Cassie didn't think she had ever been this furious with a teammate. "You what?" she demanded of TJ, watching as his wife patched him up.
"We... got into a fight." He shrugged, looking more down than she'd ever seen him. "It was inevitable, Cass. He's been impossible!"
"Calm down, TJ, or this will hurt," Teena said evenly, meeting his eyes. "And I mean it."
"Ashley's been threatening to do it, everyone's on edge and he isn't helping any."
"Neither are you," Cassie growled. "If you look like this, what does he look like?"
"Not much better. Ouch." He winced. "But not worse, if that makes you feel any better."
"Was he this much of a wimp when you guys started?" Teena asked, glancing at Cassie.
Cassie just shook her head, ignoring the question and the irritation it caused. She needed to find out what was going on with Carlos. "If he looks as bad as you do, where is he?"
"I told you he's been impossible!" TJ started to get up, but a warning glare from Teena calmed him down again. "I don't know."
Cassie took a deep breath. "So, what was this fight about?"
TJ looked away from her, and Cassie thought he looked embarrassed. "Nothing," he mumbled.
Cassie grabbed his chin and pulled his head around, ignoring Teena's startled "hey" as the movement knocked her hands away. "It was about something, TJ, and I want to know what it was."
TJ sighed. "I just wanted him to talk to me. I wanted a reaction. I hoped..." He shook his head. "I asked him to talk to Ashley, at least. He said no, it wasn't worth it...." His eyes dodged from hers. Cassie let him go, and Teena started her ministrations again.
"Have you got him under control?" Cassie asked. Teena nodded; she finally seemed to have realized that this went beyond her and her husband. "Good. I'm going to go find the other idiot and find out what's going on with him." She turned and strode from the room.
She hated it when he came in like that. She'd ruined her chances with TJ, and hadn't realized she'd done it until it was too late. If only Teena hadn't been one of the students to come up to study the effects of the Color Withdrawal after Carlos' accident... Cassie sighed and started for Lt. Stone's office. He could tell her where Carlos was.
"You could have just called," Lt. Stone told her as he started the search to find her errant friend.
"Yeah, well, I had to get out. Ashley's sleeping." She leaned against the consol next to him, watching with interest how he worked. She missed doing work like this, but she had chosen the medical field. It was a good choice, most of the time.
"It looks like.... he's in his room," Lt. Stone said. "Last record is of him in the hallway just outside."
"Great." She touched his shoulder. "Thanks."
"Take some bandages. He's pretty beat up."
"Yeah," she said, pausing at the door with a wry grin twisting her lips, "I saw the other guy." She could hear him laughing as she closed the door behind her.
She knocked on Carlos' door, and when he didn't answer, she tried it. It was locked. Of course. Cassie glared at it for a minute, then touched her communicator and called up to Zhane. "Could you open Carlos' door, please? I don't know if he's in there, but it's locked, and I need to see if he's all right. Call it a medical override, if you would."
"You got it, give me a minute." She waited, then the door beeped and slid open.
"Thanks, Zhane." She stepped in and looked around.
"Go away, Cassie." Carlos sat on the bed, shirtless, in the midst of trying to clean a cut on his shoulder. She calmly took the cloth out of his hands and set about cleaning him up.
"Why didn't you come to Medical?" she asked, ignoring his injunction for her to leave.
"Because I didn't want to explain." He glared at her, his dark eyes unreadable. It was like he was looking at a hostile stranger, and it made her both angry and uncomfortable.
"Explain what?"
"Anything."
She glanced at him, one eyebrow raised, then went back to tending his cuts. He didn't want questions, she wouldn't ask any, but it was about killing her to not know his side of the story. Once finished with his torso, she turned her attention to his face. "You shouldn't let TJ hit you so much," she said gently.
He glared at her. "I didn't ask him to."
"No? He seems to think you did. If not right out, then certainly by the way you acted."
"Just leave me alone, and everything will be fine," he muttered.
"We can't do that, Carlos. You're our friend, even if you won't admit it." She tried another tactic. "There's a list of messages for you from the time you left. Have you looked at them?"
