Unfinished Business
Book 1
by Naomi Tilley

Angel Grove Ocean Lookout
..........It was a remarkably beautiful day in Angel Grove. The sun shone down warmly, with just a hint of a cool breeze in the air. It was the perfect day for friends to spend quality time with each other.
..........Tommy Oliver smirked a little to himself as he headed up to the lookout point with Jason Scott. The perfect day for a killing, he thought. Everything had been so much clearer to him since Zedd had taken him back under his wing. He realised now that the Power Rangers were his mortal enemies; especially Jason. Zedd had now given him one order to carry out.
..........Kill Jason Scott.
..........Jason glanced back at Tommy over his shoulder as they made their way up the hill. "Nearly there."
..........Tommy nodded wordlessly. He didn't like wasting time like this. Especially remembering the incident in the Dimension of Doom, where Jason had escaped death by a bare second or two. Still, he couldn't risk carrying out the task in an open area where someone might see. Also, he wanted to be certain that neither Zordon nor the other rangers interfered.
..........They reached the lookout point, and Jason immediately dropped his backpack and went to the edge of the precipice to see the view. Tommy hung back. It would be so easy to simply go up and push Jason over the edge, but that would be no fun. He wanted to see the fear in Jason's eyes before he killed him. He wanted to see Jason die.
..........Jason came back from the edge and sat down with a thud on the grass, and pulled a soda from his bag. "I love it up here. It's so quiet."
..........Tommy nodded. "Yeah. I know what you mean. Hardly anybody around.... It's a great place for taking care of business."
..........Jason paused for just an instant, throwing Tommy a strange look. He then took a mouthful of soda. "We ought to get Kimberly to arrange a picnic up here, or something. It's been ages since we had one."
..........Tommy lay down flat on the grass. "Jase, can I ask you something?"
.........."Sure."
.........."You think Kimberly.... likes me? 'Cause I like her a lot...."
..........Jason grinned. "She likes you, man. She's head over heels for you. I keep wondering whether I'm gonna have to lock the two of you in a room together."
..........Tommy smiled a little, and for a moment, the spell that held him in Zedd's grasp faltered. He started to wonder just what he was doing.... and then the spell tightened its grip on him, and he heard Zedd's voice echo in his mind. don't waste time..... kill him now..... Tommy thrust his emotions to the back of his soul and sat up. Time to act..... "Jase, can I have a look at your morpher?"
..........Again, Jason threw Tommy an odd look. Then he shrugged and tossed Tommy the shield. "Sure. Here."
..........Tommy caught it, and looked at it thoughtfully. After a moment, he spoke quietly. "You've gotta remember something, now. Remember that it's not personal."
..........Jason was starting to get confused, and worried. "Tommy, are you feeling okay?"
..........Tommy looked straight at Jason. "Remember that this isn't personal. I'm just carrying out orders."
..........Alarms started screaming in Jason's mind, and he got quickly to his feet. "Ah.... D'you mind if I have my morpher back, Tommy....?"
..........Tommy got up slowly, and slipped the morpher into his jacket. "I don't think so. It'll only make my job harder."
..........Jason stared at his best friend, suddenly feeling frightened. "What's going on, Tommy?"
..........Before Jason could say another word, Tommy spun around and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to the side of Jason's head. The teen went down with a crash, his world exploding with pain. Tommy advanced on Jason slowly.
.........."I'm sorry, Jase. I've got my orders. I have to kill you." If it hadn't been for the kick to the head, Jason would have laughed. As it was, his fear increased tenfold.
.........."Tommy, what are you talking about....?" Jason gasped, struggling to his knees. Tommy kicked him again, even harder, sending Jason skidding onto his back.
.........."Zedd gave me the order to kill you. You're too dangerous to him. He wants you dead. Sorry, Jase. Just following orders."
..........a spell... Jason thought in shock. he's under a spell.... "Tommy, no...."
..........Tommy foot connected with his side, and Jason felt at least two of his ribs break. In a desperate attempt to get out of harm's way, he rolled several metres away, ignoring the pain, and got unsteadily to his feet.
.........."Tommy, you're under a spell. You've gotta snap out of it."
.........."I'm not under any spell," Tommy replied casually as he advanced on Jason. "Zedd set me free from Zordon's influence. You could have been free, too, but Zedd didn't want to risk it. So, I have to kill you."
..........Jason backed away, but Tommy was too quick, and he kicked Jason's feet out from under him, sending him painfully to the ground. Jason tried to roll away again, but Tommy planted one foot squarely in the middle of his chest, keeping him in place.
.........."Don't fight me, Jason. You'll only cause yourself more pain than what's necessary."
..........Jason watched in growing fear as Tommy pulled a knife from his belt. Tommy then crouched down, pressing his knee hard against Jason's chest so he couldn't move. Panicked, Jason reached for his communicator, only to howl in pain as Tommy slashed the knife across his wrist.
..........A smirk formed on Tommy's face, and he quickly removed Jason's communicator and threw it over the edge of the precipice. "This is just between you and me, buddy. No one else. You aren't gonna be teleported out this time. Just think of it as finishing unfinished business. I'm just finishing what we started in the Dimension of Doom."
..........Jason made a last, desperate plea to his friend. "Please, Tommy, don't do this... Think... Think of Kimberly...."
..........Tommy smiled. "I am. I might go and see her after I finish you off. Say how upset I am that you ditched me and never showed up at the lookout point.... Maybe get some comfort.... What d'you think?"
..........Jason struggled to control his fear. "I think that you aren't thinking straight. C'mon, man, you beat this, remember?"
..........Tommy pressed the blade against Jason's lips. "Sshh. Don't talk, Jase. Not a sound."
..........Jason lay frozen, staring up at Tommy with unabated fear.
..........Tommy smiled again, and it was an evil, cruel smile. "Good. Okay, how d'you think I should do this? Across the throats? Quick for you, but messy. I don't want to get any blood on me, if I can help it. Through the heart, maybe....? Or the wrists. Make it look like a suicide...."
..........Jason flinched, and the blade sliced through his lips. Tommy pulled the knife back a little. "There, now. See what you did?"
..........Still Jason didn't speak. By that time, he was too terrified to make a sound. Tommy was really going to kill him....
..........The realisation hit Jason hard, and he realised that he either put up and fight against Tommy, or just lie there and let himself be killed. Either way, he had no more to lose....
..........Tommy grunted in pain as Jason hit him as hard as he could in the stomach, and wrenched himself out from beneath him. Tommy eyed Jason balefully as he got up.
.........."You just guaranteed yourself a painful exit, buddy boy." Jason backed away slowly, acutely aware that he was backing towards the edge of the precipice. His lips were cut and bleeding, his wrist feel like it was on fire, and his chest was hurting badly. "Tommy, please don't do this. Let's talk it out...."
..........Tommy smirked again. "What's to talk about? C'mon, Jase. I'll make it quick, I promise. You'll hardly feel a thing. Do yourself a favour and surrender."
..........Jason reached the edge of the precipice, and halted, unable to go any further. Tommy also halted, and grinned evilly at Jason.
.........."Go ahead, Jase. Jump. It'll be over quick, then." Jason glared at Tommy, clutching his side as he fought to stay on his feet. "If I'm going to die, then I'd rather die fighting. I don't want anyone believing that I killed myself."
..........Tommy shrugged. "Whatever."
..........He lifted the knife and began to advance again. Jason circled around slowly, and was relieved to be away from the edge of the cliff. A moment later, Tommy abandoned both patience and decorum and threw himself at Jason, knocking him to the ground. The two boys wrestled for a moment, but Tommy quickly gained the upper hand, and pinned Jason down.
.........."No more games," Tommy growled. "Say goodbye, Jason." The knife came down in a flash, and Jason tried to twist out of the way, but the knife pierced his shoulder and embedded itself in his flesh. Jason cried out in pain as Tommy grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it out, then slashed downwards again.
..........Jason felt the blade slice open his cheek, and felt warm blood stream out of the wound. The blade came down yet again, and Jason tried to grab Tommy's wrist and deflect the blow. He was weakening rapidly, though, and could stay the weapon. The dagger fell, and Jason gasped in shock and pain as it pierced his stomach.
..........Tommy slid off Jason quickly, and looked down as Jason clutched helplessly at the hilt of the knife. He smiled a little, watching as the light started to die in Jason's eyes. "Lights out, buddy."
..........Jason shut his eyes. He was not dead yet.... With great agony and effort, Jason pulled the blade from his stomach and, in a final, desperate attempt to save himself, kicked out at Tommy and struck him in the face. Rage flashed across Tommy's face as he felt blood trickle from the corner of his mouth, and he got up, dragging Jason up with him.
.........."I wanted to watch you die," he hissed, "but now I just want to make sure you do actually die." He dragged Jason to the edge of the cliff and, in a single motion, threw him over the edge. "So long, pal...." Tommy muttered, watching with twisted satisfaction as Jason's body hit the ground far below. He then shook his head, picked up the knife and headed back down the hill.

Angel Grove Beach bottom of the lookout
Several hours later
..........Jason awoke to the sound of waves rolling in around him. For a long minute he didn't move; he simply lay there trying to gather his wits. Then, as his senses began to return to him, so did the pain. He moaned aloud, clutching his stomach in agony.
..........His entire body hurt, particularly his lower back, and with a twisted sense of relief, realised that meant he couldn't be dead. Shivering with extreme cold, he tried to move, but succeeded only in bringing on a bout of severe pain and nausea.
.........."Help..." he whispered uselessly. There was no help nearby, though, and Jason knew that if he didn't do something to help himself, then he really would die.
..........what happened....? he thought dimly. The incident came back to him slowly. Tommy.... Tommy had gone haywire.... Tommy had tried to kill him.....
..........He shut his eyes tightly as the memories assailed him. He'd been stabbed in the gut.... and then Tommy had picked him up and thrown him over the edge of the cliff.
..........i fell that far.... he thought in a total stupor, must've lost a heap of blood.... and i'm still alive.....?
..........He moaned softly to himself. He had to pull himself together, and get to safety... before Zedd told Tommy that he was still alive, and to go back and finish the job....
..........where am i....? bottom of the lookout.... Biting back the pain and nausea, Jason very slowly dragged himself up... and that was when he discovered that both his legs were broken.
..........Collapsing back onto the sand, a faint sob escaped him. How was he going to get to safety in this condition?
..........if you don't, you're as good as dead.
..........The realisation was blunt, and it was enough to get him going. His will to survive was far stronger than the agony he was suffering.
..........He dragged himself up a little, and managed to pull himself a few feet across the sand when a searing pain flared up in his back, and along his spine. Jason cried out in pain, but didn't give in. He kept dragging himself forward, even though every movement was like fire through his back, and moving his legs felt like moving lead. Very slowly and painfully, he pulled himself slowly off the beach.
..........An indefinable amount of time later, he reached the dune steps and, holding on to the railing with every ounce of strength he had left, he pulled himself very slowly and painfully up the steps.
..........god, i can't do this... he thought as he finally made reached the top of the steps and collapsed. please, somebody help me....
..........He coughed once, and cringed at the shard of pain that stabbed through his head, chest, back and stomach.... through his entire body.... His chest and stomach felt like they were on fire, and he was barely able to breathe. He felt like his entire body had been compacted, and the almost numbing pain through his spine was frightening.
..........zordon... help....
..........It soon became obvious that no such help was coming, and Jason knew again that unless he forced himself to keep going, then he would be in very real danger of dying. Dimly, he knew he already was, but the thought that he may be dying was not one he could allow to filter through his mind. Shuddering helplessly, he tried to get himself together.
..........Who was closest...? Kim.... But there was no telling whether Tommy had gone there or not. Probably not, but he dared not take the risk. The next closest was Billy...
..........So far gone was Jason that it never occurred to him to simply drag himself to the nearest house for help. Instead, he forced the searing pain to the farthest corner of his mind, and somehow pulled himself to his feet.
..........Both his legs were broken, but the right was not as bad as the left, and he put most of his weight on it, keeping as close as he could to fences and other things that he could hold on to. Also, the sudden pressure on his back was dangerous, and he knew it. He ignored it, though, knowing that his top priorety was getting to Billy's home, and to safety.
..........Then, broken legs and all, Jason began to drag himself in the direction of Billy's house.

Billy's place: 11:26 pm
..........Billy Cranston was up late, working on an assignment in his father's study, when he heard a light rapping on the door. Frowning a little to himself, and wondering who would possibly be out at this time of night, he went to answer it.
.........."Wait a minute, there, Bill."
..........Billy halted as his father came through from the family room, passed his son and went up to the door. He peered through the peep hole, then frowned in annoyance.
.........."Nobody's there. Damn practical jokers...." Billy hesitated, wondering if he dared look out. After a long moment, he ventured forward and cautiously pulled open the side curtain, looking out at the porch through the window.
.........."Jason!" Billy unlocked the door and yanked it open, hurrying out to his friend who had collapsed on the porch.
.........."Good god..." Hank Cranston whispered in shock as he came out onto the porch behind behind Jason. Billy, carefully and very gently, slid his hand under Jason's head and lifted him up to cradle him in his arms.
.........."Jason, what happened....?"
.........."Tommy...." Jason managed to whisper. Now that he had actually made it to Billy's house, the adrenaline that had kept him going was fading fast, along with what was left of his strength, and it was all he could do to stay conscious. Billy felt the blood run cold in his veins.
.........."What...?"
.........."It was Tommy.... a spell.... He tried to kill.... kill me...." The words were distorted, and barely understandable, but somehow Billy did understand. He looked up as his father crouched down and looked the injured teen over. He spoke after a long moment.
.........."Try and keep him conscious, Bill. I'll call for an ambulance." Billy returned his attention to Jason as his father rose up and disappeared inside the house. Jason was very badly hurt, far worse than Billy could ever remember. Both of his legs were broken, as was his right arm.... there were stab wounds to the shoulder and stomach, and his left cheek had also been sliced open. So were his lips, Billy noted. They were also swollen from infection.
..........Billy withheld a shudder. He had also taken a severe beating. His head was badly bruised, probably from numerous kicks and punches. Also, he was thoroughly soaked, as though he'd spent hours in freezing water....
..........Hank came back out, a think blanket in his hands. "An ambulance in on its way." He crouched down beside Jason again and spoke as he covered him carefully with the blanket. "Jason, can you hear me?"
..........Jason blinked hard and, after a long moment, his gaze focused on Hank. Hank went on quickly, before the teen lost his obviously tenuous hold on reality again.
.........."An ambulance is coming to take you to hospital. Now I'm going to call your parents."
..........Jason managed to give a very slight nod to indicate that he understood. Hank looked relieved.
.........."Good. Now try and stay awake, Jason. Just till the ambulance gets here, okay?
..........Again, Jason managed to nod. He had kept himself going all the way from the beach to Billy's house. He could stay awake for a little while longer.
..........Billy held Jason as tightly as he dared, barely able to keep himself from shaking. "Hang on, Jase. You'll be okay. Just hang on."

