Tommy Oliver smirked a little to himself as he headed up to the lookout point with Jason Scott. _The perfect day for a killing,_ he thought. Everything had been so much clearer to him since Zedd had taken him back under his wing. He realised now that the Power Rangers were his mortal enemies; especially Jason. Zedd had now given him one order to carry out.
Kill Jason Scott.
Jason glanced back at Tommy over his shoulder as they made their way up the hill. "Nearly there."
Tommy nodded wordlessly. He didn't like wasting time like this. Especially remembering the incident in the Dimension of Doom, where Jason had escaped death by a bare second or two. Still, he couldn't risk carrying out the task in an open area where someone might see. Also, he wanted to be certain that neither Zordon nor the other rangers interfered.
They reached the lookout point, and Jason immediately dropped his backpack and went to the edge of the precipice to see the view. Tommy hung back. It would be so easy to simply go up and push Jason over the edge, but that would be no fun. He wanted to see the fear in Jason's eyes before he killed him. He wanted to see Jason die.
Jason came back from the edge and sat down with a thud on the grass, and pulled a soda from his bag. "I love it up here. It's so quiet."
Tommy nodded. "Yeah. I know what you mean. Hardly anybody around.... It's a great place for taking care of business."
Jason paused for just an instant, throwing Tommy a strange look. He then took a mouthful of soda. "We ought to get Kimberly to arrange a picnic up here, or something. It's been ages since we had one."
Tommy lay down flat on the grass. "Jase, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"You think Kimberly.... likes me? 'Cause I like her a lot...."
Jason grinned. "She likes you, man. She's head over heels for you. I keep wondering whether I'm gonna have to lock the two of you in a room together."
Tommy smiled a little, and for a moment, the spell that held him in Zedd's grasp faltered. He started to wonder just what he was doing.... and then the spell tightened its grip on him, and he heard Zedd's voice echo in his mind. _don't waste time... kill him now...._ Tommy thrust his emotions to the back of his soul and sat up. Time to act.... "Jase, can I have a look at your morpher?"
Again, Jason threw Tommy an odd look. Then he shrugged and tossed Tommy the shield. "Sure. Here."
Tommy caught it, and looked at it thoughtfully. After a moment, he spoke quietly. "You've gotta remember something, now. Remember that it's not personal."
Jason was starting to get confused, and worried. "Tommy, are you feeling okay?"
Tommy looked straight at Jason. "Remember that this isn't personal. I'm just carrying out orders."
Alarms started screaming in Jason's mind, and he got quickly to his feet. "Ah... D'you mind if I have my morpher back, Tommy...?"
Tommy got up slowly, and slipped the morpher into his jacket. "I don't think so. It'll only make my job harder."
Jason stared at his best friend, suddenly feeling frightened. "What's going on, Tommy?"
Before Jason could say another word, Tommy spun around and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to the side of Jason's head. The teen went down with a crash, his world exploding with pain. Tommy advanced on Jason slowly.
"I'm sorry, Jase. I've got my orders. I have to kill you." If it hadn't been for the kick to the head, Jason would have laughed. As it was, his fear increased tenfold.
"Tommy, what are you talking about...?" Jason gasped, struggling to his knees. Tommy kicked him again, even harder, sending Jason skidding onto his back.
"Zedd gave me the order to kill you. You're too dangerous to him. He wants you dead. Sorry, Jase. Just following orders."
_a spell..._ Jason thought in shock. _he's under a spell...._ "Tommy, no...."
Tommy foot connected with his side, and Jason felt at least two of his ribs break. In a desperate attempt to get out of harm's way, he rolled several metres away, ignoring the pain, and got unsteadily to his feet.
"Tommy, you're under a spell. You've gotta snap out of it."
"I'm not under any spell," Tommy replied casually as he advanced on Jason. "Zedd set me free from Zordon's influence. You could have been free, too, but Zedd didn't want to risk it. So, I have to kill you."
Jason backed away, but Tommy was too quick, and he kicked Jason's feet out from under him, sending him painfully to the ground. Jason tried to roll away again, but Tommy planted one foot squarely in the middle of his chest, keeping him in place.
"Don't fight me, Jason. You'll only cause yourself more pain than what's necessary."
Jason watched in growing fear as Tommy pulled a knife from his belt. Tommy then crouched down, pressing his knee hard against Jason's chest so he couldn't move. Panicked, Jason reached for his communicator, only to howl in pain as Tommy slashed the knife across his wrist.
A smirk formed on Tommy's face, and he quickly removed Jason's communicator and threw it over the edge of the precipice. "This is just between you and me, buddy. No one else. You aren't gonna be teleported out this time. Just think of it as finishing unfinished business. I'm just finishing what we started in the Dimension of Doom."
Jason made a last, desperate plea to his friend. "Please, Tommy, don't do this... Think... Think of Kimberly...."
Tommy smiled. "I am. I might go and see her after I finish you off. Say how upset I am that you ditched me and never showed up at the lookout point.... Maybe get some comfort.... What d'you think?"
Jason struggled to control his fear. "I think that you aren't thinking straight. C'mon, man, you beat this, remember?"
Tommy pressed the blade against Jason's lips. "Sshh. Don't talk, Jase. Not a sound."
Jason lay frozen, staring up at Tommy with unabated fear.
Tommy smiled again, and it was an evil, cruel smile. "Good. Okay, how d'you think I should do this? Across the throats? Quick for you, but messy. I don't want to get any blood on me, if I can help it. Through the heart, maybe..? Or the wrists. Make it look like a suicide...."
Jason flinched, and the blade sliced through his lips. Tommy pulled the knife back a little. "There, now. See what you did?"
Still Jason didn't speak. By that time, he was too terrified to make a sound. Tommy was really going to kill him....
The realisation hit Jason hard, and he realised that he either put up and fight against Tommy, or just lie there and let himself be killed. Either way, he had no more to lose....
Tommy grunted in pain as Jason hit him as hard as he could in the stomach, and wrenched himself out from beneath him. Tommy eyed Jason balefully as he got up.
"You just guaranteed yourself a painful exit, buddy boy."
Jason backed away slowly, acutely aware that he was backing towards the edge of the precipice. His lips were cut and bleeding, his wrist feel like it was on fire, and his chest was hurting badly. "Tommy, please don't do this. Let's talk it out...."
Tommy smirked again. "What's to talk about? C'mon, Jase. I'll make it quick, I promise. You'll hardly feel a thing. Do yourself a favour and surrender."
Jason reached the edge of the precipice, and halted, unable to go any further. Tommy also halted, and grinned evilly at Jason.
"Go ahead, Jase. Jump. It'll be over quick, then."
Jason glared at Tommy, clutching his side as he fought to stay on his feet. "If I'm going to die, then I'd rather die fighting. I don't want anyone believing that I killed myself."
Tommy shrugged. "Whatever."