He drew back from her hands, grabbing them when she tried to go back to bandaging the cut above his left eye. "Messages? You kept messages for four years?" he asked, incredulous.
She shrugged. "What else are we going to do with them? We couldn't forward them, we didn't know how to reach you. We figured you'd come back some time, so we kept them on file. You can ask Bulk for them." She pulled her hands from his grip and went back to the cut. "We never found someone to take the morpher you left behind." She wanted him to say something, anything about where he'd been, what he'd done, even explain why he'd left so abruptly.
He didn't answer, hissing once in surprise when she put hydrogen peroxide on a particularly bad cut. "Where did you get that scar?" she asked casually as she put a bandage across another future scar on his right cheek. The scar it paralleled had drawn her attention from the time he'd stepped out of Andros' office when he'd arrived.
"From a job." He obviously didn't want to talk about it. Didn't he know that a mysterious man was the most intriguing thing to a woman, even if she wasn't interested in him romantically? Which she wasn't. He was a friend, a good one, and a teammate, and she hated watching him ruin himself.
"You know, you didn't used to be so secretive."
"I didn't used to be a lot of things I am now," he said evenly, and his eyes dodged from hers. Was that guilt in them?
Cassie sighed, giving up for now. She hadn't really realized he could be this stubborn. "Fine. Just remember, we are your friends, and we will listen to you talk it out, okay? It won't matter what you've done." She finished with the last cut and stood to go. "I'll have Bulk put the messages out so you can get them. The password will be Thunder - I know no one is using that one." She stopped at the door. "I want to see you in medical in two days for a quick check up."
He didn't answer as she left. He didn't even look at her. She paused outside his room, then strode off down the hall, hoping TJ was gone from medical by the time she got there.
Her normal routine was brought to a halt two days later as two cadets walked in - well, one walked in, the other limped, leaning heavily on her friend. "What happened?" she asked, and checked the clock on the wall. It was lunch time, and late in the hour. Most of the cadets who'd come in from Adam's class had gone to lunch already. There were still a few who insisted on overdoing everything they did, even though they were told not to. Still, the number had gone down.
"I was trying a move," the walking girl said, blushing, "and Portia got in the way." She helped her tall, brunette friend to sit down where Cassie pointed her, and sank down on the floor out of the way. "It's not bad, is it?" she asked as Cassie checked the leg.
"No, just a... wait." She shook her head, grabbed a scanner, and ran it over the injured area. "No, just a bruise. I suggest you stay out of her way."
"Oh, I will," Portia grinned, glancing at her blonde companion. "I will."
"It's going to hurt for today, and I bet it's really sore tomorrow. I can give you an excuse from classes for one day, if you'd like."
The girl considered, then shook her head. "No, but thanks. I figure we won't have much time to recover in some assignments, might as well get used to it."
Cassie nodded and watched as the two girls opened the door to leave the room. A familiar figure in black walked in and collided with Portia, knocking her down, and the blonde girl went down with her. She stared up at Carlos with the oddest expression on her face; he reached down and pulled them both to their feet. "Excuse me," he said softly, and moved purposefully toward Cassie. The blonde girl watched him go until Portia nudged her, then they left and Cassie turned her attention to the man before her. He was furious. "I'm here," he growled.
Cassie had him sit down, and began her examination. She did not look up when Ashley walked in with Teena, discussing something or other, she didn't hear. She did notice Carlos' reaction. He tensed up fast and looked down, as if attempting to hide his face from Ashley. Cassie looked up and caught Ashley's expression. Oh, this was bad, she was about to lay into him, Cassie could see it in her eyes. Before she could say anything, Teena had a grip on Ashley's arm and was leading her back in the direction they'd come.
"I knew I shouldn't have come," Carlos snarled at Cassie, and started to get up.
"Oh, no, you don't." She firmly pushed him back down, ignoring for now the expression on his face. "You stay right here."
"You have fifteen minutes from the time I walked in here," he told her in an even voice. "No more."
