Power Rangers Zeo:
A Coed Naked Jungle Adventure
by Cheryl Roberts

Disclaimer in Part One

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter Six: A Rumble of Thunder

Kim awoke with a start, gasping for breath and pulse pounding. It took several minutes for her to calm down. A dream ... but not a nightmare. She hadn't had a dream like this in months--since she left Angel Grove. It had been so real ... so intense.... Part of her was surprised that she hadn't had one sooner, considering the torture her hormones had undergone. Those wild dreams thrilled and terrified her; the feelings they stirred within her were unbelievable, and she wanted more. That was the scary part. The emotions churning within her were too powerful; she couldn't control them. She was afraid of giving in to them. That was why she and Tommy had never been intimate; she had been too scared of what she felt to let herself go. Just as frightening was the fact that no other guy had ever made her feel so out of control like that. Only Tommy....

Shivering, Kim looked up at the sky. The black faded into purple, which would give way to the pinks, then blues of the dawn. It was difficult to know if the sun hadn't risen yet or if the light just hadn't penetrated the jungle. Kim ran a hand through her damp hair. It had been an absolutely wretched night--a night more suited to bad dreams than wet dreams. The rain they had been expecting since the afternoon didn't hit until after everyone had settled down for the evening. The cloudburst drowned their fire and sent them scurrying for whatever shelter they could find. Kim had taken cover by a tree, but the others had wound up clustered about the meager lean-to. Although the rain only lasted an hour or so, things were so wet that it was impossible to start another fire; it made for a cold, miserable night.

As she stood and stretched, Kim noticed that the campsite was a shambles. Amid the debris of what was supposed to have been their breakfast were small paw prints. Apparently, they had had a little visitor last night. Kim sighed as she kicked at the discarded shells and rinds and upended water containers; why hadn't the watch shooed the little buggers away? Then, she remembered: Rocky was supposed to have had the midnight-to-dawn shift. Although the salve had eased the burn (among other things--oh, the look on Rocky's face when he discovered his bottom was baby smooth!) he was still pretty nauseous; he had been in no shape to keep watch. Tommy should have delegated a replacement. Well, there was nothing to be done about that now. Since she was up, she decided that she might as well straighten things up then find some more food.

With that task complete, Kim tiptoed over to the lean-to to get the pouch they used for food gathering and carrying their meager supplies. She paused a moment to look at her sleeping companions. She observed that her remark to Tommy about the sleeping arrangements had come to pass. The desire for warmth outweighed the need for privacy. The six lay pressed closely together, arms and legs entangled. It was a curious thing to see them like that--so open and unguarded. Adam and Tanya flanked Rocky--Adam was practically all over him! Tommy was spooned in next to Tanya with Billy up against his back, and somehow Kat had wound up in Billy's arms. Kim bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing; she hoped that none of them would wake up before she got back. There would be some interesting moments when the others woke up, and she didn't want to miss it!

~*~

Billy woke first. The rock he had been laying on had finally proven to be too much to ignore. He groaned softly; when he tried to sit up, he felt something weighing him down. Sleep heavy eyes flickered open reluctantly, and Billy found himself gazing into Kat's peaceful features. Uttering a soft gasp of surprise, the now fully awake scientist found himself compromisingly intertwined with his teammate's girlfriend. He tried to back away, but bumped into another body. His frantic glance caught a glimpse of a fall of mahogany colored hair. Tommy. With extreme care not to disturb his sleeping companions, Billy managed to extricate himself from Kat's embrace. As he carefully stepped away from the pair, he became aware of a noise behind him. Turning, he spotted Kimberly sitting nearly the base of a tree. She was biting down on a knuckle, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, that was great!" Kim snickered.

"Well ... hm...." Billy fumbled, trying to regain his composure, and Kim nearly lost it.

"You should have seen your face!" she tittered. "That was priceless."

Billy tried to offer an explanation for his compromising position but found he had none.

"Don't worry about it, Billy; you were just cold and in search of warmth," Kim said, finally able to control herself. "You all were, but I can't wait to hear Rocky and Adam try explaining themselves."

Billy glanced over to see what she was talking about and grinned hugely.

"Don't they look sweet?" Kim cooed.

"This ought to be good," he agreed. He wandered over to the clearing they had made for the fire. "I suppose everything's too wet to start a fire."

"You guessed it." Kim emptied the contents of her pouch: some oddly shaped melons and seven baseball sized pods.

"What are these?" Billy queried as Kim tossed him a pod.

"They're from the plant with the hair-removing blossoms. The storm damaged nearly all the flowers, but I discovered that the pods are full of the salve. I thought you guys might like to shave; you're all looking pretty ratty."

"Gee, thanks. Why'd you bring so many?"

"I got enough for everyone," Kim replied as she claimed a pod and squirted a liberal handful of cream into her hands.

"Why would you need to...?"

"You don't think I'm walking around with legs that look like yours any longer than I absolutely have to, do you?"

~*~

Wake-up call proved to be as entertaining as Kimberly had hoped. Rocky moved pretty quickly for someone whose back resembled a slab of meat, and Tommy blushed more deeply than Adam as he tried to explain to Kat what he was doing wrapped around Tanya. Breakfast was hastily consumed; the seven broke camp and resumed their trek. They followed the river for as long as possible, but it began to curve away from their eastward direction. By midday when they stopped to rest and have lunch, it was well out of sight, and Billy had to concede the usefulness of Kim's waterbags.

"Is it just me, or does anyone else think that it's too quiet out here?" Kim queried as she munched on her share of melon.

"I've noticed it, too," Tanya said. "No birdsong, no insects chirping, no wind through the trees...."

"It's like the calm before a storm," Kat added.

"Maybe we should get moving," Adam suggested, feeling a little unnerved by the unnatural stillness.

"I think you're right," Tommy agreed. The seven collected their meager belongings and got to their feet. Just as they did, the ground began trembling.

"What is it--an earthquake?" Rocky gasped.

"Is it the volcano?" Kat wondered. The shaking continued to intensify; as the tremors grew, so did the rumbling sound that accompanied them. Then, the jungle came to life. Birds took to the sky, and the smaller animals passed surprisingly close by the septet in their exodus. The air was suddenly filled with the cries of frightened animals.

"It's a stampede!" Tanya gasped, finally recognizing the signs. "Under cover or into the trees!"

The warning barely crossed her lips before a cloud of dust rolled into view. The Rangers were directly in the path of the fear-maddened beasts.

"Move!" Tommy shouted. As there was no ground cover, the seven dove off the path and scrambled for safety. Rocky and Billy made it to the lower branches of a massive tree and helped haul Tanya up. Tommy boosted Kimberly up before clambering up himself. All five climbed to higher branches as the heads of the beasts grazed the lowest ones.

It was difficult to see what sort of animals they were, but they appeared to have roundish bodies, long necks and tails, two long, powerful legs, and stubby forearms. They squalled and bleated, making a high pitched keening which grated on the ears. In the distance came a thunderous roar--and it wasn't the rumble of hundreds of pairs of feet.?

"Man, I'd hate to see whatever caused this mess," Rocky murmured. One of the bipeds crashed into the trunk; however, the impact did little more than shake things up.

"Has anyone seen Kat and Adam?" Tommy queried, realizing that they were short two Rangers.

"Over there!" Kim reported, pointing to a tree across the way. The tree in which the duo had taken shelter was quite slender in comparison to their more solid perch.

"That tree won't hold up long if any of the creatures run into it," Billy observed.

"Adam! Kat!" Rocky shouted. The tree just suffered its first blow, and the five watched, horrified, as their friends were nearly shaken loose.

"Is there any way we can get them across?" Tanya queried. "Could they jump?"

"The span isn't wide, but the footing is too uncertain," Billy analyzed.

"Too bad we don't have a rope," Tommy remarked.

"Yeah, we could throw it over, fasten it off, and they could come across hand over hand," Rocky said.

"What about those vines?" Kim suggested, gesturing to a neighboring tree laden with thick, rope-like foliage.

"It's close enough for one of us to jump over," Billy said.

"I'll go," Tommy volunteered.

Kim rummaged through the carry-all and handed Tommy the talon-knife. "Be careful," she advised.

Tommy nodded and worked his way around the bole of the tree until he reached a likely position to make the jump.

"Uh oh," Rocky muttered. Another biped hit the smaller tree. Adam nearly lost his balance, and Kat screamed, clinging more tightly to the trunk.

"Tommy, hurry up with those vines!" Kim shouted.

"Jump for it!" Rocky encouraged.

In the branches of the endangered tree, Adam fought to regain his hold on the branch and pull himself up. If only they'd jumped to the right instead of to the left. He looked to Kat. She was deathly pale; her eyes appeared glassy, and she trembled so violently that he feared she'd lose her grip. He didn't know why, but his teammate was too terrified to move.

"Kat, you gotta let go," Adam urged. "We can't stay here; those things are going to knock this tree over. We have to jump across." Even as he made the suggestion he heard Rocky's cry.

"I know, but I can't," Kat sobbed. She closed her eyes and buried her face against the rough bark.

"You have to try," Adam insisted. He tried prying her arms loose, but Kat wasn't budging. "Please, Kat!"

"No!" She shook her head in fierce denial.

"I'll help; don't worry," he assured her.

Another hit shook the tree, causing it to list alarmingly. Kat screamed again.

"It's all right, Kat; just calm down and...." A body slammed into the trunk, sending it leaning in a new direction. Adam hadn't been prepared and lost his grip. He plummeted to the lower, more dangerous branches and caught himself at the last moment.

"Adam!" Kat shrieked.

~*~

"Adam!" Tanya screamed.

"Tommy...!" Kim called out frantically.

"Here," he replied breathlessly as he returned. "I didn't know if one would be long enough, so I hacked down two."

"Let's get them tied together."

While Billy and Tommy worked on the knots, Tanya, Kim and Rocky kept watch on the situation across the swarm of bodies. Adam had regained the branch, but it was in danger of snapping off. Another good hit, and he was a goner. He had no choice but to jump for it. Realizing this, Tanya and Rocky quickly climbed down to where they could grab for Adam if he fell short.

"All right. Let's do it. Kat, catch!" Tommy called out as he tossed the rope out. Kat continued to cling to the tree trunk, and the vine fell short. Tommy and Billy quickly hauled it back in.

"What's wrong? Why won't she try for the rope?" Tommy wondered.

"She can't, Tommy," Adam said, gasping for breath. His escape had been a near thing. "I don't know why, but she's so scared she can't move."

"Why? We've faced worse things than this, and she's never frozen up before," Rocky wondered.

"The why can wait; right now, we've got to get her out of that tree," Tanya insisted.

"Too bad Kim's arrows weren't ready, then we could shoot the rope across," Rocky said.

"It would do no good. The rope wouldn't be anchored tightly enough," Billy countered. "One of us is going to have to jump over with the vine and tie it off."

"I'll go," Kim spoke up.

"No, I'll...." Tommy began.

"Look, I'm the one who won a stupid gold medal for being able to walk across a narrow piece of wood. I can do this, Tommy."

Tommy considered her words and read the determination in her eyes. He nodded once. "All right. We'll tie off this end. If you misjudge, we'll use the vine to pull you back. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Kim turned her bow over to Billy but retained the supply pouch. There was no telling what she might need. Then, shouldering the coil of vine, she stepped out onto a branch directly across from Kat. She gauged how much runway she needed and estimated her landing space and the open air between the two trees. Taking a deep breath, she backed up to the trunk then ran as hard as she could. As she launched herself into her flip, she closed her eyes and said a prayer.

The other five held their breath as Kim twisted about in the air. As she landed, Kim realized that she was further out on the limb than she had anticipated; the branch started to give. She quickly executed a second flip and achieved a more secure landing. As she crouched low to steady herself, the others cheered. Flashing them a quick thumbs up, she got on with her mission.

"Kat? Kat, it's me, Kimberly. I'm here to help you," Kim said as she scooted over to the terrified girl's side. She started uncoiling the rope. "You're going to have to let go...."

"No!" Kat whimpered, clutching the trunk even tighter. "I'll fall!"

"No, you won't...."

"Adam fell, and now he's...."

"... across the way with the others. He's okay, Kat; he didn't get trampled. This tree isn't going to last much longer, and if you don't want to be squashed, we've got to get you out of here."

"I can't!" Kat repeated over and over again, sobbing uncontrollably.

Another blow to the already weakened tree caused Kim's patience to snap.

