Brother, My Brother
by Dagmar Buse

"I don't remember how long it was that Jason had convulsions ... five minutes, ten... I just don't know," David sighed, rubbing his face with both hands wearily. "I was too busy trying to calm him, to prevent him from injuring himself, but had no idea how. If Tommy hadn't come back then..."

~*~

Never in his life had David been so relieved to hear the sound of teleportation.

"Man, what a waste of time," Tommy groused even as he powered down. "That had to be one of the lamest monsters ever—worse even than Squatt or Baboo. Can you believe it was a giant lawnmower this time? If that's the best Divatox can do, she won't hold out for long. We didn't even need to summon the Zords; the Turbo Ram was more than enough to deal with..."

David interrupted his rambling with a sharp exclamation.

"Tommy!"

Puzzled, the Red Ranger paused and stared at his brother and friend, of whom the latter was writhing on the dusty ground, agonized groans coming from the heaving chest while the former was apparently restraining him forcibly.

"What the hell's going on here?" Tommy asked, coming closer. The two had problems, as he'd learned, but surely neither would resort to physical violence. Wouldn't they? "You're not fighting, are you?"

Even in his panic, David could see how it might look that way.

"No! Tommy, Jason's been bitten by a rattler; he was unconscious when I got here. I gave him the antitoxin, but I think he's having an allergic reaction... he needs help, NOW!" It was a frantic rush or words, totally unlike David's usually placid tone, and that, more than anything else, convinced Tommy that David wasn't joking.

He blanched. For a second, his mind went blank, then instinct set in. Tearing his eyes away from the agony contorting Jason's face, Tommy quickly considered his options. Getting the car here was out of the question; so was transporting Jason to the car. The drive alone would take far too long. So, the obvious—the only—solution was using the Power Chamber's teleportation system—if there weren't the restriction of not using it for personal matters. If Jason were still a Ranger, he could take him to their base... but he wasn't, there was no guarantee that the Power Chamber even had the resources to treat his condition...

"The hell with it!" Tommy wasn't even aware he'd spoken aloud. Jason had done his duty as a Ranger, not once, but twice—almost losing his life the second time. If anyone deserved special consideration from Zordon, an exception made to save his life, it was him. Better act first, explain later.

Decision made, Tommy crouched next to his companions, taking hold both of David and Jason's arms. Almost as an afterthought, he morphed.

"I'll take you directly to the hospital."

~*~

Their arrival in a streak of crimson light, the Red Ranger carrying both an unconscious youth and a Native American, had caused a minor sensation in the ER, but the trained personnel had acted quickly once the seriousness of Jason's condition became apparent. As controlled chaos broke out, Tommy slipped away unobtrusively to a restroom, demorphed and rejoined David who'd been shouldered aside by the nurses. He'd had enough experience at fibbing where his Ranger activities were concerned, so it was easy to concoct a halfway plausible story where the Turbo Rangers had just happened to be in the vicinity when things got dangerous. No, he didn't know where the Red Ranger had gone to. No, he didn't know why or how the Rangers come to be near their camp, or why the Red Ranger had decided to help them, and could he PLEASE call his friend's family already?

The resident asking the questions let himself be distracted by that bit of administrative detail. With long practice, Tommy had glossed over his sudden appearance, redirecting attention to Jason. The patient was unconscious, the hospital needed someone to authorize treatment... yes, of course, there's a phone at the nurses' station.

Getting out of the doctor's way with alacrity, Tommy had placed a call to the Scotts, summoning them to Angel Grove Memorial on the double, while David had retreated to a waiting area, sinking into a faux-leather chair and letting the horror of what happened wash over him. He didn't object when Tommy tasked him to call Kat, who would summon the rest of the Rangers, while he stayed to wait for Jason's parents. When they arrived, it caused David another pang to see how Tommy was treated like a second son by both Helen and Joe Scott, how he was admitted to the treatment room just like family, but it was fainter than before—more out of wistfulness than envy.

He'd made the call to Tommy's girlfriend who'd been horrified at what he had to tell her; she promised to inform their friends right away and come as soon as they'd be able. They would support their friends as always, even if it was just by being there. Then, after a moment's reflection, David called his foster father, too. Because right now, David needed someone to support him.

~*~

"It's all my fault, anyway," he murmured once he was finished with his tale, leaning forward and letting his long hair hide his face. Nobody needed to see how miserable he was feeling.

There was a long silence from the assembled friends as they digested what David had just told them. Even Sam Trueheart was quiet, his lined face showing both a sad and stern expression. He hadn't liked hearing his foster son admit to jealousy and pettiness, and how he'd treated someone dear to a close relative. It went against everything he'd tried to teach David, and he knew they'd have words about that—later.

Characteristically, it was fair-minded Trini who spoke up first, forestalling a still-seething Rocky.

"How is it your fault, David?" she asked quietly. "You had to give Jason the antivenom, or he'd be dead of the poison by now. You couldn't have known he's allergic to the remedy."

There were agreeing murmurs from the others.

"Maybe so, but if I hadn't picked a fight with him, if I had finished checking the campsite area for wildlife... I knew there might be snakes, or scorpions, I never completed what I'd set out to do, what I was proud of doing without help... I let myself be distracted by my dislike, and that's how, WHY he was bitten!"

"So you were a little forgetful," Trini conceded, smiling slightly. It seemed the brothers shared more than looks. "But that's hardly a crime. Jason may not have your expertise about the wilderness, but he's hardly a complete neophyte. He should have checked where he sat himself. You did not make the snake bite Jason. Nor did you make him sit down near its lair. It was an accident!"

"For which I'm responsible!"

"How do you figure that?" Adam asked. "I mean, sure, you should've finished your check, but even if you had, you might not have found the snake, anyway. What if it had been hunting? Then you wouldn't have found it, right?"

David looked helplessly at the slim Asian. Why couldn't he see it was his fault?

"But..."

"No buts, David," Tanya interjected firmly. "Trini's right, it was an accident. It could just as easily have happened to Tommy or you." The others nodded at that, too. Of course they would have liked to blame someone for Jason's condition, but were fair enough to see that, despite David's tale of jealousy and misunderstandings, he was not the one.

David wasn't ready to let go that easily. He shook his head despairingly.

"But if I'd walked faster when Tommy dropped me off, if I hadn't taken my time... I should have reached Jason much sooner, given him the antidote faster..."

The group of friends considered this quietly, exchanging glances. It was a thought that had occurred to them as soon as David mentioned it.

"Would you have reached Jason in time to prevent him from being bitten at all?" Zack asked suddenly. David looked startled; he hadn't thought about that yet.

"I... I don't know. Maybe not," he had to admit. "I mean, I was slow getting to camp, but not all that slow... and Jason said he'd been halfway to the well; I might not have seen him."

"So the bite isn't really your fault. Okay. After it happened, though... did you have any choice but to give Jase the antivenom?"

"... no..."

Zack grinned a bit wryly. "And nobody knew that Jase was allergic to it. So how the heck is it your fault?"

What Zack said made sense, and a part of David was relieved to be exonerated, but a bigger part of him sought to place blame—and since he had been there, had been the one to administer the (as it turned out, near-fatal) drug, it was natural that his conscience wanted to accept responsibility. More so, maybe, since there had been a moment when he had wished Jason would come to harm.

"It feels like it is," David muttered stubbornly.

"I know why," Rocky said, to everyone's surprise. He'd calmed down while listening, and was now able to look at things with a measure of detachment—caused in part by his own experience. "You think it ought to be your fault because right now you're feeling guilty for being jealous of Jase, for disliking him even though he hasn't really given you reason to feel that way. And for wishing a couple of times he'd just go away."

David slowly looked up at the former Zeo Ranger Four. That was what, in more quiet moments, his mind had already been telling him. Only his stricken conscience wouldn't let him listen; too vivid was the memory of his brother's quickly-masked panic, of the terror in the chocolate eyes when he'd realized his best friend was in mortal danger and there was nothing he, Tommy, could do to save him.

"I... yeah, I guess so," he said, thinking it over. Rocky's statement did pretty much sum up his present state of mind. "How ... how do you know?" David searched the brown eyes for truth. The wry expression spreading across the mobile face astonished him.

"Because I've been there, pal," Rocky stated simply. "When Jason first came back and rejoined the team, I was so jealous of him like you wouldn't believe. I felt pushed aside, worthless... desperate to to guard my place on the team. I even took on Mondo all by myself, thinking I had to prove something."

Tanya, Katherine and Adam nodded; they remembered that incident all too well.

"I ended up getting my butt kicked. Nearly endangered the team, too. And if that had gone wrong... the consequences would've been pretty gruesome," Rocky continued seriously. "Not just for one person, but for the whole world."

"But we made it through that—together," Kat reminded him softly. "As a team, and were the stronger for that. We just have to hope that Jason will make it, too."

As if on cue, a doctor entered Jason's room, and soon after, Jason's stricken-looking parents were led out, Helen held by Tommy. Joe Scott murmured something to his wife, then, with a last helpless glance at his son's sickroom, took his leave. Tommy guided Jason's mother to the waiting area, where Trini relinquished her seat immediately, but hovered close by. Wearily, the distraught woman sank down, clinging to Tommy's hand as if to a lifeline. He let her hold on for a full minute before gently disengaging himself.

"Will you be okay with Trini for a minute, Helen?" Tommy asked softly. "I need to use the restroom."

"I... of course," Helen murmured, her lips quivering in a not-smile when Trini smoothly took Tommy's place.

"Don't worry, Tommy, I'll be here," she assured her friend. After all, she'd been in and out of the Scotts' house countless times ever since she became friends with Jason in grade school; Helen was as familiar and dear to her as the Taylors, the Harts or Mr. Cranston.

"I'll only be a minute," he said, and quickly went off. Helen looked after him, a rather watery smile on her pale face.

"I really don't know what we'd do without him," she confided to Trini. "Tommy's been such a rock for us... me especially, now that Joe had to leave. But he has customers waiting, and we can't allow the business to fail..."

"We understand, Mrs. Scott," Trini murmured, patting the older woman's arm. "Nobody's blaming him."

But Helen hardly seemed to hear her, her mind still on her son's best friend. "Tommy is such a dear; if I'd known Jason would build such a relationship with someone, I wouldn't have hesitated to adopt a child myself, give him the brother he always wanted. You kids all were so close, but when he met Tommy—there's always been a loneliness deep within Jason that only went away when they became friends."

"They were very tight, right from the get-go," Zack agreed. He'd come to sit with the two women, the only other of the original group of friends present. "It really surprised us all."

Trini smiled gently. "Jason and Tommy have called each other 'Bro' almost as soon as they met," she recalled. "They truly are as brothers—not in the flesh, maybe, but certainly in spirit."

"Yes," Helen said, fresh tears threatening, but she dashed them away. The time for crying hadn't come—yet. "Which reminds me... where's Mr. Trueheart?" She looked around for David. Spotting him at the edge of the row of chairs, she waved him over. Reluctantly, he obeyed her summons.

He'd heard every word Helen had said, and they were like knives in his heart, reviving all of his bitterness and jealousy, but those feelings withered when Helen's blue eyes met his warmly, and she grasped his hand.