"That's plenty," she said softly, looking at his face. She wasn't sure, but was that pain that flitted through his eyes? It was gone an instant later, replaced by anger. She stepped back after a couple of minutes. "You'll be fine. Now, go get Andros, and make sure he comes back here."
He got off the table and strode out the door without a word. Cassie sighed and went back to the rooms they'd set aside for Andros and Ashley.
Ashley was pacing furiously, ignoring Teena. Of course. Teena had never known Carlos, really, only through the stories and some of the vids they'd had. And then she had only ever noticed TJ. Cassie bit her tongue on a curse and grabbed her friend's arm. "Stop it. Now."
Ashley looked at her, anguish in her eyes. She and Carlos had been friends before they'd been Power Rangers, and this had to hurt. "What happened to him?" she demanded.
"Calm down. You calm down and I'll tell you."
"Cassie...." Teena started, and Cassie held up her hand, not really sure if it were to stop the other woman's words or to strike her. Ashley had every right to know. Cassie watched as Ashley calmed herself, then she moved to a chair and sat down, her hands trembling. This was going to be bad.
"Okay." Her voice was surprisingly calm.
"TJ cornered him in room 23, and they beat the tar out of each other two days ago," Cassie said. "That's where the bruises and cuts came from. As for the rest of it, I can't tell you."
Ashley looked at her in confusion. "That explains why I heard TJ's voice the other day at the wrong time, but... was I asleep when Carlos came in?"
"No, he didn't come in. I had to track him down. You know how stubborn he is." Cassie let out a mirthless laugh. "I can out-stubborn even Andros if I have to."
"You usually did, too," Andros said from the doorway, and walked over to sit down by Ashley. He no sooner just touched her than she burst into the tears that had been waiting to happen. He held her gently, and just let her cry. Cassie and Teena quickly left the room.
Andros hadn't come out by the time dinner came around, and Cassie sighed and leaned against the wall as the last patient left the office. This was ridiculous! Sometimes, she wished Carlos had never come back at all.
"Teena?" Her heart quickened, even if the name TJ called wasn't hers, and she sighed again. The perfect ending to a perfect day. She didn't know if she could fit any more sarcasm in the thought.
"TJ, how did you get past Carlos?" Cassie asked, accidentally breaking up a kiss as she walked into the room.
"I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me." TJ shook his head and hugged Teena tighter. "We're back to that, I guess."
Cassie sighed. "Good night, Teena. Sleep well, you two." She shoved down the jealousy that still reared it's ugly head and had made it impossible to work with Teena for nearly a year. As it was, she'd left for a year to get some real training in the medical field, and had been surprised to learn that being a Power Ranger meant there were classes she hadn't had to take. Justin had taken it upon himself to get certified in alien medicine, so that had taken some pressure off of her. She was getting used to working with Teena now, and even to the feelings of jealousy she felt every once in a while, but her own stupidity made her angry sometimes. No, scratch that. Usually. Always. Okay, so maybe it was time to get her own certification in alien biology.
"You, too," Teena wished, and they walked out of the office. Cassie sighed and sank down on the chair nearest her.
"Yeah, right," she mumbled. "Sleep well, with your regrets." She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.
"Excuse me," she heard, and someone was shaking her shoulder slightly. "I'm sorry to wake you." Cassie opened her eyes to look up at the blonde that had been in earlier that day with her friend. "Hi." She looked startled, and Cassie could only guess that Carlos was standing guard outside Medical, and that he still had that frosty look on his face from earlier that day. "Um. Portia doesn't think she'll be able to sleep tonight; do you have something, a painkiller or something she can take?"
Cassie blinked and nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She pushed herself up. "Do you know her last name?"
"Shaw," she said distractedly, then glanced nervously at the door. "Is he okay? He looks like he could spit nails."
Cassie chuckled. "He'd probably try, just to be contrary," she said. "I don't know if he's okay. I don't know him." Anymore, she added silently.
"But you used to, didn't you?" the girl asked in some confusion, and Cassie turned to look at her in surprise. "I-I mean, that is him in the entry, isn't it? You were on the same team, right?" Was that panic on her face?