"Damn it, Kat, that's enough!" Kim barked; without thinking, she slapped her terrified companion. "You can, and you will!"

Kat blinked several times, and Kim was relieved to see the stare fade and comprehension flicker in Kat's eyes.

"K-Kim? How...? I'm sorry ... I don't know why I'm so...."

"Listen, Kat. I'm scared, too," Kim said softly. She gently touched the red mark on Kat's cheek. "It's going to be okay. Tommy's waiting for you on the other side; I'll help you get over to him, but you have to help me here. I'm going to tie this rope off, then you and I are going to cross hand over hand...."

"Kim, I don't think I can--really!"

Kim noticed how violently Kat's hands quaked, and she was inclined to agree. Time was running out. There had to be another way.

"All right, I have another idea." Working quickly, Kim dug in the pouch and pulled out a measure of the cocoon thread. She folded it over and over until she had a cord about jump-rope width. She tied one end around Kat's right wrist, and after prying Kat's arms off the trunk, she tied the other around Kat's left wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to thread the vine through your arms like this...." Kim began pulling the coil of natural rope through so that the cord between Kat's wrists lay against it. "Then, I'm going to climb higher and pull the rope taut." Kim glanced over to the others and shouted instructions. "Take it lower! Tie it off lower!" She was rewarded to see that Billy understood, and the others began working to comply. Turning back to Kat, she continued, "When I give the word, jump. You'll slide down on the cord tied around your wrists, and Tommy will catch you. See, he's waiting." Kat still looked reluctant. "Come on, Kat. The sooner you get across, the sooner I can, too. Okay?"

"O-okay."

Kim offered Kat a reassuring hug and made sure she was set before starting her climb. She tried winding the vine around the branch a couple of times, but there just wasn't enough tension. However, she knew how to remedy that.

"Jump, Kat!" she shouted. Kat hesitated a moment then leaped. As Kat sprang up, Kim fell back off the branch, exerting the full force of her one hundred five pounds on the vine. Kat began sliding, screaming and wriggling the whole way down. In short order, Tommy was gathering Kat into his arms.

"Get out of there, Kim!" Billy shouted.

Kim was trying to regain her purchase when the tree lurched again, and it was her turn to fall to the lower, more perilous branches. It was now or never. With a deep breath, she charged forward; as she launched herself into the air, the tree gave way.

~*~

"That a girl, Kat; come on!" Tommy encouraged as Kat descended along the tough vine; he had to admit that Kim's plan had been inspired.

"Tommy!" Kat choked out as he drew her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed as he tugged at the bindings on her wrist. The slender cord had bit into her flesh cruelly, but it was a small price to pay for being alive.

"It's all right now. It's over. You're safe," he said soothingly. He turned to find Adam and Tanya hovering nearby, relief evident on their faces.

"Thank God," Tanya murmured.

Then, Billy's warning caught their ears. Tommy turned back to see Kim take her running jump, and just as she took off, the tree crashed out from under her, altering her trajectory.

"She isn't going to make it," Tanya gasped quietly.

"Oh, yes she is," Tommy declared. "Adam, take Kat." He thrust the still-quivering blonde at Adam and dropped down to the lowest of the branches. Though fairly sturdy, it gave slightly under his weight; it had taken one too many hits.

~*~

While airborne, Kim thought she heard someone scream, but she wasn't sure if it was one of her friends or herself. Although it was over in a heartbeat, it seem to Kim as if the world was moving in slow motion. A leap ... then flight ... she could see the others shouting encouragement, but the sound never reached her ears. She saw the branch. She reached for it, but her fingers fell short. They grazed the branch as she continued to fall past. There was a moment of absolute terror as she realized that she had missed, and then she felt something grab her wrist, jarring her arm and the world back to normal time.

"Don't worry, Kim; I have you," Tommy said through clenched teeth as he strained to hold on to her. His hand was locked tightly about her slender wrist; he was not about to let go.

Kim smiled up at him with relief; however, the feeling was fleeting as she caught sight of the crack in the branch.

"Back off!"

"What?"

"Back off the branch! It can't hold both of us; you gotta let me go or we'll both fall!"

"I'm not letting you go!"

"Tommy...."

It was too late. A bawling biped slammed into the tree, snapping the branch off and toppling the pair over.

~*~

"Tommy!" Kat shrieked as the two plummeted into the thundering mass of bodies.

"Easy does it, Kat," Adam said as he fought to keep her from lunging forward.

"They're okay, Kat; I see them," Tanya assured her. She pointed to where Tommy was struggling to keep his seat on the back of one of the frightened creatures, and he was pulling Kim up behind him.

"What do we do now?" Adam wondered.

"Let's get our own rides," Rocky proposed.

"Are you nuts?" Tanya gasped.

"Actually, it's a sound idea," Billy said. "The bipeds are traveling in an easterly direction, and there's no telling how far they'll run. Staying with the herd is our best hope of catching up to Tommy and Kimberly."

Rocky watched the racing animals carefully; when the opportunity presented itself, he dropped down and caught a ride.

"Yee-ha! Ride 'em, cowboy!" he crowed as the animal sped off, even more terrified to find an unexpected rider on its back.

"We'd better not let him get too far away," Tanya sighed as she followed suit.

"Kat?" Billy queried. She was still cowering in Adam's arms.

"Oh, God, Billy, I don't think I can do it," she began uncertainly.

"Don't worry, Kat; I'll help you out. We can share a ride," Adam offered. It was the least he could do after he had failed her earlier.

Billy dropped down next.

"I'm still really scared, Adam," Kat murmured as she held his hand tightly.

"It'll be okay. On three. Ready? One ... two ... three!"

~*~

In the thick of the frightened herd, Tommy clung to the leathery neck of the animal he landed on for dear life. He was too busy trying to keep his seat to pay much attention to the fact that it was really uncomfortable; the creature--a cross between a lizard and an ostrich which reminded him of a Jurassic Park reject--had an incredibly bony back. His backside was going to be sore for a month of Sundays! However, Tommy knew that as bad as the jostling was for him, he at least was braced against the neck; poor Kimberly was being bounced around even more than he was.

"Hang on back there!" he called over his shoulders. He felt her arms tighten around his waist.

"I'm hangin'; I'm hangin'!" she shouted back.

Kimberly held on to Tommy as tightly as she could; with every step, their ride threatened to bounce her off its back. Oh, those spinal ridges were murder! Yet, as terrifying as the wild ride was, she was loving every minute of it. She had thought that she and Tommy were done for when they were knocked off the branch; surprisingly, never once during their mad tumble did Tommy release her wrist. It was probably the only reason she didn't wind up being a greasy spot on the jungle floor. Impossibly, Tommy had landed across the back of one of the creatures and hauled her up with him. After that, all they could do was hold on and wait until the ride was over.

Kim was glad Tommy couldn't see her face; it was virtually impossible to wipe the wistful smile from her features. It felt wonderful to have her arms around Tommy again. It reminded her of the time they had borrowed Jason's motorcycle and had gone for a ride. She recalled how the wind whipped Tommy's hair about and how she snuggled close to him, her cheek pressed against his back. She sighed as she did the same now; mm, he felt so warm and strong.... She knew she probably shouldn't do it; it would only hurt her in the long run to let her guard down, but she couldn't help herself. It just felt too good ... too right.

The bipeds careened through the trees and came to an open tract of land; the grassy area was practically devoid of trees. The leaders of the pack were starting to lose their head of steam.

"They're slowing down; we should be able to jump off soon," Tommy observed. However, their dismount was taken out of their hands. The animals reached a trench--a dried out riverbed. Instead of stopping, the beasts leaped across. When Tommy and Kim's animal made the jump, the landing jarred them loose. The two tumbled pell mell into the gully; they scrambled to the lee of the ditch to avoid the possibility of being landed on. Huddling together, they kept their heads covered as dirt clods pelted them, and they waited for the herd to pass.

"Are you okay?" Tommy queried, wincing as a fairly large ball of clay plonked down on his head. He shielded Kim from the mini avalanche with his body.

"Outside of a bruised behind, I'm fine," Kim replied, resisting the urge to rub the sore spot. The two traded grins. "By the way, thanks for the save. I can't believe I misjudged the distance."

"You didn't misjudge, the tree shifted, knocking you off target."

"How long do you think the stampede will last?"

"Depends on the size of the herd, I guess."

"I wonder how the others are doing? You think they'll find us?"

"As long as it doesn't rain, they should be able to follow the herd's trail ... ow!" Tommy rubbed his head again. Kim smiled up at him. "Let's move down the gully a bit and see if we can get out of these things' path."

The two inched down the western wall of the ditch until they reached a section unmolested by frightened bipeds. Tommy stood up and looked around.

"I don't think we're too far off course," he murmured. "Without the river, I can't tell. The volcano appears to be a lot closer, though."

"They were heading in the same direction we had been, and the sun was directly overhead when we stopped...." Kim glanced at the shadows put off by the wall of dirt. "It looks like we're still on track. It'll take the others hours to find us."

"Unless they hopped rides, too," Tommy mused. "We shouldn't wander too far from the main trail. We can just hang out here until the others show up."

"Sounds good to me, I ... ow!" Kim yelped as she felt a stabbing pain in her foot. Kneeling down, she took a look at what she had stepped on. The object was small and white; its sharp point pierced her instep. It broadened at the base then narrowed at the root.

"Is that an arrowhead?" Tommy wondered.

"I think it's a tooth, but you're right. It would make an excellent arrowhead," Kim agreed. She gingerly ran her fingers through the dirt and grass, searching. "If I could find a few more, I could finish the arrows tonight." She wandered further down the hollow.

"Don't go too far," Tommy cautioned her. "I'll keep watch for the others." Kim waved back and continued her hunt, and Tommy took a seat on the edge of the bank. It was a lot easier to observe the herd from a distance than from the middle of it. He could tell that the beasts were slowing, and the herd was thinning out. As he watched them make the jump, he absently massaged his aching posterior. His butt would never be the same. He turned his attention eastward, following the direction of the fleeing creatures. The treeline wasn't far, but the beasts veered off before they reached the thick foliage.

"Any sign of them, Rocky?"

"Not yet?"

Tanya? Rocky? Tommy quickly jumped to his feet and spied a biped with a rider. To his astonishment and delight, it was Rocky. Tanya followed hard on his heels.

"Hey guys, over here!" he hollered out, waving. Rocky spotted him and waved back.

"Whoa, boy--er--girl--whatever! Whoa! Halt! Stop!" Rocky commanded uselessly as the creature paid him no mind. Finally, Rocky slung his leg over the spinal ridge. "Abandon ship!" He leaped and rolled clear, tumbling down the incline. Tanya did likewise.

"Man, am I glad to see you two," Tommy said brightly as he came over to help them up. "Where are the others?"

"They'll be along any minute," Rocky assured him.

"Where's Kim?" Tanya wondered.

"Upstream looking for teeth."

"Huh?" Rocky muttered. Just then, Billy rode into view; behind him were Adam and Kat. The three of them had a much easier time of dismounting. Kat's pale face lit up as she spied Tommy, and she rushed to his arms eagerly.

"Are you all right?" she gushed.

"I'm fine. So's Kim," he answered.

"Kat, what made you freeze up like that?" Tanya queried. There had been no time to ask the one question on everybody's mind.

"I don't know why, but I've always been terrified of stampedes," she admitted self-consciously. "I can remember when I was a little girl; I had been watching a nature show with my mum. They showed a stampede--I can't even remember what sort of animals they were, but the herd leveled a village ... just everything in its path.... One of the babies--a cub or colt or something--fell and was mangled.... I had nightmares about it forever it seemed like. I couldn't get that tiny, twisted body out of my mind." Kat leaned in closer to Tommy and shivered.

"No wonder you could never watch Lion King when we'd babysit the Thompson kids," Tanya murmured, patting Kat's shoulder and stroking her hair comfortingly.

"When you said 'stampede,' I just froze up inside," Kat continued. "I couldn't move or think or anything ... if Kim hadn't slapped me, I wouldn't have ... she saved my life."

"Where's Kimberly?" Adam queried.

Before Tommy could answer, the six heard a familiar squeal and a disgusted, "Ew, gross!" They wandered down the ditch until they found Kim. She was kneeling in a slimy patch of mud next to an enormous skull. The ground all around her was littered with the bones of animals.

"Kim, are you okay?" Billy called out.

"Billy!" she shouted happily. She turned to face her friends. "This place is like some kind of elephant graveyard."