He lifted the knife and began to advance again. Jason circled around slowly, and was relieved to be away from the edge of the cliff. A moment later, Tommy abandoned both patience and decorum and threw himself at Jason, knocking him to the ground. The two boys wrestled for a moment, but Tommy quickly gained the upper hand, and pinned Jason down.
"No more games," Tommy growled. "Say goodbye, Jason." The knife came down in a flash, and Jason tried to twist out of the way, but the knife pierced his shoulder and embedded itself in his flesh. Jason cried out in pain as Tommy grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it out, then slashed downwards again.
Jason felt the blade slice open his cheek, and felt warm blood stream out of the wound. The blade came down yet again, and Jason tried to grab Tommy's wrist and deflect the blow. He was weakening rapidly, though, and could stay the weapon. The dagger fell, and Jason gasped in shock and pain as it pierced his stomach.
Tommy slid off Jason quickly, and looked down as Jason clutched helplessly at the hilt of the knife. He smiled a little, watching as the light started to die in Jason's eyes. "Lights out, buddy."
Jason shut his eyes. He was not dead yet.... With great agony and effort, Jason pulled the blade from his stomach and, in a final, desperate attempt to save himself, kicked out at Tommy and struck him in the face. Rage flashed across Tommy's face as he felt blood trickle from the corner of his mouth, and he got up, dragging Jason up with him.
"I wanted to watch you die," he hissed, "but now I just want to make sure you do actually die." He dragged Jason to the edge of the cliff and, in a single motion, threw him over the edge. "So long, pal...." Tommy muttered, watching with twisted satisfaction as Jason's body hit the ground far below. He then shook his head, picked up the knife and headed back down the hill.
Bottom of the lookout, Several hours later....
Jason awoke to the sound of waves rolling in around him. For a long minute
he didn't move; he simply lay there trying to gather his wits. Then, as his
senses began to return to him, so did the pain. He moaned aloud, clutching
his stomach in agony.
His entire body hurt, particularly his lower back, and with a twisted sense of relief, realised that meant he couldn't be dead. Shivering with extreme cold, he tried to move, but succeeded only in bringing on a bout of severe pain and nausea.
"Help...." he whispered uselessly. There was no help nearby, though, and Jason knew that if he didn't do something to help himself, then he really would die.
_what happened...?_ he thought dimly. The incident came back to him slowly. Tommy... Tommy had gone haywire.... Tommy had tried to kill him....
He shut his eyes tightly as the memories assailed him. He'd been stabbed in the gut... and then Tommy had picked him up and thrown him over the edge of the cliff.
_i fell that far..._ he thought in a total stupor, _must've lost a heap of blood... and i'm still alive...?_
He moaned softly to himself. He had to pull himself together, and get to safety... before Zedd told Tommy that he was still alive, and to go back and finish the job....
_where am i...? bottom of the lookout...._ Biting back the pain and nausea, Jason very slowly dragged himself up... and that was when he discovered that both his legs were broken.
Collapsing back onto the sand, a faint sob escaped him. How was he going to get to safety in this condition?
_if you don't, you're as good as dead._
The realisation was blunt, and it was enough to get him going. His will to survive was far stronger than the agony he was suffering.
He dragged himself up a little, and managed to pull himself a few feet across the sand when a searing pain flared up in his back, and along his spine. Jason cried out in pain, but didn't give in. He kept dragging himself forward, even though every movement was like fire through his back, and moving his legs felt like moving lead. Very slowly and painfully, he pulled himself slowly off the beach.
An indefinable amount of time later, he reached the dune steps and, holding on to the railing with every ounce of strength he had left, he pulled himself very slowly and painfully up the steps.
_god, i can't do this..._ he thought as he finally made reached the top of the steps and collapsed. _please, somebody help me...._
He coughed once, and cringed at the shard of pain that stabbed through his head, chest, back and stomach.... through his entire body.... His chest and stomach felt like they were on fire, and he was barely able to breathe. He felt like his entire body had been compacted, and the almost numbing pain through his spine was frightening.
_zordon... help...._
It soon became obvious that no such help was coming, and Jason knew again that unless he forced himself to keep going, then he would be in very real danger of dying. Dimly, he knew he already was, but the thought that he may be dying was not one he could allow to filter through his mind. Shuddering helplessly, he tried to get himself together.
Who was closest...? Kim.... But there was no telling whether Tommy had gone there or not. Probably not, but he dared not take the risk. The next closest was Billy...
So far gone was Jason that it never occurred to him to simply drag himself to the nearest house for help. Instead, he forced the searing pain to the farthest corner of his mind, and somehow pulled himself to his feet.
Both his legs were broken, but the right was not as bad as the left, and he put most of his weight on it, keeping as close as he could to fences and other things that he could hold on to. Also, the sudden pressure on his back was dangerous, and he knew it. He ignored it, though, knowing that his top priorety was getting to Billy's home, and to safety.
Then, broken legs and all, Jason began to drag himself in the direction of Billy's house.
Billy's place: 11:26 pm....
Billy Cranston was up late, working on an assignment in his father's study,
when he heard a light rapping on the door. Frowning a little to himself,
and wondering who would possibly be out at this time of night, he went to
answer it.
"Wait a minute, there, Bill."
Billy halted as his father came through from the family room, passed his son and went up to the door. He peered through the peep hole, then frowned in annoyance.
"Nobody's there. Damn practical jokers...." Billy hesitated, wondering if he dared look out. After a long moment, he ventured forward and cautiously pulled open the side curtain, looking out at the porch through the window.
"Jason!" Billy unlocked the door and yanked it open, hurrying out to his friend who had collapsed on the porch.
"Good god...." Hank Cranston whispered in shock as he came out onto the porch behind behind Jason. Billy, carefully and very gently, slid his hand under Jason's head and lifted him up to cradle him in his arms.
"Jason, what happened...?"
"Tommy...." Jason managed to whisper. Now that he had actually made it to Billy's house, the adrenaline that had kept him going was fading fast, along with what was left of his strength, and it was all he could do to stay conscious. Billy felt the blood run cold in his veins.
"What...?"
"It was Tommy.... a spell.... He tried to kill.... kill me...." The words were distorted, and barely understandable, but somehow Billy did understand. He looked up as his father crouched down and looked the injured teen over. He spoke after a long moment.
"Try and keep him conscious, Bill. I'll call for an ambulance." Billy returned his attention to Jasonas his father rose up and disappeared inside the house. Jason was very badly hurt, far worse than Billy could ever remember. Both of his legs were broken, as was his right arm... there were stab wounds to the shoulder and stomach, and his left cheek had also been sliced open. So were his lips, Billy noted. They were also swollen from infection.
Billy withheld a shudder. He had also taken a severe beating. His head was badly bruised, probably from numerous kicks and punches. Also, he was thoroughly soaked, as though he'd spent hours in freezing water....