..........The ambulance arrived a few minutes later, and was soon on its way back to the hospital with Jason. Billy and his father followed him in their car.
.........."Jason said Tommy tried to kill him," Hank said quietly. Billy shut his eyes. He'd hoped that his father hadn't heard that.
.........."Yes," he confirmed softly. Hank looked grim. "We're going to have to call the police."
..........Billy felt sick. "I know."
..........Hank turned his attention back to the road. They would worry about that later. Right then, the important thing was getting to the hospital and making sure that Jason was going to be all right.

..........Donavon Scott arrived at the same time as Hank and Billy, and Hank grimly explained what had happened, as far as they knew. To Billy's dismay, his father also told Donavon that Jason had accused Tommy of trying to kill him.
..........Donavon looked confused, and angry. "Those two are best friends. Why would Tommy want to hurt Jason?"
..........Hank shook his head. "I don't know. For all we know, Jason probably didn't even realise what he was saying. He was almost delirious when he got to our place."
..........A grim look flashed across Donavon's face. "Personally, I'd like to know how he got to your place with two broken legs. If he'd come from the beach, why didn't he go to Kimberly Heart's house? She would have been closer..."
..........Billy spoke before he could stop himself. "Because he would have been afraid that Tommy was there."
..........Hank looked over at his son. "Billy, could you do us a favour, and try and find out exactly where Tommy is right now? If he's at home, or somewhere else...?"
..........Billy nodded. "Sure. I'll meet you back in the waiting room." He hurried back down the corridor, grateful for the chance to get away from the adults. He slipped outside, into some bushes, and immediately teleported.

..........Zordon was clearly surprised by the late night visit. "Billy, what is the matter? Why aren't you at home?"
..........home? Billy thought in distress. don't you ever pay any attention to anything other than zedd and his cronies...?
.........."Something's happened to Jason," he said with forced calm. "He was attacked, and hurt really badly. He's at the hospital now."
.........."That is disturbing news."
..........yeah, and you don't know the half of it... "Zordon, Jason said it was Tommy that attacked him. He said Tommy was under a spell, and he tried to kill him."
..........There was a tense pause, and then Zordon spoke quietly. "Please wait, Billy. I will attempt to locate Tommy."
..........There was a long moment of silence, and then Zordon spoke again, in a grim voice. "Look in the viewing globe, Billy."
..........Billy walked over and looked, and felt his stomach turn over. Tommy was at his home. He was sitting on his bed, slowly turning Jason's morpher over in his hands. On the bed beside Tommy was a long bladed knife, that was covered in dried blood.
.........."Oh no...." Billy whispered in dismay. "It's true...."
.........."Stand back, Billy," Zordon told him. "I will teleport Tommy here now."
..........Billy moved right back, and a moment later there was a flash of white light and Tommy appeared in the Command Centre, still holding Jason's morpher.
..........An instant after that, there was a crackle of light and electrical bars appeared around him, closing him in. "Hey, what's going on?" Tommy protested. He reached out to touch the bars, but yanked his hand back when it gave him an electric shock. "Zordon....?"
..........Billy came forward, then, staring at Tommy with anger and grief. "I've got some bad news for you, Tommy. Jason isn't dead. He made it to my place, and we got him to the hospital."
..........Tommy looked uneasy. "What are you talking about, Billy? Has something happened to Jason...?"
.........."You tried to kill Jason!" Billy exploded. "You bastard, you tried to kill him..."
.........."That's ridiculous," Tommy protested. "Jason's my best friend...."
.........."You have Jason's morpher," Zordon put in quietly, "and the knife you used to attack him is on your bed."
..........All pretense faded from Tommy's face. "All right, you ancient idiot. I did try to kill him. I don't know why he isn't dead, but it won't matter. It would have taken him hours to get from the lookout to Billy's place, so it probably won't make much difference whether he's in hospital now or not."
..........Billy stiffened. "The lookout....?"
..........Tommy sneered at him. "The bottom of the lookout, actually. I threw him over the cliff."
..........Billy stood frozen, having to remind himself that Tommy was under one of Zedd's spells, and was not really in control of his thoughts or actions. He had to remind himself of that, or he would have hit him.
.........."Billy," Zordon said quietly, "return to the hospital and tell your father that you were unable to locate Tommy. I will inform the other rangers of the situation."
..........Billy nodded and, sparing Tommy a final, angry look, teleported out of the the Command Centre.

Command Centre
..........Zack, Trini and Kimberly teleported into the Command Centre a short while after Billy had gone, answering an urgent summons from Zordon.
.........."This had better be good," Zack grumbled, but faltered when they saw Tommy, still imprisoned by the electrical bars, leaning against the wall and scowling to himself.
.........."What's going on?" Kimberly asked softly. When Zordon hesitated, Tommy spoke in a scornful tone.
.........."Why don't you just go ahead and tell them, Zordon?" "Tell us what?" Zack asked, his voice laced with tension. "Zordon, why is Tommy in there...?"
.........."To prevent him from injuring any of you," Zordon replied quietly, and Tommy snorted in disgust.
.........."I'm not going to hurt any of them. Jason's the only one I'm supposed to kill."
.........."What...?" Zack whispered, horrified. Tommy smirked contemptuously at them through the bars.
.........."Just carrying out orders. Nothing personal." He paused, then shrugged. "Well, maybe it was personal. Anyway, I kicked his butt. Again."
..........Trini spun around to face the ancient master. "Zordon, where's Jason?"
.........."He is in hospital, Trini. I am afraid he has been critically injured."
..........Zack strode over to the bars, glaring at Tommy in a rage. "What did you do to Jason?"
..........Again, Tommy smirked. "Where should I start...? Oh yeah. First I kicked in the head a few times. Then I broke a few of his ribs... Then I used the knife I had, and cut his mouth.... actually, that was partly his own fault. He was stupid enough to struggle. Anyway, then he decided that he was going to be a hero and fight me, and I stabbed him in the shoulder, and the stomach, and cut his cheek open... He kicked me in the face, then, so I dragged him to the edge of the lookout and pushed him over."
..........Zack stepped away in shock. Tommy had described the incident in such a way that gave every indication that he'd enjoyed hurting Jason.
..........Kimberly spoke then, unable to contain her tears. "Tommy, please tell us it isn't true. Please say it's a really dumb joke..."
.........."It is all true, Kimberly," Zordon said softly. "Look in the viewing globe, rangers."
..........They looked, and saw a replay of the terrible scene that Zordon had somehow managed to locate.
.........."Omigod..." Kimberly whispered, horrified, as they watched Tommy drag Jason up, pull him to the brink of the lookout and throw him mercilessly over the edge of the cliff. Behind them, Tommy laughed cruelly.
.........."Man, you guys should have seen the look on his face. He's never been so scared in his whole life!"
..........Zack looked back at Tommy, his face ashen with shock and rage. "Don't talk to us, Tommy. Don't say a damn word."
..........Tommy merely shrugged and grinned smugly to himself. Zack turned his gaze back to Zordon.
.........."Is Jason gonna be okay, Zordon?"
.........."I do not know, Zack. According to Billy, he is very badly wounded."
.........."Okay," Zack whispered. "We're going to the hospital. We'll just say that Billy called us, and we sneaked out. If anything else happens, Zordon, call us."
..........The three teens glanced once at Tommy, and then teleported out.

..........Hank and Billy both looked up together as Zack, Kimberly and Trini ran into the waiting room. Hank glanced questioningly at his son, who gave a slight shrug.
.........."I called them. They would have wanted to know." Hank nodded, and stood up to meet the anxious teens. "Is Jason okay?" Zack asked frantically. "Billy called us..." "Yes," Hank interrupted lightly, "so he said. And I'm afraid that Jason isn't okay. He's in a very critical condition."
..........Billy spoke in a strained voice, and his friends noted silently how grey his skin was. "They had to operate on him. He... He lost part of his kidney.... and his lungs were damaged..."
.........."Oh no..." Trini whispered. Zack reeled with shock. "He lost part of his kidney....?"
.........."All of his ribs were broken," Hank said. "One of them pierced his his kidney clean through, and the doctors had to cut part of it away to avoid infection."
.........."That's not the worst of it, is it?" Kimberly whispered, dreading what was coming.
.........."No," Hank admitted reluctantly, "it isn't. The doctors think Jason fell from a great height. His spinal cord has been fractured. How he made it to our place without breaking his back, I'll never know, but the doctors don't think it's too serious. It should be repairable. However, he was stabbed in the stomach, and in the shoulder, and there's been lot of internal bleeding. The doctors just aren't able to replace the blood quickly enough to keep up with what he's losing."
.........."Are they short of blood?" Kimberly asked shakily. Hank shook his head.
.........."No, not yet, but the doctor said that if Jason keeps losing blood as fast as he is, then they will be."
..........Kimberly straightened up a little. "I have the same blood type as Jason. I can donate some, if it'll help him."
..........Hank nodded. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it, Kimberly. C'mon, I'll take you to a nurse."
..........Zack and Trini watched him lead Kimberly down a corridor, and out of sight, and then they sat down on either side of Billy, who was hunched over and clutching his stomach.
.........."Billy, you okay, buddy?" Zack asked. Billy gave a quick nod. "Yes. It's just... I don't like hospitals. I've lost too many people in hospitals." He glanced at them, and then back to the floor. "You've been to the Command Centre?"
..........Zack nodded. "Yeah. We saw Tommy. Man, I can't believe he'd try to kill Jason!"
.........."It wasn't him," Billy said tonelessly. "I have to keep reminding myself of that. One of the last things Jason said to me was that Tommy was under a spell. Zedd must have gotten to him without any of us knowing."
..........Trini blinked back tears. "If he's under a spell now, then what's going to happen when he comes out of it, and realises what he's done?"
..........Zack clenched his hands tightly into fists. "When he told us what he did... He was bragging about it. He was bragging about trying to kill Jason. Then, when Zordon showed it to us... he laughed. He thought it was funny."
..........Billy buried his face in his hands. The stench of the hospital was almost overpowering, and it was a struggle for him not to throw up.
.........."We nearly didn't even open the door to him. Dad didn't see anyone when he checked, and he thought it was just some kids playing pranks. If I hadn't looked through the window, Jason would have been there all night... All night.... He would have been dead by morning...."
..........Trini put her arms around Billy as he began to cry, and a moment later she, too, was in tears. Meanwhile, Zack continued to sit in stricken silence.

..........Dr. Benjamin Richards was looking very grim as he checked the blood bag. It was draining far too quickly.
.........."Damn it," he growled, "he's losing the blood faster than we can get it into him. And we're running out..."
..........A nurse suddenly ran into the room, as though on cue. "Doctor, there's a girl downstairs that says she has the same blood type as Jason. She's willing to donate."
..........Richards looked relieved. "Good. Get the details, do the checks, and then get the blood. We don't have time to play around here."
..........Donavon, who had stayed silent all that time, spoke up. "Who is it that's down there...?"
.........."Uh.... Kimberly Heart," the nurse replied, then hurried from the room. Donavon looked back to his son tiredly, and gently grasped the boy's hand in his own.
.........."You're friends are here, Jason," he murmured softly. "You're not alone, son."
..........He shut his eyes for a second against the threat of fresh tears. He had been terribly frightened when Jason had not come home that evening. Knowing how well the teen could look after himself, though, he had resisted the urge to call the police. The hours had passed, he hadn't heard from his son, and he had been on the verge of contacting the police to report Jason as missing, when he got the call from Hank Cranston.
..........Now.... Donavon shuddered, and fought the nausea as he stared down into his son's bruised and beaten face. Now, it was all he could do to hope that Jason would survive. Shutting his eyes again, he held Jason's hand firmly in his own and prayed to whatever benevolent deity that might be listening, that his son not be taken away from him.

..........Within half an hour, the extra blood was ready for use, but the bleeding still hadn't eased. Finally, Richards made a decision.
.........."We're going to have to operate again. I must have missed something." Donavon spoke in a strangled voice. "Is my son going to die?" Richards looked grim. There was no point in raising false hopes, for the outlook seemed anything but promising. "I can't guarantee that he's going to survive. I'm sorry, Mr. Scott. I'm doing the very best that I can, but it just doesn't seem to be enough."
..........Donavon blinked back tears. "I appreciate your efforts." Richards nodded, then turned to the nurse. "Get upstairs fast and tell them we're bringing Jason Scott back up for surgery."
..........The nurse ran from the room to carry out the instruction.

..........Tommy remained silent within his prison for a long while before speaking impatiently. "I want out of here, right now."
.........."I cannot release you yet, Tommy. Not until the spell is broken." "I'm not under any spell," Tommy spat, "and do you really think you can hold me here?"
..........Zordon regarded Tommy grimly. "Do you think you are capable of leaving on your own?"
..........Tommy frowned, something in Zordon's tone striking an odd chord. He reached behind him and realised that, all of a sudden, he was no longer in possession of either Jason's morpher, or his own morpher and coin.
.........."Dammit..." Tommy snarled. "Zedd will rescue me..." "Zedd does not care about you, Tommy," Zordon replied quietly. "You have carried out the task he demanded of you. He will now discard you until there comes another time that he needs you to carry out some terrible deed."
..........Tommy scowled darkly. "I didn't finish the job. Jason's still alive."
..........Zordon didn't reply aloud to that. He had been keeping watch over the proceedings at the hospital, and things were not looking good. Jason was suffering from severe internal bleeding, and the doctors could not find the cause. If they did not discover what was causing the bleeding very soon, Jason would quite conceivably die.
..........Zordon looked back to Tommy. He had to break the spell that was holding Tommy in Zedd's claws. One surge of pure energy from the morphing grid should do it. He just hoped it would not harm Tommy.
..........Tommy glanced back up at Zordon in time to see a flash of white light pass from the glass encasement that kept Zordon safe, to himself. He shut his eyes as a blast of energy struck him, and flooded his system. It lasted for only a few seconds, and when it was over, Tommy was left reeling.
.........."What's going on...?" the teen mumbled, totally dazed. "Why am I....?"
..........The electrical vanished just as Tommy shuddered and lost consciousness, the surge of power just a little to much for him to handle. Alpha immediately saw to him to make sure he was unharmed, then looked back up at Zordon.
.........."He's fine, Zordon. At least, he is now. What's he going to be like when he wakes up?"
..........Zordon looked down grimly at the little robot. "I do not know, Alpha. We will have to wait and see."

