Authors Note Kawii Tigeress: Thank you Pam for letting me work on this story with you and for putting up with my delay. Hope you enjoy the story and as always feed back is welcome.

Trauma
by: Pam Marks and Kawaii Tigress

Billy continued to pace back and forth in the waiting room of the Angel Grove General Hospital’s emergency floor. It had been an hour since Tommy was brought in, but it felt like at least an entire eternity had passed by for the young genius. It was so similar to the aftermath when the doctors were taking care of her behind those very doors. That night may have been eight years ago, but they were still fresh in his mind, just as if they happened moments ago. It won’t happen again. Not to someone like Tommy. I mean he’s strong and always a fighter. The main thing troubling the genus was his injured friend’s words before the paramedics came. ‘Jason...he...he...did...did…..He.......tried.........to......... he..........tried.............to.............to..............please................don't.........believe .........it. Billy knew Jason better than he knew himself. It was pretty hard not to since he spent at least half his life at Jason’s house. Mrs. Scott was always inviting them over for lunch and dinner or something, even before his mother died. Ryan and Mr. Scott always joked saying their wives weren’t just best friends, they were somehow related because of their closeness. The odds of Jason doing something like that, are….are about as good as Trini or Zack trying to kill me, or Kim. Or anyone else on the team killing another member.

Billy clenched his hands into a tight fist, there was a odd dryness on his skin he didn’t remember being there. Looking down he saw it, on his hands, forearms, shirt and pants. The crimson dried crumbling flakes from his skin was Tommy’s blood. Seeing the blood reminded him of the pain Tommy was in earlier, something he never wanted to see again. Feeling sick to his stomach Billy walked over to is father and sat down next to him. Staring at the double doors that held Tommy, Billy remembered the expression on the Oliver’s as they walked into the room. He had never seen them shaken like this before. Jan was crying and seemed she was going to fall apart soon. Billy usually saw a strong headed, calm, easy-going woman that hardly ever got rattled, even if Tommy limped home and had bruises all over him like he did a few fights ago. Thomas was pale, quite and it scared Billy most when he looked into those dark eyes. They were just lifeless. Finally, the double doors swung open.

The doctor he saw the Oliver’s talking to earlier walked up to the shaken pair and began talking to them. Ugh!!! His back is facing me, I can’t see what he’s saying!!! Focusing on the Oliver’s expressions he tried to figure out what was said. Unfortunately, both had practice hiding their emotions, neither of them flickered. They don’t seem too happy, either Tommy’s as bad as I thought he would be or he’s worse off then that. The doctor walked back through the doors and the Oliver’s got up, following him. Billy closed his eyes and looked back at the floor, still wondering what was happening to Tommy.

"Excuse me, are you the people who found Tommy?" Billy looked up and saw Jan’s wet eyes staring into his. Unable to say anything he just nodded.

"It’s Billy, right?" Seeing another nod Jan smiled.

"Thank you. For finding him and helping Tommy out. If it weren’t for you, who knows what would have happened. I don’t think anything my husband and I could do will ever show you are gratitude."

Finally finding his voice and his courage, Billy asked what he had been trying to find out for the past hour and a bit. "Tommy will pull through. He’s not conscious now, they gave him sedatives when they, when the took him to the operating room."

"Operating room? How bad are the injuries? If you don’t mind I wouldn’t mind having the scientific terms."

"Of course not Billy, don’t forget I’m a nurse here. Tommy’s lucky, Critchlow says the stab wounds aren't as worse as they look. They were clean cuts and the most important part they missed all his internal organs. There was some internal bleeding, that’s why they needed to go to the OR. The only thing Critchlow is worried about is possible and most-likely a head injury, there was a gash up there, the hypothermia and the fact the wounds were opened so long, there would be an infection. Tommy also needs a blood transfusion, he lost so much."

Billy looked over himself again, having totally forgotten all the blood on the ground, his shirt and Tommy’s shirt. "What do you mean needs? He hasn’t gotten it yet??!!!"

Slowly Jan shook her head. "The problem is that he is A-positive. That itself is a rare blood type, but his case is different. There is something odd in it, it’s more energized or something. The hemoglobin count is definitely higher than normal, and there seems to be something a little off. It’s with the anti-bodies, they have some other component or something attached to them, but they don’t know what, it’s almost as if there was some magical energy in it or something." The powers! I didn’t think it would alter out blood, maybe it’s from that rush of energy we get every time we morph. Great, now I need to come up with some sort of a story…can’t get people suspicious. Magical…….other than the rangers what holds a magical energy? RITA! Of course.