Hank came back out, a think blanket in his hands. "An ambulance in on its way." He crouched down beside Jason again and spoke as he covered him carefully with the blanket. "Jason, can you hear me?"
Jason blinked hard and, after a long moment, his gaze focused on Hank. Hank went on quickly, before the teen lost his obviously tenuous hold on reality again. "An ambulance is coming to take you to hospital. Now I'm going to call your parents."
Jason managed to give a very slight nod to indicate that he understood. Hank looked relieved. "Good. Now try and stay awake, Jason. Just till the ambulance gets here, okay?
Again, Jason managed to nod. He had kept himself going all the way from the beach to Billy's house. He could stay awake for a little while longer.
Billy held Jason as tightly as he dared, barely able to keep himself from shaking. "Hang on, Jase. You'll be okay. Just hang on."
~*~
"Jason said Tommy tried to kill him," Hank said quietly. Billy shut his eyes. He'd hoped that his father hadn't heard that.
"Yes," he confirmed softly. Hank looked grim. "We're going to have to call the police."
Billy felt sick. "I know."
Hank turned his attention back to the road. They would worry about that later. Right then, the important thing was getting to the hospital and making sure that Jason was going to be all right.
~*~
Donavon looked confused, and angry. "Those two are best friends. Why would Tommy want to hurt Jason?"
Hank shook his head. "I don't know. For all we know, Jason probably didn't even realise what he was saying. He was almost delirious when he got to our place."
A grim look flashed across Donavon's face. "Personally, I'd like to know how he got to your place with two broken legs. If he'd come from the beach, why didn't he go to Kimberly Heart's house? She would have been closer..."
Billy spoke before he could stop himself. "Because he would have been afraid that Tommy was there."
Hank looked over at his son. "Billy, could you do us a favour, and try and find out exactly where Tommy is right now? If he's at home, or somewhere else...?"
Billy nodded. "Sure. I'll meet you back in the waiting room." He hurried back down the corridor, grateful for the chance to get away from the adults. He slipped outside, into some bushes, and immediately teleported.
~*~
_home?_ Billy thought in distress. _don't you ever pay any attention to anything other than zedd and his cronies...?_
"Something's happened to Jason," he said with forced calm. "He was attacked, and hurt really badly. He's at the hospital now."
"That is disturbing news."
_yeah, and you don't know the half of it..._ "Zordon, Jason said it was Tommy that attacked him. He said Tommy was under a spell, and he tried to kill him."
There was a tense pause, and then Zordon spoke quietly. "Please wait, Billy. I will attempt to locate Tommy."
There was a long moment of silence, and then Zordon spoke again, in a grim voice. "Look in the viewing globe, Billy."
Billy walked over and looked, and felt his stomach turn over. Tommy was at his home. He was sitting on his bed, slowly turning Jason's morpher over in his hands. On the bed beside Tommy was a long bladed knife, that was covered in dried blood.
"Oh no...." Billy whispered in dismay. "It's true...."
"Stand back, Billy," Zordon told him. "I will teleport Tommy here now."
Billy moved right back, and a moment later there was a flash of white light and Tommy appeared in the Command Centre, still holding Jason's morpher.
An instant after that, there was a crackle of light and electrical bars appeared around him, closing him in. "Hey, what's going on?" Tommy protested. He reached out to touch the bars, but yanked his hand back when it gave him an electric shock. "Zordon....?"
Billy came forward, then, staring at Tommy with anger and grief. "I've got some bad news for you, Tommy. Jason isn't dead. He made it to my place, and we got him to the hospital."
Tommy looked uneasy. "What are you talking about, Billy? Has something happened to Jason...?"
"You tried to kill Jason!" Billy exploded. "You bastard, you tried to kill him..."
"That's ridiculous," Tommy protested. "Jason's my best friend...."
"You have Jason's morpher," Zordon put in quietly, "and the knife you used to attack him is on your bed."
All pretense faded from Tommy's face. "All right, you ancient idiot. I did try to kill him. I don't know why he isn't dead, but it won't matter. It would have taken him hours to get from the lookout to Billy's place, so it probably won't make much difference whether he's in hospital now or not."
Billy stiffened. "The lookout....?"
Tommy sneered at him. "The bottom of the lookout, actually. I threw him over the cliff."
Billy stood frozen, having to remind himself that Tommy was under one of Zedd's spells, and was not really in control of his thoughts or actions. He had to remind himself of that, or he would have hit him.
"Billy," Zordon said quietly, "return to the hospital and tell your father that you were unable to locate Tommy. I will inform the other rangers of the situation."
Billy nodded and, sparing Tommy a final, angry look, teleported out of the the Command Centre.
Command Centre
Zack, Trini and Kimberly teleported into the Command Centre a short while after Billy had gone, answering an urgent summons from Zordon.
"This had better be good," Zack grumbled, but faltered when they saw Tommy, still imprisoned by the electrical bars, leaning against the wall and scowling to himself.
"What's going on?" Kimberly asked softly. When Zordon hesitated, Tommy spoke in a scornful tone.
"Why don't you just go ahead and tell them, Zordon?" "Tell us what?" Zack asked, his voice laced with tension. "Zordon, why is Tommy in there...?"
"To prevent him from injuring any of you," Zordon replied quietly, and Tommy snorted in disgust.
"I'm not going to hurt any of them. Jason's the only one I'm supposed to kill."
"What...?" Zack whispered, horrified. Tommy smirked contemptuously at them through the bars.
"Just carrying out orders. Nothing personal." He paused, then shrugged. "Well, maybe it was personal. Anyway, I kicked his butt. Again."
Trini spun around to face the ancient master. "Zordon, where's Jason?"
"He is in hospital, Trini. I am afraid he has been critically injured."
Zack strode over to the bars, glaring at Tommy in a rage. "What did you do to Jason?"
Again, Tommy smirked. "Where should I start...? Oh yeah. First I kicked in the head a few times. Then I broke a few of his ribs... Then I used the knife I had, and cut his mouth.... actually, that was partly his own fault. Hewas stupid enough to struggle. Anyway, then he decided that he was going to be a hero and fight me, and I stabbed him in the shoulder, and the stomach, and cut his cheek open... He kicked me in the face, then, so I dragged him to the edge of the lookout and pushed him over."
Zack stepped away in shock. Tommy had described the incident in such a way that gave every indication that he'd enjoyed hurting Jason.
Kimberly spoke then, unable to contain her tears. "Tommy, please tell us it isn't true. Please say it's a really dumb joke..."
"It is all true, Kimberly," Zordon said softly. "Look in the viewing globe, rangers."
They looked, and saw a replay of the terrible scene that Zordon had somehow managed to locate.
"Omigod..." Kimberly whispered, horrified, as they watched Tommy drag Jason up, pull him to the brink of the lookout and throw him mercilessly over the edge of the cliff. Behind them, Tommy laughed cruelly.