Several hours later
Angel Grove Memorial Hospital
..........Billy watched in miserable silence as the morning sun gradually filtered into the hospital room in the Critical Care ward. He had been sitting with Jason for some hours now, having been allowed to stay there just while Donavon Scott went home to change clothes and get a little bit of rest.
..........His own father had also gone home to get some sleep. He'd finally agreed to let Billy stay, knowing that nothing would be able to drag him away.
..........It was an unofficial visit, of course, for generally speaking, only immediate family was allowed into the Critical Care ward. Billy was making the most of the time he had. After he left the ward, who knew when he'd be allowed back in...?
..........Billy sighed heavily to himself, and struggled to fight off a bout of depression. It had taken a fair bit of arguing on Donavon Scott's part for the nurses to let him in, and he was grateful for the chance. Jason was one of his best friends, and had been for a long time. Even the thought that he might die...
..........Billy buried his face in his hands, shutting out the sunlight and encasing himself in darkness. He could not believe that this had happened. Jason... critically injured, possibly dying.... And the look on Tommy's face when he'd finally admitted to what he'd done....
..........Zack had been right, Billy realized with a numbing mix of grief and anger. Tommy had been bragging about it. He'd enjoyed carrying the deed out.
..........In that instant, rage washed over Billy, and for several seconds, he wanted nothing more than to go back to the Command Centre and give back to Tommy a little of what had been done to Jason. He was on the verge of actually giving in to his rage, when a faint moan from the bed beside him brought him back to reality with a jolt.
..........Looking down, he saw with an intense feeling of relief that Jason was fighting to regain consciousness. He leaned forward quickly, and spoke encouragingly to his friend.
.........."Jason...? C'mon, Jase. You can do it. It's time to wake up." Nearly a minute passed before Jason finally dragged himself back to reality, and focused on Billy's anxious face. Jason tried to smile at his friend, but it was too painful with his lips having been cut so cruelly. The attempt turned into a shudder of agony, and Billy spoke softly to reassure him.
.........."It's okay, Jason. You're going to be okay." Billy held back his tears, then, for he knew in his own heart that those words were far from true. Although Dr. Richards had specifically avoided telling them what they had discovered during the second operation, Billy knew it wasn't good. He was certain that there had been other, serious injuries that Jason had sustained, and he was quietly suspicious that it had something to do with back and spinal injuries.
..........Jason had been strapped to a back brace before being brought back to the Critical Care wing, and had been elevated slightly off the bed in an effort to take the pressure off his back. Billy knew from extensive reading that the usual treatment for such back and spinal injuries was to invert the patient to take all the pressure off the spine, but Angel Grove Memorial was a very small hospital, and they did not have the equipment to do that. So, Jason was getting the best treatment the hospital could afford, but it simply did not seem to be enough.
..........He remembered Tommy laughing about throwing Jason over the cliff, and realised with a feeling of nausea that Jason could well have broken his back.
..........but then how did he make it to your place, bill...? Maybe, he thought with a shudder, he was just overreacting. Maybe, but he seriously doubted it.
..........Billy withheld a sigh. It was beyond a miracle, he thought, that Jason had made it to his place alive.
.........."Billy...." Jason managed to croak out his friend's name, but it was all he could manage, so swollen and painful were his lips. Billy reached out and, very gently, put a hand on Jason's forearm.
.........."Don't try to talk, Jason. Just try and relax. Okay?" A shiver escaped Jason, and he glanced over at the water jug that sat on the chest of drawers. Billy immediately half filled a glass and held it for Jason to take a sip.
.........."Better?"
..........Jason gave a single, very slight nod, but made no attempt to talk, to Billy's relief. He looked as though he was just about to drift back to sleep when his father appeared in the doorway.
.........."Jason...?"
..........Jason responded by trying to sit up a little, but was unable to, for the back brace that he had been strapped into. Donavon hurried forward to the bedside and gently put one hand reassuringly on his son's shoulder.
.........."It's all right, son. I'm here. Don't worry." He glanced over at Billy. "How long has he been awake?"
.........."Just a couple of minutes."
..........Donavon nodded and turned his attention back to Jason. "You have to rest, Jason. You were pretty badly hurt."
..........like i didn't already know that...? Jason thought dimly. He tried to swallow, but it only brought on a coughing fit that caused him a great deal of pain. His father took the glass of water from Billy and quickly put it to Jason's lips, cautious of the severe bruising and lacerations.
.........."Easy, son. Take it easy, there."
..........The coughing finally eased, and Jason slumped back weakly against the pillows. After a moment, he managed to speak in a hoarse whisper, trying as much as possible not to move his bruised and torn lips. "Ha.... you called... M...u...?"
..........The words would have been unrecognizable, but to a father and a best friend. Donavon looked miserable as he answered.
.........."I'm sorry, Jason. I haven't been able to get in touch with your mother. I'm going to keep at it until I get through, though, I promise." Donavon hesitated, glancing uneasily at Billy. He desperately wanted to ask Jason what had happened, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea with Billy present. Also, he doubted Jason would be up to it for a fair while, both physically and emotionally. Especially if it really was Tommy who had attacked him.....
..........Jason surprised them both when he brought it up himself. "To.... Tommy...." He forced his friend's name out, cringing at the pain it caused him. Billy stiffened a little, but Donavon leaned forward quickly.
.........."What about Tommy?"
..........Jason looked anxiously at Billy. "Is he sa.... safe....?" Billy blinked, confused. Jason was worried whether Tommy was safe...? Donavon spoke when Billy didn't.
.........."No one knows where he is, Jason. The police are looking for him now."
..........Jason looked even more worried and he went on to speak in a rasping voice. "Didn't see what ha'ened to hi... him... a'ter Goldar attacked us...."
..........Billy's jaw dropped, while Donavon's gaze narrowed. "Son.... You told Billy here that it was Tommy that attacked you." Confusion flickered in Jason's eyes. "He was there.... but it was Goldar... He attacked us.... Goldar and Scor... Scor'ina... and a whole lot o' putties... Too many.... Goldar went for me.... Didn't see what ha'ened to Tommy...." He trailed off, exhausted by the pain and the effort it had taken to speak.
.........."Jason," Donavon said softly, aware that his son was about to lose consciousness again, "are you saying that you and Tommy were attacked by Goldar?"
.........."Yeah..." Jason whispered. He shuddered a little, then finally lost the battle for consciousness, slumping down into the pillows. Donavon looked up at Billy, and saw that he was still gaping.
.........."Billy? That's a different story to what you say Jason told you." Billy nodded, still stunned. "Uh... Yes... Maybe we misheard him the first time...."
..........Donavon straightened up. "I'd say Jason was just too badly hurt to be thinking straight. I think your father was right. Jason probably doesn't even remember saying anything like that to you. Hell, he probably doesn't even remember getting to your place. Do you mind staying here a little while longer, while I go an call the police? I'd hate to see Tommy arrested now, when he obviously wasn't the one who attacked Jason at all."
..........Billy nodded, completely dazed. "I'll stay with Jason."
.........."Thankyou."
..........Billy watched Donavon go, then looked back to Jason. Were Jason's thoughts and memories so scrambled that he honestly believed what he'd just said...? Or had he been coherent enough to realise the trouble Tommy would be in, and had been covering up for him...?
..........Billy sighed to himself. There was no way of knowing for sure until Jason woke up properly, and was lucid enough to tell the story properly.

..........Nearly an hour later, Billy arrived in the Command Centre to find Tommy no longer caged in by the electrical bars, but lying asleep on the rest table.
.........."What happened?" he asked nervously.
.........."I broke the spell Tommy was under," Zordon replied, "using a surge of power from the morphing grid. It will not be long now before he wakes up."
..........Billy looked away from Tommy, back to Zordon. "Zordon, Jason told his dad that it was Goldar that attacked him. He said Goldar and Scorpina showed up at the lookout with a whole band of putties, and attacked both him and Tommy."
.........."Do you believe Jason is trying to protect Tommy?" Zordon asked. "That's what's confusing me," Billy replied. "His dad told him that he'd already said Tommy attacked him, and he looked like he honestly didn't remember it. He said that Tommy was there, but it was Goldar that attacked him, and he didn't see what happened to Tommy. I couldn't tell whether he was lying to cover for Tommy, or whether he really believed it."
.........."It is likely that the fall from the cliff affected Jason's memory of the incident," Zordon mused. "Perhaps it is for the best if he truly believes that it was Goldar that attacked him."
..........Billy didn't answer. That would be fine in the short term, but what happened if Zedd decided to remind Jason of what really happened...? How would he react, knowing that his best friend had tried to kill him....?
..........He looked around, then, at the sound of a faint moan, and saw that Tommy was waking up. He approached the table cautiously, not quite knowing what to expect.
.........."Tommy....?"
..........Tommy sat up slowly, and looked over at Billy. "Billy? What am I doing in the Command Centre?" He hesitated, then cringed and moaned. "Oh, my head... Did I get slugged by a putty, or something...?"
..........Billy felt disturbed. "You don't remember what happened?"
.........."The last thing I remember..." Tommy mumbled, holding one hand to the back of his head, "is... I was supposed to meet Jason to go up to the lookout... I don't remember anything after that. It's totally blank."
..........Billy believed Tommy better than he believed Jason's altered memory of the events. Tommy appeared genuinely dazed, confused and worried.
.........."What happened?" Tommy asked, starting to feel a hint of fear touch his insides.
.........."You met Jason as planned," Zordon told him. "The two of you were attacked by Goldar, Scorpina and a large team of putties. You were separated from Jason in trying to fight Scorpina. Jason was attacked by Goldar."
..........Tommy slid off the table and stood up, only to sway dangerously. Billy moved in and caught him before he could fall.
.........."I guess I must have taken a pretty bad knock to the head, then, since I can't remember anything," Tommy muttered. A moment later, he looked up sharply. "Where's Jason? Is he okay?"
..........Billy swallowed hard, and had to fight back a momentary rush of anger. Tommy was innocent, he reminded himself. It was all Zedd's fault...
.........."Jason's in hospital," Billy explained softly. "Goldar... He hurt him pretty badly. We, ah... I only just found you in the forest."
..........Tommy stared at Billy in growing distress. "How badly was Jason hurt?"
..........Zordon replied grimly. "He received stab wounds to stomach and shoulder, all of his ribs were broken, and so were both of his legs, and his right arm. He was also beaten very badly."
..........Rage flickered in Tommy's eyes. "Damn Goldar..." he whispered softly. Billy hesitated, on the verge of telling Tommy that Jason had been pushed off the cliff at the lookout, but stopped himself short. There was no need to tell him that. Not yet, anyway.
.........."C'mon, Tommy," he said softly. "We'll teleport you out of here. You need to get to the hospital."
..........The two boys stepped into the centre of the floor, and vanished in a flash of blue and white light.

..........Donavon Scott was in the hospital waiting room with the police sergeant in charge of the case when Billy came in with Tommy, struggling to support the now semi conscious teen. They hurried over as a couple of orderlies took Tommy from Billy.
.........."Billy?" Donavon asked anxiously. "Where did you find Tommy?" "In the forest," Billy explained, hating himself for lying, but knowing he had no other option. At least, not unless he wanted to see Tommy arrested.... He pushed the though to the back of his mind. "He... He was wandering around in a total daze. He doesn't remember anything."
..........The sergeant nodded. "Well, I'll need to talk to him, but I think it's all been cleared up, now. It's unfortunate that we can't arrest Goldar. I'd personally like to put him in a steel cell and throw away the key, but I don't think that's going to happen."
..........Billy, however, just looked away and said nothing.

.........."So Tommy doesn't remember anything," Zack muttered as he, Billy and Trini sat together in the hospital cafeteria, "and Jason's either straight out lying about what happened, or he's so screwed up that he really believes Goldar attacked him."
..........Trini looked gloomy. "This keeps getting better and better. Now we have to cover up as well, or Tommy could end up being arrested for attempted murder."
..........There was a moment of silence, and then Zack tried to re direct the conversation. "Trini, did you see Kimberly?"
..........Trini nodded. "Yes. She's pretty exhausted at the moment, and she's really worried about Jason and Tommy. There wasn't anything I could say to make her feel better."
..........Zack scowled, anger starting to over take him. "Damn Tommy for this. Why the hell didn't he throw himself off the cliff after he pushed Jason...?"
.........."Zack, don't say that," Trini whispered, tears building up in her eyes. Zack stared angrily at the tabletop.
.........."Well, that's how I feel. This isn't fair! Jason could be dying right now, for all we know, and since Tommy doesn't remember a damn thing, we have to pretend everything's fine. Well, it's not fine! Tommy hurt Jason really badly, and he's getting away with it. That's not fine!"
.........."Keep your voice down," Billy growled, with a remarkable amount of authority. "Listen to me. It wasn't Tommy. It was Zedd. He put the spell over Tommy, and we have to remember that. It's happened before, but Zedd's never taken it to these extremes. He's never ordered one of us to be executed before. Now, no matter what we think, we have to stand by Tommy as much as we have to stand by Jason. Guys, Tommy nearly had a heart attack when we told him how badly Jason had been hurt. Can you imagine what he'd be like if we told him that he was the one who hurt Jason?"
..........A heavy silence fell as Billy's words took effect. Then, finally, Zack sighed heavily and spoke. "Okay. I say we take a vow of silence on this. Whatever happens now, we don't talk about it again. If anyone asks, including Tommy, we tell the story that Billy told. We never say the truth about what happened. Not for any reason."
..........The others reluctantly agreed, and linked hands across the table in a silent pact.