"I…..I think it may be….from the gray putties that are always in the park. We fought them a few times, it could be from the contact."

"You fought those things??" Ryan exclaimed as he heard his son.

"Well, yeah. They were after a bunch of little kids on the play ground one day when we were all just walking by. Dad, I’ve been taking karate classes from Jase, he thinks I can handle things. Anyway were fighting them and they’re magical, right?" Seeing both adults nod Billy though he should continue with his fictitious story.

"Well maybe with the contact we absorbed the magical energy?"

"Why don’t I get you tested, if this is the case hopefully one of you or one of your friends can help Tommy." Billy nodded and Ryan consented the testing.

Jan took Billy into one of the rooms to get his blood drawn out and afterwards Billy called Zack, Trini, Kimberly………………and Jason. After Jan took a sample of Billy’s blood, she and Thomas went to sit with Tommy and Billy went back to the waiting room. "Billy, are you okay??" Turning around Billy saw all the others have come. Kim’s and Trini’s faces turned white when they saw all the blood on him, not knowing whether it was his or not since he hadn’t told them anything other than to get down to the ER as fast as they could.

"Billy, bro you OK?" Jason’s voice filled with concern.

Before answering Billy closed his eyes. This is Jase, you’ve known him for so long. Don’t accuse him of anything yet, just let Trini and Zack know exactly what happened. Kim……we’ll just need more proof till we tell her, and Jase too. "Affirmative, nothing happened to me."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING HAPPENED TO YOU??!!!" Kim exclaimed. Of all the rangers Kim had always been the most protective of the Blue Ranger.

The two of them have known each other basically their whole lives. When Billy’s mom died, it was her that stayed over at his house, that stayed in his room with him at night when the nightmares came. It was also Billy who helped her, who let her stay at his house when her parents were always arguing and especially during the divorce. "Billy you’re in the hospital with blood all over you, I’m surprised they let you out here."

"Kim, trust me. I’m fine. This blood…….it isn’t mine." Taking a deep breath he continued. The rest knowing he was never good at sharing something with his emotions gave him time to collect himself.

Billy was thinking how to rephrase his words so Trini didn’t have to translate this time knowing the rest were already on the edge. "My dad and I drove out to dagger Cove to spend the day. On our way home, there was someone lying on the road. He had blood all over him. Guys, it was Tommy, and he’s not in good shape." Billy looked directly at Jason, wanting to see his reaction and to see if Tommy was mistaken.

Jason paled and started shaking. "That’s why he didn’t, oh my God. I’m so stupid!"

With that he buried his face into his hands and was slightly shaking his head. "I should have known something was up when he didn’t show up for out Saturday practice in the park. I just left it to his faulty memory." Nobody but Billy saw this, Zack and Trini, also shaken, were taking care of Kimberly who was in hysterics.

"NO!! No, not Tommy. He’s been through so much, hasn’t he? Hasn’t he been through enough. Billy, not Tommy." pleaded Kim, she was in tears and was beginning to hyperventilate.

Billy walked over to Kim and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kim, I’m sorry. His parents are already in the room with him, but that’s not why I called you guys." Leading them into a quite corner of the waiting room he lowered his voice.

"The power seemed to have left some abnormalities in his blood. They can’t give him other people’s blood because the power seemed to fight it off and we can’t allow him to have a rejection of the sort in his weakened condition. It could end up killing Tommy. I told Mrs. Oliver that those abnormalities were probably from us fighting putties. They aren’t suspicious. But one of us needs to have Tommy’s blood type, or he’s going to have problems recovering. I asked you to come to get tested."

"Of course man, we’ll do all we can for Tommy. He’s one of us." Zack answered for all of them. Everyone else just nodded. Billy needed to do this carefully, he needed to let Trini and Zack know what Tommy had told him before he lost consciousness.

"Jason, Kimberly, why don’t you two go first. Just let the nurse at the front desk Mrs. Oliver is expecting you." As soon as Kimberly and Jason walked through those double doors Billy turned to Zack and Trini.

"Guys we have a problem. It’s about Jason."

"About Jason? Why do we have a problem about Jason?" Trini wondered knowing Jason would never do anything out of line, that’s why Zordon made him leader.

Taking a deep breath Billy turned to face his two friends. "Look when I found Tommy, he said something. And it’s been making me think ever since and for the first time, I have no clue what to do, or ever where to start."