"Man, you guys should have seen the look on his face. He's never been so scared in his whole life!"
Zack looked back at Tommy, his face ashen with shock and rage. "Don't talk to us, Tommy. Don't say a damn word."
Tommy merely shrugged and grinned smugly to himself. Zack turned his gaze back to Zordon.
"Is Jason gonna be okay, Zordon?"
"I do not know, Zack. According to Billy, he is very badly wounded."
"Okay," Zack whispered. "We're going to the hospital. We'll just say that Billy called us, and we sneaked out. If anything else happens, Zordon, call us."
The three teens glanced once at Tommy, and then teleported out.
~*~
"I called them. They would have wanted to know." Hank nodded, and stood up to meet the anxious teens. "Is Jason okay?" Zack asked frantically. "Billy called us..." "Yes," Hank interrupted lightly, "so he said. And I'm afraid that Jason isn't okay. He's in a very critical condition."
Billy spoke in a strained voice, and his friends noted silently how grey his skin was. "They had to operate on him. He... He lost part of his kidney.... and his lungs were damaged..."
"Oh no..." Trini whispered. Zack reeled with shock. "He lost part of his kidney....?"
"All of his ribs were broken," Hank said. "One of them pierced his his kidney clean through, and the doctors had to cut part of it away to avoid infection."
"That's not the worst of it, is it?" Kimberly whispered, dreading what was coming.
"No," Hank admitted reluctantly, "it isn't. The doctors think Jason fell from a great height. His spinal cord has been fractured. How he made it to our place without breaking his back, I'll never know, but the doctors don't think it's too serious. It should be repairable. However, he was stabbed in the stomach, and in the shoulder, and there's been lot of internal bleeding. The doctors just aren't able to replace the blood quickly enough to keep up with what he's losing."
"Are they short of blood?" Kimberly asked shakily. Hank shook his head.
"No, not yet, but the doctor said that if Jason keeps losing blood as fast as he is, then they will be."
Kimberly straightened up a little. "I have the same blood type as Jason. I can donate some, if it'll help him."
Hank nodded. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it, Kimberly. C'mon, I'll take you to a nurse."
Zack and Trini watched him lead Kimberly down a corridor, and out of sight, and then they sat down on either side of Billy, who was hunched over and clutching his stomach.
"Billy, you okay, buddy?" Zack asked. Billy gave a quick nod. "Yes. It's just... I don't like hospitals. I've lost too many people in hospitals." He glanced at them, and then back to the floor. "You've been to the Command Centre?"
Zack nodded. "Yeah. We saw Tommy. Man, I can't believe he'd try to kill Jason!"
"It wasn't him," Billy said tonelessly. "I have to keep reminding myself of that. One of the last things Jason said to me was that Tommy was under a spell. Zedd must have gotten to him without any of us knowing."
Trini blinked back tears. "If he's under a spell now, then what's going to happen when he comes out of it, and realises what he's done?"
Zack clenched his hands tightly into fists. "When he told us what he did... He was bragging about it. He was bragging about trying to kill Jason. Then, when Zordon showed it to us... he laughed. He thought it was funny."
Billy buried his face in his hands. The stench of the hospital was almost overpowering, and it was a struggle for him not to throw up.
"We nearly didn't even open the door to him. Dad didn't see anyone when he checked, and he thought it was just some kids playing pranks. If I hadn't looked through the window, Jason would have been there all night... All night.... He would have been dead by morning...."
Trini put her arms around Billy as he began to cry, and a moment later she, too, was in tears. Meanwhile, Zack continued to sit in stricken silence.
~*~
"Damn it," he growled, "he's losing the blood faster than we can get it into him. And we're running out..."
A nurse suddenly ran into the room, as though on cue. "Doctor, there's a girl downstairs that says she has the same blood type as Jason. She's willing to donate."
Richards looked relieved. "Good. Get the details, do the checks, and then get the blood. We don't have time to play around here."
Donavon, who had stayed silent all that time, spoke up. "Who is it that's down there...?"
"Uh.... Kimberly Heart," the nurse replied, then hurried from the room. Donavon looked back to his son tiredly, and gently grasped the boy's hand in his own.
"You're friends are here, Jason," he murmured softly. "You're not alone, son."
He shut his eyes for a second against the threat of fresh tears. He had been terribly frightened when Jason had not come home that evening. Knowing how well the teen could look after himself, though, he had resisted the urge to call the police. The hours had passed, he hadn't heard from his son, and he had been on the verge of contacting the police to report Jason as missing, when he got the call from Hank Cranston.
Now.... Donavon shuddered, and fought the nausea as he stared down into his son's bruised and beaten face. Now, it was all he could do to hope that Jason would survive. Shutting his eyes again, he held Jason's hand firmly in his own and prayed to whatever benevolent deity that might be listening, that his son not be taken away from him.
~*~
"We're going to have to operate again. I must have missed something." Donavon spoke in a strangled voice. "Is my son going to die?" Richards looked grim. There was no point in raising false hopes, for the outlook seemed anything but promising. "I can't guarantee that he's going to survive. I'm sorry, Mr. Scott. I'm doing the very best that I can, but it just doesn't seem to be enough."
Donavon blinked back tears. "I appreciate your efforts." Richards nodded, then turned to the nurse. "Get upstairs fast and tell them we're bringing Jason Scott back up for surgery."
The nurse ran from the room to carry out the instruction.
~*~
"I cannot release you yet, Tommy. Not until the spell is broken." "I'm not under any spell," Tommy spat, "and do you really think you can hold me here?"
Zordon regarded Tommy grimly. "Do you think you are capable of leaving on your own?"
Tommy frowned, something in Zordon's tone striking an odd chord. He reached behind him and realised that, all of a sudden, he was no longer in possession of either Jason's morpher, or his own morpher and coin.
"Dammit..." Tommy snarled. "Zedd will rescue me..." "Zedd does not care about you, Tommy," Zordon replied quietly. "You have carried out the task he demanded of you. He will now discard you until there comes another time that he needs you to carry out some terrible deed."
Tommy scowled darkly. "I didn't finish the job. Jason's still alive."
Zordon didn't reply aloud to that. He had been keeping watch over the proceedings at the hospital, and things were not looking good. Jason was suffering from severe internal bleeding, and the doctors could not find the cause. If they did not discover what was causing the bleeding very soon, Jason would quite conceivably die.
Zordon looked back to Tommy. He had to break the spell that was holding Tommy in Zedd's claws. One surge of pure energy from the morphing grid should do it. He just hoped it would not harm Tommy.
Tommy glanced back up at Zordon in time to see a flash of white light pass from the glass encasement that kept Zordon safe, to himself. He shut his eyes as a blast of energy struck him, and flooded his system. It lasted for only a few seconds, and when it was over, Tommy was left reeling.
"What's going on...?" the teen mumbled, totally dazed. "Why am I....?"