"Tell us something we don't know," Rocky muttered playfully.

"What are you doing?" Tanya wondered as Kim returned to her task. They were stunned when she hefted an enormous femur and smashed the skull with it. Kim picked through the shattered bone until she found her prize.

"What do you want with a canine tooth?" Billy asked, eyeing the enormous bone-like structure.

"Wouldn't this make a great spear head?" Kim asked buoyantly. She dug into her pouch and pulled out a handful of smaller teeth. "Arrowheads!"

"All right, Kim," Rocky congratulated her. "We'll be armed and dangerous by morning."

"So, what now?" Adam wondered.

"There's still plenty of light; we should probably continue with our trek," Billy recommended.

Tommy glanced down at Kat; she regarded him with tired eyes. He looked to Kim next; in spite of her jubilation, she, too, looked worn out, and he didn't feel much better. "I don't know about anyone else, but I've had enough excitement for one day. Let's make for the trees and call it a day."

There were no arguments.

Chapter Seven: Good Clean Fun

"That's the last of the water," Billy announced as he finished his share of the rations. It had been days since the stampede had carried them away from the river.

"I hope we find the river again soon," Tanya murmured as she poked at the fire. It was still early in the evening, but tempers had been frayed as well as bodies. The concerns about water had been pressing on them heavily.

"It's too bad that stream we passed was all dried up," Rocky sighed.

"There was still a trickle in there," Adam pointed out.

"For all the good that does; we could leave the water skins there all night and not collect a cup full," Rocky returned.

"Hey, where are Kat and Tommy?" Kim queried as she returned to the fireside and sat down.

"They claimed some private time and went for a walk," Tanya answered.

"Oh." Kim fixed her gaze on the fire and plucked idly at the grass.

"What if we were to follow that trickle back to its source? It has to be coming from some place. Maybe a beaver has it dammed up or something," Adam suggested.

"Perhaps if there was more light...." Billy began.

"Sounds good to me," Kim said suddenly, getting to her feet again. "It sure beats sitting around here doing nothing, and besides, we need the water."

"It'll be dark soon, Kim," Billy cautioned.

"I'm a big girl, Billy; I can take care of myself."

"We're not supposed to wander off by ourselves, especially after dark," Tanya reminded her.

"Kim's right. We need the water. If you don't mind, I'd like to go with you," Adam volunteered. He couldn't stand the thought of sitting around and wondering....

"Grab a waterbag, and let's go," Kim declared. The two retrieved the skins and were quickly about their business.

"What was that all about?" Rocky wondered. Privately, both Billy and Tanya had their suspicions.

~*~

"There it is, I think," Adam said as he and Kim sought out the tiny trickle of water.

"Why don't we walk in the mud so we can feel the water even if we can't see it," Kim suggested.

For a while, the two walked in silence, each one lost in his or her own thoughts.

"How are you holding up, Adam?" Kim queried at last. "You've been awful quiet these last couple of days."

"I'm all right, I guess."

"Is something bothering you?"

"Not really."

"Come on, Adam; you can tell me. It does the team no good for you to keep things bottled up inside. We have no one else to turn to but each other."

Adam let out a slow breath. "I guess I'm still thinking about the stampede and how close we came to losing Kat."

"What's troubling you about it?"

"I feel like I let Kat--that I let everybody--down. I mean, I was there in the tree with her, and I couldn't do a thing to help her," Adam confessed.

"You didn't let anyone down, Adam," Kim said gently. "You did all that you could do; Kat's fear was just too great."

"Still, I left her over there all by herself."

"You had no choice; you had to jump, or we would have lost you."

"I guess I just feel like I abandoned her. I don't even want to know what she thought of me for doing that."

"Actually, at the time, she thought you had fallen and gotten squished," Kim assured him, but Adam didn't look reassured. "Maybe you didn't exactly do anything heroic, but you did something just as important--if not more important."

"What's that?"

"You were there for her when she really needed someone. She didn't have to face her fear alone, and afterwards, when Tommy and I fell, you were there for her then. Sometimes, just having a friend around--even if he really doesn't do anything--is a help in and of itself."

"You really think so?" he asked hopefully.

"I know so." What she wouldn't have given to have had that same gift five months ago. Kim cuffed Adam's arm gently when he continued to stare at the ground. "Hey, perk up."

"I'll try."

"Good." The conversation had gotten a little too heavy--and a little too close to her own problems; Kim decided it was time to change the subject. "I know ... I've been meaning to ask one of you guys, but I keep forgetting. How in the world did you, Rocky and Billy manage to catch that huge fish way back at the beginning of our adventure?"

"Oh, God," Adam groaned. Kim eyed him questioningly. "Do I have to be the one to tell? It's really rather embarrassing."

"Now you've done it. Talk!" Kim fixed him with her most insistent glare, and Adam knew there'd be no getting around it.

"I was by the river ... um, first thing in the morning ... you know...." he began awkwardly, hoping Kim caught the implication.

"Answering the call of nature?" she responded with a teasing grin. Adam returned it sheepishly.

"Anyway, I wasn't watching where I was walking, and apparently something else had already been out there for the same reason. I ... stepped in something and slipped into the river. Billy and Rocky heard me go in, and when they arrived to help me out, they didn't exactly pay attention either. They slipped in, too, and somehow while we were trying to get out of the water, we wound up wrestling this big fish and...."

Kim was laughing so hard she was doubled over. "Oh, how I wish I could have seen that!" she declared when she could breathe again.

Adam felt the heat in his cheeks, but he didn't mind too much. Kim's laughter had been a rare thing on their adventure thus far; it was good to hear it.

"Hm, it looks like we've reached a dead end," he said suddenly as the two of them came across a wall of rock. There were moisture stains where the water had trickled down the face of the wall.

"I don't remember this ridge," Kim ventured as she tilted her head back to take a look.

"Well, we came in from the east; this stream has wandered northward," Adam noted.

"Is there any way up there?" Kim wondered.

It took a bit of searching, but the pair managed to find a sloping trail. Upon gaining the plateau, the two discovered what had become of the small stream. The shallow bed was clogged with rocks, and the water was backing up away from the edge.

"Let's see if we can clear the stream; we may have need of this later down the road," Kim recommended, and together they set the tiny river back on its course. With that accomplished, the two worked on filling their waterbags. Then, Kim knelt down and began splashing water on her arms and legs, trying to wash away the dust and grime from their travels. "That feels so good! How about you, Adam? Adam?" Kim looked up and found that Adam had wandered off a little ways. He was studiously staring back the way they had come. Kim smiled as she realized that he was trying to let her bathe in private; they hadn't ventured into public bathing, as it were. Kim walked over to him and rested a hand on his arm. "I'm done, if you'd like a chance to clean up."

"Thanks."

Kim propped her foot up on a rock and rested her folded arms on her knee. "Nice view," she murmured. The sky was lit with the blazing colors of sunset. The forest below her was awash in the evening shadows. However, she could make out a faint flicker of light off to the east.

"Is that our campfire?" Adam asked, also noticing the light.

"I think so. If it is, that's not too good," Kim said soberly, "if we can see it, who knows who else can." It was a disturbing thought.

"Tommy, look! Water!"

Kim and Adam glanced towards the base of the ridge and saw the arrival of their teammates. They watched as Kat hurried towards the now trickling brook with Tommy in tow. She dropped to her knees and scooped up a handful.

"Mm, that's wonderful."

"We should get back to camp and get the waterbags," Tommy suggested, also pausing to take a drink.

"Oh, do we have to? We're on private time, remember?" Kat splashed him playfully.

"Hey!"

Kim let out a deep breath as she ducked her head, unable to watch the two at play. What were they doing all the way out here? She had left the camp so she wouldn't have to see.... Then, she noticed Adam's expression. It was at once hopeful and pained, and Kimberly understood.

"It's not easy--loving someone who loves someone else--is it?"

"It hurts like hell," Adam said with uncharacteristic bitterness.

I know; God, how I know! "Come on; let's get the water back to camp." Kim pushed off the rock she was propped up against, and suddenly, the rock--and the ground underneath her feet--gave way. "Adam!" she screamed as she careened over the edge of the ridge.

"Kim, no!" Adam cried, trying to grab one of her flailing hands and missing. Kim's pale body was swiftly lost in the shadows and the avalanche of mud and rock. He had to back away lest he go over too. He ran for the trail they had used to gain the top of the ridge.

"Tommy! Kim's caught in the landslide!" Adam shouted to his friends who had backed away from the stream at the first rumble of the moving rocks; however, they couldn't even get close to the base of the wall for all the sliding dirt. By the time Adam reached the bottom of the small cliff, the rocks had settled. Tommy and Kat had begun shifting through the mound.

"Can you see her?" he gasped as he joined the others at the imposing pile of earth.

"No ... Kat, go get the others. Adam and I will start digging," Tommy directed, and Kat dashed off. To Adam, he asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know. We weren't doing anything but standing there after filling the waterbags, and the ground just crumbled out from underneath her."

"Kim! Kim! Can you hear me!" Tommy shouted as he began tossing rocks aside.

"Come on, Kim!" Adam chimed in as he helped dig. "God, Tommy, I hope she's all right under there."

"So do I, Adam, but man, I don't see how."

~*~

I am not claustrophobic; I am not claustrophobic ... I'm not--I'm not--I'M NOT! Kim chanted the words to herself over and over like a mantra. I just don't like really tight places. Hell, nobody would like being buried under a ton of dirt!

She had managed to survive the fall, and had landed hard at the base of the ridge. She barely had a moment to draw a breath before the wall of earth collapsed on her. She rolled, pressing up against the rock wall in her efforts to avoid being flattened, and she had backed herself into a small burrow. That was probably the only thing that had saved her; now, however, she was trapped inside that tiny haven. It was dark. It was tight, and she didn't have a lot of air.

Stay calm. You gotta stay calm. If you panic, you'll breathe faster and use up all your air. Yet, it was so hard to fight back the rising tide of fear. She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, which were pressed close to her chest. She was trembling violently. Oh God, she didn't like this. Buried ... unable to move ... couldn't see ... just like when she was little.... Don't think about it!

Alone....

But I'm not alone. Adam is out there. Tommy and Kat are there. They'll find me; they'll get me out ... they're my friends!

The voice of memory, however, would not be silent. Jimmy, Katie and Kenny were your friends, and they left you all alone.

These guys are different--they won't leave me. Billy said so. I've known Billy forever; he wouldn't lie to me. He told me I was still part of the team--I'm still a Ranger, and Rangers stick together. Kim wanted to believe that--she had to! If she didn't hold on to the thought that her friends wouldn't abandon her, she was going to lose it, and she couldn't afford to lose it. Her friends were out there trying to find her, but there was an awful lot of dirt and rocks. If she wanted to be found before she ran out of air, she was going to have to help somehow.

Keep it together ... don't be afraid ... for the team ... the team needs you to not be afraid.... Concentrating on the needs of the team instead of her own had gotten her through other times when she had been scared; it had to get her through this, too. Even so, tears streamed down her face, wetting her quivering lips. They had to find her soon--they just had to!

Clinging to that desperate thought, Kim pried her arm from where it gripped her knees, and she began pushing it through the rock and soil covering her.

~*~

"Any idea where Kim landed?" Billy queried as he and the others swiftly joined in the excavation efforts. They had brought torches from the fire to light the site.

"No. I lost sight of her pretty quickly...." Adam said ruefully.

"... and I didn't know she was even in that mess until it was pretty thick," Tommy finished.

"Have you tried calling to her?" Tanya wondered.

"Yes, but no answer."

"She could be unconscious or...." Kat began fearfully.

"Don't even think it," Rocky chided. "I know you're in there, Kim! Come on and give us a clue!"

The six continued to dig frantically through the debris from the landslide, each one trying not to think that they might have lost Kim. Adam was sick with the thought that he had failed Kimberly too, but he kept shoving the thought aside. He couldn't waste time on his personal concerns; Kim had to be alive under all this mess, and she was counting on them to find her. He tossed another couple of stones aside and, finding a layer of dirt, started sifting through it. His fingers brushed against something small, soft, and mobile. It was probably just a worm or something, but....

"Someone bring a torch over here," he requested.

"What is it?" Tommy asked anxiously.

"I don't know yet." Adam continued digging. As Kat brought the light closer, he realized that what he had felt was a finger. He dug faster. More fingers poked through the dirt, and they seemed to be searching for something, too. "I've found her--well, at least her hand."

"Great job, Adam," Tommy beamed, and all cheered with relief.