"I'd like to thank you for what you did for Jason," Mrs. Scott murmured. "If it hadn't been for your thoughtfulness in bringing the antivenom, and for knowing how to administer it..."

That was about the very last thing David had expected to hear, and his astonishment and confusion was evident in his expression.

"Huh?"

"Yes," Helen nodded. "You saved his life, you know."

"B-but..."

"How is Jason, Mrs. Scott?" Zack interrupted curiously. "Nobody's telling us anything!"

"Yes, we're worried, too," Katherine added in her soft, accented voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Helen apologized. "I thought someone had... oh, never mind. He's stable for now; they managed to stall whatever's reacting negatively on his system."

"That's good, isn't it?" Rocky asked. There was something in Jason's mother's voice which made him very uncomfortable, and her next words confirmed it.

"Yes and no," she sighed. "Jason's not getting worse, true, but unfortunately that doesn't mean he's getting better, either. It seems as if he has some strange health condition nobody has an explanation for that is preventing all known remedies to work."

At that, the former Zeo Rangers exchanged furtive, guilty looks. They had a very good idea that it was Jason's near-fatal brush with the Gold Powers which was the reason, but that wasn't something they could disclose. Not without betraying their shared secret.

"Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place," Rocky mumbled under his breath, only to be shushed by Tanya's elbow in his side. "Oof." She shot him a quelling glance and he blushed, clamping his mouth shut.

"Then—how can you be thanking me?!?" David blurted, completely dumbfounded. Jason was still in danger, because of something he'd done... "I don't understand! It's my fault that he went into anaphylactic shock! If I hadn't given him the antidote..."

"... Jason would have died of the snakebite," Helen said firmly. "Mr. Trueheart—David—at the very least, the poison would have done serious damage to his kidneys, or even his heart if you hadn't acted as quickly as you did. The antitoxin prevented that, at least."

"I feel responsible..." David murmured, knowing he should feel relieved that he was thus exonerated from blame, yet strangely didn't. If anything, Helen Scott's forgiveness made him feel even worse. For the first time in his life, David understood the meaning of 'having coals of fire heaped on one's head'. He wished he could just disappear into some hole and pull it in after himself.

"You're not. Trust me, I'd just love to have someone to blame for Jason's condition, but nobody knew he's allergic to some ingredient in the antivenom. You couldn't have known. As it is... he's very, very ill, yes, but there is still a chance. If you hadn't given him the injection, though..." Helen's up-to-then brave, firm voice trailed away, cut off by a choked sob.

"He'd be dead," Adam completed quietly. "David, it's true. Don't go on blaming yourself."

"At least now, we can hope Jason may yet come through," Kat said soothingly, wishing that there was something she could do. It wasn't in her nature to sit idly by while someone suffered. However, her hands were tied, by lack of knowledge as much as circumstance.

Helen had herself under control again.

"Indeed. And if you'll excuse me, I think I'll need to go ask for some more hope," she sighed, getting up. Noticing the puzzled glances her son's friends exchanged at her somewhat cryptic remark, she couldn't help a tiny smile from forming. "I believe there's a chapel here somewhere?"

"Of course!" Trini exclaimed, joining the blonde woman. "May I come with?"

"Yes, dear," Helen agreed. "I'm sure Jason would appreciate your support."

She took the slim girl's arm, and together they left, in search of comfort nobody present could give them.

~*~

The others watched them go with thoughtful expressions on their faces, sending their wishes along even though neither felt the need to express them in a more formalized setting; their place, they believed, was close to their friend, as if being near could impart some of their strength and vigor to the patient behind door number 227.

Only when the swinging doors had closed again behind Mrs. Scott and Trini did they notice Tommy, who had returned from his trip to the bathroom. On the way, he'd collected a soda, but he was merely staring at the can, not drinking from it. When he finally looked up at his gathered friends, they were shocked to see the haunted look in his eyes. It didn't bode well for Jason.

"Oh Tommy," Kat whispered, going up to her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry..." She reached out as if to hug him, but recoiled when he stiffened and took a step backwards.

"Tommy? Can't I help you?" she asked, hurt.

"Not now, Kat," he rasped tightly. "I'm sorry, I know what you're trying to do, but..." He shook his head, despair in every line of his body.

"I—I just can't. Not now. I... I need to keep it together ... for Helen," he tried to explain. Also for myself, he didn't have to add. Tommy's friends knew him well enough to realize that, being who and what he was, he couldn't give his emotions free rein right now, or he'd lose it completely. And that was not the Red Turbo Ranger's way.

"Okay," Katherine murmured, only partially mollified. All she wanted to do was comfort him, help him deal with his obvious pain, but once again Tommy retreated into his loner personality, rebuffing everyone, even those who he should know cared about him.

It occurred not just to Kat, but to all of the watching Rangers, that the one person whose help would not have been refused was lying only a few feet away, struggling for his life.

The Rangers sat in silence after that, each by himself except for Tanya, who had scooted up to her best friend. She was trying to soothe Kat's ruffled feathers by telling her that her boyfriend, shy, gentle Adam, hadn't acted all that differently only a short time ago when his best friend had hurt his back before the Karate Tournament and they hadn't known whether Rocky would ever walk again. It seemed to work—slowly, but surely, and Tanya was glad; Kat would need all her strength to be there for Tommy should the unthinkable really happen.

~*~

There was a slight commotion at the nurses' station; heads came up slowly as the friends heard familiar voices in the distance. Eyes widened in shock, then cautious joy as two well-known figures rounded the corner to the waiting area.

"Billy! Kim!"

"Hey guys," the blond scientist smiled, even though his green eyes were distant. However, his friends assumed—correctly—that it was out of concern for Jason, not because Billy was reluctant to be back. They surged forward to greet him with suppressed enthusiasm.

"Man, it's so great you're back! Are you okay? How's Aquitar? Have you recovered?"

Billy interrupted the babble of voices with a raised hand.

"Thank you, yes, fine, and mostly," he answered all questions in one go, then posed one of his own. "How is Jason?"

Adam was the first to recover his equilibrium. Dark eyes sparkling, he replied sombrely. "According to his mom, hanging in there. No better, but not getting worse, either."

"From what we heard, we think that the aftereffects of holding the Gold Powers are causing him extra problems," Rocky added. "That sort of interferes with everything else, I guess."

"I would tend to agree, based on the research I was able to do," Billy murmured. "The Triforians' genetic makeup is such that... let's say that in retrospect, I have had moments where I counted myself fortunate that I was unable to assist Trey at the time."

"Whoa," Rocky whistled. Because he'd felt so guilty for 'usurping' Billy's color, he'd watched him more than usual, and had seen how miserable Billy had felt at being denied that chance to join the Rangers again. "That bad, huh?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know, Rocky. Only a Human with Jason's robust physique and incredible stamina, coupled with his enormous force of will, could have held them at all. As it is, I'm amazed how long he held out."

"But he was recovering from that," Tanya interjected. "Slowly, yes, but Zordon was keeping an eye on him, and we knew he was getting better!"

"Until the snakebite, that is," Zack sighed. He sincerely wished he'd met his old friend again for a more cheerful reason.

"I think it's just too much on top of each other," Adam speculated. "The Gold Powers, the physical exertion of the hike with David and Tommy, then the snakebite—and to crown it all, he's allergic to the antitoxin. If Tommy hadn't bent the rules and teleported him directly here ..." He shuddered.

"Well, I hope I can be of assistance," Billy said, to everyone's delight. "The Alien Rangers have collected enough data on Human biology while they were here that they were able to concoct a remedy that just might be the solution to Jason's problem. However, I'm at a loss as to how I can present it to Jason's doctors without betraying any secrets."

"Well... Tommy brought Jason in as the Red Ranger," Kat mused, her crystal eyes regaining their usual lustre. "What if the Rangers decided to help some more, as they are involved already..."

"Great idea, Kat! We can ask Justin; he's intelligent enough to relay Billy's instructions without mistakes, when he's morphed he doesn't look or sound like the boy he is, and most of all, he probably won't be associated with us!" Tanya, too, was getting excited. "In fact, the Blue Ranger would be a perfect choice!"

"It does sound like an ideal solution," Billy concurred. "However, this drug has never been tested on a Human before; do you think the Scotts would agree to it? I am as sure as can be that it won't be harmful to Jason, but there is an undeniable element of risk."

"I'm sure Tommy can talk them into it," Kat assured the young genius. "They treat him like a second son, anyway, and I don't think there'll be much of a problem. Right, Tommy?"

Only now did she—and everyone else—notice that Tommy hadn't been part of the happy crowd surrounding Billy. When he and Kimberly had appeared so unexpectedly, Tommy had been leaning against the wall, lost in his private hell of fear for his best friend. Kat looked over her shoulder at her boyfriend, saw that he had taken a couple of steps away from the wall and was even paler than before. He was staring transfixedly at something that seemed to be just behind Billy's left shoulder. As if by a silent command, the group of friends changed position, forming a corridor between Tommy and that something.

Not something.

Someone.

Behind Billy, all but forgotten in the heady rush of welcome and good news, stood Kimberly, her doe-brown eyes sad and serious as she met Tommy's burning gaze.

He stared at her for what seemed like a small eternity, ramrod-stiff and frozen, but the longer the former couple traded glances, the more the iron façade of control began to crack.

"Kimberly," he whispered.

"Tommy," she murmured back.

The sound of her voice, the concern and affection in it, was too much for Tommy. Knowing that here at last was someone who would not censure him, who had seen him at his lowest and still been there, who knew like only three other people did what Jason meant to him, he broke.

Released from his momentary paralysis all at once, he stumbled forward, arms reaching out to his first love, and he pulled her to him, burying his face in the caramel locks as he finally gave vent to his too-long suppressed feelings.

Kat watched the scene, shock, anger and fear written clearly on her porcelain face. She wanted to shout out her pain at seeing Tommy, her boyfriend, turning to Kimberly, who had left him over a year ago, but she couldn't. Not now, when Tommy, strong, confident Tommy, was kneeling in front of the petite girl, his shoulders wracked with sobs as his fear for Jason finally found a voice in a torrent of scalding tears.

~*~

"Tommy...!" Kat's voice was choked with emotion as she instinctively took a step forward as if to separate the two, but found herself restrained by a hand on her wrist.

"Don't."

She turned and lifted tear-filled blue eyes to Billy's compassionate ones.

"Why not!" she demanded, her wounded feelings and confusion obvious in her whole stance.

"Because right now, you can't help Tommy," Billy replied, keeping his voice low and soothing—both for Katherine's sake as for Tommy's. Carefully, he let go of Kat, hoping she wouldn't rush forward at once. To his relief, she stayed where she was, giving him a hurt look.

"And she can?" Kat wanted to know, jerking her head in a derisive little gesture at Kimberly, who had led Tommy to the row of seats. She'd sat down when he sank to his knees and buried his face in her lap, stroking the bent head tenderly as he continued to shudder in pain. "She left him, with a 'Dear John' letter, too! You know, you were there!"