Zack held Billy’s shoulders and slightly shook him. "Billy, man, this isn’t going to make any sense to us, and we can’t help till you tell us what Tommy said." Trini favored Billy a small smile, to encourage him into telling them.

"When I found Tommy. He asked if it was really me there with him. Then after I told him to save his strength he said something about Jase. I think his exact words were ‘Jason did…..He tried to…….please don't believe it." Seeing the betrayal in his friends eyes he wondered if it was right to tell them.

Trini gasped and shook her head and the last bit of Zack’s humor and happiness disappeared. "No way, you don’t mean?"

"I don’t know what to make of it, I mean when I told Jase about Tommy being here. Either he’s really a good actor or I wasn’t him."

Trini sadly looked at the doors and whispered "We shouldn’t say anything to Kim, not till we have solid proof. I think this whole Tommy thing has gotten to her already, and we don’t need to add another problem for her. Especially if it involves someone else she’s close to, and we all know Jason is like another big brother to her"

"Trini, Zack, your turn." Called Jason as he was walking over, his arm around a crying Kimberly. Trini and Zack went over, and Kim left to talk to Tommy’s parents.

"Billy, I called my mom earlier. She said maybe we should all wait at my house till we get the news. My house is the closest and the waiting room is getting crowded. We also have a van so my parents can drive us back all at once." God, I can’t be thinking this. But it is the perfect opportunity to see if Jason is clear.

"Yeah, that’s a good idea." Billy sighed, not believing what he was going to do to one of his closest friends. The five teens entered the Scott’s house and Mrs. Scott ran up to them.

"How is he?" She took a look at all of them and when she saw Billy she shook her head.

"Never mind that right now. Billy, are you all right?" Wondering why she was asking Billy remembered how he must look, with the dried flaky crimson blood still on him.

"Jason, why don’t you go bring Billy upstairs and give him some of your clothes? Billy if you want you can also take a shower here."

"No, I’ll just shower at home. Thanks anyway Mrs. Scott." Billy answered as Jason was taking him up to his bedroom. Now I’ll have the chance to look around Jason’s room…….for any sign that he was part of this morning. Jason pulled a long sleeved gray shirt out to Billy and left the room so Billy could change. Billy quickly switched shirts and placed his dirty one into a plastic bag. Since he was in the room, Billy looked around, for anything that would give him a hint of what happened. Looking under the desk Billy saw Jason’s backpack and a very familiar green duffel bag. "It’s Tommy’s."

Opening the bag Billy discovered one of Tommy’s green flannel shirts, a water bottle, a morpher, power coin and green communicator. "Oh god, Jason did have something to do with it."

He was so shocked Billy didn’t hear someone knocking on the door. Concerned Jason opened the door with the girls following him. Zack was called back to the hospital because his blood matched Tommy’s. "Billy, bro are you OK?" Jason asked concerned with his friend. Billy couldn’t say anything, he couldn’t make his voice work. Turning around he held the bag in one hand and the morpher and communicator in the other.

"Aren’t those Tommy’s?" Trini couldn’t believe her eyes.

She didn’t believe Billy when he first told her of the story, but those were in Jason’s possession. "Jason, no."

Kimberly could do nothing but stare at the contents in her friend’s hand. The emotions on her face were unreadable, but the tears in her eyes betrayed her. "HOW COULD YOU???? You kept saying he was your best friend, how could you turn on him like that Jason? Why did you….I mean….." At a loss for words Kimberly ran out of the room. She couldn’t deal with the fact that her good friend, a guy she had looked up to, a teacher and role model to many do something as terrible as attempting to kill someone. She trusted Jason and he lost that trust. She dimly heard footsteps as Trini followed her out of the house.

Jason looked at the two girls walking down the street from his bedroom window. "Billy what’s going on? Where’d you find those?"

Either he’s really a good actor or he really is innocent. "Jase, I found these under your desk."

Billy decided to not judge Jason just yet, it seemed so unlikely he would do something like that. The girls already showed they thought he was Tommy’s attacker and Billy thought Jason should have the chance to clear his name. "I have no clue what they are doing there."

Sitting with his head in his hands Jason tightly closed his eyes. His best friend was in the hospital and could possible die. To top the day off, half the team thought it was his fault. "I don’t know either bro.I don’t know what to do about it either."

Billy sighed, this wasn’t how he hoped things will turn out. There was only one person that could help they figure out what happened. The only problem was they weren’t too sure whether Tommy was going to make it, and if he did who knew when he would wake up.