"Kim, can you hear us?" Billy called out. "Adam, can you get a grip on her hand?"

"There's too much stuff here for him to pull her out," Rocky objected.

"That's not what Billy wants," Tanya chided gently.

"Yeah, there's enough unburied for me to...." Adam winced as Kim's fingers closed around his own. She was awfully strong for being so small!

"If you can hear me, squeeze Adam's hand once," Billy directed. He looked up to Adam. "Anything?"

"No, but she has a heck of a grip," he muttered.

"You just keep a hold of her," Tommy said. "The rest of us will start working around her arm."

Being able to concentrate their efforts in one locale enable the four Rangers and Billy to clear the debris away more effectively. It was difficult for Adam to stay out of their way, but he was not letting go of Kim's hand for anything. Her grasp on his hand remained vice-like; occasionally he detected a tremor in her--the only sign of what she must be going through. Adam was scared for her. However, slowly, Kim's hold on him began to lessen. That concerned Adam even more.

"Guys, we gotta hurry. I think she's getting weaker."

"Try tugging on her arm; see if you can budge her," Tommy recommended.

Adam did so. Kim gave just a little but not much. "Not yet." However, the experimental tug seemed to have sparked something in Kimberly for her grip became more solid, and Adam detected more movement on her part. Then, a second hand worked its way up through the dirt.

"Tommy!" Adam yelped.

"Got her. You guys keep digging, and we'll start pulling," Tommy directed. They had to be extremely careful so they didn't hurt Kimberly; however, they could feel her trying to help them. "Atta girl, Kim. Keep it up."

Adam was the only one who could hear Tommy's soft words of encouragement, and he wondered about them. As he and Tommy pulled, more of Kimberly's arms came free. However, their efforts had undermined the position of some of the rocks still atop the pile; dirt began trickling back down into the hole they had made.

"Adam, take both arms. Rocky, help me shore up these rocks so they don't bury Kim again." Tommy surrendered his hold on Kim.

Billy, Kat and Tanya continued to work at digging while Rocky helped Tommy brace the boulders. Adam worked at pulling Kim free. He could feel more movement on her part.

"That's it, Kim ... come on ... just a little more...." With his next pull, Adam felt something give. He pulled hard, and Kimberly burst through the layer of dirt as if she had been pushing off for a jump. She all but flew into Adam's arm, and the two tumbled backwards. "God, Kim, are you all right?"

For a moment, she could do nothing but gasp for air. Then, she glanced up at Adam. "Yeah. I'm okay now. Thanks."

Her brave words belied the tear streaked face and terror stricken eyes that Adam found himself looking into. Then, Kim seemed to master her emotions, and all traces of her fear were gone--except for residual trembling. It was as if she didn't want anyone to know how bad it had been, but Adam had seen, if only for a moment. He said nothing and simply held her tighter.

"I'm here for you if you need me," he whispered, recalling their earlier conversation.

"Thanks," she murmured and hugged him gratefully.

"Are you okay?" Tommy queried, placing a hand on Kim's shoulder.

She looked back and found all her friends looking at her concernedly. They didn't abandon me, she reflected, but the thought brought her little comfort--not because of the present but because of the past. No, she wouldn't think of it now. Think of the team not yourself....

"I'm all right," she answered Tommy between coughing fits. "What about the stream? Did the landslide dam it up?"

"The stream? You were just buried alive, and you're worried about the stream?" Kat gasped in disbelief.

"We're going to need the water," Kim said weakly.

"Well what do you know," Rocky said with amazement as he scrambled over the rocks to where the brook was supposed to be. He hadn't needed the look Tanya flashed him to know that Kim wasn't going to settle down and go back to camp until she had her answer about the water. "The stream's fine, Kim. Not even so much as a dirt clod hit it."

"Good."

"Can you make it back to camp?" Billy queried.

"I'm a big girl, Billy," she responded as she disentangled herself from Adam. Still, her knees were a little wobbly as she stood up. "I'll manage."

Adam exchanged worried glances with Billy. Then, he hit on an idea.

"Kim, I was wondering...."

"What?"

"I haven't exactly been a lot of help--I couldn't even keep you from falling...." He put on his most sheepish expression and looked at Kim with hopeful eyes.

"Adam, you're a horrible actor, but you're a sweetie," Kim murmured, knowing exactly what he was doing.

Adam grinned and shrugged; it had been worth a shot.

"However, if it'll make you feel any better ... I accept." Actually, if she wanted to be honest with herself, her legs did feel none too steady. "Rocky, can you run up and get the waterbags?"

"Sure, Kim."

Only then, when the team was taken care of, did Kim allow herself to be helped.

~*~

Billy leaned against the trunk of the tree and watched the by-play in the center of camp, specifically between Tommy and Kim. He shook his head. Kim hadn't been as unaffected by her recent ordeal as she wanted them to think. As long as she was able to focus on the team she was all right, but when it came to interpersonal interaction ... especially between her and Tommy.... He had thought the two had talked, that they had resolved the issue of their break-up. Things had seemed okay between them, especially after their ordeal during the stampede. The camaraderie that had been established by that had been undone.

There was an undercurrent of tension between the two. It wasn't blatant; it evidenced itself in their clipped conversations, the way they moved around each other--the quick glances, aborted touches ... they themselves probably weren't conscious of it. Something had to be done. Tommy and Kimberly were their leaders; if they were unable to function together, it would affect the whole team. They couldn't afford even the slightest dissention among themselves. They had been fortunate thus far on their adventure, but that couldn't last.

"What's wrong, Billy?" Tanya queried as she came to stand by him. She noted that he was scrutinizing Tommy and Kim. She, too, had observed the pair's strained relationship; she hated seeing two people who obviously still cared about each other hurting as they were. She couldn't understand how the two of them could not recognize what was going on.

"You've seen it, too," Billy remarked.

"You can almost feel the tension, and it keeps growing," Tanya mused.

"Especially from Kimberly's corner. She and Tommy have to be able to work together outside of emergency situations. Something needs to be done to ease the tension between them and remind them that before they were romantically involved, they were friends--and still are deep down."

"It sounds like you have a plan," Tanya said.

"I think so. I have it on good authority that Kim has extremely ticklish feet."

"Tommy?"

"No, Kim's brother." Well, her brother and first-hand experience. That was just one of those little things Billy had picked up during that bizarre twenty-four hours.

"Ticklish feet, huh? Just what do you have in mind?"

"I haven't finished formulating my plan. I should have it in place by tomorrow."

~*~

Later that same evening, Billy put the first phase of his scheme in motion. Following dinner, he pulled Tommy aside.

"I'm really worried about Kim," Billy began.

"Why? She seems all right," Tommy answered looking over to where Kim had settled by a tree trunk, away from the fire--and the others.

"She seems to be deliberately isolating herself," Billy pointed out. "That isn't like her. She hasn't been quite the same since getting buried."

"I thought she came through that pretty well."

"I don't know; I've been watching her for a couple of days now. I think she's close to losing it."

"Losing it?"

"On the verge of a breakdown."

"Are you sure?"

"She hides it well, but you can seen the tension in her shoulders, the set of her jaw ... occasionally in the eyes ... can't you tell?"

Tommy didn't answer, and he couldn't meet Billy's gaze. Once upon a time, he knew her as well as he knew himself.

"I think it's because she's been out of Ranger mode for so long; she isn't used to the stress and the unusual circumstances like she used to be. Plus, she's been helping you shoulder the burden of leading the team...."

"Yeah, Kat and Tanya have been really turning to her a lot," Tommy agreed.

It was such a narrow, chauvinistic statement that Billy almost lost his temper. It completely obliterated the fact that all of them had been turning to Kim for the intangibles--strength, spirit, determination--as much as for co-leadership. However, Billy let it go. After all, he was deliberately painting Kimberly's situation as more serious than it was. "Tomorrow, I want to take Kim out to that watering hole Rocky and Adam discovered in order to try and talk to her and get her to relax, but I need a believable excuse."

"She seems to be really into watching the animals with Tanya," Tommy mused. "You could probably tell her that you saw a really interesting one there and want to show it to her."

"That'd be perfect; thanks. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to tag along."

"Me? What for?"

"If we're deep into a discussion, we won't be watching our backs, and considering we'll be by a watering hole, there's the potential for danger from the other visitors. I want you there as a precautionary measure," Billy explained. "Besides, I think Kim might feel a little uncomfortable having the others know how vulnerable she is right now, since they do look up to her so much. I think she'll be all right with the two of us."

"If I can help out, I'd be glad to," Tommy agreed. Whatever else Kim might have been to him, she was a friend, and he hated to see a friend hurting.

"Thanks. I figure we'll head out after breakfast."

Tommy moved off, and Billy leaned back with a satisfied smile on his face. It paid to be thought of as merely intelligent and not particularly devious.

~*~

"What sort of animal is it?" Kim asked as she, Billy and Tommy started off for the water hole. Kim had agreed readily enough when Billy put the proposition to her. She didn't even seem to mind that Tommy was tagging along. It had rained the night before (the seven had spent a perfectly miserable night getting soaked), so the trails were a bit muddy.

"I'm not really certain; I didn't get a good look at it, but from what I observed of its behavior, I thought you might want to have a look," Billy fibbed.

"Maybe it'll lead you to more hair remover," Tommy joked.

"Next time, if you're not careful, I'll try my discovery out on you," Kim teased.

"I'll take a rain check on that," Tommy demurred, and Kim laughed.

Billy took the light-hearted banter as a good beginning. Actually, he was in fairly high spirits himself. This was what they had been needing: a morning away from their responsibilities.

The three were in such a good mood that they weren't particularly concerned with what was going on behind them.

~*~

Their teammates were following them. Tanya had made the mistake of mentioning Kimberly's tension and Billy's comment about her ticklish feet. Rocky latched onto that and was determined to catch the performance--whatever it may be. He started after the trio, keeping a safe distance between them, and it was decided that the rest of them should tag along to keep Rocky from interfering.

~*~

When the three arrived at the watering hole, they found it a muddy mess. Undeterred, Billy and Kimberly inched their way through the wet grass to the edge of the small pond, hanging back somewhat from the muddy rim. Tommy stayed close to the trees, both to give his friends a little privacy and to better watch their backs. As Kim lay on the ground, she propped herself up on her elbows and crossed her ankles. Occasionally, she'd bend her legs at the knees. Tommy was pretty sure she wasn't paying much attention to what she was doing, and she probably had forgotten that he was there; she did tend to become absorbed when watching the animals. From where he stood, he had an excellent view of her cute little behind.

In spite of himself, Tommy found himself staring and reflecting on his comment to Billy and the other guys about liking Kim's legs. When he had made the comment, he hadn't had the opportunity to fully scope out her posterior. He did now, and he really liked what he saw. Kim's behind was firm and nicely proportioned, rounding into her thighs beautifully. The way she was laying, her body formed a pleasing line--the way her spine curved, the swell of the supple globes, and the way her legs lay slightly parted, teasing Tommy with an elusive glimpse of what lay between them. It was such an exquisite view that Tommy had the urge to reach out and run his hands over her bottom to see if it was as soft and smooth as it looked. Her cheeks looked as if they would fit his hands perfectly, and he longed to kiss that little 'v' at the base of her spine where her cheeks met.

Tommy's sigh of longing brought him to his senses. He realized that his pulse was racing, and his anatomy was almost at full stand. He tried to regain control of his hormones. What was he thinking? This was his ex-girlfriend. He hadn't been asked here to ogle her rear; he'd been asked to guard her back. He was here because Kim needed emotional help ... and what would Kat say if she caught him staring--again? Why did Kim have such an effect on him still? He tried to shake off his thoughts and concentrate on sentry duty ... but damn, Kim had a great ass!

~*~

"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Kim asked in hushed tones.

"It shouldn't be long now," Billy assured her, keeping his voice low also. "Actually, I brought you out here to talk. How are you holding up? I've noticed you've been pretty tense lately."

"I'm doing okay I guess," she answered evasively.

"Kim...." Billy said in a tone that seemed to say, 'bullshit.' "What's up between you and Tommy? It's almost as if you're afraid of each other. Have you talked to him about what happened?"

"We talked a little bit that first night. I said I was sorry. He asked why. I told him that I had gotten lonely. I asked if he was happy with Kat; he asked if I was happy with Todd. I ... fibbed," she answered curtly.

"Kim, why didn't you tell him the truth? By not telling him everything, you're taking the entire blame for the break-up, and it wasn't all your fault. He needs to know that."