"Yes," Billy sighed. Did he ever remember! "But still, Kat... I don't think that anyone else can help Tommy now—except maybe Jason, and he's the reason Tommy is having this breakdown in the first place." He stalled Kat's next comment with a tiny headshake. "Trust me on this. I strongly doubt that any person but one of us 'originals' can get through to Tommy now, and neither Trini, Zack nor I have ever had the same emotional connection with him as Kim has had."

"But we're supposed to be a couple! I offered to help him first, and h-he fobbed m-me off," Kat sniffled, the expression in her eyes turning slightly mutinous. The next words broke out of her heart with the force of a flash flood. "Kim broke his heart with that letter! With no warning at all; you've seen how much that hurt him. I did my best to help Tommy get over her, I thought I had when we started dating; and now he not only pushes me aside, but runs to her as soon as she shows her face. What right has she? Why should I let Kim take what should be my place?!?" Kat knew she sounded bitter, but didn't care; this was her right. Wasn't it?

Zack stepped closer, his dark eyes warm. He liked the pretty dancer, and it was making him very uncomfortable to see her so upset. But he also knew that Tommy hadn't acted consciously, just reacted—both to Kim's sudden appearance, and his own need.

"Because you weren't there, Kat," he said gently, touching her arm in a gesture meant to comfort. "I'm sorry, but I have to go with Billy on this one. I know you were teammates with Jase last, but he and I shared a dorm room for almost two years in Geneva; trust me, during that time I learned more than I ever wanted to know about how close those two are!" He essayed a tiny grin which was not returned. Not that he was surprised. "I think that, if Tommy had been a girl, Jase would've gotten a serious case of love at first sight, it was like that for him. And I'm pretty sure it was the same for Tommy. Those two... yeah, they had their problems at first, and Rita tried more than once to use them to break up the team, but in the end they cared too much about each other to ever let it affect them for long." He shrugged. "Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, Kim was there when Jason and Tommy became friends; she's seen it all, plus she's already seen Tommy at his lowest once before, when he lost the Green Ranger Powers for good. I guess opening up before her comes kinda naturally for him. No offense to you," Zack hastened to add.

"It is not a reflection on the depth of caring you two share," Billy added. "Just an instinctive, involuntary reaction to extreme stress. I've only caught a glimpse of Tommy when I arrived, but knowing him, I feel safe to guess he's been in his strong-leader mode until now, hasn't he? Afraid to show his emotions in case somebody would think him weak."

"I think he was more afraid to let go and be unable to stop," Tanya murmured, recalling the little scene right after Tommy had emerged from Jason's room. "Remember? He said he couldn't let you help him, that he needed to keep it together..."

"Just like when Zedd had Kim's Power Coin in his clutches, kidnapped her and was trying to drain her life force," Rocky piped up, only to be silenced by an absolutely furious glare and kick against his shin from Adam.

"Ow! What?" Bewildered, Rocky stared at his best friend, then belatedly remembered how Kimberly had come to lose her Coin in the first place. "Oh. Um, sorry," he mumbled, shame-faced at Kat's sudden guilty blush and averted look. That had been her doing, while she was under Rita's spell. The lingering guilt and current unhappiness made her eyes brim with tears.

Drawing a deep breath, Billy decided that it'd be better to move things along—for Kat, for Tommy, and most of all for Jason, who needed the remedy he'd brought. He gave Katherine a brief hug; an action that was sufficiently uncharacteristic for him to make her look up again.

"Kat... if you really care about Tommy, does it matter who can give him the comfort he needs right now? Isn't it more important that he gets it?"

Kat thought that over for a minute. She didn't like to admit it, but Billy had a point. Resentfully, she glanced towards the seats, where Kim was patting the muscular back soothingly. Tommy was still clinging to Kimberly's slender frame, hiding his face and breathing hard, but at least the nerve-wracking sobs had stopped. It seemed as if Kim was helping him—and quite honestly, nothing too intimate was taking place between the former couple. And yet, Kat couldn't help wish that it was her, not the petite gymnast, who was comforting him.

"I... I guess you're right," she conceded reluctantly at last. "Still..."

"We understand, Kat," Tanya murmured, hugging her friend. "Come on, let's go outside for a minute, shall we? When we come back, maybe Tommy will have calmed down, and then you can be there for him."

Kat hated to go. She didn't want to leave Tommy alone with Kimberly, out of her sight, but...

"Trust him, Kat," Billy advised softly. "Tommy is an honorable man; he will not betray you—as much as he couldn't abandon Jason right now. You know him well enough to be aware of that."

"Yes," Katherine sighed. They were all right about this, but at least no-one had demanded of her to accept the situation gracefully. And it would be a relief to pour out her hurt into her best friend's ear, out of hearing of the guys. Oh well. Dragging her feet, she allowed Tanya to guide her down the corridor, to a small alcove which had a balcony attached; they could get some much-needed fresh air there.

Adam, Rocky, Zack and Billy watched the girls leave, all of them heaving a huge—if silent—sigh of relief that the emotional atmosphere was getting back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be while one of their own was still in critical condition, anyway. That thought recalled Billy to his self-appointed task. Clearing his throat a bit awkwardly, he turned to Adam.

"Could you please alert Justin and call him here? We need to formulate a plan of action if he is to present Jason's doctors with the remedy I've brought. And persuade them to try it in the first place. I've already cleared the necessary things with Zordon—like teleporting here, and involving the Rangers even further."

"Sure thing, Billy."

The four young men retired to a quiet, unobserved corner, and Adam activated his communicator.

~*~

David had watched the scene with wide eyes, his and Sam Trueheart's presence apparently quite forgotten by the past and present Rangers. Which was actually to his liking; it had given him a chance to compose himself from reliving the previous day as he'd told his story. Plus, he'd gained a rather fascinating insight into his brother's recent history. Sure, he'd heard a mention of 'Kimberly' here and there the few times he'd hung out with the gang, and each time he'd seen the shutters go down in Tommy's eyes, but he'd accepted the terse explanation given—'my/his ex-girlfriend'—rather at face value. He'd just assumed the relationship had ended somewhat badly and that Tommy was perfectly happy now with Kat.

Apparently not so.

But now was not the time to investigate his brother's love life. Instead, he needed to confront his own feelings about the depth of Tommy's concern for Jason. Because if anything was able to convince him that Tommy felt strongly about his best friend, it was the way he'd wept for him when someone truly close to him showed up.

David looked at his foster father. He'd noticed Sam's disappointment as he'd confessed to his jealousy, and it made him feel even worse. If that was possible.

"It's my fault he's in there, isn't it?" he asked, hoping that in this, at least, Sam would exonerate him at least a little, the way Jason's mother and his friends had.

The old man took his time answering. His wise old eyes were warm yet a little sad when he did.

"No, David, it's not." David was about to slump in relief, when Sam went on. "Not in the sense at least that you did anything wrong after the snake bit Jason. His being allergic to the antivenom was something truly unforeseeable. But, you should have checked the area more carefully; it was your neglect that is at least partially responsible for his current condition. You knew better. I'm very disappointed in you."

David hung his head, blushing. He'd known Sam wasn't going to yell at him or punish him, but right now, he would almost prefer that rather than know he'd fallen short of Sam's expectations of him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It is not I you should be saying that to, son," Sam admonished gently.

"I know. I will," David promised, knowing his foster father was correct. "To Jason, if—no, when!—he makes it. And to Tommy." That would be harder still. Because it meant having to admit that he'd thought his brother had lied to him when he'd said that he was happy, ecstatic even, of finally having found part of his biological family. Or that he believed Tommy incapable of caring for more than one person, that he had halfway expected him to desert a friend for someone else's sake. Even if that someone was Tommy's own brother. Out of that thought arose another question.

"Sam... how can Tommy care so much about Jason, anyway? I mean, they've only known each other a pretty short time, all things considered. They were even separated for nearly a couple of years! And yet he acts as if..." David's voice trailed off as he realized what he'd been about to say.

"... as if they were brothers, just as you are," Sam completed the sentence for his son. The older man nodded in confirmation, letting his expression grew distant as he looked inward to things only he could see.

"From what I have seen and heard, the young Falcon is indeed a brother to the young Eagle. They may have hatched in different nests, but they are of the same breed, belong to the same element. Soaring the skies, each free and unbound... yet united in Purpose and Spirit."

David listened to Sam's musings, as always slightly awed when the old Shaman grew mystical on him. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

Sam turned towards his tall foster son and smiled. "It means Tommy chose Jason as his brother, before he even knew you existed. As Jason chose him. You are brothers in the flesh, by birth; they are brothers in Spirit, by choice. It may not be to your liking, but it is a fact. David... if you ever want to have such a true bond with Tommy, you'll have to learn to accept that."

"I know," David said miserably. He could see his dreams about sharing everything with Tommy, as brothers should in his mind, dissolve right before his eyes. He hadn't even had developed a close relationship with Tommy yet, and already it was being taken away from him. That hurt. Sam sensed his turmoil, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he got up from his seat. His old bones weren't meant to sit in uncomfortable hospital chairs for hours.

"Just think about this, son: A bond between two brothers need not be exclusive. A third one may be integrated in due time. And it is never a one-way street. For anyone."

With that, Sam reached for his walking stick and went off, leaving a rather bemused David behind.

~*~

The Blue Turbo Ranger's appearance in a stream of azure light caused quite a stir among the nurses, especially when he asked to talk to 'the injured young man's' doctor. It had been decided on Billy's suggestion that the Rangers officially shouldn't know Jason's identity, but had chosen to monitor the situation out of simple human interest, since they'd already been involved in his rescue.

"Yes, Blue Ranger," the physician spoke up as soon as he'd answered his urgent page. "I'm Dr. Jenkins. What can I do for you?"

Justin, unrecognisable in his morphed form, cleared his throat. I hope I'll get this right!

"We have followed developments here with your patient," he explained, continuing quickly to forestall any questions about the where, why and how. "And we've learned that there are complications?"

"Yes," Jenkins replied, casting a worried glance at the IC room door behind which Jason lay, hooked up to all sorts of machinery to keep him stable. He knew he ought not discuss things with a stranger, doctor-patient confidentiality and all that, but this was the Blue Ranger, and since the Red Ranger had brought Jason in... What the heck. I'm at my wits' end, anyway. "We can keep him stabilized, but that's it. The poison from the snake bite isn't spreading any further, due to the antitoxin, but we have absolutely no way of getting the elements from that out of Jason Scott's blood which are causing the allergic reactions. It's as if there's something in his body that's refusing to let anything be drawn from him. To be totally honest, I've never seen anything like it."

Jason's friends, who had all drifted back unobtrusively by now, exchanged glances. Kat had at once looked for Tommy and Kim, but to her surprise the short brunette was by herself, watching the tall Red Ranger sit hunched over a few seats away, his face covered by his hands. He could have posed for a picture titled 'Abject Misery'. As Kim stood with a last, lingering glance full of compassion at him and rejoined the group, she gave her successor a small headshake and slight, apologetic shrug which the blonde Australian found herself unable to return with anything other than a little grimace which, with a lot of goodwill, could pass as a smile. She desperately wanted to know what had passed between the former couple, but this was hardly the time to give in to a fit of jealousy; even in her current state of mind Kat could see that much. Instead, she turned her back on Kimberly and focussed on Billy who was explaining to them sotto voce that it was most likely Jason's body reacting to the traumatic effect the withdrawal of the Gold Power had had. Almost as if it was a kind of immune reaction, the body tried to hold everything inside to prevent a further loss of vitality. Only perversely, this basically positive thing might kill their friend after all.