The electrical vanished just as Tommy shuddered and lost consciousness, the surge of power just a little to much for him to handle. Alpha immediately saw to him to make sure he was unharmed, then looked back up at Zordon.
"He's fine, Zordon. At least, he is now. What's he going to be like when he wakes up?"
Zordon looked down grimly at the little robot. "I do not know, Alpha. We will have to wait and see."
Angel Grove Memorial Hospital, Several hours later....
Billy watched in miserable silence as the morning sun gradually filtered
into the hospital room in the Critical Care ward. He had been sitting with
Jason for some hours now, having been allowed to stay there just while
Donavon Scott went home to change clothes and get a little bit of rest.
His own father had also gone home to get some sleep. He'd finally agreed to let Billy stay, knowing that nothing would be able to drag him away.
It was an unofficial visit, of course, for generally speaking, only immediate family was allowed into the Critical Care ward. Billy was making the most of the time he had. After he left the ward, who knew when he'd be allowed back in...?
Billy sighed heavily to himself, and struggled to fight off a bout of depression. It had taken a fair bit of arguing on Donavon Scott's part for the nurses to let him in, and he was grateful for the chance. Jason was one of his best friends, and had been for a long time. Even the thought that he might die...
Billy buried his face in his hands, shutting out the sunlight and encasing himself in darkness. He could not believe that this had happened. Jason... critically injured, possibly dying.... And the look on Tommy's face when he'd finally admitted to what he'd done....
Zack had been right, Billy realized with a numbing mix of grief and anger. Tommy had been bragging about it. He'd enjoyed carrying the deed out.
In that instant, rage washed over Billy, and for several seconds, he wanted nothing more than to go back to the Command Centre and give back to Tommy a little of what had been done to Jason. He was on the verge of actually giving in to his rage, when a faint moan from the bed beside him brought him back to reality with a jolt.
Looking down, he saw with an intense feeling of relief that Jason was fighting to regain consciousness. He leaned forward quickly, and spoke encouragingly to his friend.
"Jason...? C'mon, Jase. You can do it. It's time to wake up." Nearly a minute passed before Jason finally dragged himself back to reality, and focused on Billy's anxious face. Jason tried to smile at his friend, but it was too painful with his lips having been cut so cruelly. The attempt turned into a shudder of agony, and Billy spoke softly to reassure him.
"It's okay, Jason. You're going to be okay." Billy held back his tears, then, for he knew in his own heart that those words were far from true. Although Dr. Richards had specifically avoided telling them what they had discovered during the second operation, Billy knew it wasn't good. He was certain that there had been other, serious injuries that Jason had sustained, and he was quietly suspicious that it had something to do with back and spinal injuries.
Jason had been strapped to a back brace before being brought back to the Critical Care wing, and had been elevated slightly off the bed in an effort to take the pressure off his back. Billy knew from extensive reading that the usual treatment for such back and spinal injuries was to invert the patient to take all the pressure off the spine, but Angel Grove Memorial was a very small hospital, and they did not have the equipment to do that. So, Jason was getting the best treatment the hospital could afford, but it simply did not seem to be enough.
He remembered Tommy laughing about throwing Jason over the cliff, and realised with a feeling of nausea that Jason could well have broken his back.
_but then how did he make it to your place, bill...?_ Maybe, he thought with a shudder, he was just overreacting. Maybe, but he seriously doubted it.
Billy withheld a sigh. It was beyond a miracle, he thought, that Jason had made it to his place alive.
"Billy...." Jason managed to croak out his friend's name, but it was all he could manage, so swollen and painful were his lips. Billy reached out and, very gently, put a hand on Jason's forearm.
"Don't try to talk, Jason. Just try and relax. Okay?" A shiver escaped Jason, and he glanced over at the water jug that sat on the chest of drawers. Billy immediately half filled a glass and held it for Jason to take a sip.
"Better?"
Jason gave a single, very slight nod, but made no attempt to talk, to Billy's relief. He looked as though he was just about to drift back to sleep when his father appeared in the doorway.
"Jason...?"
Jason responded by trying to sit up a little, but was unable to, for the back brace that he had been strapped into. Donavon hurried forward to the bedside and gently put one hand reassuringly on his son's shoulder.
"It's all right, son. I'm here. Don't worry." He glanced over at Billy. "How long has he been awake?"
"Just a couple of minutes."
Donavon nodded and turned his attention back to Jason. "You have to rest, Jason. You were pretty badly hurt."
_like i didn't already know that...?_ Jason thought dimly. He tried to swallow, but it only brought on a coughing fit that caused him a great deal of pain. His father took the glass of water from Billy and quickly put it to Jason's lips, cautious of the severe bruising and lacerations.
"Easy, son. Take it easy, there."
The coughing finally eased, and Jason slumped back weakly against the pillows. After a moment, he managed to speak in a hoarse whisper, trying as much as possible not to move his bruised and torn lips. "Ha.... you called... M...u...?"
The words would have been unrecognizable, but to a father and a best friend. Donavon looked miserable as he answered.
"I'm sorry, Jason. I haven't been able to get in touch with your mother. I'm going to keep at it until I get through, though, I promise." Donavon hesitated, glancing uneasily at Billy. He desperately wanted to ask Jason what had happened, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea with Billy present. Also, he doubted Jason would be up to it for a fair while, both physically and emotionally. Especially if it really was Tommy who had attacked him.....
Jason surprised them both when he brought it up himself. "To.... Tommy...." He forced his friend's name out, cringing at the pain it caused him. Billy stiffened a little, but Donavon leaned forward quickly.
"What about Tommy?"
Jason looked anxiously at Billy. "Is he sa... safe...?" Billy blinked, confused. Jason was worried whether Tommy was safe...? Donavon spoke when Billy didn't.
"No one knows where he is, Jason. The police are looking for him now."
Jason looked even more worried and he went on to speak in a rasping voice. "Didn't see what ha'ened to hi... him... a'ter Goldar attacked us...."
Billy's jaw dropped, while Donavon's gaze narrowed. "Son.... You told Billy here that it was Tommy that attacked you." Confusion flickered in Jason's eyes. "He was there... but it was Goldar... He attacked us.... Goldar and Scor... Scor'ina... and a whole lot o' putties... Too many.... Goldar went for me.... Didn't see what ha'ened to Tommy...." He trailed off, exhausted by the pain and the effort it had taken to speak.
"Jason," Donavon said softly, aware that his son was about to lose consciousness again, "are you saying that you and Tommy were attacked by Goldar?"
"Yeah...." Jason whispered. He shuddered a little, then finally lost the battle for consciousness, slumping down into the pillows. Donavon looked up at Billy, and saw that he was still gaping.
"Billy? That's a different story to what you say Jason told you."
Billy nodded, still stunned. "Uh... Yes... Maybe we misheard him the first time...."