..........Jason woke up to a fierce pain through most of his body, particularly his lower back, and his first thought was a desperate wish to go back to sleep. Then, as his senses slowly came back to him, he realised that such terrible pain meant one thing. He was alive....
..........Jason shut his eyes for a moment, thanking whoever was watching over him that they'd seen him through. A second realisation struck him, and he thought dismally, at least, seen him through the first night and morning.
..........Looking around, he saw the clear blue sky through the window, and guessed it was probably a warm day. The kind of day that he would have spent with his friends, in the park or on the beach. He blinked back the tears. He should have been with his friends, and not stuck in this hospital room....
..........hey, at least you're alive...
..........He grimaced. yeah, barely
..........be fair... how many other 17 year olds do you know that have fallen nearly 100 feet off a cliff and survived?
..........Jason sighed inwardly and slumped down against the pillows. He had to admit that was true. He was lucky, very very lucky indeed.
..........Dr Richards walked into Jason's hospital room then, to find the teen awake and alert, while his father fast asleep in a chair beside the bed.
.........."Well, I'm certainly glad to see you wake," he commented. Jason looked up and managed a crooked smile.
.........."Hey, Doc."
..........Richards smiled and picked up the chart at the end of the bed. "How are you feeling, Jason? Honestly."
.........."Pretty awful," Jason admitted bluntly, "but I can talk better than I was."
.........."True," Richards agreed, and then joked lightly: "We were debating whether we'd need to get someone in to teach you sign language, for a while there."
..........Jason started to laugh but it was more than he could handle, and the pain brought tears to his eyes. Richards spoke quickly, guiltily.
.........."Okay, Jason. Just try and relax. I'm sorry, I should have known better than that."
..........Jason shook his head and spoke in a slurred voice. "S'okay. N... Needed to laugh.... Everyone's too stiff round here."
..........Richards chuckled softly. "I'll agree to that. Now, what can we do to make you more comfortable?"
..........Jason pulled as much of a face as he could without hurting himself. "More painkillers?"
..........The smile on Richards' face faltered. "I'm sorry, Jason. You're already getting maximum doses of pethodine. I can't give you anything else."
..........A sigh escaped Jason and he nodded his understanding. "I'll be okay. I wouldn't mind having something to do in here, though. I don't want to sleep all the time."
.........."All right," Richards said. "I think we can do something about that. Now I'm just going to check a couple of things. How does your chest feel? Pretty sore?"
..........Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah. Hurts like hell." "Well, I'm not surprised. You broke all of your ribs." "All of them....?" Jason echoed, stunned. Richards nodded. "That's right. Every single one. You're a very lucky young man, I hope you realise. Two broken legs, a broken arm, broken ribs..." He hesitated, then held back on mentioning the damage that had been done to the teen's spine. It was turning out to be worse than they had originally thought, and unless they could keep the injury from being irritated in any way, there was a serious danger that the damage could quite possibly cause anything up to permanent paraplegia.
..........A slight frown flickered across Jason's face, then, as something occurred to him.
.........."Has Tommy been found yet?"
.........."As a matter of fact, your friend Billy brought him in this morning. Said he found him wandering around in the forest in a total daze. He doesn't remember anything of the attack."
..........Jason inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. That meant the spell was broken, and Tommy had no knowledge of what he'd tried to do.
.........."Is he okay?"
.........."Fairly disoriented, and he does have a pretty severe concussion, but that's about it. We'll be keeping him here for a few days until we're certain he's fit. I'm sure we could bring him up here to see you, if you'd like."
.........."Yes, I would," Jason replied quietly. The truth was that he had absolutely no fear of Tommy from the incident. He had reconciled in his own mind that it had been a cruel spell of Zedd's, and he bore no malice towards Tommy because of it; only concern for his well being and safety.
.........."Okay," Richards said with a nod. "I'll arrange it as soon as I can." He paused. Jason was starting to slip back into unconsciousness again. "Try and get some rest, Jason. You need as much as you can get."
..........Jason didn't argue. He was far too tired to put up any protest. He glanced at his father, then sighed a little and shut his eyes. Barely seconds later, he was fast asleep.
..........Richards continued to stand there and watch the teenager after he'd fallen asleep. He was extremely worried about Jason's physical condition, and it was getting harder to hide that concern. The quality of surgical work that was needed to give Jason a reasonable chance was simply not available in a small hospital such as Angel Grove Memorial.
..........The nearest hospital with surgeons capable of saving the teen was in Chicago, but Jason was too unstable to be moved by air ambulance. The altitude and air pressure would kill him for sure. On the other hand, the distance was too great to even contemplate a journey by land, and the trip would prove a serious threat to any chance of recovery from the spinal injury.
..........So, until a specialist could be collared from one of the other hospitals, or until they knew the full situation with Jason's injuries, it would be all they could do to keep the boy alive.
..........After a long moment, he replaced the clipboard and walked quietly out of the room. He had not lost a patient yet, and he didn't want Jason to be the first. However, unless things took a turn for the better very soon, it would not make any difference.

..........tommy, stop....
..........i'm sorry, jase. i have to.
..........please, tommy, no....
..........lights out, buddy....
..........Tommy awoke with a violent start, plagued by a terrible nightmare that he could not remember. He bit back a sob, not knowing what reason he had to cry.
.........."Tommy...? Are you all right?"
..........He looked around to see his father by his side, watching him anxiously. He withheld a shudder, and managed to speak without his voice cracking.
.........."Yeah... I think so. Just a bad dream."
..........Mark Oliver watched his son with visible concern. :Do you remember what it was about?"
..........Tommy shook his head slowly. "No. Sorry...."
.........."It's okay, Tommy. You're okay."
..........yeah... Tommy thought bitterly. i'm okay, but what about jason? no one's telling me anything. is he even still alive...?
.........."You're worried about Jason, aren't you?" It was not a question, and Tommy nodded miserably. "Yeah. No one'll tell me anything. I... I don't know if he's even still alive!"
.........."Well, I can reassure you about that, anyway," Mark told his son quietly. "I spoke to Donavon Scott this morning. He's still alive, but I'm afraid that's all I know. No one but family are allowed in to see Jason, and since his mother's interstate, only his father is being let into the Critical Care ward."
..........Tears flooded Tommy's eyes. "But he could be dying! Even now, he could be dying..."
.........."Don't think about that, Tommy," the older man said softly. "It won't do you any good."
..........The teenager looked away, blinded by his tears and his distress. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Think happy thoughts."
..........Mark sighed. "Don't be smart. You know what I mean." "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just upset..."
.........."I know, son. We all are."
..........Tommy hesitated, then spoke nervously. "D'you think you could, maybe, try and find out how Jason is? Just to let me know? I just want to know that he's okay."
..........Mark nodded. "All right. You get some rest, and I'll see what I can find out."
.........."Thanks."
..........Leaving his son to sleep, Mark Oliver left the room to carry out the request. This whole thing was a total mess, he thought grimly to himself, and no one knew for certain what had happened.
..........He, of course, knew his son had originally been accused of attacking Jason, a thought that seemed ludicrous. Tommy and Jason were best friends; why, in God's name, would Tommy try to kill Jason? Then, later on in the hospital, Jason had gone back on his original statement, and sworn black and blue that Goldar, Scorpina and a band of putties had attacked them. In a brief moment of lucidity, Jason had claimed that Goldar had attacked him, and he'd denied all knowledge of his previous accusation.
..........Mark Oliver sighed again to himself. That story was only marginally more believable than Jason's first claim to Billy Cranston that it was Tommy who'd tried to kill him. However, it was the story that Jason was now sticking to. And now, since Tommy had absolutely no memory of the incident and there was no way of proving otherwise, the police had to go by Jason's account of what had happened. The account which freed Tommy of all suspicion and blame.
..........He himself was happy about that, of course. He had no wish to see his 17 year old son arrested and charged with attempted murder. However, something didn't sit right with Jason's account. The teen was lying, and everyone knew it, but no one could prove it.
..........Mark reached the Critical Care ward at the same time as Dr Richards, and spoke quickly to get his attention, for the doctor seemed in a great hurry and unaware of the other man's presence.
.........."Dr Richards...?"
..........Richards looked around and smiled as Mark approached, and Mark couldn't help but think it seemed forced.
.........."Good afternoon, Mr. Oliver. How's Tommy? I'm sorry I haven't been in to see him today, but I've been fairly busy..."
.........."He's fine. Still having nightmares, but other than that, he's okay. He keeps asking about Jason, though. He very worried and, quite frankly, so am I. No one seems to be able to tell us anything."
..........Richards hesitated. He was on his way to see Jason now, and the easiest thing to do would be to allow Tommy's father to go along with him. He hesitated, though, because he had something to tell Jason and Donavon Scott, and it was not going to be in any way pleasant. Finally, taking in the other man's concerned expression, he decided to let him in for a short while.
.........."I was just going to see Jason now. Why don't you come with me?" "Is that okay?" Mark asked. Richards shrugged in a carefree manner that covered how he was really feeling.
.........."I'm the Chief of Surgery here. I can bend the rules occasionally. C'mon."
..........Mark drew in a deep breath and followed Richards into the ward.

..........Donavon and Jason were going through a crossword puzzle when Richards entered the room, and Jason's face lit up visibly at the sight of his best friend's father, despite the fact that he was still strapped to the back brace, and unable to sit up. Mark Oliver regarded the teen with a sudden feeling of fear, and he couldn't help but wonder whether Tommy's own fears had been justified.
.........."Mr Oliver! How's Tommy?"
..........Mark smiled a little. "He's fine, Jason. He's been asking about you."
.........."I'm okay," Jason replied casually, "but I'm gonna go crazy if I don't get something else to do in here besides watch TV and do crossword puzzles."
..........Mark glanced quickly from Jason to Donavon, took in the his pale features, and knew Jason was in far worse a condition than he looked.
.........."Tommy will be very glad to hear that," he said quietly, keeping a lid on his own worry. Jason looked sharply at Richards.
.........."You said that you'd bring Tommy up here. When are you going to bring him? I want to see him."
..........Richards looked slightly harried. "I said when you were feeling a little better...."
.........."No you didn't," Jason retorted. You said you'd organize it so I could see him, and I want to see him."
.........."Jason," Donavon said quietly, acutely conscious of Mark Oliver's presence in the room, "Maybe you should wait a little bit...."
.........."I don't want to wait," Jason growled, his expression darkening with anger and anxiety. "He's my best friend, and I'm worried about him. I want to see him."
..........Richards stood frozen for several seconds, then finally nodded his consent. Firstly, he could see that Jason was not going to give in, but also, the teen was starting to get extremely agitated, and that was something he wanted to avoid happening.
.........."All right. I'll organize for a nurse to bring him up this evening. All right?"
Jason nodded, pacified. "Okay. Thank you. Now what about the rest of my friends?"
.........."Now wait just a moment," Richards jumped in, "I only agreed to let Tommy in here. No one else. You're still in Critical Care, in case you'd forgotten..."
..........Jason stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. "If Tommy's worried about me, the the rest of them must be going out of their minds! I'll bet no one's telling them anything at all. C'mon, Doc. What are you worried about, anyway? My health?"
.........."As a matter of fact, yes. As crazy as that might sound to you...."
..........Jason scowled. "Well, how d'you know it isn't slowing my recovery by not letting me see my friends?"
..........Richards froze well and truly, then, and the wall of stoicism that he had built around himself crumbled. The truth was, it would make no difference now who he allowed in. Finally, he spoke softly, walking over to the bedside.
.........."Jason, you really have no idea just how seriously ill you are." Confusion flickered across Jason's features.
.........."Look, I know how badly I was hurt, but I don't understand why you won't let me see my friends..."
..........Richards felt sick as he spoke. "Because I don't want them to find out before you do."
..........Donavon stood up slowly, fear twisting up his stomach. "Find out what?"
..........Richards sighed inwardly and sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "The damage done to e e to your body was more than we thought. We've been carrying out all the tests we have the facilities to cope with, plus some...."
.........."I know," Jason muttered. "I feel like sprinkler system, from all the needles the nurses have been sticking into me."
.........."Well, we got the last of the test results back this morning. They all confirm what we've been suspecting for a couple of days now. You know that your aorta was damaged, as well as your kidney and lungs... and your spine has been damaged...."
.........."Yes. I thought my friends all knew that as well...."
.........."They do," Richards said quietly, "but what no one else knows yet is that there's nothing we can do about it."
..........Jason froze, and at the same time could almost feel his father go tense beside him. Over by the door, Mark Oliver stood in stricken silence, able to guess, with a sense of horror, what was coming.
.........."What d'you mean...?" Jason asked hoarsely, feeling terribly weak all of a sudden.
..........Richards looked grief stricken. He hated this part of his job... "Jason, we've done all we can for you, but I'm afraid it just isn't enough. You.... I'm afraid you aren't going to get any better...."
.........."You mean... I'm going to... I'm going to die?" Richards couldn't bring himself to look the teen, or Donavon Scott in the eye. "I'm sorry, Jason. All we can do now is make it as comfortable and painless for you as possible."
..........Jason slumped back against the pillows, stricken with shock. dying.... i'm going to die...
.........."How long?" he asked, his voice little more than a choked whisper. Richards spoke softly.
.........."A week or two. Maybe longer. We really have no way of telling for sure. It could even be as long as three or four months."
.........."Dad...." Jason whimpered, tears flooding his eyes. Unable to even embrace his son, Donavon reached over and grasped his hand tightly. Jason turned his head, and buried his face as far into his pillow as he could manage, speaking in a muffled voice. "I should have let him kill me...."
..........Donavon shut his eyes tightly against the hot tears as he squeezed his son's hand tightly. How could this possibly happen now? When Jason had survived the beating and the fall, and everything else.... How could it happen that he be cut down now....?
..........Mark Oliver stood back against the wall, stunned. Tommy's fears had been justified, then. Jason was dying....
..........Jason lifted his face from the pillow, then, and looked over at Mark through a flood of tears.
.........."Don't tell Tommy. Please, Mr Oliver, don't tell him...." Mark shook his head. "I won't," he said softly, his voice trembling a little. "I won't tell him. Excuse me...."
..........He hurried from the ward just in time, for the tears overflowed as he left the wing.
.........."Oh God....."
..........He collapsed against the wall, his entire trembling a little. His grief was almost as great as he imagined Donavon's would be. He and his family had been in Angel Grove less than a year, and it had been a pleasure for him to see his son, previously such a loner, gain such a firm friend in Jason Scott. Granted, the two had been intense martial arts rivals, but that had only been on the practise mat, and in the tournament rings.
..........There had been something more to their friendship, though, than with all the other friends that Tommy had made in Angel Grove. The two boys had almost been like twins, inseparable and unbeatable. They'd spent most of their spare time together over the past few months, strengthening a friendship that had already been rock solid.
..........Now, that something like this could happen at the bare height of that friendship.... He resolved in his own mind to respect Jason's wish and not tell Tommy, mainly because he did not know how Tommy would react. Indeed, he did not even care to think about it.
..........Fighting back the sobs, he hurried down the hallway to the nearest bathroom, praying he could pull himself together before he went back to Tommy.

..........Not too far away, Trini watched from around a corner as Tommy's father hurried away from the Critical Care wing, tears streaming down his face. She had come up to try and wrangle her way in to see Jason, and had been abruptly turned away by the nurse on duty, but had been in time to see Mark Oliver come out. Now, fearing the worst, she went to find her friends.