"Well... we, the Rangers that is, may have found a way to treat the condition," Justin said as confidently as he could.

"You do? What? How? There's nothing in all the medical literature that we've found, nothing on earth..." The doctor's eyes widened as he realized who exactly he was talking to. A Power Ranger. One of the group of young superheroes saving them all on a near-daily basis from crazy monsters and whatnot. Who reportedly had access to weapons and other things that were clearly not of this earth, if the media could be believed. "Now wait a goddamned minute..."

"I don't think your patient can, Doctor," Justin interrupted the man as politely as possible under the circumstances. He couldn't afford to get into an in-depth discussion on the origins of their arsenal. Time to get on with things! "You remember the Alien Rangers?"

Jenkins sputtered. "I... well, blast it, man... sure, I mean... of course I do! Why?" He'd have given his right arm, and maybe a leg, to have been able to examine one of the aliens during their brief stay in Angel Grove, but of course he couldn't say that, could he?

"During their time here, they not only helped the then-current team of Rangers, they also gathered quite a lot of data about humans. We contacted them from our headquarters and asked whether they might have anything in their pharmacopeia of medicines to help the young man we rescued in the desert. Turns out they did." Behind his visor, Justin grinned to himself. For once he could indulge his love for big words without getting into trouble for it. While he'd never used what Tommy and Adam had labelled 'technobabble', he still had to be careful, especially being a 12-year-old in high school. The too-smart ones who showed off tended to get clobbered by less intellectually-gifted students. But he was pretty sure the doctor would understand. He reached for his belt, to which he'd clipped the carry-case Billy had handed him. Unfastening the container, he handed it to Dr. Jenkins.

"This is a serum that will purge all non-indigenous substances from your patient's system," he explained. "I do not know how it works, precisely, but our Aquitian associates assure us it should work on humans."

"What do you mean, it should work?" Jenkins asked suspiciously, his trained mind picking up exactly on the thing Justin and Billy had hoped would be overlooked in the relief of having a treatment at all. "Don't they know?"

"Well... it hasn't exactly been tested on an earth human yet," Justin was forced to admit. "The serum in its basic form works perfectly on most known humanoid races, and the Alien Rangers' research was quite thorough, they made all the appropriate modifications, but..."

"But they don't know for sure." Jenkins glared at the Blue Ranger, torn between hope and chagrin.

"No."

"What if it doesn't work? What will be the effects, anyway?"

"The serum should produce a very high, but very short fever-like condition. Theoretically, the elevated body temperature should eliminate all foreign substances from the patient's bloodstream."

"Theoretically. And in practice, a very high fever which we can't treat in order for it to do what it's supposed to do may cause serious damage. At best, he'll just have a couple of seizures. At worst, he'll develop Serum Sickness, which can be fatal since it can lead to kidney failure or cause bleeding in the brain."

The assembled friends gasped and traded alarmed looks. Would this be a case where the cure was more damaging than the illness?

The physician sighed, opening the carry-case and taking out a vial. The pale green liquid sloshed slightly as he shook the clear container. So much hope in so small a thing... and so much danger, too. He looked back at Justin, shaking the vial in his visored face.

"What you're telling me is that this is an experimental drug of extraterrestrial origin which has never been tested on a human. What if the Alien Rangers made a mistake? Miscalculated something? Do you really believe it's worth the risk? The young man barely holding his own in that room over there may well die from the treatment if they have."

Justin swallowed, very glad the man couldn't see the panic he was feeling. I don't know! I can't deal with this! But he had to. His friends depended on him. He made his voice as firm as he could.

"I believe that our Aquitian friends would never do anything to harm an innocent being," he said with as much conviction as he could muster.

Jenkins stared hard at the opaque visor, wishing he could read something, anything in the Ranger's eyes. But of course that was impossible, hidden inside the helmet as they were. If only he could ask the guy to take it off... but no. The Rangers had never revealed their identities to anyone; it was vain to hope they'd do it now. He looked at the serum once more. It was what he'd been looking for ever since Jason had been admitted and all known treatments had proved ineffective. If he only dared using it...!

"I really don't know..."

"Doctor, do you have an alternative?" the Blue Ranger asked reasonably. "What will happen to your patient if you don't find another remedy soon?"

The older man shook himself, swallowed hard, then made himself say what he knew he must.

"If we don't do something soon, the stabilizing measures we are using right now will slowly lose their effectiveness. And once they do, either the anaphylactic shock from the antitoxin will kill Jason, or the snake poison will start working again. Resulting in damaged kidneys and heart failure."

"Which will be ultimately fatal, too, right?"

"Yes," Jenkins admitted grudgingly.

"Then... do you really have a choice?"

The doctor inhaled deeply. Squaring his shoulders, he looked at the Blue Ranger.

"No. I don't. But I won't do anything without getting permission from the family. And I want you to explain to them who's going to be responsible if this cure fails and kills their son that much faster."

Justin barely prevented a horrified shudder. This wasn't going the way he thought it would at all! Why the heck had Billy and Adam given him the task to do this? He couldn't!

But he had to. Closing his eyes briefly, Justin called on every ounce of determination he possessed.

"Very well."

"I'll get Mrs. Scott," Adam said quietly, slipping away to go to the chapel where he knew the blonde woman was praying for her son's recovery. Trini was still with her; she would know how to support her. He hoped.

"I'll call Jason's dad," Zack murmured, wandering off towards the payphone down the hall. He really didn't want to make that call, but somebody had to.

The others just looked at each other in stunned silence. They'd had such high hopes when Billy had come, bringing what they'd thought would be a miracle. Now it seemed that that miracle might carry a price which was far too high.

The friends instinctively drew together in a tight circle. Kat and Tanya were clinging to each other, eyes filled with tears, and Kimberly blindly reached out, to find her hand captured unconsciously by Tommy's. The two didn't glance once at each other, but it was obvious that they drew comfort from the contact. Rocky and Zack both looked as if they needed someone to hug, too, and Billy was quietly desperate, wishing there was something more he could do. Unfortunately, this was a situation where he couldn't construct a device of sorts in a flash; it left him wondering what good all his intellect was if he couldn't help his oldest friend.

David, however, was watching only his brother. He saw the pallor wash over Tommy's face, observed the chocolate-brown eyes grow empty and dead. In this instant, he began to understand what it would mean for Tommy if Jason died. He'd lose not only his best friend, his chosen brother, but a part of his soul... and David wasn't sure if he, or anyone else, would ever be able to heal such a wound.

~*~

"I can't make such a decision!" Joe Scott protested vehemently when Dr. Jenkins and Justin explained the situation to him and his wife half an hour later. "You're asking me to agree to let our only son to be used as... as a lab rat? No way in hell!"

"Joe," Helen shook his arm, tears running unhindered down her chalk-white cheeks. "I don't want Jason to be experimented on, either, but... I also don't want him to die," she sobbed quietly, despair radiating off her.

"You heard what the doctor said, Nell," Joe rasped, vacillating between anger and hopelessness. He was a man very much given to physical action, like Jason himself. To know he was forced to remain inactive, his hands figuratively tied as he had to stay on the sidelines of a battle waged solely inside Jason's body, was driving him crazy at a time when he needed all his wits to decide what was best for his son. "This alien wonder drug may kill Jason even faster!"

"But it may also save him!" A mother's hope, reaching for the tiniest chance to protect her child, grown up or not.

"We don't know that!"

Helen drew calm around herself with a visible effort. She knew she needed to be strong now. "No, we don't," she admitted in a mere whisper, dabbing at her face with a damp tissue. "But the Rangers have always saved people. They have never done harm to anyone. I trust them not to start now." Her blue eyes swerved briefly to Justin. "So did—does—Jason," she added, almost inaudibly. Joe Scott looked helplessly at his slender wife. He wanted to trust, wanted to save his son, to spare Helen the inevitable grief if he did nothing, but...

"I don't know what to do," he confessed roughly at last. It came hard to him, but it was the plain truth. "I only know I want Jason to live."

"I don't like taking such chances with my patients' lives, either," Dr. Jenkins said quietly. "But right now, I have nothing else at all to offer you. Just this." He showed them the vial of serum. The Scotts stared at it, indecision written all over them. Finally, Joe looked up again.

"If there was only someone we could ask to help us make up our minds," he groaned. "Can't you test the stuff first, or something?"

Jenkins shrugged helplessly. "I wish. But frankly I have no idea what I'd even be looking for. I've never had an alien concoction in my hands before. Besides..." he sighed deeply, "I'm afraid we're running out of time. The longer Jason is left untreated, the lesser the chance that any kind of treatment will help. He's deteriorating—not rapidly, but steadily."

Mr. Scott blanched. "H-how long?" he breathed.

"Until it's too late? Morning," the medic stated matter-of-factly, not without sympathy for his patient's family. But it had to be said, no matter how much he hated this part of his job.

Helen pressed her hands against her mouth, uttering a choked little cry as the meaning sank in. They were going to lose Jason in a few hours if nothing was done?!? That couldn't be! It just couldn't! Her husband drew her into his arms, but right now even such a loving embrace was cold comfort.

"Honey... I'm so sorry... God, I wish..." Joe whispered into her blonde hair, at a loss for words. But she understood what he was trying to express.

"Me, too," she replied in a tear-roughened voice, hugging him back, trying to draw strength from their closeness. "But wishing won't help Jason..."

Helen sighed unhappily, then disentangled herself, to glance around her. Searching her surroundings for she knew not what, or whom. Help, support, guidance... all of it. But who could give them what they needed?

A little distance away, she saw Jason's friends, watching them, waiting for a decision, hope and anguish clearly visible on each young face. Zack, Trini, Billy, Kimberly... she'd known and liked them for years and was grateful for their silent, unstinting support. The friends Jason had made since coming home from Geneva were there, too—not quite as familiar yet, but also already well-liked. Adam, Rocky, Tanya, Katherine ... and a little apart stood David Trueheart, Tommy's brother, whom she'd only met a scant 48 hours or so before. Helen stiffened suddenly. There was one face missing in the group—the one she could have sworn would be there.

"Where's Tommy?" she asked. "He's as close to Jason as if they were brothers; I want to hear what he thinks!"

Everybody looked up, startled. Somehow or other, at one point Tommy had managed to sneak away from the group without anyone noticing.

Well, that wasn't quite true.

"He went back in to be with Jason," Kimberly spoke up, her voice soft and her doe eyes full of compassion.

"He's back in Jason's room," David murmured almost simultaneously, blushing as his quiet comment raised a few questioning eyebrows among the group of friends. He couldn't blame them; after all, what he'd told them earlier about his feelings was a marked contrast to the neutral tone he now used. But having seen his brother's inner turmoil as he steeled himself to enter the sick room, he could no longer feel any resentment. He understood now why Tommy had stayed, why he needed to be at his best friend's side. Jason's fate still hung in the balance; none of them could know for certain if he would survive the night—Aquitian serum or not. And if he should lose his life, Tommy would be totally devastated. David just couldn'tbegrugde either any time they might have left together. He quirked his mouth in an almost-smile, trying to be reassuring.