Donavon straightened up. "I'd say Jason was just too badly hurt to be thinking straight. I think your father was right. Jason probably doesn't even remember saying anything like that to you. Hell, he probably doesn't even remember getting to your place. Do you mind staying here a little while longer, while I go an call the police? I'd hate to see Tommy arrested now, when he obviously wasn't the one who attacked Jason at all."
Billy nodded, completely dazed. "I'll stay with Jason."
"Thankyou."
Billy watched Donavon go, then looked back to Jason. Were Jason's thoughts and memories so scrambled that he honestly believed what he'd just said...? Or had he been coherent enough to realise the trouble Tommy would be in, and had been covering up for him...?
Billy sighed to himself. There was no way of knowing for sure until Jason woke up properly, and was lucid enough to tell the story properly.
~*~
"What happened?" he asked nervously.
"I broke the spell Tommy was under," Zordon replied, "using a surge of power from the morphing grid. It will not be long now before he wakes up."
Billy looked away from Tommy, back to Zordon. "Zordon, Jason told his dad that it was Goldar that attacked him. He said Goldar and Scorpina showed up at the lookout with a whole band of putties, and attacked both him and Tommy."
"Do you believe Jason is trying to protect Tommy?" Zordon asked. "That's what's confusing me," Billy replied. "His dad told him that he'd already said Tommy attacked him, and he looked like he honestly didn't remember it. He said that Tommy was there, but it was Goldar that attacked him, and he didn't see what happened to Tommy. I couldn't tell whether he was lying to cover for Tommy, or whether he really believed it."
"It is likely that the fall from the cliff affected Jason's memory of the incident," Zordon mused. "Perhaps it is for the best if he truly believes that it was Goldar that attacked him."
Billy didn't answer. That would be fine in the short term, but what happened if Zedd decided to remind Jason of what really happened...? How would he react, knowing that his best friend had tried to kill him....?
He looked around, then, at the sound of a faint moan, and saw that Tommy was waking up. He approached the table cautiously, not quite knowing what to expect.
"Tommy....?"
Tommy sat up slowly, and looked over at Billy. "Billy? What am I doing in the Command Centre?" He hesitated, then cringed and moaned. "Oh, my head... Did I get slugged by a putty, or something...?"
Billy felt disturbed. "You don't remember what happened?"
"The last thing I remember..." Tommy mumbled, holding one hand to the back of his head, "is... I was supposed to meet Jason to go up to the lookout... I don't remember anything after that. It's totally blank."
Billy believed Tommy better than he believed Jason's altered memory of the events. Tommy appeared genuinely dazed, confused and worried.
"What happened?" Tommy asked, starting to feel a hint of fear touch his insides.
"You met Jason as planned," Zordon told him. "The two of you were attacked by Goldar, Scorpina and a large team of putties. You were separated from Jason in trying to fight Scorpina. Jason was attacked by Goldar."
Tommy slid off the table and stood up, only to sway dangerously. Billy moved in and caught him before he could fall.
"I guess I must have taken a pretty bad knock to the head, then, since I can't remember anything," Tommy muttered. A moment later, he looked up sharply. "Where's Jason? Is he okay?"
Billy swallowed hard, and had to fight back a momentary rush of anger. Tommy was innocent, he reminded himself. It was all Zedd's fault...
"Jason's in hospital," Billy explained softly. "Goldar... He hurt him pretty badly. We, ah... I only just found you in the forest."
Tommy stared at Billy in growing distress. "How badly was Jason hurt?"
Zordon replied grimly. "He received stab wounds to stomach and shoulder, all of his ribs were broken, and so were both of his legs, and his right arm. He was also beaten very badly."
Rage flickered in Tommy's eyes. "Damn Goldar..." he whispered softly. Billy hesitated, on the verge of telling Tommy that Jason had been pushed off the cliff at the lookout, but stopped himself short. There was no need to tell him that. Not yet, anyway.
"C'mon, Tommy," he said softly. "We'll teleport you out of here. You need to get to the hospital."
The two boys stepped into the centre of the floor, and vanished in a flash of blue and white light.
~*~
"Billy?" Donavon asked anxiously. "Where did you find Tommy?"
"In the forest," Billy explained, hating himself for lying, but knowing he had no other option. At least, not unless he wanted to see Tommy arrested.... He pushed the though to the back of his mind. "He... He was wandering around in a total daze. He doesn't remember anything."
The sergeant nodded. "Well, I'll need to talk to him, but I think it's all been cleared up, now. It's unfortunate that we can't arrest Goldar. I'd personally like to put him in a steel cell and throw away the key, but I don't think that's going to happen."
Billy, however, just looked away and said nothing.
~*~
Trini looked gloomy. "This keeps getting better and better. Now we have to cover up as well, or Tommy could end up being arrested for attempted murder."
There was a moment of silence, and then Zack tried to re direct the conversation. "Trini, did you see Kimberly?"
Trini nodded. "Yes. She's pretty exhausted at the moment, and she's really worried about Jason and Tommy. There wasn't anything I could say to make her feel better."
Zack scowled, anger starting to over take him. "Damn Tommy for this. Why the hell didn't he throw himself off the cliff after he pushed Jason...?"
"Zack, don't say that," Trini whispered, tears building up in her eyes. Zack stared angrily at the tabletop.
"Well, that's how I feel. This isn't fair! Jason could be dying right now, for all we know, and since Tommy doesn't remember a damn thing, we have to pretend everything's fine. Well, it's not fine! Tommy hurt Jason really badly, and he's getting away with it. That's not fine!"
"Keep your voice down," Billy growled, with a remarkable amount of authority. "Listen to me. It wasn't Tommy. It was Zedd. He put the spell over Tommy, and we have to remember that. It's happened before, but Zedd's never taken it to these extremes. He's never ordered one of us to be executed before. Now, no matter what we think, we have to stand by Tommy as much as we have to stand by Jason. Guys, Tommy nearly had a heart attack when we told him how badly Jason had been hurt. Can you imagine what he'd be like if we told him that he was the one who hurt Jason?"
A heavy silence fell as Billy's words took effect. Then, finally, Zack sighed heavily and spoke. "Okay. I say we take a vow of silence on this. Whatever happens now, we don't talk about it again. If anyone asks, including Tommy, we tell the story that Billy told. We never say the truth about what happened. Not for any reason."
The others reluctantly agreed, and linked hands across the table in a silent pact.
~*~
Jason shut his eyes for a moment, thanking whoever was watching over him that they'd seen him through. A second realisation struck him, and he thought dismally, at least, seen him through the first night and morning.
Looking around, he saw the clear blue sky through the window, and guessed it was probably a warm day. The kind of day that he would have spent with his friends, in the park or on the beach. He blinked back the tears. He should have been with his friends, and not stuck in this hospital room....
hey, at least you're alive...
He grimaced. _yeah, barely_
be fair... how many other 17 year olds do you know that have fallen nearly 100 feet off a cliff and survived?