..........Tommy was starting to drift off to sleep when a voice spoke tentatively from the doorway.
"Tommy....? You awake...?"
..........He sat up quickly, half startled, then smiled tiredly when he saw Zack standing there, watching him warily.
.........."Hey, Zack."
..........Zack walked slowly into the room. After nearly four days in the hospital, he had finally gathered enough courage to go and see Tommy. He hoped he had enough strength to keep a lid on his anger, and his fear. In any case, Tommy certainly looked like he was back to normal....
..........whatever normal is....
..........Zack felt a rush of anger, both at himself and at Tommy. Anger at himself for believing that Tommy could have hurt Jason without Zedd's spell, and anger at Tommy for having gotten away with no more than a bad headache.
..........it's not his fault.... we've been over this..... But it did nothing to take away the residue of anger that stayed in his system.
.........."So how're you feeling?" he asked, struggling to keep the anger out of his voice.
..........Tommy shrugged. "I'm okay. I've just got a really bad headache that doesn't want to go away. I wish I could remember what happened at the lookout, though."
..........Zack fought to keep his expression neutral. no, you don't... "Don't worry about it, Tommy. You're okay. That's what matters." A heavy sigh escaped Tommy. "Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me. I just wish I knew what was happening with Jason. Dad went to try and find out half an hour ago, and he hasn't come back yet, so maybe he's found something out..."
..........Zack shrugged, then, and sat down on a chair beside the bed. "I wish I could tell you more, but I probably know as much as you. They let Billy in to sit with Jason for a little while after the first operation, while Mr Scott went home to get some stuff, but they kicked him out when he got back, and none of us have been able to get in since then. So we don't know what's going on, either."
..........After a moment of hesitation, Tommy spoke softly. "Dad told me that Jason said we were attacked by Goldar and Scorpina. Is that what happened? I get the feeling that everyone's holding back on me...."
..........Zack looked uncomfortable. "Well, that's what Jason said happened." "But is it what happened?" Tommy persisted. "Did... Did Zordon know what happened?"
..........Relief flowed through Zack. Here was a question he could honestly answer.
.........."Zordon didn't see what happened. The first thing he knew about it was when Billy told him, after Jason made it to his place." He paused for an instant. Time to start lying.... "Then Billy found you in the forest..."
..........Tommy frowned. "That's what Billy and Zordon both said, but I don't remember it. I only remember waking up in the Command Centre. I don't even really remember Billy bringing me to the hospital."
.........."Well, then, don't worry about it, man. Just concentrate on getting outta here, okay?"
..........Just then, Trini looked into the room. She saw Tommy was awake, and smiled tentatively at him. "Hi, Tommy."
..........He returned the smile with a tired one of his own. "Hey, Trini." "Zack, can I talk to you for a second? It's kind of important." "Sure. I'll be back in a minute, Tommy." Tommy nodded and slumped back against the pillow to wait. OUtside the room, Zack spoke in a whisper.
.........."Thanks for the interruption. I needed it." Trini swallowed hard. "I don't think you need this, Zack." "What....?"
.........."I just came from the Critical Care wing. They wouldn't let me in, but as I was leaving, Tommy's dad came out. He was crying, Zack..."
..........Zack froze, his breath catching in his throat. "Jason's not... He's not..."
.........."I don't know," Trini whimpered, starting to cry herself. "No one'll tell us anything. I don't know what's happening, or if he's even still alive!"
.........."He's still alive," a voice behind them confirmed, and they looked around to see Mark Oliver standing there. He was pale but certain, and he managed a small smile. "Jason is definitely alive, so you can both put that worry out of your minds. I'm sorry you saw me like that, Trini. I'm afraid I was just upset at seeing Jason so badly hurt."
.........."It's okay," Trini murmured, regaining her demeanor. "I'm just glad he's alive. Since they won't let us in to see him...."
.........."I know," Mark replied grimly. "Jason's asking to see all of you, but the doctors are being pretty stubborn about it."
.........."Tommy's really upset as well," Zack added, and Mark nodded. "Yes, he is. Jason wants to see him most of all, and he got into a real argument with Dr Richards about it. Richards finally agreed to let Tommy in to see him, at least, and I think Jason's going to use it as leverage so they'll let him see the rest of you."
..........Zack and Trini glanced at one another wonderingly. If Jason was demanding to see Tommy, then perhaps he honestly didn't have a true memory of what had happened either....
.........."Well," Zack said quietly, "whatever happens, we're all here. Even if they don't let us see Jason, as long as he knows we're nearby."
..........Mark smiled sadly as he stepped towards the door. "I'll make certain he knows. You kids look tired. Why don't you go get some rest?"
.........."No," Zack said. "I promised Tommy I'd stay with him for a little while. Trini...?"
..........Trini managed a weak smile. The truth was that she honestly wasn't sure if she could face Tommy right then, but she dared not say it out loud, in front of Tommy's father. "I'm pretty tired. I think I might go and find somewhere to curl up for a while."
..........Zack nodded, and followed Mark back into the room. Tommy was waiting for them.
.........."Did you find out anything, Dad?"
.........."As a matter of fact, I did. I spoke to Dr Richards, and he took me in to see Jason."
.........."And...?"
.........."Well, for starters, he's more worried about you than he is about himself."
..........Tommy smiled wearily. "Just like Jase... Is he okay, though? I mean, is he gonna be okay?"
.........."I'm sure he'll be fine." The words came out strangled, or so Mark thought. "I'll tell you honestly, though, because you might be allowed in to see him this evening. Right at the moment, he is extremely sick."
.........."Is he still losing a lot of blood?" Zack asked anxiously. Mark nodded.
.........."Yes. Dr Richards said they've got Kimberly pretty much laid up at the moment. They've been taking the blood from her as fast as she generates it. At the moment, it's really the only thing that's keeping Jason conscious."
.........."Kimberly...?" Tommy echoed anxiously.
.........."Yes," Mark told him. "She's okay, Tommy. When she got here with Zack and Trini, Jason was losing blood very quickly, and the hospital was starting to run low on supplies. She offered to donate to help him. They're both AB negative, and unfortunately, Kimberly happens to be the only one here at the moment who can donate to help Jason. He's still losing blood fast, though, so the nurses are just keeping her in the blood unit until more donors come forward."
..........Tommy slumped back against the pillows, visibly relieved. "So that's why she hasn't been in to see me. I thought... maybe..."
..........Zack spoke quickly. "We're all here for you, buddy. Don't stop believing that, okay?"
..........A faint smile flickered across Tommy's face. "Thanks, Zack." Zack nodded, carefully keeping all his other thoughts and emotions well hidden.

..........Jason lay silently in bed, staring blindly up towards the ceiling. His father had left the ward for a short time, to try and contact his mother again, the need for her presence suddenly becoming much greater than ever. He still could not believe what Dr Richards had said was true. How could he possibly be dying? The word didn't even seem real to him.
..........He shuddered inwardly. None of it seemed real. The strange thing was that he didn't feel all that terrible. Of course, they had been giving him heavy doses of painkillers, but even so.... And what, exactly, was dying supposed to feel like?
..........With a sick feeling, Jason realised he was scared almost beyond reason. The thought of one night shutting his eyes, going to sleep and never waking up again frightened him beyond comprehension.
..........o god i don't want to die
..........Tears came again, flooding his eyes and effectively blinding him. It wasn't fair. This should not be happening. Not to him. Sobbing softly, he pulled one of the pillows around and pressed it over his face, shutting out the sunlight that filtered into the room.
..........why me? what the hell did i ever do wrong to deserve this? please, somebody help me.... i don't want to die....
..........After a little while of letting his grief go into the pillow, he realised he had two choices. He could either lie back and try to accept his fate, or he could reject it entirely. He certainly didn't want to accept it, but on the other hand, how could he reject something that he'd been told was inevitable?
..........Confusion over ran his mind and soul, and he did the only thing he could think of. He forced all thoughts of death to the back of his mind and made himself go cold.
..........that's it. don't think about it. if you don't think about it, it can't scare you...
..........He took the pillow off his face and stared towards the window, letting himself go cold.

..........Donavon Scott came back into the room a few minutes later, feeling thoroughly dejected. The feeling increased when he saw the emotionless look on his son's face. Then, in an effort to raise some sort of verbal exchange, he spoke softly.
.........."Do you still want to see Tommy?"
..........For a long moment Jason didn't answer. Then, eventually, he gave a quick nod. "Yes."
..........Donavon withheld a sigh. He should have expected this reaction, he supposed. Throughout his entire life, whenever something had frightened Jason badly enough, he had gone totally cold and refused to face it, or even think about it. It was a reaction that he had just been starting to break over the last couple of years, and now he had to deal with this.
..........well, can you blame him....?
..........Donavon shut his eyes. No, he could not blame his son for reacting that way now. No teenager should have to face the reality of dying.
.........."Have you found Mum yet?"
..........He looked down at Jason, a little startled by his son's voice. Then, as he answered, his grief increased a little more.
.........."Not yet. I'm doing my best to find her. I spoke to your uncle yesterday, and he said your mother and your aunt left on a mystery trip yesterday. He doesn't know where they were going, or when they'll be back."
..........Jason blinked back a single tear. "I want Mum." "I know, Jason. ...Son, are you sure you're up to seeing Tommy? It can be put off until tomorrow...."
.........."No. I want to see him now."
..........Donavon sighed inwardly, and went to tell the duty nurse.

..........Ten minutes later, Jason was gratified when Dr Richards himself brought Tommy into the room. He sat up quickly, his entire face lighting up at the sight of his best friend.
.........."Tommy! You're okay!"
..........Tommy looked his friend over, and visibly shuddered. "Oh man... You look like hell..."
..........Mark Oliver swallowed hard, noticing Donavon go white. He acted quickly. "C'mon, Donavon. Let's leave go and get some coffee."
..........Donavon allowed himself to be led out in silence. A moment later, Richards followed, leaving the two boys alone.
.........."I guess I do look pretty bad, don't I?" Jason said with a very small smile. Tommy glanced back at the door, then got out of the wheelchair and went over to the bedside.
.........."No kidding. You been out of bed at all?" "No. They won't let me out of this back brace, let alone out of bed.,I can hardly move on my own." He motioned to the two plaster casts on his legs. "I've got my own personal set of weights, here."
..........Tommy smiled uneasily. All of a sudden, he felt uncomfortable being there, and felt as though there was something else he should remember.
.........."Jase, d'you remember what happened? I can't remember anything, and no one'll tell me anything."
..........Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was pretty bad. We were up at the lookout when Goldar suddenly showed up with Scorpina and a whole heap of putties. There were more than we've ever had to fight before. Man, we didn't have time to do anything. Morph, teleport... Not a thing. Scorpina went after you, and Goldar came after me. The last thing I saw of you was when you were being forced into the forest by Scorpina. After that, I didn't know what happened to you. I guess you must've managed to ditch her."
.........."I guess so. Billy said he found me wandering around in the forest, but I don't remember that. I don't remember any of it.
..........Jason nodded again. good....
.........."Well, I didn't get much of a chance to worry about you after you disappeared. About four or five putties grabbed me, and Goldar took my communicator and threw it over the cliff. He beat me up really badly, and took a knife to me..." Jason faltered, feeling a resurgence of the terror he'd felt in the instant before Tommy had thrown him over the edge of the lookout. He shut his eyes for an instant, struggling with the desperate fear that clawed at him from the inside.
.........."Jase, are you okay...?"
.........."Yeah," Jason managed to whisper. "Yeah, I'm okay. Then... Then Goldar threw me from the cliff..."
..........Tommy went white with shock. "Nobody told me that...." "It's okay," Jason told him, slowly regaining his sense of calm. "I'm okay, Tommy."
..........Tommy stared down at the blanket. Jason's fear was real enough, but he had known Jason long enough to know that the story was not.
.........."What really happened, Jase? I want to know the truth." Jason looked calmly at Tommy. "That is the truth. If you really don't remember, then you have to trust me. We were attacked by Goldar and Scorpina. That's it."
.........."Then why don't I believe you?"
.........."I think you have to believe me. Since you can't remember, my account is what everyone has to believe. What did Zordon tell you?"
.........."He told me what you're telling me. I don't know. Something just doesn't seem right."
.........."Don't worry about it, Tommy. You're still disoriented." Tommy sighed and nodded, knowing Jason was right. He decided to change the subject. "Are you gonna be okay?"
..........Jason hesitated, then shrugged lopsidedly. "Sure. I'll probably be stuck in a wheelchair for a few months, with both my legs broken, but I'm sure I'll be okay."
..........Again Tommy was suspicious. Jason was lying, and he could tell even more easily than before.
.........."Jase, how come you're lying to me? Don't you think I can tell? C'mon, I've known you for a year, and I know you're lying. I want to know the truth."
..........Jason's brave expression crumbled, then, revealing an expression of pure fear and misery. He spoke, and his voice was barely audible. "You don't want to know the truth, Tommy. I wish I didn't know, 'cause it's scaring the hell out of me."
..........Tommy pulled himself up to sit on the bed close to Jason. "You're not all right, are you? Jase, tell me, please...."
..........Jason looked away, fighting a sudden, fresh flood of tears. Forced again to confront the reality of his situation, he could no longer pretend he was fine.
.........."The doctors can't do anything else to help me. I was hurt too badly. They... Dr Richards said I've got just a week or two left...."
..........Tommy felt his heart very nearly cease beating in his chest. "What...?"
.........."I'm going to die," Jason whispered. "A week or two is all the time I have left. I'm dying..."
..........The tears came in a torrent, before Jason could stop them. Tommy hesitated, anxious to do something to comfort his friend. Finally, helplessly, he reached out and put one hand on Jason's shoulder, feeling woefully inadequate.
..........Jason felt Tommy's touch, and for just a bare instant, he wanted to scream at him to get out, that it was his fault. Then the anger was gone, and he submitted himself to his grief.
..........None of it was Tommy's fault, Jason told himself. It was Zedd. Zedd was the only one to blame.
.........."It's not fair," Tommy choked out, and Jason realised he was crying as well. "All this happens to you, and all I get is a headache... It... It should've been me..."
..........Jason looked up at Tommy, then, through a thin film of tears. "I need you to promise me something, Tommy. You have to promise me that whatever happens now, you won't blame yourself. None of what happened was your fault. Even if you remember what happened, it was not your fault. I don't blame you, and I'm not angry at you. I still love you as much as ever. We're brothers, Tommy, and we always will be, so don't ever blame yourself. No matter what happens..."
..........Tommy nodded. "I promise," he whispered. He hesitated again, then gently touched his hand to Jason's forehead, and whispered, more to himself than to Jason, "I love you too, Jase."

..........Both Donavon Scott and Mark Oliver knew when Tommy came out that he knew. It was not hard to figure out from the tears that streaked his face.
.........."What are you doing out of the wheelchair?" Mark asked wearily, in what he knew was a useless attempt to deflect conversation.
.........."Screw the wheelchair," Tommy said in a voice that was laced with anger and grief. "My best friend is dying. The wheelchair can go to hell."
..........They watched in silence as he walked past, and then Mark spoke softly. "The other kids are going to have to know."
..........Donavon barely heard him. "I have to find Sarah. Jason needs his mother."
..........Turning, he walked off down the corridor, leaving Ben to stand there in despairing silence.

..........Jason looked around slowly as the door opened and Mark Oliver came into the room.
.........."You told Tommy."
.........."I couldn't hide it from him," Jason said softly. Mark walked over to the bedside.
.........."He would have found out eventually. Better that it came from you, than from a doctor."
.........."I'm scared," Jason whispered. "I'm so damn scared...." Mark reached over and put one hand on Jason's shoulder. He could not find any words to say, but it wasn't necessary. Just as Tommy and Jason were like brothers, he had come to regard Jason with similar affection.
..........Jason shuddered, but didn't react to the hand on his shoulder. He shed no more tears, but simply stared blindly towards the ceiling.