"I'll go get him."

On near-silent feet, he approached the off-white door. Drawing a fortifying breath, he reached for the handle and carefully opened it, easing inside.

It took a few moments until David's eyes adjusted from the bright lights in the ward corridor to the muted glow permeating the room, most of it coming from a shielded lamp above and behind Jason's bed. The first thing he could make out was Jason's still form, lying motionless against the pillows and hooked up to all sorts of machinery. David had no idea what the various blinking and beeping displays monitored, but he assumed it was stuff like heartbeat, blood pressure and so on. It didn't matter. What mattered was that the dark eyes were closed, that the broad chest was moving in slow, shallow breaths... and that Tommy was sitting hunched over on a stool next to the bed, holding one of Jason's hands in both of his.

David waited a few moments, but Tommy didn't seem to notice his presence at all, his attention completely focussed on Jason. Swallowing, David shuffled forward and when even that went unacknowledged, gently touched his brother's shoulder. Tommy didn't so much as flinch. He continued to stare at the pale face. At last, David quietly murmured his name.

"Tommy."

The Red Ranger shuddered once, briefly. Without turning around, he spoke—hushed, as if he were afraid to disturb his friend.

"He doesn't even know I'm here..."

It sounded so forlorn, David had to close his eyes. Opening them again, he squeezed Tommy's shoulder once.

"Maybe he does."

Tommy shook his head once, his thumbs absently rubbing circles on the large hand. As if he hadn't heard, he continued.

"If something doesn't happen soon, we—I—will lose him. I dunno how I know, but I do."

"That's why I'm here, Tommy," David replied gently. "Your friend Billy has brought a cure, via the Blue Ranger. Jason's parents want to talk to you about it."

Desperate brown eyes finally looked up, to meet David's compassionate gaze. "I can't stand the thought of losing him, Dave. I just can't. Jase is as important to me as my folks, or you. If he should die, it'd be my fault."

That was something David hadn't expected to hear in a thousand years. Here he had barely been able to let the others convince him Jason's injury wasn't entirely his responsibility, and now Tommy was feeling guilty? The irony made him snort softly.

"How do you figure that?"

Tommy gulped and lowered his head. "If I hadn't insisted on this hike... Jase wouldn't have gotten anywhere near a snake."

Oh boy.

"Right. And if our last name was Gates, we'd be millionaires several times over. Don't do this to yourself, brother. Your friends just spent a lot of effort telling me it wasn't really my fault; I still don't fully buy that, but I do know you're not responsible for anything." The calm conviction in David's voice seemed to reach Tommy, because a hint of color crept back into his cheeks.

"You think so?" he murmured.

"I know so," David answered. "Now come on, the Scotts want you."

"For what?" Tommy asked, reluctantly letting go of Jason's hand and standing up. He ignored his aching legs; the stool he'd sat on really wasn't made for his tall, lanky frame.

"I'll let them tell you." David tried to steer Tommy towards the door, but he stepped once more to Jason's bed. Reaching out, he brushed a strand of dark hair away from his forehead, the gesture curiously tender between two young men barely out of adolescence, but somehow not inappropriate at all; even David could see that. And felt only a deep compassion for both.

"Don't die on me, Bro," Tommy whispered. "I need you."

The, he inhaled a deep, shuddering breath and finally allowed David to guide him out into the corridor.

~*~

"So what do you think, Tommy?" Helen asked him tearfully, after they had laid out the situation for him. "Do you think we should do it—treat Jason with an untested, alien drug?"

He took his time to digest the information. A long, unobtrusive glance at Billy wasn't much help; the former Blue Ranger spread his hands in a helpless 'I-don't-know-for-certain-either' gesture, but the greenish eyes were steady and open.

Billy has never let us down—both the Rangers and his friends. I can trust him implicitly not to harm us. I do. And Delphine wouldn't do anything to harm another living being, either—it'd go against everything she stands for.

Tommy was as certain of that as of himself.

But the drug Billy's brought IS untested on a human. He says himself that there is a risk that it may backfire on us.

It seemed an unsolvable dilemma. However, one question demanded to be asked.

What would JASON want to do? Want US to do?

The answer was so obvious, Tommy couldn't help but wonder why it had taken him so long to think of it. He looked at Jason's parents.

"I think... I think Jase would want us to use it," he said slowly. "He believed in trusting his friends implicitly, and the Rangers have never been anything but friends, to all humans. And Jase has always been willing to take a chance. This serum the Blue Ranger has brought... it is a chance. Probably the only one he has."

Helen and Joe exchanged a long look.

"Tommy's right, Joe," Helen murmured at last. "It's what Jason would want us to do."

"Maybe. But what if this substance kills him even faster than the snake venom, or the antidote?"

"That's something we'll have to deal with if and when it happens," his wife said, her voice growing stronger. "We'll never forgive ourselves anyway, no matter why."

"Damned if we do, and damned if we don't?"

"Unfortunately." Helen smiled tremulously. "Love, God knows I don't want to lose our son, but I can't stand by and do nothing, either. And I think neither can you."

Defeated, Joe Scott's broad shoulders slumped in his red-checkered shirt, so reminiscent of what Jason used to wear during his time as the Red Ranger.

"No. No, I can't." Gulping down his anxiety with a major effort of will, he reached for his wife's hand, then turned towards the doctor.

"Alright. Do it."

"Are you quite sure?" Jenkins had to ask.

"Yes," Helen answered, her voice shaky but resolute. "Give him the serum."

"Very well." Decision made, Jenkins glanced briefly at Justin, who was standing a ways off, waiting for developments. The audio equipment in his helmet allowed him to hear the physician's muttered comment quite clearly. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Rangers."

Justin sighed. It was time for him to go; he'd stayed morphed longer than ever before, and it was beginning to make him feel slightly uncomfortable. Besides, his curfew at the Children's Home would start in fifteen minutes. There'd be hell to pay with the matron if he was late without a good reason.

"We will continue to monitor the situation," he promised. "Good luck for your son." Before anyone could say another word, he hit the teleport button on his communicator and vanished in a cobalt streak of light.

"That's creepy," Dr. Jenkins muttered, then shook himself. "Okay, here goes nothing."

Summoning a nurse and an intern, he purposely strode into Jason's room. Filling a syringe with the pale green liquid was routine work and quickly accomplished. Checking Jason's vitals one last time, he reassured himself that the situation hadn't changed—a slight, but steady decline towards near-certain death. He'd done everything humanly possible, he was sure; now it was time for some inhuman treatment. Wishing he hadn't thought of it in quite these terms, the doctor's hands were steady as he sought a vein and carefully injected the unknown drug into Jason's bloodstream.

"Do you think it'll work, Doctor?" the nurse asked in a hushed voice.

"I sure hope so."

"What if it doesn't?"

"I honestly have no idea, Karen."

"What do we do now?" The young intern asked, his eyes wandering between the readouts and monitors and his superior's face.

Jenkins breathed deeply.

"Now... we wait."

~*~

So, they waited. The Scotts withdrew to a corner of the waiting area, holding onto each other, mostly silent because they'd already been through all the what-ifs. At times, Helen would lean back in her chair, close her eyes and sit perfectly still for a few minutes—then turn towards Joe once more with a wobbly smile and renewed if precarious calm. Trini saw her lips move slightly on one such occasion and guessed correctly that the older woman was praying for Jason's recovery.

The others sat in a close circle, one or the other occasionally making a foray for drinks or some food to nibble on, even though none of them had much of an appetite for either. They were quiet, too, but after a while Zack started talking about Jason, calling up a childhood memory that produced a few tiny smiles. Then Kimberly chirped in with another story about their friend... Rocky followed, Billy was next... it was as if each of them tried to keep him alive simply through remembering how he'd fit into their lives.

For David, it was a revelation. He obviously had nothing to contribute to the conversation, but just by listening he gained a far more complex picture of Jason than Tommy's glowing stories had managed to paint. He'd expected the comments of how he would fight against prejudice of any kind, how injustice made him mad or that he was always ready to stand up for the underdog. David had gotten that much from his brother.

What he hadn't expected was to hear about Jason's flaws—and there were a lot more than he'd counted on. Billy told of Jason's curiously blank spot in 8^th grade Maths; Kim chuckled when she remembered that Jason, while able to appreciate beauty in nature and art, was totally hopeless at producing anything artistic himself, be it music, painting or literature. Trini grumbled a little about his overprotectiveness and how long it had taken her to convince him she was capable of fighting her own battles, thank you very much. Zack mentioned Jason's temper—something David had first-hand experience of—and how he had to struggle not to hold grudges. Kat smirked, mentioning Jason's ineptness as a dancer and Adam groused about his penchant for atrocious puns. Rocky, blessed (or cursed, depending on his mood of the moment) with a large number of siblings, wondered how Jason was sometimes impatient with smaller children.

All these things were hardly major character defects, but to David, who'd felt so inadequate in the face of Jason's many accomplishments, they showed that Jason was not a paragon of virtue, not the Knight in Shining Armor he'd come to expect, but simply human. Great good mixed together with a few not-so-good things. And the fact that his friends spoke about them with tolerance and affection told its own story. Jason was someone worth knowing... someone who deserved to live.

Casting a glance at Tommy, who sat between Billy and Rocky and had just listened as well, only adding a quiet word here or there, David found it in himself to offer his own prayers to the Great Spirit, begging for hope.

~*~

As predicted, Jason soon began to develop a fever. As night fell over Angel Grove, his temperature, elevated to begin with, rose to 103, then 104 degrees. His whole body was flushed and hot to the touch, and the discomfort even penetrated his coma-like state. He began to moan, and squirm restlessly in his bed.

The nurse on duty in his room watched this with a worried frown; under normal circumstances, she would have long ago given the patient some Tylenol, or at least started to put ice packs around the pulse points of his body, to cool him down externally. But her orders said clearly to let the fever run its course, so she sat by, doing precisely... nothing.

Suddenly, Jason reared halfway up, his eyes snapped open, and a gurgling sound escaped his throat. Then, he stiffened and began to thrash. Quick as lightning, the nurse hit the call button.

"Dr. Jenkins! Room 227, the patient is having a seizure!"

~*~

Within seconds, the room was a bustle of frantic activity, nurses dashing in and out, the doctor calling out orders that were unintelligible to the fear-galvanized group in the waiting area. All talk had come to a stop, and a lot of breaths were being held.

Tommy had jumped up from his seat and took a couple of long strides towards Jason's room, when he caught himself. There was nothing he could do—moreover, he rightly feared he'd only be in the way of the medical personnel doing their jobs. He clenched his fists and swayed lightly, burning eyes fixed unwaveringly on the door, as if he could will knowledge of what was happening to come to him.

After what seemed an eternity to those waiting outside but in reality had taken maybe fifteen minutes at most, the ward became quiet again. Nurses removed carts, a couple of harried-looking interns wandered off to the ER again, and lastly Dr. Jenkins emerged. He scrubbed a hand over his face, then addressed Joe and Helen, fatigue and post-adrenaline rush making him curt.

