," Malcolm reported.
"You two must be hungry," Rocky commented softly. "Sit down and eat some of Justin's dinner. He put Kira and Nick to bed for me and then went to bed himself. It's been a long day for all of us."
"Jason?"
Jason looked up from Ziggy, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and was surprised to see Laura standing in the door to the hospital room, "This little one was brought in after the earthquake," Jason explained softly as Laura approached the rocking chair. "A nurse saw me with him and got the chair."
"Where are his mom and dad?" Laura asked in a worried voice, smiling at Ziggy. "He's so cute."
Jason frowned, "Ziggy was found by himself, so his parents either died or abandoned him," he replied in a concerned voice. "It says Ziggy on the jumper he's wearing, so I'm assuming that's his name."
Laura smiled at Ziggy, "You really want a child, don't you, Jason?" she asked in a worried voice.
"Any way we can have one, yes," Jason replied softly, gazing at her. "It doesn't have to be naturally."
Laura sighed, "I'm not sure I can have children," she replied softly. "Does that bother you?"
"Laura, I've known that for a long time," Jason replied softly. "Since you went to the Moon..."
Nodding, Laura huddled close to Jason and sighed, "We should look into adoption," she spoke softly.
Just then, Detective Stone and Bulk came into the room, "Ah," Detective Stone spoke softly.
"Ziggy was crying, so I came in here and picked him up," Jason explained. "It calmed him down."
Detective Stone nodded, "We can't seem to find Ziggy's parents, so I'll have to arrange for him to go into foster care once the hospital releases him," he explained somberly. "He needs a lot of care."
A look of sadness filled Jason's eyes and Laura noticed it immediately, "Is it hard to become foster parents, Detective Stone?" she asked softly, knowing they could at least help Ziggy for a while.
"Not really," Detective Stone replied. "If you and Jason would be willing, I could arrange for Ziggy to be in your care until you decide if you want to adopt him or until we can find him a permanent home."
Jason and Laura looked at each other briefly and then at Detective Stone, "I don't see why we can't take care of Ziggy," Laura said in a kind voice, wondering if this was what Leanbow had been referring to in the vision that she had experienced before her almost surgery. "Can you please arrange things for us?"
"I can arrange it," Detective Stone promised, pleased that the little boy had people to care for him.
"Hey, Rocky, can I bug you for a moment?" Kira, who had been unable to sleep or feel safe since she saw Dr. Oliver get hurt, asked as she came into the kitchen and saw Rocky visiting with Malcolm and Kat.
Rocky nodded and Kira sighed as she came over to the table, "Since Doctor Oliver's hurt and in the hospital, do you think Nick and I will be moved somewhere else?" she asked in a worried voice. "I like Angel Grove and I don't want to leave. It would be really hard on Nick if they took us away from here."
"I mentioned that to the police at the hospital and they said since I was over 18, you and Nick could stay here under my care as long as Doctor Oliver recuperates," Rocky replied calmly. "Is that okay with you?"
Kira nodded and sighed softly, "Is there any of Justin's spaghetti left?" she asked. "I'm still hungry."
Loud crying suddenly came down the hallway and without hesitation, Rocky got up and hurried down the hallway to Nick's bedroom. Nick was sitting in the bed with tears running down his pale face and Rocky immediately smelled the issue; Nick had wet his bed and was obviously embarrassed about it. Rocky sighed patiently.
"Come here, Nick," Rocky said in a gentle voice as he gently lifted Nick from the bed. "Let's get you cleaned up."
Nick nodded, but said nothing as Rocky carried him to the bathroom. The noise from the kitchen told Rocky that Malcolm and Kat were helping Kira with the food and he was truly grateful that they had come over to visit.
Please read and review!