..........Kimberly headed slowly down the hospital corridor, still very fuzzy after having donated such a massive amount of blood. They had kept her there for so long that she had temporarily lost track of time, but she hadn't minded. The only thing that bothered her was that she had not been able to see either Jason or Tommy.
..........Trini had been in to see her earlier, and had said that none of them were allowed in to see Jason, and that Tommy was fine. Her concern for Tommy had abated just a little on hearing that, and her fear for Jason had increased three fold.
..........She came to a halt and leaned against the wall, breathless and slightly dizzy. The nurses had tried to keep her in the blood unit until she'd recovered properly, but she'd refused, and had left before they could stop her. She had to get upstairs to see Tommy, at the very least, and perhaps he would be able to reassure her that Jason was all right.
..........Shutting her eyes for a moment, images flashed through her mind, of her asking the nurses constant question, and them evading each one with practised skill. Kimberly moaned softly to herself, and blinked back the tears. Everything was so screwed up, and although she wasn't angry at Tommy, she knew that Zack, Trini and Billy were. Unfortunately, she'd had enough difficulty dealing with the fear inside her to try and help Trini deal with her anger.
..........She began walking again, going over her thoughts and emotions as she walked. Lying in the blood unit, she had gone very thoroughly over everything that had happened and it had given her the opportunity to put aside any feelings of anger she'd had for Tommy. The others obviously had not been able to do that. Unfortunately, the hours of lying there, not knowing anything, had also caused her fear to increase. There she was, donating as much blood as she could for Jason, and she didn't even know if he was dead or alive.
..........Of course, she had to assume that he was alive, from the amount of blood they'd taken. A small smile flickered across her face, remembering the joking way that Jason had always called her his 'little sister'. Ever since discovering that they had exactly the same blood type, AB , he had come more and more to regard her with the affection of an older brother, and had been inclined to be equally protective of her. He had always been there to help her when she'd needed help, no matter what the situation, and now he was the one who needed the help....
..........Tears flooded Kim's eyes before she could stop them. She would have just about given her own life if it would save Jason. The blood she'd given felt like a very meagre trade for a guarantee that he would be all right. She would have turned back to the blood unit then, except for knowing that it was unnecessary.
..........They had let her go from the unit because the hospital had put out an urgent call to the Angel Grove/Stone Canyon district, asking for anyone with type AB blood to come and donate. Several had answered the call, including Adam Park from Stone Canyon, who also had that type blood.
..........Kim smiled wearily to herself as she recalled the exchange between her and Adam in the blood unit. Adam had asked what had happened with an adorably cute expression of deep concern, and she had told him the story that Trini had instructed her to stick to. Adam was no fool, and knew there was more to it than had been said, but had not pushed the issue. He had then taken her place in the blood unit, leaving her free to go and see Tommy.
..........She finally reached Tommy's room, and made her way to the door, hoping she would get there before she walked into something and fell over. She was nearly there when the sound of muffled sobs reached her ears. Hurrying in, she found Tommy on the floor in the corner of the room, crying so hard that he couldn't see her for the tears.
.........."Tommy...? Tommy, what's wrong?" She crouched down beside him, speaking anxiously. Tommy turned his head a little in her direction.
.........."Kim...?"
.........."Yeah, baby, it's me. What's wrong?"
..........A fresh flood of tears erupted, and Tommy began to cry even harder. "Hold me, Kim..." he managed to get out between the sobs. Kimberly did as he asked without speaking another word.

..........The next morning, Zack, Billy, Trini and Kimberly all marched up to the Critical Care ward, ready to demand to see Jason. They were all surprised when entry was granted without question, and they were shown into Jason's room to find him apparently waiting for them.
.........."What's going on?" Zack asked, feeling a little nervous.
.........."Jason wants some time alone with the four of you," Richards said quietly. "You can stay in here for half an hour, or so. No longer."
..........Jason was silent until all the adults had left the room, and spoke only when he was certain that no one else was around to hear. "Could you guys do me a favour?"
.........."Sure," Trini said gently, touching one hand lightly to his shoulder, as though trying to reassure him that they were actually there. "What is it?"
.........."Well, I can't leave the hospital to go to the Command Centre. Not strapped down like I am now. When you get a chance, could you tell Zordon and Alpha goodbye for me?"
..........A cold silence descended over the group for a long moment, and then Billy spoke in a hoarse whisper.
.........."What do you mean, "goodbye"? You're going to be okay...."
..........A look of sorrow flickered across Jason's face, and he had to struggle to look his friends in the eye. Even now, after having taken the time to think things over and trying to face his fate, it still did not seem real. "Dr Richards told me something yesterday. He... He said there was nothing more they could do to help me. Something about internal injuries... Damage to my heart... It was complicated."
..........Horrified silence reigned, and then Kimberly spoke in a trembling voice. "They can't save you... can they? That's why Tommy was so upset yesterday. You told him.... the doctors can't save you...."
..........Jason fought back the tears. "No, they can't."
..........Zack spoke, then, barely able to believe what he was hearing. "You mean... You're not going to.... I mean...."
.........."I'm dying," Jason confirmed softly, to their horror and disbelief. "They don't really know for sure how long I have. Dr Richards said maybe a couple of weeks, minimum, or I could last anything up to a couple of months. He... He said all they could do was make it as comfortable and painless for me as possible. I'm going to die...." Jason's voice cracked with emotion, and his friends quickly gathered round him protectively.
.........."Damn Tommy..." Zack whispered through a flood of tears. "Damn him..."
.........."No," Jason said suddenly, in a voice that was tight with determination. "No, it isn't Tommy's fault. I don't want any of you to blame him. Not for any reason. If you want to blame someone, blame Zedd, because that's who is really responsible. Not Tommy. Zedd used him to get to me, and it isn't his fault. That's the other reason I wanted to come here. I wanted to sort this out right now, so none of you turn on Tommy."
.........."But Jase..." Zack whispered, "Tommy was the one who attacked you..."
.........."Under Zedd's spell," Jason argued. "He didn't know what he was doing, and the fact that he doesn't remember any of it proves that. I don't want Tommy to remember. It'd destroy him if he knew the truth. I don't blame him for any of this, and I don't want any of you to blame him, either. I want you all to promise me, right now, that you won't ever blame him. Promise me, please."
..........Kimberly was the first to speak. "I don't blame him."
..........Billy shook his head. "Neither do I."
..........After a long moment, Zack sighed heavily. "I don't blame him, either. I won't turn on him, Jase. I promise."
..........Jason nodded, then looked over at Trini. She had moved back from the bed, one hand covering her mouth as she struggled uselessly to contain her tears.
.........."Trini...?"
.........."I can't, Trini whispered. "Jason, I can't...."
.........."You can't what?" he asked. Trini broke down, the tears coming in a torrent.
.........."I can't let you go...." She moved forward to stand by the bedside again. "I don't want to let you go, Jason. Please, don't leave us..."
..........Jason reached out and grasped her hand in his own. "Trini, if there was any way at all that would see me through this, then I'd take it. You know I would."
..........Trini leaned over, putting her arms around Jason as best as she was able, sobbing helplessly. Jason hesitated, then gently touched his hand to the side of her face and brushed back a loose strand of hair.
.........."This isn't any easier for me than it is for the rest of you. I'm scared as hell here. I don't know what I should be expecting. All the doctors can tell me is that they think I might have anything from a week to three or four months left, but they don't really know for sure, and that I may or may not go in my sleep. What am I supposed to do...?"
..........Billy reached out and put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Whatever happens, Jason, we'll be with you all the way. No matter what. You don't have to be frightened. Think about what Zordon would say. Look inside yourself for the courage you need."
..........Jason nodded. "I know. True courage of a ranger, and all that. No offense, Billy, but that doesn't cover it this time. It doesn't help me at all. I'm going to die! It's certified! This isn't the same as going up against one of Zedd's monsters!"
..........Billy looked down. "I'm sorry, Jase."
.........."It's okay, Billy. I'm sorry, too." A faint sigh escaped Jason, and he looked back down at Trini, who was still crying softly. "I love you guys," he whispered. "You're my family. All of you...."
..........There was a moment of silence, and then Zack spoke softly as the door swung open and Richards stepped back into the room. "I think our half hour is up."
..........Jason looked around at each of his friends. "Don't forget."
.........."We won't forget," Kimberly promised in a voice that was choked with emotion. Jason smiled weakly, and reached up as much as he could to hug her quickly.
.........."We love you, Jason," she whispered, fighting back the tears.
.........."Same here," Jason whispered back, tears filling his own eyes.

..........Donavon Scott waited in patient silence as Jason's friends parted reluctantly and emotionally, all of them in tears. Only when they were gone did Donavon speak. "Are you all right, Jason?"
.........."I guess. Have you found Mum, yet?"
..........Donavon smiled and nodded. At least he had one piece of heartening news for his son. "Yes. She called the mobile while you were with your friends. She'll be here by evening."
..........Jason sank back against the pillows, staring dismally at the casts on his legs. "Good. Did... Did you tell her?"
.........."Yes. She knows everything."
..........Jason merely nodded, not replying. Donavon sat back, watching his son with a feeling of deep sadness. He was terribly pale, Donavon noted, and seemed to be running a constant fever. Dr Richards had seemed uncertain whether Jason would even last the week. this isn't supposed to happen... father's aren't supposed to bury their sons....
..........He sat forward quickly as tears began to roll down Jason's cheeks. "What is it, Jason?"
..........Jason wiped away some of the tears. "Do people ever realise how stupid it sounds to ask someone who's dying if they're okay? Everyone who sees me asks if I'm okay, and I'm supposed to say yes! Well, I'm not okay! I'm going to die, and that's not okay! I'm going to die, and I'm scared..."
..........Donavon sighed. "I know you're scared, Jason. I don't blame you for being scared. I just wish I could do something about it."
.........."I can't even ask you to hug me," Jason said, his voice barely more than a miserable whimper. "I can't sit up, or anything."
..........Donavon sat up carefully on the edge of the bed, took Jason's left hand in his own, and put his other hand firmly on his son's shoulder.
.........."Try and be brave, Jason."
.........."Don't leave me, Dad."
.........."I won't, son. I promise."

..........Dr Richards sat in his office that afternoon, reading carefully through a recent medical journal. There was a relatively new, experimental surgical procedure that had been refined by a surgeon in New York. It had been performed four or five times, and had worked three times out of that.
..........Richards rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was possible that this was the treatment he had been looking for, for Jason. Providing it worked, Jason would not die, as they expected him to. Providing it worked....
..........But that did not solve the back injury. Turning around, Richards lit up the screen behind him to look at the latest x rays that had been taken of Jason's injuries. Closer examination had resulted in the discovery of a small shard of broken rib that had somehow become embedded between the vertebrae.
..........Jason's spine already had a hairline fracture (incredible, Richards thought, that it had not been worse) and the nerves had suffered some damage. Up until the discovery of the piece of rib, though, that damage had been repairable. As if by some hideous twist of a cruel fate, that one, tiny piece of rib had become embedded in that fracture between the vertebrae, and the hairline fracture was no longer hairline.
..........Richards brushed the back of his hand across his forehead, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. The piece of rib was very gradually digging its way into the boy's spine, and through into the nerves. There was no one at Angel Grove Memorial skilled enough to remove the piece of bone ahead of the surgical procedure that Richards wanted performed, but to go ahead with the operation with the rib still there would be disastrous.
..........He turned away from the x ray. Two choices, both with terrible consequences. He could either take the decision to Jason and his father, and go ahead with the procedure, (the New York doctor was available to perform it; he had made certain of that) or he could wait and hope Jason survived long enough for a surgeon to arrive who had enough skill to remove the rib piece from the boy's spine. That, he knew, could be anything up to two or three months, and he was sure Jason did not have that much time.
..........Possible death.... or risk permanent paraplegia.... Richards moaned softly to himself as he got up. It was a hell of a decision for a seventeen year old to have to make, but Richards could not justify making such a decision for him. Jason had to be the one to decide.
..........Grabbing his notes and the journal, Richards hurried from his office.

..........Sarah Scott arrived that evening, to both Jason and Donavon's relief. "I am so sorry that I haven't been here," she murmured, sitting close to her son on the bed and holding his hand tightly in her own. Jason didn't even try to fight the sob of relief as he let himself be caught up in his mother's presence, feeling truly safe for the first time in a long while.
.........."It's okay, Mum. You're here now."
.........."Oh, baby, I love you. You can hold on to me now, sweetheart. I'm not going to leave you.
..........Jason let the tears flow, and did the only thing he could. He held on tightly to his mother's hand.

..........Sarah had been there for nearly an hour when Dr Richards came in, looking anxious. "Mrs Scott...? I'm glad you're here. I have to talk to all of you. I've got some news for you, Jason. There's a surgical procedure that might save you."
..........Jason looked startled, and just a little bit hopeful. "What? Seriously...?"
.........."It's an experimental procedure," Richards explained. "It's only been done less than half a dozen times, but it has worked before. If it doesn't work, I can at least guarantee that you won't have lost any time. On the other hand, if it does work, you won't die."
.........."What's the catch?" Donavon asked warily.
..........Richards looked grim. "There is a catch," he confessed grimly. "It's the spinal injury that Jason has. We've discovered a very small piece of broken rib that is embedded between the vertebrae, at a point in the lower back. Unfortunately, there's no one here who is able to remove it, and we may not be able to get a hold of someone for up to two months. However, the surgeon who designed the procedure I mentioned is available right now, and is willing to fly out here to perform it."
.........."So what happens if you go ahead with this, but don't get rid of the piece of rib?" Jason asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer.
.........."There's a chance that it could result in permanent paraplegia. The rib piece is already digging in against the nerves, and further pressure could mean irrepairable damage. If that happens, then there'll be nothing we can do about it."
..........Jason was pale. "You mean, even if the operation doesn't work, I could still end up a cripple..."
.........."That's a possibility, I'm afraid."
..........For several seconds, Jason stared up at the ceiling, trying not to feel sick. "But I might not live long enough for someone to come here and remove the bit of bone."
.........."No. It's unlikely."
.........."Can't this guy from New York take it out....?"
.........."No, I'm afraid not. He's a specialist, and he doesn't want to risk it. Jason, the spine is a very delicate part of the body. Risking paraplegia with this operation is one thing, but if the wrong person tries to remove the piece of rib, they could quite conceivably kill you."
..........Jason looked to his parents, anxious for help. "Mum...? Dad...?"
.........."It's your decision, honey," Sarah told him gently. Donavon nodded.
.........."Just remember, we'll be right here with you, no matter what you decide."
.........."So I can't afford to wait to have this piece of rib taken out, but if I go ahead with this operation, I could end up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life."
..........Richards nodded, looking very slightly queezy. "Yes, that's the bottom line."
..........Jason shut his eyes. Somehow, he would have felt strangely better if his parents had made a decision one way or the other. But to leave it open for him to decide.... Death.... or life as a cripple.... not much of a choice either way he thought dismally. but if i have the operation, and it works, at least i'll live...
..........His words to Trini came back to haunt him. if there was any way at all that would see me through this, then i'd take it...
.........."What are the chances of dying during surgery?" Richards nearly choked. That was not a common question from someone of Jason's age. Still, he supposed, it was justified...
.........."Probably slightly higher than if you were, say, having your appendix removed. That won't happen as long as I can help it, though, I promise."
..........Jason made his decision. "I'll have the operation."
..........Richards was surprised. "That was quick..."
..........Jason shrugged. "I'd rather live in a wheelchair than just lie back and wait to die. I'm not ready to die, yet. I want the operation."
.........."It may not happen like that, Jason. There's a good chance that it will work, with no side effects."
..........Jason smiled wryly. "I'm not stupid, Doc. I can read your face like a book. I'll bet the odds of making it through that operation without losing the use of my legs are extremely remote. Right?"
..........Richards couldn't bring himself to answer. Instead, he looked to Donavon and Sarah, and both parents nodded.
.........."If Jason wants it," Donavon said softly, "then we'll consent."
.........."I've got less to lose by losing the use of my legs," Jason added, "than I do by losing my life."
..........Richards nodded. "All right. I'll call the surgeon in New York and tell him that you want to go ahead with it. He'll be here by tomorrow afternoon."
..........Richards hurried from the room, leaving the family alone. "I don't want to tell the others about this," Jason said quietly. "Not until I've had the operation. I don't want them getting hopeful if it doesn't work."
..........Donavon agreed, then spoke hesitantly. "Jason, you do understand the consequences of this, don't you?"
.........."I think so," Jason said softly. "I know there's a chance that I might end up in a wheelchair, but if it works, then at least I'll live. Right now, that's all I care about."
..........Neither Donavon nor Sarah replied to that because, right then, it was all they could think about as well.