"Jason had a fever seizure; I feared this might happen. He's stable again for now, but I'm afraid it won't have been the last."

"Will it damage him?" Joe asked hoarsely.

"Too early to tell," the doctor sighed. He was weary, but the night wasn't even half over yet. He'd be at his post until morning. "We'll have to wait and see, sorry."

Helen was too tired to fight her tears. They coursed down her pale cheeks unhindered as she touched Jenkins's sleeve.

"Doctor... can't I sit with Jason? I promise, I'll stay out of everyone's way... I just need to be close to my son," she sniffled.

"I don't know, Ma'am," he hesitated. Family more often than not were a hindrance during emergencies. The light-blue eyes begged for understanding.

"Please, doctor..."

The physician sighed again. Who was the idiot anyway who had called women the weaker sex? Obviously the guy never had to deal with a mother fighting for her child.

"Very well," he reluctantly gave permission. "But only family!"

"Of course. Thank you, doctor!" Helen was already pushing open Jason's door, Joe but a step behind her. Just before she let it fall closed behind her, though, she held out a hand to Tommy.

"Come, dear. You're Jason's family, too; you belong with us."

It was an invitation Tommy was unable to resist. He nodded once, took Helen's hand and let himself be drawn inside.

In the waiting area, the friends exchanged glances which ranged from frightened to resigned, with every emotion conceivable in between as well. They all wanted to be with Jason, too, but nobody even thought of protesting Tommy's right to a place with the Scotts. He had to be with his Bro.

Silently, they returned to their vigil.

~*~

Later, the former and present Rangers would agree that this was about the longest night they had ever had to live through, even though objectively speaking it had just the regular amount of hours, like any other night. It just seemed as if it would never end...

~*~

They stayed in the waiting area, sitting close together, drawing comfort from the fact that none of them was alone with their fears for Jason. For the most part, they were quiet, lost in their own thoughts as they waited... and were periodically alarmed by renewed activity in and around Jason's room. From the nurses, they gathered that he suffered two more fever seizures, each one a little worse than the last... and that nobody really knew what to expect next. Would it be doom, or deliverance?

"This is driving me nuts," Rocky groaned when he settled back down in his faux-leather chair again after the last such incident. His back ached abominably, both from his injury and from the uncomfortable seats. But even a fully-powered Megazord couldn't have dragged him away. Just like his friends, he needed to be here.

"Is there any news yet?"

"No," Tanya sighed, rubbing at her eyes. "Nothing at all." She'd drifted off a little, leaning against Adam, and was feeling a bit guilty about it—although she knew the others wouldn't blame her for succumbing to her exhaustion. It had been a long day, and an even longer night.

"They say that no news is good news..." Kat murmured, disbelief about the old adage evident in her tone.

"Yeah, right." Zack snorted through a jaw-cracking yawn. "Sorry. We should be so lucky."

"Let's hope Jason is," Billy said seriously. Usually he managed to lose himself in some scientific problem or another even under the most tense circumstances, but tonight even that method failed. It didn't really surprise him; Jason had been his friend and confidant, not to mention sometimes protector, for too long that he could forget about his plight. Besides, it was he who had brought the serum; what if it was unsafe, after all? Billy wasn't sure he could live with the guilt if it turned out he somehow had a hand in Jason's possible demise. Nor was he at all certain that Tommy, who had endorsed it, could. If worse came to worst, they might just lose two friends instead of one. "We just have to trust that Jase will pull through; he's a fighter, and his will to live has always been exceptionally strong."

The others nodded. Yet, the waiting and not knowing came hard to all of them. They settled back once more, not talking, but supporting each other just by being together. As they always had—always would.

~*~

Dawn was breaking over the distant mountains not far from Angel Grove when the big hospital began to wake up. The ER grew quiet, nurses working the night shift made a last round to check on their patients, most of whom were sleeping peacefully. Charts were signed, materials cleared away, and with a few smothered yawns, the tired personnel waited for their replacements to arrive. They duly did, singly and in groups, and their bright greetings to their colleagues filled the air with subdued cheer as the changeover progressed.

Kimberly was the first of the friends to rouse from a fitful doze; no-one among them had truly slept, but weariness of mind and body had let them find some uneasy rest at least. She sat up, stretched her arms and legs and was considering whether she dared nip off for a quick wash in the restroom, when she caught Adam's somber gaze from across the waiting area.

"Morning," she murmured. "Has anything happened? I snoozed a little, I guess." She smiled sheepishly.

"Not that I know of," he replied just as quietly. "Don't feel bad, Kim; I think none of us stayed completely awake all night. I know I didn't. Besides, I'm pretty sure someone would've told us if there'd been a change either way."

"You're probably right."

Around them, the others stirred as well.

"Ow, my back," Rocky moaned. He had lain on the only couch, but it was little more than a two-seater—far too short even for his medium height.

"Here, let me see," Trini offered, pulling him to his feet. Circling around to his back, she probed the muscles in his lower back, then applied gentle pressure. Rocky winced as her slender but strong hands kneaded the kinks out.

"Thanks," he sighed when Trini was done and he could move more easily.

She smiled tiredly. "You're welcome."

Billy had unobtrusively slipped away and talked to the ward nurse; he returned now with a frown on his face. "Nothing new," he reported to his anxious friends. "Dr. Jenkins has looked in on Jason a half-hour ago, but there was no change. The fever's still dangerously high."

"At least he hasn't had yet another seizure," Tanya tried to find the silver lining, but it was cold comfort; they all had been made aware that the fever in itself posed a threat to Jason, should it continue much longer.

"I wonder how Tommy and Jason's parents are holding up," Katherine said, a worried frown marring her smooth forehead. "I mean, it must've been pretty horrible for them to see Jase in so much discomfort."

"That's putting it mildly," Zack was about to answer, when he was distracted by the door to room 227 opening.

David was the first to recognize the tall figure clad in a red sweatshirt who came out into the hallway. He slowly rose from his seat, his heart starting to thump heavily in his chest.

"Tommy," he whispered hoarsely.

Tommy's face was pale and his eyes glazed over with strain. He carefully closed the door behind him, turned and swayed on his feet exhaustedly. He was facing his friends, but it was obvious that he saw none of them, even though only a few short feet separated him from them. The past and present Rangers all surged to their feet, closing ranks and looking to their leader for news, waiting with bated breath for what he had to tell them.

To their horror, tears began to fall from the red-rimmed eyes—first one, then another and another, until a steady stream of salty drops coursed down the lean cheeks. Tommy started to tremble all over; he practically folded in on himself, to lean against the nearest wall. His legs gave out from beneath him, and he slid bonelessly to the floor, silent sobs wracking his body.

"Oh my God," Trini choked, seeing her worst fears realized in Tommy's collapse. Before anyone else could utter a single word, two pink-shirted forms knelt next to the distraught young man.

"Oh Tommy, please don't," Kat implored, stroking the long hair with trembling fingers, her own eyes already blinded by tears.

"Let us help you," Kimberly begged, taking a limp hand into her suddenly cold ones. She, too, was weeping.

The girls exchanged a quick glance when Tommy didn't react, just hid his face on his drawn-up knees and inhaled a shuddering breath. Either wished deep in her heart to be alone with him, to take him into her arms and kiss away his tears, but neither was heartless enough to express that wish. There was no room for jealousy or resentment now; they were one in their desire to help the man they both cared about. This wasn't about them, or their problems—this was about Tommy, and Jason. Best friends, close as brothers. One of whom was...

Kimberly swallowed hard. Her voice unsteady with emotion, she nevertheless found the strength to ask the question all of them feared.

"Tommy? W-what about Jason? Is... is h-he..."

She could not bring herself to say it—that dreadful, final word.

Is he dead?

It hovered above them, like a malevolent miasma poisoning the very atmosphere. The fear rose to unbearable heights, paralysing all of them while they waited for Tommy to compose himself enough to speak, to give them the truth. The silence enveloping the group of friends was deafening in its intensity, more so as it was punctuated by a few isolated, quickly suppressed sobs and sniffles. Not all of which came from the girls.

At last, Tommy looked up. His chocolate eyes were burning with an intensity few had ever seen in them—only Billy, Rocky and Adam recognized the look. He had worn it before—once when Kimberly had been trapped in a time hole; again when Lord Zedd had captured her. And all of them had seen it when Jason had collapsed from the effects of the Gold Powers on his body. As then, it had the power to arrest their hearts and numb their minds.

"Tommy?" Billy's voice was strangled; he couldn't have produced another sound if his life depended on it.

It was enough to break the Red Ranger out of his stupor. He inhaled deeply, freeing his lungs to speak at last. His usually light voice was deep and rough with emotion.

"The fever broke half an hour ago. It was touch and go for a few minutes, but he's at peace now."

Tommy knew his lips were quivering and fresh tears were spilling over, but he didn't care. Not now. Not when, after this nightmarish day, his universe finally was right-side-up again.

"Guys... Jason's gonna live."

~*~

Days passed; Jason spent them in the hospital, slowly recuperating from his ordeal. The doctors were curious about the serum which had saved him and had told him that they'd given the last bit of it to a renowned laboratory to examine. Maybe it could be duplicated eventually, thus helping others experiencing the same or similar problems as Jason had.

He was glad about it, in a somewhat detached way; the whole affair already was taking on qualities of a distant nightmare for him, the only evidence that it ever happened at all being his all-encompassing weakness and a vague ache in his right leg. The puncture wounds from the actual bite had gotten infected after all, but that was nothing a standard antibiotic couldn't take care of. However, neither Dr. Jenkins, Mr. and Mrs. Scott nor Jason himself were willing to take any chances. Thus, in the hospital he remained.

Jason moved restlessly in his bed; the dinner tray had already been removed, visiting hours were already over, there was nothing on TV that really interested him, and he was too weary to hold a book for long. In other words, he was as bored as he could ever remember.

With nothing else to do but think, Jason let his mind wander back over the events of the last few days, ever since he'd woken from the deep sleep after his fever. Wondering what everybody was up to, now that they were no longer hovering over him like a bunch of mother hens. He didn't mind it so much from his mother—she was just being Mom, after all; it sort of came with the job, didn't it?—but it had been slightly embarrassing to accept so much solicitude from the girls. At least the guys hadn't been overly mushy.

Thanks, Rocko, for dropping a word in their ears. Guess you would know; were we really that bad when YOU were injured? Most likely they had been, Jason acknowledged with a rueful grin, reaching for a glass of water. It was one of the risks one ran when one had such good friends. And all things considered, I wouldn't want it any other way. Not really. Sipping slowly, one arm tucked behind his head, Jason let his eyes roam to the window as he went back to his musings.