Jason sighed inwardly and slumped down against the pillows. He had to admit that was true. He was lucky, very very lucky indeed.
Dr Richards walked into Jason's hospital room then, to find the teen awake and alert, while his father fast asleep in a chair beside the bed.
"Well, I'm certainly glad to see you wake," he commented. Jason looked up and managed a crooked smile.
"Hey, Doc."
Richards smiled and picked up the chart at the end of the bed. "How are you feeling, Jason? Honestly."
"Pretty awful," Jason admitted bluntly, "but I can talk better than I was."
"True," Richards agreed, and then joked lightly: "We were debating whether we'd need to get someone in to teach you sign language, for a while there."
Jason started to laugh but it was more than he could handle, and the pain brought tears to his eyes. Richards spoke quickly, guiltily.
"Okay, Jason. Just try and relax. I'm sorry, I should have known better than that."
Jason shook his head and spoke in a slurred voice. "S'okay. N... Needed to laugh.... Everyone's too stiff round here."
Richards chuckled softly. "I'll agree to that. Now, what can we do to make you more comfortable?"
Jason pulled as much of a face as he could without hurting himself. "More painkillers?"
The smile on Richards' face faltered. "I'm sorry, Jason. You're already getting maximum doses of pethodine. I can't give you anything else."
A
sigh escaped Jason and he nodded his understanding. "I'll be okay. I
wouldn't mind having something to do in here, though. I don't want to sleep
all the time."
"All right," Richards said. "I think we can do something about that. Now I'm just going to check a couple of things. How does your chest feel? Pretty sore?"
Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah. Hurts like hell."
"Well, I'm not surprised. You broke all of your ribs."
"All of them....?" Jason echoed, stunned.
Richards nodded. "That's right. Every single one. You're a very lucky young man, I hope you realise. Two broken legs, a broken arm, broken ribs..." He hesitated, then held back on mentioning the damage that had been done to the teen's spine. It was turning out to be worse than they had originally thought, and unless they could keep the injury from being irritated in any way, there was a serious danger that the damage could quite possibly cause anything up to permanent paraplegia.
A slight frown flickered across Jason's face, then, as something occurred to him. "Has Tommy been found yet?"
"As a matter of fact, your friend Billy brought him in this morning. Said he found him wandering around in the forest in a total daze. He doesn't remember anything of the attack."
Jason inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. That meant the spell was broken, and Tommy had no knowledge of what he'd tried to do.
"Is he okay?"
"Fairly disoriented, and he does have a pretty severe concussion, but that's about it. We'll be keeping him here for a few days until we're certain he's fit. I'm sure we could bring him up here to see you, if you'd like."
"Yes, I would," Jason replied quietly. The truth was that he had absolutely no fear of Tommy from the incident. He had reconciled in his own mind that it had been a cruel spell of Zedd's, and he bore no malice towards Tommy because of it; only concern for his well being and safety.
"Okay," Richards said with a nod. "I'll arrange it as soon as I can." He paused. Jason was starting to slip back into unconsciousness again. "Try and get some rest, Jason. You need as much as you can get."
Jason didn't argue. He was far too tired to put up any protest. He glanced at his father, then sighed a little and shut his eyes. Barely seconds later, he was fast asleep.
Richards continued to stand there and watch the teenager after he'd fallen asleep. He was extremely worried about Jason's physical condition, and it was getting harder to hide that concern. The quality of surgical work that was needed to give Jason a reasonable chance was simply not available in a small hospital such as Angel Grove Memorial.
The nearest hospital with surgeons capable of saving the teen was in Chicago, but Jason was too unstable to be moved by air ambulance. The altitude and air pressure would kill him for sure. On the other hand, the distance was too great to even contemplate a journey by land, and the trip would prove a serious threat to any chance of recovery from the spinal injury.
So, until a specialist could be collared from one of the other hospitals, or until they knew the full situation with Jason's injuries, it would be all they could do to keep the boy alive.
After a long moment, he replaced the clipboard and walked quietly out of the room. He had not lost a patient yet, and he didn't want Jason to be the first. However, unless things took a turn for the better very soon, it would not make any difference.
~*~
i'm sorry, jase. i have to.
please, tommy, no....
lights out, buddy....
Tommy awoke with a violent start, plagued by a terrible nightmare that he could not remember. He bit back a sob, not knowing what reason he had to cry.
"Tommy...? Are you all right?"
He looked around to see his father by his side, watching him anxiously. He withheld a shudder, and managed to speak without his voice cracking.
"Yeah... I think so. Just a bad dream."
Mark Oliver watched his son with visible concern. :Do you remember what it was about?"
Tommy shook his head slowly. "No. Sorry...."
"It's okay, Tommy. You're okay."
_yeah..._ Tommy thought bitterly. _i'm okay, but what about jason? no one's telling me anything. is he even still alive...?_
"You're worried about Jason, aren't you?" It was not a question, and Tommy nodded miserably. "Yeah. No one'll tell me anything. I... I don't know if he's even still alive!"
"Well, I can reassure you about that, anyway," Mark told his son quietly. "I spoke to Donavon Scott this morning. He's still alive, but I'm afraid that's all I know. No one but family are allowed in to see Jason, and since his mother's interstate, only his father is being let into the Critical Care ward."
Tears flooded Tommy's eyes. "But he could be dying! Even now, he could be dying..."
"Don't think about that, Tommy," the older man said softly. "It won't do you any good."
The teenager looked away, blinded by his tears and his distress. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Think happy thoughts."
Mark sighed. "Don't be smart. You know what I mean." "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just upset..."
"I know, son. We all are."
Tommy hesitated, then spoke nervously. "D'you think you could, maybe, try and find out how Jason is? Just to let me know? I just want to know that he's okay."
Mark nodded. "All right. You get some rest, and I'll see what I can find out."
"Thanks."
Leaving his son to sleep, Mark Oliver left the room to carry out the request. This whole thing was a total mess, he thought grimly to himself, and no one knew for certain what had happened.
He, of course, knew his son had originally been accused of attacking Jason, a thought that seemed ludicrous. Tommy and Jason were best friends; why, in God's name, would Tommy try to kill Jason? Then, later on in the hospital, Jason had gone back on his original statement, and sworn black and blue that Goldar, Scorpina and a band of putties had attacked them. In a brief moment of lucidity, Jason had claimed that Goldar had attacked him, and he'd denied all knowledge of his previous accusation.
Mark Oliver sighed again to himself. That story was only marginally more believable than Jason's first claim to Billy Cranston that it was Tommy who'd tried to kill him. However, it was the story that Jason was now sticking to. And now, since Tommy had absolutely no memory of the incident and there was no way of proving otherwise, the police had to go by Jason's account of what had happened. The account which freed Tommy of all suspicion and blame.