"Yes, it is. And yes, I did know him once. That was a long time ago."
"How long?" She almost didn't hear it.
"A little over four years, now," Cassie answered, then shook her head. "Let me get that aspirin. Just a minute."
In the supply closet, she leaned against the wall and fought the tears she could feel crowding her eyes. She could wait for a while, just get rid of this child and then she'd have a good cry. She deserved one. She got the packet of aspirin and returned; the girl took it and left, hesitating just a moment before opening the door. Faced with Carlos in that mood, Cassie didn't blame her. She waited until she was sure the girl was gone, sank down in the chair she'd just vacated, and sobbed her eyes out.
When she woke up the next morning, she felt a little better. Not great, but better. She struggled out of bed, surprised to find herself tangled in the sheets. She hadn't done that for a long time. She didn't remember any nightmares, but that's the condition she was usually in when she had them. And she hadn't had them in a while.
After she was feeling a little more human - which meant after a shower and breakfast - she contacted Bulk. "Did you put those messages out yet?"
"The ones for Carlos? Yeah."
"Did he pick them up?"
"Let me check." She heard typing over the link. "Yeah, he downloaded them."
"Great. Thanks." She broke the contact and sat down. Did she really want to get into it with Carlos again today? The answer was no, and on top of that, she didn't want to face TJ or Teena at all. Great. She couldn't really just take off with Ashley in the condition she was, so with a sigh, she went in to work.
It was worse than she'd thought. Ashley was a complete wreck. "You tried to talk to him, didn't you?"
"Yes." Ashley sat slumped on one of the empty beds.
"I wish you wouldn't. What did he say?"
"Nothing. I tried to talk to him three times."
Cassie sighed, then eyed her friend. "You need a change of scenery."
Ashley perked up. "Yes, I do."
"So do I. Let me get a chair, you get a sweater, and we'll hit the simudeck." She laughed, almost bitterly. "It's the closest thing we have to a park up here, and we're guaranteed not to get attacked."
Ashley laughed. "That's for sure." She hopped off the bed and vanished into her room. Cassie snagged a wheelchair and a handful of Ashley's nutrient patches, then called Zhane.
"Just to let you know, so that Andros doesn't go through the roof. Ashley and I want to get out and go to the simudeck."
"Oh?" Silence on the other end. "Can I come?"
"That would be fine," Cassie grinned. "Can't think of anyone I'd rather have with us." She was extremely glad he hadn't suggested TJ go with them.
"Good, because Andros would have my head if I let you go without anyone, even there. I'll meet you up there in five minutes, okay?"
"See you then." She turned around to smile at Teena, who looked at her in curiosity. "I'm taking Ashley out for a while. We're going stir crazy. Zhane is going with us. I don't know how long we'll be or when we'll be back. And DON'T tell Andros that we've gone. He'll probably want my head."
Teena shook her head. "I won't, I promise."
Ashley came out then, wrapped in a sweater and with a blanket. "Just in case someone gets upset," she said, settling into the chair. Cassie helped tuck the blanket around her, and walked her towards the door.
Zhane met them halfway down the walk, smiling. He was dressed nicely in "civilian" clothes, and Cassie scowled. "Now I want to go change," she muttered.
"Fine. We'll meet you at the simudeck," Zhane said, and took over pushing Ashley's chair. Cassie ran back to the clinic, changed, and ran down to the simudeck, rather distressed at how out of breath she was. Good thing they were inactive, she thought. She'd never respond well to a threat.
"Don't say anything," she gasped out to Zhane, who looked at her with amusement. He'd obviously noticed how out of breath she was.
"Wow, Cass, do you ever get down to the gym?" Ashley asked.
"I said, don't say anything," Cassie growled, but couldn't keep the scowl on her face as they stepped into the sunshine of the program Zhane had activated. "Ah, that feels nice," she said softly. "Really nice." She took the chair from Zhane and they stepped into the program. Cassie paused only once to put a password on it; she wanted to keep everyone out that she could. Especially two of her teammates.
Go on to Next Chapter | "I Wonder What it's Like...."