~*~

The accident had happened around noon on Saturday; Billy had arrived in the early evening hours. Sunday he'd spent mostly dead to the world, barely conscious yet, so no visitors except family had been allowed. Not that he'd have truly noticed. Luckily, Monday had been a holiday, so the friends had all been able to look in on a weak, exhausted Jason before returning to their various homes, jobs and other duties. He was still sleeping a lot, his system needing the rest to recoup, but he'd recognized everybody and been extremely grateful for their support and good wishes. Despite a bothersome disorientation, he'd managed to extract a promise from Billy to come back to see him at the earliest opportunity—even if it should take years. Trini, Zack and Kimberly had been more frequent visitors, but the former two had to leave now in order not to miss college registration. While he was going to miss them, Jason wasn't selfish enough to keep them at his side. There would be other times to visit, and UCLA wasn't all that far away from Angel Grove.

Rocky was busy with his karate school and physiotherapy—something Jason knew he would have to start as well as soon as he was strong enough. The Aquitian serum had rid his body of both the venom and the antidote; an unexpected bonus, verified by a secret scan with Power Chamber equipment, had been that apparently any last, lingering effects from the Triforian Powers had been purged as well. No more dizzy spells, or nausea attacks! Great! Jason knew he would make a full recovery ... after he regained all the ground he'd lost in the cure. He was weak as a baby, as if he'd been severely ill for months instead of days, and it would take time. Lots of time.

He groused about that to his friends, but only half-seriously. He was far too glad simply to be alive to care much either way—Jason wasn't stupid, after all. He knew in how much danger he'd been in. Well, it was over and done with; it was results that counted after all.

If only I wasn't so bored!

The Rangers were more than busy. It was getting increasingly difficult to combine their Rangering duties with the responsibilities of leading adult lives now—like holding down jobs instead of being in school. Which was why Tommy could spend so little time with him—he was more at the race track than in Angel Grove. Damn. I miss him. Additionally, none of them was very happy with their new mentor. Dimitria's eternal questions could be rather irritating, or so Jason had heard from the on-duty team. The word 'retire' had already been mentioned more than once. He sighed a little as regrets rose up within him of not having been able to say good-bye to Zordon. But there had been nothing he, or anyone else, had been able to do about it. Closing his eyes wearily, Jason switched off the lights and burrowed into his pillow. Remembering the old sage, he gradually drifted off into a deep, healing sleep once more.

~*~

Kimberly was talking a walk through the park by herself, memories about all the times she'd spent here as a child, then as a teenager assailing her wherever she looked. There was the picnic table she and Tommy had sat at when he'd returned as the White Ranger. Down there was the path to the lake she had taken so often to meet her friends. That was the bush Bulk had hidden behind in his silly lizard-monster costume, back when he was still trying to uncover the Rangers' secret identities. Here had she fought ArtistMole all by herself. And there was...

She smiled to herself, cutting off the flow of memories.

We practically lived here, she thought. And what a life it has been!

Kim grinned. A rather maudlin thought for someone not yet nineteen! Even to herself, she sounded as if her life was all but over, or something. And that when her future was just beginning! Nevertheless, she let her mind roam free again, not caring where her feet took her. So it happened that she ended up at the small pond—the place where she and Tommy had first kissed. Then, he had been practising a kata, nearly oblivious to everything around him. Now, he was sitting on a flat rock next to that very spot, watching her approach with serious eyes. Almost as if he'd been expecting her to come.

Maybe he had.

"H-hello," she stammered, surprised and yet not.

"Hi, Kim," Tommy said somberly.

"I... I didn't expect you here."

Liar! her heart whispered.

"Didn't you? Didn't we always end up here eventually, whenever we had problems?" While they'd been together a long time, their relationship had had its bumps; they had never really quarrelled, but had their occasional disagreements, like anyone else. And not all of them caused by a spell of Rita's, either.

"Well... yeah," Kim admitted, taking a seat close by after a moment's hesitation. Not touching Tommy, but near enough to reach for his hand if she wanted to. "What we had wasn't perfect, was it?"

Tommy sighed. "No. But close." Which, as far as he was concerned, wasn't the whole truth—to him, everything about being with Kim had been perfect, or as near to it as made no difference. He had even started to think about asking Kim to 'make it official' when she decided to go to Florida—not marriage; he knew they were too young for that, but... an engagement had seemed distinctly possible. Until her letter. Chasing the memory of how that had hurt away, he meant to coax a nostalgic smile out of her at the least with his comment, but was surprised by Kim's reaction. Sure, he'd expected the guilty blush staining her cheeks, but not the visible flinch she couldn't control.

"Kim? Didn't you think so?"

"I... yes. No! It was too close," Kimberly whispered, looking down. Why, oh why were the good times all she could remember—the romantic walks, the tender kisses, the shared dreams? Desperately, she tried to find some detachment. She had given it all up of her own free will after all; there was no sense in hanging on to it.

"What do you mean, too close?" he asked, puzzled. Why wouldn't she look at him?

Kimberly was afraid that if she saw the expression on his face, she'd break down and bawl, and she didn't want that. There had been too many tears already... and Tommy had a right to know about them. That she had shed them, and why, and how they had led to her writing him that cursed letter.

She met his eyes at last.

"Tommy... I broke up with you because what we had was nearly perfect."

"Huh? That makes no sense," he protested. How could something be too close to perfect? And why throw it away?

The petite girl gulped. This was going to be so hard! But she owed Tommy the truth. In fact, he was way overdue for an explanation. I just hope he'll understand... Drawing a deep breath, she started to talk.

"Tommy... you know it wasn't easy for me to go, right? To leave everything and everyone behind?" She barely waited for his nod. "Well, when I got to Florida, I seriously expected to be homesick, to miss you guys... especially you. And I did—terribly. What I did not expect was that I cried myself to sleep every night for weeks because all I wanted was to be with you. Outside of practice, all I could think about was how much I missed you. I could talk about nothing else but you, my tutor was complaining about how my grades dropped, I sat in my room for ages just staring at your picture... it was like an obsession," she remembered. "The whole bit—I stopped eating, lay awake for hours when I should have been resting, rejected everybody who tried to make friends, couldn't concentrate ... It got to the point where it was beginning to affect my training—and that got noticed by the coaches. They made me see the team counsellor, and with her help I figured out what made me so miserable."

"Oh man, Kim... I had no idea..." This was terrible; if he'd known, he could have made more of an effort to stay in touch via the phone, promised her a visit maybe... but Kimberly didn't seem to hear him.

She cleared her throat. This next bit was going to be hard for Tommy. "It was you."

"Wh-what?!?" Tommy couldn't believe his ears. HE had made Kim miserable? HOW??? To say he was shell-shocked would be putting it mildly.

Kim smiled wryly at Tommy's flabbergasted expression. "Yes. Oh, it was nothing you had said or done, just... our relationship, and how intense it had become. It scared me, Tommy."

That was pretty much the last thing he'd expected, and it showed in his incredulous voice.

"Scared you? How?"

Kim sighed. She hated being blunt, but she had no choice. Not when Tommy needed to understand. "Tommy—tell me, when I decided to leave... were you perhaps thinking of asking me to marry you? I kind of had that impression." She blushed; it wasn't exactly how she'd dreamed that topic would come up between them. Or her and anyone else, for that matter. But at the time, the air had been rife with yet-unspoken promises of a shared future. And a part of her had been thrilled and deeply affected by that realization.

"I... yeah," he admitted, blushing as well. It had been one of his boyish fantasies. One he'd thought was in his grasp. "I mean, I knew we couldn't have gotten married then, at least not anytime soon, but I did want to propose. Only, I thought I should at least have a ring to give you, so I decided to wait until I could afford to buy one." Which had been shortly after Christmas; Kim's birthday in February had seemed like the perfect opportunity. If she hadn't dumped him barely a week before.

"That's what I thought." Kim laid a hand on his knee until he would look at her. "And believe this, Tommy—I think it's very sweet. I'm very much honoured that you cared so deeply."

"Then why did you..."

The look in the brown eyes tore at Kimberly's heart, it was so lost and confused. Especially since she knew she would add more pain in just a second. But that couldn't be helped—things needed to be brought into the open once and for all.

"Because I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment," she said as gently as she could. "I still am not. And I had no idea how to tell you. Tommy, dearest—I never wanted to hurt you, even when I knew I had to. For myself. And for my career—gymnastics is what I want to do at this point in my life, and it doesn't really mix well with an intense relationship, especially not long-distance. And that's all we could've had. That's what I realized during my talks with the counsellor. I had to choose between you and my own goals... and I chose what was best for me. I admit, I was selfish, and cowardly, by sending you that letter, but at the time... would you have understood any other reason than the one I gave you?"

Tommy was at a loss for anything to say. It was difficult enough for him to grasp what Kim was telling him, and deep down, he felt a tiny flame that had continued to burn despite everything throughout the long months of their separation sputter and shrink, as if its oxygen supply was slowly being cut off. Mutely, he shook his head.

"I didn't think so," Kimberly murmured, feeling pretty choked up herself. "That's why I wrote to you I'd found someone else."

"A-are you saying there was no other guy?" Tommy demanded to know, experiencing a total jumble of emotions at that thought. Relief, anger, sadness... a whole host of things. And a surge of hope that maybe, just maybe...

But, no.

Km's next words doused that tiny flame inside of him as surely as a dash of cold water.

"Not at the time," she confessed in a whisper, feeling guilty. Both at the one-time lie and for causing him to blanch with pain. "But there is now."

"Oh."

Even Tommy's voice had become dead and lifeless, emphasized by his utter stillness. Kim knew it was the way he dealt with this blow.

"I'm so sorry, Tommy," she murmured. "I wish I had handled things differently, but I didn't, and..." Her shrug said it all.

Tommy felt numb all over. Could this really be the end? He knew that he wouldn't lose Kim completely, they'd still remain friends, but ever since he'd broken down in front of her at the hospital, he also knew that a part of him still wanted more, wanted her back despite everything. The break-up, the pain, time gone by, Kat... His heart was funny that way.

But all of that was utterly irrelevant now. What mattered was that Kim had just told him she had indeed found someone else. Someone other than him. When that had come to pass was ultimately unimportant.

"He... he doesn't scare you, then?" he managed to ask through stiff lips, trying to maintain at least some composure.

Kim smiled fondly, thinking of her new boyfriend. "No. Kurt is a bit older than we are, he's in grad school... he knows that right now, gymnastics is my life. That it has to be THE most important thing, and he accepts that, because he's pursuing his own goals. He just doesn't ask for the kind of commitment the two of us were heading for, and that's the way I want it to be."

Tommy nodded slowly. It galled to admit, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to step back, to make fewer demands of Kim. For himself, he would have welcomed a deeper relationship, wanted it, needed it to make himself feel more secure—but what if they had taken things a step further, into an official engagement or even intimacy, and then found out either one of them felt trapped, or whatever? They would both have been hurt. And he believed Kim that the decision hadn't been an easy one to make. Just as he—however reluctantly—had supported her dream to pursue a gymnastics career, he couldn't deny her the right to do what was best for herself. Then, or now. She meant too much to him to do that.

And if the best for Kim didn't include him anymore... well, he'd just have to learn to live with it.