He himself was happy about that, of course. He had no wish to see his 17 year old son arrested and charged with attempted murder. However, something didn't sit right with Jason's account. The teen was lying, and everyone knew it, but no one could prove it.
Mark reached the Critical Care ward at the same time as Dr Richards, and spoke quickly to get his attention, for the doctor seemed in a great hurry and unaware of the other man's presence.
"Dr Richards...?"
Richards looked around and smiled as Mark approached, and Mark couldn't help but think it seemed forced.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Oliver. How's Tommy? I'm sorry I haven't been in to see him today, but I've been fairly busy..."
"He's fine. Still having nightmares, but other than that, he's okay. He keeps asking about Jason, though. He very worried and, quite frankly, so am I. No one seems to be able to tell us anything."
Richards hesitated. He was on his way to see Jason now, and the easiest thing to do would be to allow Tommy's father to go along with him. He hesitated, though, because he had something to tell Jason and Donavon Scott, and it was not going to be in any way pleasant. Finally, taking in the other man's concerned expression, he decided to let him in for a short while.
"I was just going to see Jason now. Why don't you come with me?" "Is that okay?" Mark asked. Richards shrugged in a carefree manner that covered how he was really feeling.
"I'm the Chief of Surgery here. I can bend the rules occasionally. C'mon."
Mark drew in a deep breath and followed Richards into the ward.
~*~
"Mr Oliver! How's Tommy?"
Mark smiled a little. "He's fine, Jason. He's been asking about you."
"I'm okay," Jason replied casually, "but I'm gonna go crazy if I don't get something else to do in here besides watch TV and do crossword puzzles."
Mark glanced quickly from Jason to Donavon, took in the his pale features, and knew Jason was in far worse a condition than he looked.
"Tommy will be very glad to hear that," he said quietly, keeping a lid on his own worry. Jason looked sharply at Richards.
"You said that you'd bring Tommy up here. When are you going to bring him? I want to see him."
Richards looked slightly harried. "I said when you were feeling a little better...."
"No you didn't," Jason retorted. You said you'd organize it so I could see him, and I want to see him."
"Jason," Donavon said quietly, acutely conscious of Mark Oliver's presence in the room, "Maybe you should wait a little bit...."
"I don't want to wait," Jason growled, his expression darkening with anger and anxiety. "He's my best friend, and I'm worried about him. I want to see him."
Richards stood frozen for several seconds, then finally nodded his consent. Firstly, he could see that Jason was not going to give in, but also, the teen was starting to get extremely agitated, and that was something he wanted to avoid happening.
"All right. I'll organize for a nurse to bring him up this evening. All
right?"
Jason nodded, pacified. "Okay. Thank you. Now what about the rest of my
friends?"
"Now wait just a moment," Richards jumped in, "I only agreed to let Tommy in here. No one else. You're still in Critical Care, in case you'd forgotten..."
Jason stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. "If Tommy's worried about me, the the rest of them must be going out of their minds! I'll bet no one's telling them anything at all. C'mon, Doc. What are you worried about, anyway? My health?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. As crazy as that might sound to you...."
Jason scowled. "Well, how d'you know it isn't slowing my recovery by not letting me see my friends?"
Richards froze well and truly, then, and the wall of stoicism that he had built around himself crumbled. The truth was, it would make no difference now who he allowed in. Finally, he spoke softly, walking over to the bedside.
"Jason, you really have no idea just how seriously ill you are." Confusion flickered across Jason's features.
"Look, I know how badly I was hurt, but I don't understand why you won't let me see my friends..."
Richards felt sick as he spoke. "Because I don't want them to find out before you do."
Donavon stood up slowly, fear twisting up his stomach. "Find out what?"
Richards sighed inwardly and sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "The damage done to e e to your body was more than we thought. We've been carrying out all the tests we have the facilities to cope with, plus some...."
"I know," Jason muttered. "I feel like sprinkler system, from all the needles the nurses have been sticking into me."
"Well, we got the last of the test results back this morning. They all confirm what we've been suspecting for a couple of days now. You know that your aorta was damaged, as well as your kidney and lungs... and your spine has been damaged...."
"Yes. I thought my friends all knew that as well...."
"They do," Richards said quietly, "but what no one else knows yet is that there's nothing we can do about it."
Jason froze, and at the same time could almost feel his father go tense beside him. Over by the door, Mark Oliver stood in stricken silence, able to guess, with a sense of horror, what was coming.
"What d'you mean...?" Jason asked hoarsely, feeling terribly weak all of a sudden.
Richards looked grief stricken. He hated this part of his job... "Jason, we've done all we can for you, but I'm afraid it just isn't enough. You.... I'm afraid you aren't going to get any better...."
"You mean... I'm going to... I'm going to die?" Richards couldn't bring himself to look the teen, or Donavon Scott in the eye. "I'm sorry, Jason. All we can do now is make it as comfortable and painless for you as possible."
Jason slumped back against the pillows, stricken with shock. _dying.... i'm going to die..._
"How long?" he asked, his voice little more than a choked whisper. Richards spoke softly.
"A week or two. Maybe longer. We really have no way of telling for sure. It could even be as long as three or four months."
"Dad...." Jason whimpered, tears flooding his eyes. Unable to even embrace his son, Donavon reached over and grasped his hand tightly. Jason turned his head, and buried his face as far into his pillow as he could manage, speaking in a muffled voice. "I should have let him kill me...."
Donavon shut his eyes tightly against the hot tears as he squeezed his son's hand tightly. How could this possibly happen now? When Jason had survived the beating and the fall, and everything else.... How could it happen that he be cut down now....?
Mark Oliver stood back against the wall, stunned. Tommy's fears had been justified, then. Jason was dying....
Jason lifted his face from the pillow, then, and looked over at Mark through a flood of tears.
"Don't tell Tommy. Please, Mr Oliver, don't tell him...." Mark shook his head. "I won't," he said softly, his voice trembling a little. "I won't tell him. Excuse me...."
He hurried from the ward just in time, for the tears overflowed as he left the wing.
"Oh God....."
He collapsed against the wall, his entire trembling a little. His grief was almost as great as he imagined Donavon's would be. He and his family had been in Angel Grove less than a year, and it had been a pleasure for him to see his son, previously such a loner, gain such a firm friend in Jason Scott. Granted, the two had been intense martial arts rivals, but that had only been on the practise mat, and in the tournament rings.
There had been something more to their friendship, though, than with all the other friends that Tommy had made in Angel Grove. The two boys had almost been like twins, inseparable and unbeatable. They'd spent most of their spare time together over the past few months, strengthening a friendship that had already been rock solid.
Now, that something like this could happen at the bare height of that friendship.... He resolved in his own mind to respect Jason's wish and not tell Tommy, mainly because he did not know how Tommy would react. Indeed, he did not even care to think about it.
Fighting back the sobs, he hurried down the hallway to the nearest bathroom, praying he could pull himself together before he went back to Tommy.