..........Dr Richards moved fast. Within twelve hours, the New York surgeon arrived in Angel Grove with the necessary equipment that was not available at the Angel Grove hospital, and a matter of hours after that, they were ready for surgery. Coming up to the Critical Care ward with the orderlies, he went in to see that Jason was ready.
.........."Ready to go?" he asked quietly. Jason glanced at him. "Mind if I have a minute alone? I just wanted to... I mean...."
.........."It's okay," Richards told him. "I understand. We'll come and get you in a couple of minutes."
..........Left alone, Jason shut his eyes, desperately trying to remember what it had been like to walk. one step in front of the other... bare feet pressing on a cold tiled floor... or soft carpet...
..........He sighed inwardly. It would have meant more if he had been able to get up and actually pace the floor, but that option was out. Opening his eyes again, he thought with a touch of despair about all the things he risked losing. All the years he had spent training in the martial arts.... The skill he'd gained.... Being a Power Ranger....
..........Nausea rushed through Jason's system. He hadn't fully realised how much of his life had been devoted to martial arts and, more recently, to being a Power Ranger. Basically it was his entire life; there was very little else that he had ever been interested in.
.........."I'm gonna be in a wheelchair," he whispered to himself, and felt the sharp prick of fear that accompanied the realisation.
..........shut up, scott. don't think like that. you heard doc richards; it's only a maybe, not a definite
..........but i'm not stupid. look at what's happened so far. i'd never be that lucky
..........Jason moaned softly, wondering just what he had done wrong in his life to deserve this. He knew, of course, that he could postpone the operation and wait, but then it might not make any difference in the long run. The chances of him dying before a surgeon could remove the shard of rib was high, and he knew it.
..........zedd, i hope you're happy. you've finally won one Tears flickered in his eyes, but he made no attempt to wipe them away. He had a dozen options open to him, and none were likely to end happily. The path he was about to take was the best chance he had, regardless of the possible consequences.
..........The possibility of losing the use of his legs frightened the hell out of him of course, if he'd dared face up to it, but the cold fact was that dying scared him even more.
..........please, God, let this work. i don't want to die...
..........The door swung open, and Richards looked in. "It's time to go, Jason."
..........Jason nodded as the orderlies came in. "Okay. I'm ready."

..........Tommy wandered up to the Critical Care ward early that evening feeling completely drained. The other rangers had come in earlier, and they had all spent a couple of hours in tears. It was bad enough that they were going to lose Jason, but to have to anticipate it was even worse.
..........Tommy brushed one hand absently across his face, wiping away a single tear that rolled down his cheek. He was supposed to leave the hospital tomorrow, but he didn't think his conscience would allow it. Even now, despite the constant reassurances he was getting, he still felt that there was something that everyone was hiding from him.
..........He sighed to himself as he stepped out of the elevator. No point in worrying about it now.... He came to an abrupt halt upon seeing Donavon and Sarah Scott standing outside the Critical Care wing, both of them pale, and holding each other protectively.
.........."What's going on?" he asked, a chill running down his spine. "Where's Jason?"
.........."In surgery," Donavon told him after a moment of hesitation, remembering Jason's request not to tell anyone until the operation was over. Tommy came forward, startled and frightened.
.........."Has something happened? He didn't.... He hasn't...."
.........."No," Sarah reassured him gently. "Jason didn't want any of you to know until afterwards, in case it doesn't work, but Dr Richards found a procedure that might save him."
..........Tommy's face lit up. "Really?"
.........."It might, Tommy," Donavon said. "It may not make any difference at all."
.........."But it might save him," Tommy said. "Is that where he is now? Having this operation?"
..........Donavon nodded. "Yes. Tommy, there's something else. If it works..."
.........."Yeah?"
.........."There's a very small piece of rib that's stuck between a couple of the vertebrae in Jason's spine. It's a possibility that this operation could increase the pressure on the nerves.... Tommy, Jason could end up in a wheelchair."
..........Tommy was horrified. "He'll be crippled....?"
.........."Maybe. It's not a definite thing. The chances are high, though, that it could happen."
..........Shocked silence reigned, and Tommy shut his eyes tightly, trying to comprehend the thought.
.........."It was Jason's decision," Sarah added gently. "He said he'd rather take the chance of living in a wheelchair than lie back and wait to die."
..........After a moment, Tommy nodded. "That's Jason all right. Oh man, I hope this works..."
..........Donavon nodded as he held Sarah close. "So do we, Tommy."

..........Three hours passed, and Jason's parents retreated into Jason's room in the Critical Care wing, trying to reign in their panic. A thousand thoughts raced through their minds. Was the operation working? Was it a success, or a failure? Had Jason survived the operation itself...?
.........."Donavon?" Sarah whispered finally, unable to keep her fear to herself any longer. He looked over at her, and she saw he was equally fearful. "What if he doesn't survive the operation?"
.........."He will," Donavon replied, although his voice was strained. "Don't think like that, honey. He will survive."
.........."Then why hasn't Dr Richards come? Why is it taking so long?"
..........Donavon sighed heavily and sat down with a thud on the bed. "We knew it was going to take a long time. They said anything up to four hours. It's just gone three hours now."
..........Sarah buried her face in her hands. "I hate waiting."
.........."I know, but we don't have a choice. Let's just try and keep our hopes up, okay. For Jason."
..........She nodded and was about to reply when the door swung open and Dr Richards walked in, looking exhausted, but unable to conceal his relief. "We won't know for certain for another several hours," he told them breathlessly, "but I'm ninety five percent sure that it worked. Jason's going to pull through, folks."
..........Sarah gave a sob of relief, going over and hugging her husband tightly. Donavon spoke tentatively, asking a question that he already knew the answer to.
.........."And his legs....?"
..........Richards smile faded quickly. "We won't know for certain until he recovers from the anaesthetic, but.... I'm afraid it doesn't look too hopeful. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed, and hope."
..........Donavon sighed softly. "Right now it doesn't matter. All that matters is that our boy is going to be all right. Thankyou, Dr Richards."
..........Richards smiled. "It's my pleasure. We'll be bringing Jason back up here as soon as he's woken up from the anaesthetic. It shouldn't be too long."
..........Donavon nodded. "We'll wait."
..........A smile flickered across Richards' face and he hurried from the room, leaving the Scotts to their relief and happiness.

..........Tommy was with his father, Kimberly and Billy when Donavon Scott came in. He sat up, having been waiting anxiously for news. "Is it over? How did it go?"
.........."It worked," Donavon said, and Tommy very nearly cried with relief.
.........."What's going on?" Kimberly asked, her voice strained.
.........."Jason had an operation," Tommy told her. "It worked. He isn't going to die!"
..........Both Kimberly and Billy stood frozen in shock. Then, finally, Billy spoke tensely. "Are you serious, Tommy?"
.........."He's serious," Donavon said, almost crying with relief himself. "The operation worked. Jason's going to live."
..........Mark Oliver heaved a sigh of relief. "That's the best news I've heard in days."
..........Suddenly Tommy's expression altered as he remembered something else. "Mr. Scott, what about the.... you know....?"
..........Donavon spoke softly. "They won't know for sure until Jason wakes up, but Dr Richards said it doesn't look very good. It looks like he's going to be in a wheelchair."
..........Kimberly gasped in shock. "What....?"
.........."A side effect of the operation," Donavon explained quietly. "There was a piece of rib embedded in Jason's spine, and no one here was able to remove it. They went into this operation with the risk of doing permanent damage to Jason's spine."
..........Horrified silence fell as both Kimberly and Billy tried to comprehend the thought of their best friend in a wheelchair. Mark spoke softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "And this was Jason's choice?"
..........Donavon nodded. "His decision entirely. He knew the possible consequences of the operation when he agreed to it. He knew he risked being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."
..........Billy moaned softly, then, and looked as though he was about to collapse. Mark hurried over and guided him into a chair. "Take it easy, Billy. Just breathe...."
..........Billy shuddered, feeling overcome by the suddenly rank smell of the hospital. The image of Jason in a wheelchair was not one that he thought he could cope with. "He's.... He might never walk again...? Not even with leg braces...?"
.........."No," Donavon said quietly, "not if it turns out that the operation has left him a paraplegic. For the most part, leg braces are for people that have no feeling in the legs, but can still move them, like Spina Bifida people. If it's the way it's worked out, Jason will have no use of his legs at all. We don't know for sure yet, but Dr Richards wasn't very confident. I'm just telling you all this now, so you can deal with it in your own minds now, before you see Jason."
..........Kimberly nodded, feeling remarkably strong willed. "We'll deal with it. If it was Jason's choice, then we'll back him up. We promise."
.........."Thank you," Donavon murmured. "Have you seen Zack and Trini? I'd like to tell them myself..."
.........."In the cafeteria," Tommy replied. He was unable to conceal his own happiness and relief, nor did he even try. The news that his best friend was going to live made it that much easier for him to be able to walk out of the hospital the next morning....
..........Donavon moved towards the door. "Okay. I'll just head down there... Oh, and Jason should be back in his room in an hour or so. You're all welcome to come up and see him, although I don't know how coherent he'll be."
..........They watched as Donavon left the room, and then Kimberly, unable to contain her joy any longer, let out a loud whoop. "Did you hear that? Jason's going to be okay!"
..........Tommy grinned broadly, and then his gaze fell on Billy, who still sat in the chair, stunned by the news.
.........."Billy, didn't you hear? Jason's not going to die! He's going to be okay!"
..........Billy looked up at Tommy with a haunted expression. "Didn't you hear? He could end up in a wheelchair. He might be paraplegic... I don't think that's anything to celebrate."
..........The smile on Tommy's face fell away like a rock. "Billy, it was Jason's decision. Whether we agree with it or not, we have to stand by him if that's the way it works out. And personally, I'd rather have Jason here with us, even if it is in a wheelchair, rather than go to his funeral."
..........For a brief instant, a look of pure rage flashed across Billy's face, lighting his eyes with a frightening expression of malice. easy for you to say.... and you're the one that hurt jason in the first place...
..........Then the anger was gone, forced back into the recesses of Billy's mind. "I know," he said softly. "It's just going to take a lot of getting used to."
..........Kimberly walked over and gave Billy a warm hug. "You heard Jason's dad, Billy. It's only a 'maybe'. He might be okay! Anyway, even if he isn't, we'll still get past this. I know we will."
..........Billy just shut his eyes, praying silently that Kimberly was right.

..........Soon after Jason was brought back down from recovery, the five teens joined Donavon and Sarah in the Critical Care ward to see him for themselves. As Donavon had said, he was barely conscious, let alone any way lucid, but it didn't matter.
.........."Jason, honey, can you hear me?" Sarah asked softly, and was answered by a faint moan. She smiled and lightly stroked his forehead. "It's okay, baby. You're going to be okay."
..........Tommy moved forward, then, and reached out to gently grasp Jason's hand in his own. "You hear that, Jase? You're gonna be okay. You're gonna live, buddy."
..........The other rangers stood back, exchanging glances, but none of them said a word.

Angel Grove Memorial Hospital
..........It was just before dawn, and the very first hints of sun were starting to creep through the curtains and into the room in the Critical Care Wing where Jason slept. It had been several hours since he had been brought back from Recovery, and aside from the few minutes of blurred consciousness with his friends present, he had not woken up at all.
..........Sarah Scott slept soundly in the chair next to Jason's bed, having been unable to stay awake for the duration of the night. Donavon had left the hospital hours ago to go home and get some proper rest in his own bed. It was the first time since the entire mess had started that he had been able to lie down and close his eyes, and not have to fear for his son's life.
..........Dawn broke, and sunlight streamed into the room, lighting it up with a gentle, warm glow. From the bed there came a faint moan, and Jason's head moved from one side to the other as he started to regain consciousness. Very slowly, he came back into awareness, conscious, at first, only of the dull pain that throbbed in his chest. Then, as he opened his eyes and managed to focus, he saw his mother, slumped in the chair, asleep.
..........A faint smile flickered across his lips, and for once did not mind the twinge of pain that it caused him. He very vaguely remembered someone speaking to him.... when? in recovery? in a dream.....? telling him he would be all right, that he would live. He took in his mother's expression, the hint of a smile on her face, and knew it was the truth.
..........i'm going to be okay....
..........A feeling of joy and relief exploded inside Jason, and he let his anxiety out in a choked sob. Sarah awoke at the sound, and sat up quickly. A moment later, her face lit up when she saw Jason was awake.
.........."Honey....?"
..........Jason looked over at her, tears in his eyes. "Mum...." She stood up quickly, grasping his hand in her own. "It's okay, baby. You're going to be okay. You hear me, sweetheart? You're going to live...."
..........Jason shut his eyes, letting the tears come freely. Sarah leaned over and hugged him as best as she was able, starting to cry with relief herself.
..........A few minutes had passed when the door swung open and Dr Richards looked in. A faint smile broke out across his face at the sight of mother and son together.
.........."Celebrating the good news?" he asked as Sarah straightened up and brushed a hand over her eyes. He smiled down at Jason. "How are you feeling?"
.........."Like crap," Jason muttered, and both Richards and Sarah laughed. "Well, at least you're honest," the doctor replied. "Don't worry. You'll be feeling much better in a few weeks. There's something we have to talk about, though. I think you know what it is."
..........Jason looked down at his legs, and felt a slight twinge of unease. For the first time, his legs weren't itching beneath the plaster casts. A moment later, the unease grew much stronger.
.........."I can't feel my legs...." he whispered hoarsely, suddenly frightened. Richards looked sorrowful.
.........."I just got the final x rays back. The piece of rib that I told you about...? The pressure on it from the operation pushed it all the way through the nerves, and severed them completely."
..........Jason slumped back into the pillows, fighting fresh tears. "I knew this could happen. I knew it..."
..........Richards came all the way over to the bedside and spoke quietly. "Yes, you did know. But that doesn't mean you have no right to be upset. I'd be worried if you weren't. If you want to cry, scream, throw the pillows across the room, then go ahead and do it."
.........."What's going to happen now?" Sarah asked softly. "Well, for starters, the breaks in Jason's legs had nearly been repaired, so we'll take the casts off and put in stainless steel pins until the breaks are properly mended. We'll also remove the piece of rib, so it can't cause any further damage."
..........He paused, on the verge of saying they would need to get a wheelchair for Jason, but stopped himself. Jason had enough to deal with for the moment, and would have to think about that soon enough. Now was not the time to throw it at him.
.........."I'll contact your husband and let him know, Mrs Scott," Richards told Sarah. She nodded quickly, not wanting to leave Jason alone. He hesitated, then spoke quietly. "I'm really sorry, Jason. We did the very best we could."
..........Jason blinked back the tears. "Thankyou, Dr Richards," he said in a trembling voice. Richards nodded, and ducked out of the room.
.........."It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Sarah murmured, stroking his forehead in a light, soothing motion. "You'll be all right."
.........."I don't want to be crippled..." Jason whispered, his eyes shut tightly. Sarah held back a sigh.
.........."I know, baby. You have to be strong, now. We all do." "I don't want to be strong...." His words trailed off as he began to cry, and after a long moment, so did Sarah.