Tommy heaved a sigh that seemed to rise from the soles of his feet. He looked at his former girlfriend, reading sincerity and honest regret in those large doe eyes. Briefly, Tommy closed his own eyes, burying a cherished dream once and for all. It was over. Perversely, he felt a tiny part of him cheer softly, as if he'd been freed from invisible shackles that were his lingering feelings for Kim. But he didn't want to look at that now. Not when it felt as if his heart was being broken all over again. More gently this time, and face to face, but still... it hurt not a whit less.

"Okay," he murmured. Then, more strongly, "Okay. If that's the way it has to be..."

"It does. I wish I could give you a different answer, but I can't. I'm truly sorry, Tommy."

"Yeah. So am I."

The two sat silently side by side, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Tommy spoke again. "I hope you'll be happy." How he managed to say it without bitterness, he never knew. Maybe because it was the truth—he did want Kim to be happy. Even without him.

"I'll be a lot happier now that I've finally told you," Kim admitted. "If I'd known how to tell you otherwise, I would have. And I'm sorry for lying to you."

He nodded. One last question was bothering him, but he was unsure whether he should ask it. Or if he even wanted to know the answer. In the end, he asked it anyway. Better to clear the air once and for all.

"This guy... Kurt?... Do you love him?"

Kim took her time answering, causing Tommy's throat to go dry. What if she didn't? Worse, what if she did?

At last she sighed a little. This was a bit of truth she'd avoided looking at too closely until now. But Tommy deserved to know.

"I... yes, I do. Well, I'm in love with him, anyway. Not the way I was with you, but... you're special. You always will be, Tommy," she added softly. "You'll always be my first love."

He had to smile at that. "Uh huh."

Kim couldn't blame him for not feeling greatly comforted. She wouldn't, either.

"If we'd met when we were a little older... or if things hadn't gotten so intense so fast..."

"Maybe. But we weren't, they did..."

"Yeah."

There was nothing more to be said. They both rose from their sitting positions, Tommy helping Kim up—then they stood, staring at each other just as they'd done that day when they'd kissed the first time. They were even in practically the same spot. He gently squeezed her hand which he still held and tried for a smile. He managed—not much, but a little.

"This is good-bye, then?"

Kim smiled back, feeling sad but as if a huge load had fallen off her slender shoulders.

"Yes. I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow morning."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it, Kim," Tommy chided gently.

"Oh." She blushed. "I—I think so," she mumbled.

He drew a deep breath. So. That was it. However, there was one small thing his injured heart wanted... very diffidently, kicking himself for needing this last thing, Tommy tilted up Kim's chin and gazed into her eyes.

"Can I kiss you one last time?"

Surprised, Kim blinked. Then, she smiled again. This was what she'd hoped for—how it should have been.

"Of course."

Her lids fluttered shut as Tommy kissed her gently, as sweetly as only he knew how. First kiss, last kiss... there was no difference, really, in the way it made her feel to be in his arms. And a part of her wished this feeling would never end. When it was over, she looked at him. Slightly breathless, she touched his cheek. An irresistible urge from deep within her made her say something she knew she shouldn't, but was unable to stop.

"Maybe... maybe in a couple years, when we're older... when we've both done what we want to do... if we're both free, and if we still care for each other... maybe..."

"Maybe we can try again? Is that what you're saying?"

It seemed that tiny flame hadn't gone out completely after all, Tommy realized. There was still a minuscule ember hidden and half-buried among the ashes, glimmering against the darkness. Only time would tell if it was strong enough to survive—or maybe even grow again.

Against her better judgement, Kim gave a barely perceptible nod. "No promises, though."

"I understand." It was more than he'd had only minutes before, after all, and hope was too strong to die. "Thank you. And... yes. I'd like that... if..."

"Uh huh. If."

Feeling immensely relieved, Kim extricated herself from Tommy's loose embrace and stepped back. Everything that needed to be said between them had been expressed, and it was time to let go. For now, that silly place in her heart, the one which wanted to stay with him regardless, said smugly. She deliberately ignored it.

"Good-bye, Tommy," was all she said. Without another word, she turned and walked away, out of his life.

I'll NEVER tell him how much this is costing me!

Tommy watched Kim go with longing in his eyes until she disappeared around a bend in the path, knowing he could do nothing else. With a last sigh, he shook himself once, then started a kata, losing himself in the fluid movements of the exercise, trying to forget. Soon, he was oblivious to the world, except for one thing filling his mind.

Maybe.

~*~

Tommy eased his foot off the accelerator and let his car coast into the pit; he knew he'd done well in today's practice and was looking forward to a hot shower, a meal and a chance to rest. A stock car wasn't exactly spacious, he really was a bit on the tall side for a driver, and each night he needed some time to ease the cricks out of his back and legs.

Thank God the motel has a pool!

Swimming was Tommy's preferred way to relax after a day of driving; he only hoped he'd get the chance and wouldn't have to deal with yet another lame-brained scheme by Divatox. He exchanged a few comments with his uncle and the pit crew, then went for his bag and left the track. On the way to the parking lot, he began making after-dinner plans.

Maybe I can meet the gang... or call Jason; he doesn't leave for Montana until the weekend. Bummer that he couldn't find a place for therapy closer to home. Yeah, I think I'll do that... after 20 laps and a large pizza...

However, when he approached his 4X4, the tall figure leaning against it was a sure-fire indicator that his plans were most likely about to be cancelled.

"David," Tommy greeted his brother, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," David replied subduedly. "You're never at home anymore, your friends tell me they haven't seen you outside of emergencies lately, you don't answer the phone... I think you're harder to get hold of than the President."

The attempt at levity fell woefully flat; Tommy just looked away to hide his guilty blush. David was right, he had been avoiding everyone—well, except Jason, that is. Whenever his time allowed, he was at the hospital, often sneaking past the nurses' station when official visiting hours were already over. But he needed to see his best friend, needed to see him alive and well and grumbling about the hospital food more often than not. Trying to cheer Jason up helped distract himself, to not to think about his problems—mainly, what to say to Kat. Who, truth be told, was avoiding him as much as he was keeping his distance from her. But the hurt in the blue eyes was more than Tommy could bear, especially knowing that he was responsible for it.

Forcing his thoughts into another direction, Tommy essayed a weak grin.

"Yeah well... I've just been real busy lately."

He saw right away that David wasn't buying that pitiful excuse for an explanation.

"Too busy even for your friends and family?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, lowering his eyes and starting to hunt for his keys.

David watched him fumble and fidget, then sighed. Seemed as if he would have to take the proverbial bull by the horns, after all. What he had to say to Tommy wasn't going to get any easier with procrastination.

"Tommy... we need to talk."

That was exactly what the Red Ranger had feared.

"What about?" he asked defensively.

"Lots of things. But mainly... about us. You and me, you and Jason... me and Jason."

Tommy shook his head, wanting to do anything but that, but he could read the message in David's eyes quite clearly. He wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Not this time. He finally managed to unlock the car. Throwing his bag on the back seat, he cast a sideways glance at David as he slid behind the steering wheel.

"I suppose you're going to bug me until I agree?"

"You bet your ass, little brother." The words might have sounded playful, but the intent was all-too-serious.

"Okay," Tommy sighed in defeat. "Get in; we can talk over dinner. I just want to swing by my room first for a quick shower, if you don't mind." So much for my swim. Damn.

"Fine by me."

Silently, the two drove to Tommy's motel.

~*~

The pizza at the cosy Italian restaurant a few blocks down from his digs Tommy had come to favor was excellent, but neither young man was in a mood to really do it justice. Still, the slices vanished with astonishing speed, all things considered. They were lingering over after-dinner coffee when Tommy couldn't stand making small talk anymore. He met David's eyes head-on.

"You wanted to talk. So talk."

Carefully, David set down his mug. He'd been pondering ways to get started all day, but now that the moment had finally arrived, he had no clue on how to broach the subject. Certainly not by jumping right into it, as Tommy seemed to expect him to do. Gulping, he sought the right words. Maybe if he backtracked just a little... yes, that might work...

Here goes nothing!

"You remember what we were talking about, that day in the desert? Up at the lookout, just before you were called away?"

"Sure. You said that you resented Jason's presence, that you felt Jase was an outsider," Tommy answered, his tone vaguely hostile. That remark still rankled. How could David—how could anyone even think that when he and Jason were so close?

"Yeah well... Tommy, when I said that, I had no idea how close the two of you really were."

"But I told you! I know I did, several times," Tommy interrupted, but subsided when David gestured to let him continue.

"Yes, you did. But Tommy... being told about something and really seeing it for myself are totally different things. You see... whenever we were together, all you would do was talk about him, praise him, compare things we did with what you'd already done with him... to me, it seemed as if there was nothing I could offer you that you didn't already share with Jason. And you wonder why I wasn't exactly thrilled to meet him?"

"Well..." David certainly had a point. However unintentional, Tommy knew he did tend to praise Jason to the skies. Wasn't that only natural, though, given how much they liked each other? "Dave, I-"

"Please, I'm not yet done; can you hear me out first? I've thought quite a bit about this, and I need to have my say."

A bit sulkily, Tommy sat back. "Go on."

David sighed. "Tommy... that trip was supposed to bring us closer; at least that's what I hoped would happen. Quality time and all that, y'know? I wanted to get to know you better, to learn about the things that interest you, what makes you tick. To have to share that with a virtual stranger wasn't something I was looking very much forward to." He paused as the waitress appeared and refilled their coffee cups, briefly smiling his thanks. Tommy took that opportunity to comment.

"David, if you wanted to know stuff about me, all you had to do is ask!"

"Yes—and every time I did, I'd get another story or anecdote about your friends. More often than not, about Jason in particular. It got to the point where I wanted to slug you—or him, or something—if I had to hear his name one more time!"

Taken aback at the vehemence in the quiet voice, Tommy stared at David.

"But... but why?"

"Because I was jealous. I wanted to have what you have with him. I felt as if he had taken my place, as if there was no room in your life for me." Squirming often in guilt and shame, David continued to lay out his feelings for his brother, every bit of resentment and petty emotion that had eaten at him. Until that long period of waiting at the hospital, where Jason's friends and family had absolved him from responsibility for Jason's accident.

"Tommy... as I started to say at the beginning, I hadn't truly known, in my heart, how much Jason means to you. But seeing how hard it was for you to wait if he would live or die... it made me realize that I'll have to accept him as part of you. Just like your folks." The admission came hard to David, but he felt better for having made it.

"That doesn't mean I'm over my jealousy," he muttered. "I still wish that there was something special that I could give you. Something he can't."

Amazed, Tommy tried to take everything in what David had just revealed to him. It literally boggled his mind. Sure, he, too had experienced jealousy at one time or another—most notably whenever Kimberly would smile at another guy before he'd ever had the guts to ask her out himself—but never to the degree he'd just heard. Nor was it in Tommy's nature to attack someone over it—be it verbally or physically. That his own brother could have picked a fight with his best friend was inconceivable.

"I had no idea," he murmured.

"I'm not exactly proud of it," David confessed. "Actually, I was feeling pretty miserable while I was being nasty. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and still couldn't stop myself." He hadn't needed Sam's lecture to come to that conclusion. "All I wanted was to have you to myself, at least now and then. I'm sorry. "

Mostly, David was sorry about having caused Tommy further distress. But that revelation might have to wait for another time.

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4