"Why? I know Tommy, Billy; he'd start blaming himself then, and what good would that do? It would only make both of us miserable."

"At least you could have told him that Todd hadn't worked out."

"Again, what good would that do? Tommy's happy with Kat. Even if he did forgive me and wanted to get back together, it would mean he'd have to hurt Kat, and Tommy won't do that. I know how it feels now to be betrayed by someone you care for, and I won't do that to another person either. It's just going to take a little time for me to put all the old feelings to rest."

Billy was tempted to pursue the matter, but Kim's tone was such that he knew she had said all she was going to say on the subject. He would let it go--for the moment, but he knew that it was going to take more than time to heal things between the two. It was time to get the ball rolling.

"What do you have all over your foot?" Billy queried as he sat up. He glanced quickly in Tommy's direction. Tommy, who had been in a semi daze, now looked confused. Billy winked and grinned.

"What?" Kim asked, trying to twist around and see.

"It appears that you stepped in something ... unpleasant." Billy's tone eloquently conveyed the exact nature of the unpleasantness.

"Ew, gross!" Kim complained.

"You keep your eye on the pond; I'll take some of this grass and clean it off." Billy rustled the grass a bit, pretending to be gathering a handful. Then, he stood up, and, pinning her right foot between his legs, started tickling gently.

"Billy, what are you doing? Stop tickling me!" Kim squealed as she started wiggling. Her entreaties only made Billy's fingers work harder. She thrashed around, laughing and gasping for air. Her fists pounded the ground, and her left leg kicked out as she tried to escape.

"I thought you needed to unwind a little," Billy responded nonchalantly. He looked up at Tommy who was watching with interest. He followed his friend's gaze and realized that Tommy had an interesting view of Kim's wriggling behind. Billy hadn't considered the possible indignity of Kimberly's position.

~*~

Tommy had really believed that Billy was going to have a heart-to-heart talk with Kimberly, so he wasn't expecting the question about Kim's dirty feet. Besides, how could he tell what she had on her foot with all the mud? Then, Billy flashed him that sly wink. When Billy began tickling Kim's feet, Tommy couldn't keep an impish grin from playing across his lips. Oh, this was priceless! Kim was utterly helpless as she wiggled and kicked and screamed at Billy. He had the most overpowering urge to join in the fun; however, even as he abandoned his post, Tommy was brought up short by something more than mischief.

The way Kim was wriggling--he had never seen her move like that ... the way the muscles in her cheeks rippled, the way her hips thrust against the ground as she kicked and bucked in her efforts to break free.... Tommy felt his throat go dry as he glimpsed the occasional flash of pink between her legs. It was almost too much for his poor hormones to handle.

~*~

Tommy wasn't the only one treated to the exquisite sight of Kim's wriggling behind.

"Oh, my...!" Kat gasped, her cheeks dusted with a blush.

"Oh, man...." Adam moaned, sporting a blush of his own.

"I think I've died and gone to Heaven," Rocky sighed. "Who knew Kim could move her ass like that!"

"We should have brought the water bag with us," Tanya muttered, rolling her eyes. "Who knew we were going to need to hose these guys down."

~*~

"Stop it!" Kim laughed so hard she was hiccupping.

"Not until you say, 'I love Lord Zedd.'"

"William Mitchell Cranston, when I get my hands on you, I am going to hurt you!"

"If you can catch me! Hey, watch it; that hurts!" Billy protested as Kimberly landed a kick on his posterior.

"Let me go! Tommy! Help!" Kim shrieked.

Billy glanced up at Tommy. He had observed Tommy's initial approach and had been confused by his momentary retreat. However, Tommy headed towards them once again, wearing a devilish grin. Billy matched it with one of his own and nodded to Kimberly's flailing foot, which landed another blow.

"Looks like you could a little help," Tommy observed, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Make him stop; please!" Kim pleaded.

"Actually, I was referring to Billy." So saying, Tommy caught her left foot and started tickling. If anything, Kimberly's left foot was more sensitive than her right. Billy noted an almost fiendish delight in Tommy's eyes. Kim's frantic cries rose in volume.

"No fair! I hate you both!"

~*~

Under the cover of the trees, the other four were doing their best to stifle their laughter as Tommy joined in, his presence detracting from the more intense performance of moments ago.

"Poor Kimberly," Kat murmured, trying to check her giggles.

"This is too good! I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Rocky chortled.

"Billy has an interesting view on stress reduction," Tanya added.

"They had better not let go or else Kim will kick their butts," Adam said.

~*~

"Think she's had enough?" Tommy queried. It was becoming more difficult to hold on to Kimberly's twisting body, and her laughter was losing its frantic edge, becoming almost a snarl.

"Yes, but if we let her go, we're dead men," Billy panted.

"Maybe we'd better try and calm her down," Tommy agreed.

"The question is how."

"Should we try massaging her feet?"

"It couldn't hurt."

They ceased tickling and started to gently rub the soles of her feet, but it was too little too late as far as Kimberly was concerned. By changing their tactic, both Billy and Tommy had loosened their hold on her ankles. Inching forward, she reached out for the lip of the water hole. Her fingers sunk into the ooze, and a devilish light flickered in her eyes.

"I think it's working," Tommy observed, noting that Kim's struggles had lessened. He glanced over his shoulder to see what Kim was doing and was clipped by a mud ball. Startled, he released her foot. Kim kicked away. She flung another wad of mud at Billy and jerked her foot free.

"You two have had your fun; now it's my turn," she glowered with dangerous amusement. She threw another handful of mud at Tommy. He didn't move fast enough to avoid the messy missile.

~*~

"Co-ed naked mud fight, all right!" Rocky cheered.

"And you can't play," Kat chided as she and Adam held their overeager companion back.

"No fair," he pouted.

"You weren't invited," Tanya teased him.

"Aw, man!"

"Don't complain; at least we're letting you watch," Adam teased.

~*~

"We're lucky she's not Tanya," Billy said, referring to Tanya's pitching abilities, as he tried to dodge another glob--unsuccessfully.

"She's doing pretty good as it is," Tommy agreed. Kim was flinging the mud fast and furiously. As Tommy ran his evasion pattern, he edged closer to the source of ammunition. "I think it's time for a counterattack!" With an exuberant ki-yai, he scooped up of a handful of muck and hurled it at Kimberly.

"Oh, yeah?" she challenged and started aiming exclusively at Tommy. Billy wisely stayed out of the contest. The two were caught up in the battle, snarling, laughing, and just generally having a good time. Tommy kept closing the gap between them, and Kim started shoveling the mud in his direction. Finally Tommy scooped up a double handful of mud and dumped it on Kimberly's head.

"Tommy!" she squealed in protested. She swung at him and missed, much to Tommy's merriment. He maneuvered himself so that he was behind her.

"Let's see if your sides are as ticklish as your feet," he said as he reached for her waist.

"No!" she screamed with helpless laughter. She doubled over as she fought to escape. She was slick with mud, but Tommy wrapped one arm about her middle so she couldn't escape and continued tickling with the other. Kim tried backing him down with her hips in order to break his grip. As she struggled to get free, she twisted and contorted her body so much that Tommy soon found his hands in places he had never dared put them before. Kim was just so slippery--he couldn't help it if his hands were sliding all over the place!

Finally, Kim could stand it no longer, she shifted her weight so that Tommy was actually picking her up, then she kicked back, catching both of his shins hard.

"Hey, that hurt!" he yelped, dropping her hard on her backside.

"You think my sides don't? I can't breathe!" she grumbled, glaring up at him furiously. The fury melted into amazement as her gaze traveled the length of his body. It was hard to miss the prominence of his manhood, and Kim suddenly realized just how intimately her backside had been getting to know his groin area as she had bumped and ground against him in her efforts to break free. Tommy noticed the intensity of her stare, and she looked away quickly.

As she was trying to look anywhere but at Tommy (and she was practically at eye level), she became aware that she had not been unaffected by their contest either. The taut buds of her nipples obviously poked through the coating of mud, and the wetness between her legs had less to do with the wet mud than with her own excitement. There was more of emotion than exertion in her elevated pulse and labored breathing. Just as she had been aware of Tommy's state of arousal, so he was aware of hers, and Kim was grateful for the coating of mud that hid the fire in her cheeks.

"Here," Tommy said, offering her his hand. She accepted it. The two simply stood there for a moment, neither able to meet the other's eyes. Tommy ran his hand across the back of his neck, and Kim nibbled at her lower lip.

"I'm sorry...." they began at once.

"I didn't realize ... I guess I got so caught up in the roughhousing...." Tommy sputtered.

"Me, too. I didn't mean to...." Kim fumbled.

As they made their awkward apologies, the two became aware of Billy's laughter.

"I wish you guys could see yourselves!" Billy chortled. "You look like a pair of little kids!"

Tommy and Kim paused and looked each other over again. They were still uncomfortably aware of their states of excitement; however, as they continued to stare, they realized that they were covered from head to toe with squishy reddish clay. They had to admit, it was a pretty comical sight. Sheepish grins gave way to laughter. Kim doubled over and lost her balance and slipped into the mud again; Tommy helped her up.

"So, how do you guys feel?" Billy queried as he stepped forward to offer Kim a hand.

"You know something," Kim began, exchanging knowing glances with Tommy, "I think this was a set up." She grinned wickedly.

"I think you're right."

"Uh, guys, let's not do anything rash, now," Billy protested as he tried to back away, but Kim refused to release his hand.

"Okay, Mr. Science, your turn for a mud bath," she declared as she jerked Billy forward. He tried to stop his momentum, flailing at the edge of the muddy track.

"If I'm going in, I'm taking you with me!"

"Oh, no you don't! Tommy!"

Tommy reached for Kim's other hand as Billy tugged at her. His foot slipped on the grass, and all three tumbled into the muck.

"Ew, gross," Billy groaned, mimicking Kim. She retaliated by taking a handful of mud and dumping it on his head.

"A mud bath is supposed to be good for you," she teased.

"Speaking of which, we can't go back to camp looking like this," Tommy said.

"Can you imagine what the others would say about their leaders mud wrestling?" Billy added.

"I'm sure Rocky would have plenty to say," Kim commented. "Should we clean up here?"

"I suppose we could; the mud should settle quickly and pose no problems for future visitors," Billy replied.

"I just hope I can get all this gunk out of my hair," Kim said ruefully. "I wish I had a comb or something." Tommy opened his mouth to make a smart comment, but Kim beat him to the punch by depositing a large helping of mud on the top of his head. "Now we're in the same boat."

Billy started to snicker again, and Kim whirled to face him, another handful of goop held at the ready. However, as she turned, her eyes went wide and her body went rigid with fear. Tommy looked up, and Billy turned. Towering behind Billy was an enormous creature--dinosaur-like in appearance but sporting an elephant's trunk. The creature's head was narrow, its eyes widely spaced apart. Its mouth was filled with teeth, and a pair of dangerous tusks jutted forth from either side of its prehensile nose. It snatched up a trunk full of grass--grazing Billy's leg with its tusks in the process--and began munching.

"Flat teeth, an herbivore," Kim stammered, recalling Tanya's lessons.

"But those tusks are nothing to sneeze at," Tommy added.

"Judging by its eyes, I would venture to say that its visual acuity is very poor. Most likely, it relies on movement to find things," Billy said; the scratch smarted but wasn't deep.

"So if we don't move, it won't see us," Kim concluded hopefully.

The three held perfectly still as the animal continued to eat. After several helpings of grass, it moved in closer to drink. As it swung out its trunk, it knocked Billy aside. The sudden movement alarmed the creature, and it began snuffling around, probing about with its trunk. The serpentine nose found Kimberly, and one of the tusks pricked her throat.

"Don't move," Billy urged her in a desperate whisper. If the creature were to move its head suddenly, it would rip out Kim's throat.

Kim whimpered softly as the nose snaked out and wrapped itself around her head. The creature sniffled and snuffled wetly in her ear. She bit back a scream. Then, the trunk began to descend lower, probing curiously.

"No," she murmured in absolute mortification as she felt the leathery appendage moving from her shoulders to her chest. To her horror, she felt her sensitive nipples responding to the stimulation. She closed her eyes, praying that no one else would notice.

~*~

"This is absolutely priceless!" Rocky chortled, trying to keep his laughter quiet. "Kim getting felt up by a dino-elephant!"

"Quit being so juvenile," Kat snapped.

"Kim could get hurt," Tanya admonished. "We should do something."