A week later
..........Zack and Billy headed wearily along the hospital corridor, trying hard not to walk into each other. It had been one week since Jason had had the life saving operation, and was now one week into his life as a paraplegic.
..........Both boys still shuddered when they recalled Donavon Scott coming to tell them that the nerves in Jason's spine had been virtually severed, and he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It was a horrible thought but it was one they knew they would have to deal with, for if they couldn't deal with it, then what hope did Jason have? He, after all, was the one who would have to live with it.
.........."Don't let me sit down," Zack mumbled as they headed towards Jason's room. "If I do, I'm gonna pass out."
..........Billy managed a faint smile. He knew he was in danger of the same thing happening. Since they'd been told that Jason would survive, their parents had shunted them all back to school, claiming they had no more excuses to skip it. As such, the nurses had taken a stricter stance of visiting times, and would allow only two of them in to see Jason at a time, outside of school hours.
..........It was Billy and Zack's turn that afternoon, although they had been tempted to pass their turn over to the girls, so exhausted were they.
..........Jason was alone when they went in, half sitting up in the hospital bed. He was slowly thumbing through magazines that were strewn all over the bed and frowning to himself as he did so. Although still weak and tired, Jason's physical condition was definitely improving, and they could all see it.
.........."Hey, guys," Jason said cheerfully when they came in. "How was school?"
..........Zack moaned out loud. "Just great. We got another catch up assignment today. Man, you are gonna be absolutely loaded with schoolwork when you get back...."
..........Jason smirked. "Yeah, well, I'm enjoying the peace while I can."
.........."What are you looking at?" Billy asked curiously. "Catalogues," Jason answered. He picked one up off the bed and threw it in Zack and Billy's direction. "Here, you can help me."
..........Zack grabbed the magazine as it hit his chest, and opened it out to look at it properly. A moment later, he looked back to Jason, feeling sick. "Catalogues for wheelchairs?"
..........Jason nodded. "Yeah. Dad said I could pick whichever one I wanted. He gave me a whole lot of catalogues this morning. I tossed out the ones for motorized wheelchairs, though. I want a manual one, so I don't get lazy."
.........."How can you be so cheerful about it?" Billy blurted out. "Jase, you're..."
..........Jason regarded Billy somberly. "I'm what? A cripple?"
..........Billy flushed bright red with embarrassment, and Zack stepped forward quickly in his defense. "Take it easy, Jase. Billy just meant...."
.........."I know what he meant," Jason interrupted lightly, "and I'm not angry. I know it's going to take a lot of getting used to, for all of us. Especially for me. You think I wanted this to happen? I didn't. I wanted to come through that operation and have Dr Richards tell me everything was fine. The point is, it did happen, and now I have to live with it. But, at least I'm going to live. Look, I just don't want you guys to think of me as a cripple, 'cause I'm not. A cripple is someone who can't do anything for themselves, and I'm not going to be helpless. Not like that." He paused, and a wicked grin flashed over his face. "I'm gonna be a wheelie. Now get over here and help me pick one of these out!"
..........Billy and Zack exchanged smiles and went over to the bed to do as they were told.
..........The two boys soon found Jason's enthusiasm catching, and were quickly caught up in the search for a suitable chair. Finally, Jason thumped his hand down on one of the catalogues, his mind made up. "This is the one. This one right here."
..........Zack and Billy both leaned forward to see. "That sports model?" Zack asked.
..........Jason nodded. "Yeah. Good for all round use. I'll get plenty of exercise with it."
..........Billy nodded. "It looks like a very good model."
.........."Decided on one, have you?"
..........Jason, Zack and Billy looked over to the door to see Donavon Scott walking in. A grin flashed across Jason's face. "Uh huh. This one here."
.........."Let me see," Donavon said, walking over and taking the catalogue from his son. "The sports model in the middle?"
.........."Yeah."
..........Donavon nodded. "All right. I'll order it now, and with luck, you'll have it by the end of the week."
..........Jason sank back happily into the pillows as his father went to carry out the task. "This isn't so bad," he commented casually. Zack and Billy exchanged uneasy looks.
.........."Jase...." Zack said tentatively.
..........Jason looked across at him. "What?"
..........Zack hesitated, then made himself speak. "It's not all gonna be a bed of roses...."
..........Jason looked calmly at Zack. "You think I don't know that? C'mon, Zack, I'm not stupid. I know I'm not gonna have it easy. I'm just trying to deal with it without going down in a screaming fit of panic."
.........."I just thought..." Zack mumbled.
.........."It's okay, Zack," Jason told him quietly. "Look, right now, I'm just happy to be alive. I'll probably get depressed later."
.........."What does it feel like?" Billy asked softly, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Jason stared down the bed at his legs and feet for a long moment before answering.
.........."It doesn't. That's about the best way I can describe it. It's like I've just been cut off at the waist. Yesterday I thought I could feel my legs aching, but Dr Richards said it was just phantom pain. Even that's gone, now. There's absolutely nothing there. I can't move them, and I can't feel them. Except for when I lean back, I can't even feel myself sitting on this bed."
.........."That's pretty intense," Zack said.
..........Jason nodded. "I know. If I let myself think about it long enough, I'd probably end up frightened out of my wits."
.........."Then don't think about it," Billy told him quietly. "Not yet, anyway. Not when you're alone."
..........Jason shook his head. "I have no intention of doing that. Trust me." He paused, then asked quietly, "Has Zordon found a new Red Ranger yet?"
..........Billy and Zack exchanged uneasy looks, not entirely sure that it was something they should tell Jason.
.........."C'mon," Jason growled, annoyed by their deliberate caution. "I'm stable, okay? I'm not gonna flip out. Yet."
Zack smiled weakly, and gave in. "Sorry. He picked Rocky. You know, from Stone Canyon....?"
..........Jason looked thoughtful. "Yeah. Good choice. I haven't seen Rocky, Adam or Aisha around for a while...."
.........."Well," Zack said, "Adam was up here pretty frequently before you knew about the operation. He donated a fair bit of blood."
..........Jason smiled to himself. "Sounds like I've got a few people to thank for keeping me alive. I still haven't thanked Kim...."
.........."Everything's all right, Jason," Billy reassured him. "Kimberly knows you appreciate it."
.........."No," Jason said firmly, "it isn't enough. If it wasn't for Kim, I would never have survived the first day in here. I owe her my life."
..........Zack smirked. "Jase, you tell her that and she'll probably faint."
.........."Either that," Billy added jokingly, "or hold you to ransom."
..........Jason laughed openly, a sound that both Zack and Billy had badly missed. "Okay, you're probably right," Jason said, "but I still want to thank her. Adam, too. I wish I could thank everyone who donated blood, but I don't think I'm going to get the chance."
.........."I think you're right," Zack said with a chuckle.

..........The wheelchair arrived a week later, a couple of days after the doctors removed the rib piece from Jason's spine. However, the teen's eagerness to try it out was thwarted by Richards' insistence that he stay in bed. Despite all manner of pleading, he refused to let Jason out of bed, let alone out of the room.
..........Finally, losing his patience, Jason bided his time until he was left alone, then managed, with some difficulty, to pull himself out of bed and into the wheelchair. Then, IV drip, blood bag and all, he wheeled himself out of the room, with more than a little awkwardness.
..........Through an unexplained miracle, he made it out of the Critical Care wing and all the way down the corridor without being seen. He was just waiting for a chance to get from the corner to the garden entrance when a voice spoke behind him.
.........."Jason? What the hell are you doing?"
..........Jason looked around, startled, then heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Zack standing there, frowning at him. "Don't sneak up on me like that. You'll give me a damn heart attack!"
.........."Sorry," Zack apologized, "but what are you doing? You're not supposed to be out of bed..."
..........Jason scowled darkly. "I'm sick of being stuck in bed. That damn room is like a sauna, and the nurses won't even let me open a window. Besides, I wanted to try this out. I just want to go into the garden. Help me out, Zack?"
..........Zack rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I am gonna get in such hot water....."
..........As soon as the way was clear, Zack pushed Jason across the floor and out into the garden. Jason looked around eagerly, visibly pleased. "Man, you know how long it's been since I've been outside a hospital room? How long it's been since I've been outside....?"
.........."More than a month," Zack commented quietly as he guided the chair to a bench, set the wheel brakes and sat down with a thud. "It's been a while."
..........Jason's smile faded. "Even longer since I've been home. I miss my home, Zack. I miss being in my own room."
..........Zack stared down at the ground, struggling for something reassuring to say. "Don't worry, Jase. You'll be back home soon enough."
.........."Yeah," Jason muttered, pulling a face. "In another month, or so. I wish I could go now. I want to go home..."
.........."Well, just enjoy being outside while you can, 'cause there's gonna be hell to pay when Dr Richards catches us."
..........Jason chuckled softly. "Yeah, thanks, Zack. I owe you one."
.........."You sure do," Zack growled, half serious. "When I get grounded for aiding and abetting...."
.........."I'll tell 'em I hijacked you."
..........Zack merely sighed and rolled his eyes again. "Okay. So you finally got to use the chair. What's it like?"
..........Jason looked down at it thoughtfully. "Pretty good. I could say it's comfortable, but that's kind of irrelevant, huh?"
..........Zack buried his face in his hands and moaned as Jason chuckled to himself. "You know, Jase, I think you're coping with this better than the rest of us."
..........Jason looked sideways at Zack, his smile faltering just a little. "How d'you mean?"
.........."I mean," Zack said quietly, "that nothing's gonna be the same anymore! Not with the group, not with the rangers, not with anything! Sometimes I can hardly even sleep at night, thinking about you... in a wheelchair.... Jase, I don't think I can handle it...."
..........Jason looked completely serious, then. "Zack, it's no good wishing things were different. You know that if I hadn't had the operation, I might be dead by now. It was the only chance I had."
.........."I know," Zack whispered tearfully, "but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. C'mon, Jase. Think of all the things you won't be able to do now...."
.........."No."
..........Zack blinked in surprise. "Huh....?"
..........Jason folded his arms across his chest in a familiar action that Zack knew so well. "I am not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I know there's going to be things that I could do before that I can't do now, but I'm sure as hell not gonna make a list. Just because I can't walk doesn't mean I can't live. If I start thinking about all the things I can't do, then I'll just fold up and be totally useless. I have to think about all the things I can do. You guys have to all think like that, too. 'Cause if you only think about what I can't do, then where does that leave me? I need you guys beside me now, not standing around sulking. Okay?"
..........Zack sighed softly, conceding. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Jase. I guess we've all been pretty selfish. We're damned lucky that you're still here."
..........Jason watched Zack intently. "How have you been treating Tommy? Honestly, Zack...."
..........Zack smiled wearily. "Like a brother, Jase. Don't worry. We're looking after him. I think we've all accepted that it wasn't his fault."
.........."Good. 'Cause if any of you treat him any other way, you'll have to deal with me, wheelchair or not. Got it?"
..........Zack laughed, then, not entirely sure just how serious Jason really was. "It's cool, Jase. He's stopped asking us about it. I guess he's finally decided to believe your story. It'll be fine, as long as he never remembers what really happened."
..........A thoughtful look flickered over Jason's face. "Well, whatever Zordon did to him to break the spell obviously wiped his memory of the whole thing. I don't think he will ever remember. Not even if Zedd tries to make him remember. That's fine with me, anyway."
.........."Doesn't any of it bother you at all?" Zack asked softly.
.........."No," Jason replied in an equally quiet voice. "I know it wasn't really Tommy. That's all there is to it. It wasn't him."
..........Zack looked unsettled. "Jase, I was thinking.... What if that isn't true? I mean, what if Zedd's spell only brought out a part of Tommy that we can't see? Like, there was all that business with the green candle, and everything..... And what happened with you and Tommy in Rita's Dimension of Darkness.... What if it really was Tommy? What if there was never a spell to break, and Zordon just managed to suppress that part of him again?"
..........Jason looked disturbed, and angry. "Zack, you're starting to sound like Billy. Dammit, you said you'd accepted that it wasn't Tommy's fault."
.........."Yeah, well, maybe I haven't. Maybe I'm still angry at Tommy for hurting you. Tommy lost his powers, and Zordon gave him new ones. Fair enough, but then Zordon made Tommy our leader over you...."
.........."Zack, don't do this....."
.........."No, Jase. Let me get it out, please. Zordon made Tommy the leader, and we all knew he couldn't hold a candle up to you. Maybe.... Maybe Tommy knew that as well, and that's what started it. He... he could have been jealous of you. Like, he knew we still relied on you more than him.... Maybe that's what Zedd used."
..........Jason stared at Zack, both angry and sad. "You're clutching at straws, Zack. You know you are."
.........."Am I? C'mon, Jase. You can't tell me that you weren't even a little bit upset when Zordon made Tommy the leader...."
.........."I wasn't," Jason interrupted firmly. "You know why, Zack? Because I knew Tommy was just as good a leader as I could ever be, probably better. Has he ever put us in a situation where we could have been killed? No. Has he ever put himself above us for his own sake? No, and you know Zordon would have done something about it if he had. Tommy's got us this far, and I think you owe him a little more than this, Zack."
..........Zack stared at Jason, half blinded by the tears that came. "Look down at yourself, Jason. You're sitting in a wheelchair, and Tommy was the one who did it to you! Forget spells and all that crap. You're gonna be in that chair for the rest of your life! You understand that? Tommy's responsible for it, Jason! He did it to you....."
.........."Zack," Jason snarled, "shut up. Shut up right now. I don't want to hear it."
..........Zack got unsteadily to his feet. "Look, Jase, I'm standing. That's something you're never gonna be able to do again. Tommy's responsible for that. "