"But what? You heard Billy," Adam said. "If it detects our movement, it could turn its head and gouge Kim's throat."

Rocky knew the matter was serious, and he did his best to rein in his impulse to snicker. He didn't want Kimberly to get hurt, but man, he wished he was that trunk!

~*~

Billy sat in the grass where he had been tossed, frantically trying to think of something to do. Nothing came to mind. Kim's only recourse was to stay completely still and let the creature satisfy its curiosity. It would move on once it was assured that there was no threat. Kim's body was strung as tight as a bow string, her eyes tightly closed and her teeth clenched as she was forced to endure this new indignity. Billy had observed during the tussle with Tommy that Kim had been highly susceptible to tactile stimuli--not that Tommy had been unaffected either. He noted that the creature's explorations were producing a similar reaction, and he discovered that he was unusually affected by the visual stimulus. He was suddenly gratefully to be crouching in the grass.

Tommy was torn between watching the appendage as it wound its way down Kimberly's curves and trying to find a way to get Kim out of her predicament. He was hard pressed to stifle a moan as the trunk cleared the mud from Kim's behind, revealing the lightly bronzed globes in all their glory--not that they weren't just as nice all covered in mud. If it wouldn't have been for the tusk at Kim's throat, he really could have gotten into watching the creature feel her up.

"Stay real still," Tommy urged her softly. "We don't want to get it excited."

"I'm trying," Kim hissed back. Tommy watched as a tremor shot up her spine as the trunk found its way between her legs. His mouth went dry as her buttocks tightened against the intrusion.

"If that thing doesn't stop soon, I'm going to scream!"

"I'm going to put my hands on your back; put your weight against them, and I'll start easing you back. Once you're clear of that tusk, we'll get you free of the trunk. All right?"

"Okay."

"Here goes." Tommy had his hands braced and could feel Kim relaxing against them. As he started pulling her back, the creature moved its head back slightly, enough to alleviate the immediate danger but not enough to allow Kim and Tommy to move away. The beast snorted, making noises that sounded like someone trying to hold back a sneeze.

"Oh, no," Tommy groaned. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the explosion.

"Not that!" Kimberly moaned. A second later, the beast emitted an ear-splitting trumpet and sneezed. Tommy and Kim both received a generous shower of mucus but still could not move. The creature proceeded to get its drink and finally wandered off, leaving Tommy and Kim standing in the mud dripping with snot.

"Are you guys okay?" Billy asked. He was trying desperately not to laugh or smile. He failed miserably.

"Not a word," Tommy warned him.

"Don't you dare say anything," Kim echoed him, but in the distance they heard guffaws. The mud covered trio turned to find the rest of their friends doubled over in helpless mirth. However, the quartet quickly recovered themselves and ran as Kim wiped the mess from her face and reached for another handful of mud.

~*~

Amadan watched in the viewing globe as the four Rangers ran from their mud covered companions, squealing and laughing. His normally dour expression deepened into a hard frown.

"They think this a game?" he hissed. The fact that they had survived far longer than any other visitor to the jungle made no impression on him. He tightened the image in the orb to focus on the muddy trio. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Tommy's dirty, exuberant face. "I wonder if they will still feel like playing without their leader."

Chapter Eight: Ill-fated Crossing

"Kim, what do you have in this roll?" Rocky complained as he shifted the bundle on his back. The seven were making steady progress through the trees.

"Hm? Oh, skins and furs and things," Kim answered distractedly, Rocky's question bringing her mind back to the here and now.

"Gonna make us some clothes?"

"Actually, I had something else in mind."

"Oh?"

"Well, I figure we're all fairly used to each other by now, and there's something we could use even more than clothing."

"What's that?" Adam chimed in.

"Shelter. I thought I'd put it to the team. How would you guys feel about us stitching these things together and making a tarp or something? It could be used as a blanket on cool nights or like a tent when it rains...."

"I could definitely go for not sleeping in the rain anymore," Tanya agreed wholeheartedly, thinking of the last wetting they received two nights ago.

"I could go for waking up without Adam draped all over me," Rocky groused good-naturedly. "If you don't stop that, man, these guys are going to start wondering about us."

"Can I help it if you put off the most body heat?" Adam retorted. It was kind of embarrassing, but he always seemed to wake up practically all over Rocky.

"Hey, do you share?" Tanya asked brightly.

"Maybe Rocky's the warmest because he has the most hot air," Kat giggled.

"Low blow, Kat," Rocky winced.

"What do you think, Billy?" Kim queried when the laughter died down.

"I think a portable shelter would be an excellent idea."

"Kat? Tommy?"

"I'm with Tanya; I hate sleeping in the rain," Kat replied.

"Why don't I make it unanimous," Tommy added.

"Great. We can get started tonight."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Rocky wondered nervously.

"You don't think I'm going to stitch this thing up all by myself, do you?" Kim challenged. "I have more than one bone needle, you know."

"It won't kill you guys to learn how to sew," Tanya chided them.

"Great, our own little quilting bee," Adam muttered. The girls just laughed.

~*~

The light-hearted chatter continued as they pushed through a particularly dense section of foliage. Once the matter of the tarp had been settled, Kim's mind wandered from the conversation. She had been unusually distracted all morning; she had this sense of uneasiness that she couldn't shake. Things had been a little too quiet--a little too easy--for them lately. As they walked, she kept tight hold on her bow, and the least little sound had her on the verge of jumping.

Close to midday, the seven emerged from the brush and found themselves on the perimeter of an open field. There was a slight slope leading down from the trees; to the north were some gently rolling hills, but the path due east was flat and unobstructed except for the grass that rippled in the breeze and an occasional boulder jutting through the greenery. In the distance, the treeline resumed.

"I don't like it," Kim murmured, her unease swelling. "It's so open. There's no cover--no protection if anything should attack or a storm blows through...."

"You worry too much," Rocky teased her. "I, for one, am grateful for an unobstructed hike."

"We'll be able to see anything that tries to attack long before it gets to us," Adam remarked.

"And there's not a cloud in the sky," Tanya added, also looking forward to a pleasant walk.

"I'd just feel better if we stayed in the trees," Kim said.

"It doesn't appear to be that far to the eastern edge of the forest," Billy noted. "Without having to clear a path, we should make excellent time."

"Besides, due east lies in a straight line across this field," Kat interjected.

"We'll be on our guard, though," Tommy assured her.

"All right," she gave in reluctantly, "but I still don't like it."

Tommy took the point with Kat close behind. Adam, Tanya and Rocky followed; Kimberly and Billy brought up the rear.

"Kim, the muscles in your back are as taut as your bowstring," Billy remarked. "Relax before you snap."

"I'll relax once we're back in the trees," she replied curtly.

The creature attacked without warning, seemingly erupting straight out of the ground. What they had taken for a rock turned out to be a horned behemoth not unlike a rhinoceros, although this beast was larger and faster, with more horns, a stegosaurus-like tail, and a carnivore's teeth. Tommy only had a second to recoil before the creature lashed out. Its fore-horn gouged his stomach and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. Tommy landed and did not move.

"Tommy!" Kat screamed as the rest of them dove aside.

"Tanya, Kat, Rocky--drag Tommy to the trees and do what you can to stop the bleeding," Kim directed, noticing that the rhino-thing seemed very interested in Tommy's inert form. "Billy, Adam and I will keep this thing occupied." The others were quick to obey as she let the first of her arrows fly. Adam hefted his spear and interposed himself between the creature and its would-be lunch while Billy collected Tommy's spear and joined him. Together, the trio harassed the horned monstrosity with blows and shouts, trying to lure it away from their vulnerable teammates. Their weapons, however, could not penetrate the thick hide.

"We cannot keep this up indefinitely," Billy panted, dodging another swipe of the spiked tail.

"Just a little bit longer; they almost have Tommy clear," Kim gasped, sparing a glance over her shoulder to check on the others.

"One of you two need to get going. You're our first aid experts," Adam reminded them.

"Hey, do you guys see that dark green patch of tall grass over there?" Kim asked, pointing off to her left.

"The area in that depression between the small rises?" Billy queried.

"Uh huh."

"With all the rain we've had lately, I bet there's standing water over there," Adam realized.

"A creature of this size would no doubt have difficulty maneuvering in a marshy area," Billy concurred.

"Shall we starting herding him that way?" Kim suggested.

It took some doing, but the three managed to get the beast moving in the right direction; however, it suddenly stopped, sniffing the air and pawing at the ground nervously.

"I don't like this," Kim muttered. She turned towards the dark green patch and found herself staring into a pair of enormous yellow eyes. "Run!"

Billy and Adam took off, and Kim flipped out of the way as the crocodile-like creature raised up out of the mire. Fortunately, the reptilian carnivore's vision was not acute; once they were out of its way, the creature caught the sight and scent of the horned beast. The smaller prey was ignored. The three ran as fast as they could for the trees, leaving the two carnivores to battle it out. With their muscles feeling rubbery and their lungs burning, they all but collapsed once they reached the safety of the trees.

"We'd better go help with Tommy," Kim gasped out, struggling to her feet.

The situation looked grim as they reached the others. Tommy was ghostly pale, having lost too much blood. The bloody skins showed where the others had tried to clean him up and apply pressure. Thankfully, he was still unconscious.

"What are we going to do?" Kat queried tearfully.

"Someone get a fire going. Where are the waterbags? We have to clean this out," Kim said as she and Billy probed at Tommy's opened abdomen.

"Should we boil the water first or something?" Adam asked.

"We don't have anything to boil it in," Rocky pointed out.

"It's bad, but I don't think it's too deep," Billy murmured, grateful that Tommy's insides were apparently still intact. This was way out of his depth--Kimberly's too; he could see it in her eyes--but neither wanted to say anything to the others. "I don't think bandaging him up is going to be enough. This will require stitches."

"Right. Kat, get the needles from the supply sack. Tanya, you might have to start unraveling that second cocoon I have in there; I don't know how much this will take."

"What about sterilizing...?" Kat wondered.

"How?" Kim snapped; she could feel herself on the verge of losing it and knew that Tommy couldn't afford that. She took a deep breath. "Once the fire is going, hold the end of the needle in the flame for a bit. That should help."

In a surprisingly short time, all of Kim's directions had been followed, and everything was assembled. She and Billy exchanged grave looks.

"Of the two of us, you are the better seamstress," he said softly. Kim acknowledge the comment with a grim nod.

"Okay. You guys hold him down; something tells me he's not going to stay out for this," she remarked.

"What about a stick for him to bite down on?" Tanya recommended.

"Good idea." Kim threaded her needle then let her eyes linger on Tommy's pale, pain-filled face. "This is probably going to hurt like hell, Tommy; I'm sorry," she whispered. Then, she slipped the needle into his torn flesh.

The pain roused Tommy somewhat, and he began fighting. The others did their best to hold him steady, but Tommy still managed to writhe around quite a bit. Kim couldn't work from the side with him moving so much, so she straddled his hips to help keep him still.

"Kat, talk to him. Try to get him to settle down," Kim urged as she resumed sewing. Either Kat was able to get through to him, or Tommy was simply too tired to fight any longer, but he stopped thrashing about. However, nothing could silence his screams. He bit down so hard on the stick that he nearly snapped it in two.

Finally, the hellish task was completed. The wound was carefully washed, packed with furs, wrapped with skins, and fastened with the cocoon thread. Kim slid off Tommy exhaustedly, her hands shaking. She felt lightheaded, but she couldn't give in yet; there was much to be done. Her voice was steady when she spoke. "All we can do now is keep the wound clean and pray he has no internal bleeding.

"Rocky, Adam, we're going to need more water; scout around and see if you can find any. Billy, Kat, you guys stay here with Tommy; see if you can put up a lean-to or something over him. Tanya, you and I'll find dinner. We're going to need more skins, and maybe we can find something to boil water in."

Everyone dispersed according to Kim's directive, but Billy bade Tanya to wait before following Kimberly on their hunting expedition. Billy stepped off into the brush where Kim had disappeared and found her on her knees.

She had kept her composure until she was clear of the others, then she let her emotions free. She sobbed into her hands, her body trembling with her fear. "Please, God, let Tommy live!"

Billy approached quietly and knelt down beside her.

"Hang in there, Kim."

"God, Billy; I'm so scared.... Tommy needs a surgeon, not a former Angel Scout with a merit badge!"

"We don't have a surgeon, nor are we likely to find one here. At least we have you."

"What if that isn't good enough? Tommy could die!"?

"You've done everything you possibly can," he assured her. "Tommy's a warrior--strong in body and spirit. He'll pull through."

"He has to, Billy; I don't know what I'd do if he... if he...."

"I know. I'm scared for him, too," Billy said as he pulled her into a hug. In offering the embrace, he vented his own emotions. "However, you've got to pull yourself together. The others are looking to you for direction. You're team leader now."

"Me? I'm not a leader... I'm not even a Ranger anymore!" she protested.

"Yet you took command of the situation immediately--just like you did back at the cave and like you've done throughout this whole journey. You're still a Ranger, Kim; you never stopped even though you gave up your Power Coin. You and I are the two senior members of the team, and of the two of us, you're the fighter. You'll do just fine. I believe in you, Kim, and so does Tommy."

"He does?"

"Yes. You've been as much our leader as he has been, and he's come to depend on your strength as much as any of us. You need to be strong for his sake, if no one else's."

"I'll try."

"Good. Now, I'll go help Kat with the shelter, and you and Tanya go find dinner."

~*~

It had been a couple of days, and there was no apparent change in Tommy's condition. However, Kim was grateful for that. At least he wasn't getting any worse. She finished cleaning the wound and applied clean bandages. Then she steeled herself for "diaper detail;" it had been the only thing they could think of since they had no bedpans. As Kim removed the skins, she noted that they weren't as soiled as she had been expecting.

"Kat, have you been able to get any of that broth in him?" she asked concernedly. Over the past few days, they had managed to find a skull cap that, once thoroughly cleaned, served as a good pot. They had been boiling the bones from their meals to make soup for Tommy; they had to feed him somehow.

When Kat didn't respond, Kim glanced up. Kat had dozed off; Kim sighed. Kat was really taking this hard. She felt just as badly, but she couldn't give in to her fears. In a way, she had gone through something similar when Tommy had lost his Green Ranger powers. She remembered how helpless she had felt and how much she had hurt for him. There was nothing she could do to stop the power drain; all she could do was try and keep his spirits up. She recalled how desperately she had wanted to protect him. If there had been a way that she could have given her powers for his, she would have.

At least with an injury, she felt like she was doing something to help.

"Kat," she called again, shaking her teammate gently.

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, Kim," Kat yawned as she came around.

"You tried to stay awake all night again, didn't you," Kim said as she continued Tommy's clean up. Everybody did their fair share of looking after Tommy--each had a specific task (Kat's was seeing that Tommy got fed) but somehow, Kim wound up with the most sensitive ones. "You won't do him any good if you make yourself sick by not resting."

"I know. I'm sorry. I wish I could do more, but...." Kat murmured, a sniffle slipping out.

"We all wish we could do more. We've done everything we know how to do," Kim responded gently, echoing Billy's words to her that first afternoon. "It's up to Tommy now. Besides, you're probably doing him more good than you think. I bet he knows you're here beside him, and that's why he's resting so peacefully."

"Do you really think so?" Kat asked hopefully.

"Sure. Listen, it's a little chilly this morning; why don't you lay down next to him, keep him warm, and grab a little extra sleep. I'll have Tanya feed him."

"A-are you sure?"

"It'll do you both some good."

"Thanks, Kim," Kat said gratefully, grabbing Kim's hand and giving it a squeeze. Then, she snuggled against Tommy's side. As she rest her head on his chest, Tommy's arm seemed to close around her.

"Sure, no problem," Kim mumbled, heavy-hearted. Her throat seemed to swell shut, and she bit back her tears. She gathered up the used diapers and headed across the camp. The others were eating breakfast in silence.

"Kat's napping," Kim reported. "When the broth is ready, would you feed Tommy, Tanya?"

"Sure, Kim."

"I'm going to take care of the laundry," she said tiredly.

The others exchanged concerned looks as she walked off. They had overheard her exchange with Kat.

"Why don't I go give her a hand," Billy volunteered, scrambling up to go after her. He had a hard time catching up as she was walking with an unusually long stride. It was as if she was in a hurry to get away. By the time he caught up with Kim, she was already kneeling beside the hollow. A section of collapsed ground revealed an underground stream.

"Kim, the laundry can wait a minute," Billy said. He could see that her shoulders were shaking, and she furtively wiped at her eyes before sitting up. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"You're still in love with Tommy, aren't you."

"I never stopped loving him, Billy. I...."

With it out in the open, Kim couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Billy pulled her into his arms and let her cry.

"What happened, Kim? Don't put me off," he requested as her sobs began to subside. She was still clinging to him, and he gently stroked her hair. "I know you lost communication with us after Christmas, but what happened to make you give up Tommy?"

"I thought I'd lost him already," Kim began, sniffling. "When I left, I was so afraid that he'd find somebody else...."

"Why would you think that? Tommy was so in love with you that he wouldn't even look at another girl."

"Remember what happened the summer my folks got divorced?" Kim queried.

Billy recalled that summer quite vividly. Trini had been away visiting relatives out of the country, so when things fell apart for Kim's folks, she had turned to him. It had been a little unsettling until Billy realized that Kim had turned to him for stability, needing the security of their friendship to carry her through the instability at home. That summer was what made them fast friends in their own right and not just connected through Trini.

"Mom went to Europe with my aunt, and by the time she got home, Dad had met Cynthia."

"And that's why you thought Tommy would find someone else, too," Billy surmised. "Kim, your and Tommy's relationship was still solid. Your parents' was already headed towards divorce."

"I know... but I couldn't help being afraid... since no one would tell me anything... I wanted to come home and find out what was going on for myself--I nearly had the plane ticket bought and everything. However, I couldn't go through with it; I couldn't do that to my teammates. I had given up so much already to be there, and to run out on them.... I tried calling Tommy one more time. I got a hold of his dad. When I asked where Tommy was, Mr. Oliver said... he was out with Kat--and the gang."

Billy closed his eyes and grimaced. He didn't need Kim to elaborate that that must have confirmed her worst fears.

"It sounded like he added 'and the gang' as an afterthought," Kim continued. She wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself. "For two weeks, I went around in a daze. I couldn't eat; I couldn't sleep. It started affecting my practices. That's when Todd sat me down and talked to me.

"Billy, I wasn't looking for someone to replace Tommy; Todd was just a good friend, but somewhere along the way, we started getting tight, and I started feeling guilty about all the time I was spending with him. Todd was, too. He told me that I should talk to Tommy, that I needed to be up front with him. I thought about it long and hard; then, I wrote the letter. I thought I was doing the right thing; I believed I had already lost him--that he hadn't told me because he didn't know how. I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt as much if I did the letting go--instead of hanging on and hurting like my mother did.

"I might as well have cut my heart out. No sooner had I dropped that letter in the mailbox than I had wished I could take it back, but I knew I couldn't. I even mailed it to the Youth Center because I knew Ernie would make sure Tommy got it."

"Why did you tell him that he had always been like a brother to you?" Billy had always wondered about that.

"Even though I knew I had to let him go, I didn't want to lose him. I still loved him. I guess I thought if I convinced myself that he was like my brother or something...." Kim let the implication hang. Billy understood; it was much like Tanya had said.

"Kim, you should have tried talking to him before dumping him. It's not a crime to be lonely; Tommy would have understood."

"Maybe," Kim said bitterly. "At any rate, it doesn't matter now. I can't undo what I did, and he has Kat...."

Billy picked up on her anger and was puzzled by it. "If you're so angry with Kat for taking Tommy away from you, why have you been so nice to her? What you did for her this morning--that was really big of you; I was very impressed."?

"I'm not mad at Kat, not really. Well, maybe just a little bit. Part of me feels like if she hadn't come along... if she hadn't been so obviously smitten by Tommy, I wouldn't have lost him to her, but I know now that Tommy didn't turn to her until after I let him go. She didn't really do anything; I'm the one who jumped to conclusions. I'm not even really mad at Tommy; the only person I have to blame for this mess is myself."

"That's not entirely true. Part of it is Tommy's fault for not keeping in contact with you."

Kim seemed not to hear him. "As for this morning, I know how Kat feels. She's scared and feels helpless; I feel the same way, but I've been through this once before--sort of. It doesn't do Tommy--or the rest of us--any good for me to be at odds with Kat right now."

Billy heard the note of finality in Kim's tone; she had said all she was going to say on the matter for now. However, there were still a lot of questions she hadn't answered, primarily what had happened between her and Todd. Once again, she had retreated behind the shield of the team's needs to hide from her pain. Billy would have to be patient until Kim was willing to open up to him again.

~*~

The following morning, Kim was tending to Tommy as usual after having sent Kat off to take a break (she had even recruited Tanya to help her convince Kat that a bath might feel good). Kim preferred tending Tommy in peace; she was feeling none too sure of herself after her talk with Billy. She placed her hand on Tommy's sweat-slick brow and frowned: he had a slight fever, and his wound was warm to the touch--infected.

"Please hang on, Tommy," Kim whispered as she brushed the hair from his face. "You have to make it! If you don't, I don't know what I'll--I mean we'll--do."

She sat back to collect herself. It wouldn't do for any of the others to see her like this; she tried so hard not to let them see her own fear when theirs was plain in their eyes. Kim briefly wondered if Tommy ever felt the way she was feeling now--scared and unable to show it, wanting desperately for someone to take the burden of being brave off his shoulders so that he could just be a person and give in to his emotions.

Quite unexpectedly, Tommy moaned and began moving fitfully.

"Somebody call Kat!" Kim hollered out towards the fire; the only one there was Billy. Belatedly, she recalled that Adam and Rocky were out doing some scouting. To Tommy she said more soothingly, "Easy does it, Big Guy. Just lie still; everything's all right."

"Kat?" Tommy murmured weakly. Kim flinched; she couldn't handle this--she couldn't! However, when she didn't respond immediately, his tone became more frantic, and he began struggling to sit up.

"Tommy Oliver, don't you dare sit up!" Kim growled at him, trying to hold him down.

"Kat?" Tommy called out again, still fighting. "Kat, why...?"

Damn it! Where the hell is Billy with Kat? Maybe if Kat said something to him, he'd stop struggling. If he didn't, he'd undo his stitches. He continued tossing and turning, and Kim did the only thing she could think of to calm him down.

"Sh, Tommy, don't worry. I'm here," Kim said, attempting to mimic Kat's accent. "Lie still; you're hurt."

"Kat? What... happened... why...?" Tommy groaned.

~*~

Kat, Tanya and Billy arrived just as Tommy spoke. Kat gave a squeak of joy and started to hurry forward, but Billy held her back.

"Billy! He's calling for me--he needs me!" Kat protested.

"He isn't fully cognizant. Kim is trying to get him to settle down; you'd only confuse him at this point," Billy explained.

~*~

"The rhino-thing hurt you pretty badly," Kim explained. The accent sounded horrible, even to her, and she made a face; thank goodness Tommy was too out of it to know the difference.

~*~

"Is she making fun of me?" Kat murmured, hurt.

"She's trying to convince Tommy that you're there," Tanya pointed out. "She has to get him to settle down somehow before he undoes his bandages."

Kat nodded, understanding, but she wished she could go to him all the same.

~*~

"Hurts...."

"I know, Tommy. Please, go back to sleep."

"Billy... the team...."

"Billy's taking good care of the team. Don't worry, Tommy; you need to rest. I'll be right here beside you if you need anything."

Kim wasn't sure he heard the last of it; Tommy had drifted back to sleep. She sat back with a sigh of relief. As she became aware of Kat's approach, she scooted out of the way. "I'm sorry, Kat; he was just struggling too much. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's all right; I understand." Kat knelt beside Tommy and brushed her fingers through his hair. "At least he asked for me." She beamed happily at her friends.

"Yeah, he did."

"Thanks for calling for me, though."

"Come on," Billy recommended, putting an arm around Kim's shoulders. He felt her trembling. "Kat and Tanya can sit with Tommy; it's your turn to take a break." He led her over to the campfire, noticing the pain and sadness in her eyes. It couldn't have been easy for her to hear Tommy calling out for Kat. Yet, there was more to her expression than that. "What's wrong?"

"His wound is warm, and he has a fever," she said softly.

"Infection," Billy realized grimly.

"I wish plants were more than just a hobby; there has to be something out here we can use to help him!"

"Even a fully trained botanist might not find it; there are species of plants here that we've never seen before."

"We have to try; maybe if I go out and observe the animals, I'll get lucky again."

"Kim, I don't think you'll find a miracle cure for Tommy's wound like you did for Rocky's sunburn," Billy cautioned her.

Realistically, she knew he was right. "At the very least, I might find a root or something to help ease his pain."

Billy had to grant that possibility. "You shouldn't go wandering about alone."

"You need to stay here, just in case; I can catch up with Rocky and Adam."

"All right. Just be careful. I know how much Tommy means to you; I know how much you want to help him. Don't let sentiment cloud your judgment. Getting yourself killed won't do him any good."

"If I thought it would help, Billy, I'd give my life for him."

The look in Kim's eyes as she uttered those words robbed Billy of any further comment.

~*~

Rocky and Adam came to a break in the trees at last. Since the seven of them had been camped, they went out everyday exploring the trail to the east. Adam took his hunk of chalky stone and marked a tree.

"It looks like a dry riverbed," Adam observed, taking note of the trench winding before them. Apparently, the river had dried up some time ago, for a variety of plants and scrub sprouted up through the rocks in the bottom. "I wonder if that underground stream we found used to feed into this."

When Rocky made no comment, Adam glanced over at his silent friend who was kicking idly at small stones and swatting at the grass with a stick he had found. Rocky had been unusually quiet over the last couple of days; they hadn't heard so much as one wisecrack out of him. Truth be told, he kind of missed Rocky's antics.

"Rocky?" he prompted.

"Huh?"

"What do you think--about the stream?"

"Does it really matter?" he asked glumly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Baloney. Talk to me, Rocky." Normally, Rocky was the one helping him out, trying to get him to talk about what was bugging him. "This isn't like you; let me help...."

"Can you make Tommy better?" Rocky asked sharply.

Adam understood. Rocky was scared--too scared to hide behind his usual jokes. "We're all scared for Tommy. All we can do is wait and hope and pray."

"He could die, couldn't he."

Adam had thought of little else since Tommy went down. There had been times during their battles as Rangers that they'd been seriously injured, but they always had the facilities at the Command Center/Power Chamber to fall back on. Even the episodes with Kat and Kim... the possibility existed that either one of them could have died, but somehow those incidents seemed different. They had been able to act--to do something to influence the outcome. With Tommy's injury, there was nothing they could do--no one else they could turn to.

"I know that Kim and Billy know some first aid, but this is way out of their depth!" Rocky continued.

"I'm sure they know it, too, but they're all Tommy has right now. Come on, Rocky. Kim and Billy need us to hang in there and do our share so they can concentrate on Tommy."

"I know. I'm trying. It's just that everyone's so tense. Whenever I feel a joke coming on or I think the mood needs to be lightened a little, I take one look at Kim, and I can't do it. I'm afraid she'll go ballistic on me or something. She's so uptight, she could snap at any moment. I'm really starting to worry about her."

"Me, too. I hope Tommy starts mending soon; if we lose him, she's going to blame herself." Adam didn't know what they'd do if Kim lost it; pretty much, she was the only thing holding the rest of them together.

"What's with those two anyway? I thought they were split up, but it's pretty obvious that they still have the hots for each other."

Adam thought back to Kim's comment the night she got caught in the landslide: It's not easy--loving someone who loves someone else. He finally realized that he wasn't the only one with that problem. "I feel sorry for them; whatever it is, it can't be easy."

The two drifted into a thoughtful silence. For several minutes, the only sound was the whispering of the wind through the trees.

"I suppose we should make ourselves useful and see where this river bed goes," Rocky said at last and started down the slope to the rocky basin.

Adam hung back a moment, regarding his friend. Then, he let out a slow breath. He would probably regret this later, but if it would help Rocky out now....

"Hey, Rocky, know any good songs for wandering down a dried up river...?"

~*~

Kim noticed the white markings on the tree and headed down the new path. She was grateful that Adam and Rocky had marked things so well (and that it hadn't rained and washed them away); she could not seem to focus on the task at hand. She wandered through the lush vegetation aimlessly, her mind on what had taken place at camp. Perhaps somewhere in her heart, she had cherished the hope that Tommy might still love her, that maybe--just maybe--something would happen to get them back together again. So much for that hope; even while out of his mind he reached out to Kat--not to her. She had known it; she hadn't wanted to believe it. She just wished it didn't have to hurt so much.

Since she wasn't paying attention to the trail, she didn't notice that it took a sudden curve. Kim marched forward resolutely and went tumbling down the drop off. When she landed, she found herself in the midst of a disagreement between two animals, one resembling a bear (but not quite) and the other a saber-tooth cat of some kind. She didn't even have time to catch her breath. Almost as soon as she sat up, a vicious swipe of a clawed paw sent her flying. Pain raced up her left leg like wildfire. The claws had raked her but good.

"Real swift, Kim," she muttered as she tried to scramble out of the line of fire. She had been dead serious when she told Billy she'd give her life for Tommy's, but getting mauled wasn't what she had in mind!

The fight started drifting in her direction, so she picked herself up and staggered off. However, she tripped over something small and furry. It was a wounded bear cub. Kim figured that the cat must have gotten it or something, but mama bear had arrived in the nick of time. She knew better than to mess with wounded animals--especially when their parents were around--but the combatants didn't seem to care who got trampled as a result of their battle. Kim snatched up the cub and dragged it and herself to higher ground. The two settled onto a ledge overlooking the small valley. Kim petted the cub whose fur was softer and sleeker than any she had ever felt. The cub, in turn, weakly licked at her hand.

The heat of the day combined with her tumble and general stress sapped her strength, and she drifted off to sleep. She had no idea how long she had been dozing; however, when she woke up, the battle was over, and the cub was no longer by her side. She looked around to find mama bear carrying the cub up the slope. At the top, the bear looked back down at her, regarding her almost as if to say, "are you coming or what?" Kim's instincts were telling her to follow.

The bear lumbered over to a skinny tree that resembled a rubber plant with large purple leaves and bright orange flowers. Kim watched as the bear tore off a leaf. White liquid oozed from the stem, and the bear shook the thick substance onto the cub's scratches first then on her own. Next, the bear rubbed the leaf over the cut; it stuck fast to the fluid. Kim was puzzled by the performance until she realized that neither bear seemed to be in pain any longer.

Kim crept forward cautiously. She pulled a leaf from the strange tree and tested the sap; it was sticky to the touch and smelled awful! Squirting the goo from the hollow stem like toothpaste, she applied it to the gashes on her leg. It stung for a moment, then her wound started foaming as if she had put peroxide on it. She did as the bear had and covered the gouges with the leaf. That seemed to block the smell. Kim tried to peel the leaf back, but it was stuck tight. Noticing that the bear had laid down, seemingly waiting, she did likewise.

Kim drifted back into a more fitful sleep, her dreams populated with bears and cats and rhinos and a bald wizard dressed in silver maniacally shouting, "I'll get you my pretties!" Oh Zordon, there's no place like home! Kim woke with a start, the bizarre images still stirring in her brain. She was overcome with a fit of giggles and sat there clicking her heals together.

It's the only thing we haven't tried, she mused, feeling giddy. As she laughed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she caught sight of a white owl on a branch directly across from her. It seemed to be staring right at her.

"A stare down," Kim chortled with delight. She locked gazes with the bird until her vision began to blur. When it cleared, the bird was gone, and Kim couldn't be certain it had ever been there. "Too weird!" She slowly got to her feet, her head still feeling muzzy. "Whoa, I think I had a little too much to drink." She squinted at the sky; the sun was already settling over the tops of the trees. "Oh boy, I'm in trouble!" She glanced back at the bear. "I gotta go; Billy is gonna be mad at me. He's so cute when he's mad." Another fit of giggles took her.

As the merriment subsided, Kim noticed that the bear was gnawing at the leaf stuck to its foreleg, butting it and raking it against the tree bark. It seemed to be itching. Finally, the purple leaf fell away, and Kim was amazed to see healthy pink skin underneath.

"It's healed," she gasped. The bear snorted at her, collected its cub, and lumbered off. Kim staggered woozily over to the tree. She did her best to concentrate and inspect the tree--it was so hard to think--but she knew she had to--for Tommy.

It appeared that the bear had pulled its leaf from the middle of the plant, not one of the lower ones. The mid-range leaves were a more reddish purple and not as thick. Next, Kim examined the discarded leaf; it was the same color as the lower leaves: deep purple, almost black. The leaf plastered to her leg was changing to the darker shade. She barely touched one of the lower fronds, and it broke away from the trunk easily as if dead. The stalk was hollow, and the underside was much like a dried sponge.

Kim had to get a leaf back to Tommy, but what if plucking it caused it to dry up faster? She couldn't remember if she had seen any of the plants near the camp. Well, she'd take one back, and if it dried up, she'd find a way to bring Tommy to the plant. She pulled a frond off carefully and tucked a bit of the dead leaf into the open end of the stalk so as not to lose any of the precious fluid. Then, bobbing and weaving drunkenly, she headed back towards camp.

~*~

"Damn," Billy fumed as he returned to the circle of light around the fire. It was almost fully dark, and there was still no sign of Kim. She had been gone all day. "Where could she have gotten to? Are you sure you guys didn't see or hear her while you were out?"

"Positive, Billy," Rocky reported. "We stuck to the marked trail, so if she was on it, we would have come across her sooner or later."

"Why in the world would she have wandered off the trail?"

"Maybe she sat down to rest and fell asleep, and the guys missed seeing her," Kat hypothesized. "She did look pretty out of it when she left."

"An all day nap?" Tanya asked disbelievingly.

"Maybe we should go out and look for her," Adam suggested.

"My thoughts exactly. Rocky, Adam, why don't you...." Billy's instructions faded as he heard a sound in the distance.

"It sounds like... singing," Adam said.

"Kimberly?" Tanya wondered.

"We haven't come across any singing animals yet," Rocky snorted.

"Kimberly?" Billy called out.

"Billy! BillyBillyBillyBilly!" came the gleeful, if garbled, reply.

"What in the world?" Kat gasped.

"She sounds like she has a snoot full," Tanya giggled.

Kim came straggling into the clearing. Her face, arms, and torso were covered with scratches; twigs and other debris poked out of her matted hair. She was sunburned and walked with a pronounced limp. Her left leg appeared to be all but useless. Yet, she looked oddly triumphant as she stumbled forward carrying a large leaf as if it were a crystal vase.

"Where have you been? What happened?" Billy chided her as he and Rocky hurried forward to help her. She stubbornly refused to surrender the leaf.

"A cat and a bear had a fight about a cub, and I wound up on a ledge," Kim babbled.

"What happened to your leg?" Kat asked.

"Bear went whap!" And she swiped a hand out at Rocky.

"Let's have a look at it," Billy said.

"No no no! Won't come off 'til turns black and itches!"

"Your leg?" Rocky inquired, puzzled. In spite of his concern, a grin twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"No, you dope. The leaf. Pay attention," she snapped. She proudly held out the frond she carried. "This can help Tommy."

"What is it?" Billy asked guardedly.

"Medicine. Made bear and cub better. Cuts on paw all gone."

"Did you use this on yourself?"

"Uh huh."

"Kimberly, that was extremely foolish and dangerous...."

"Didn't hurt the bear," Kim insisted, puffing out her lower lip defiantly.

"You are not a bear."

"Didn't hurt me either. Cuts got bubbly... leg feels funny... can't feel nothing. Got sleepy. Wake up... feel funny, kinda woozy...."

"Numbs the wound and has a narcotic effect," Billy surmised.

"Fixes cuts too! I saw it!"

"All right, all right, I believe you," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. It was pointless to argue with her when she wasn't in her right mind. "However, we shouldn't use it on Tommy just yet."

" 'M not stupid. See if it works on people first. When leaf turns black and leg itches, then we know."

"Any idea how long that will take?" Adam ventured.

"Don' know."

"We'll wait and see what happens to your leg. Now, why don't you eat and get some sleep," Billy advised.

"Sleep all day. My watch," Kim insisted.

"You are in no shape to take the watch."

"My watch. My responsibility!"

"I'm not really tired yet," Rocky spoke up. "Tell you what, Kim; why don't I sit up with you for a while. You can tell me all about the cat and the bear and the cub."

"Oh, man, it was scary...."

As Kim babbled out her story, Billy caught Rocky's eye and mouthed a silent thank you.

~*~

As the evening wore on, the narcotic side effect of the plant subsided. Kim regained her coherency and began feeling the aches and pains of her minor injuries. Her leg, however, did not trouble her at all. It didn't itch, either. Kim looked over to where Rocky had nodded off. He had tried hard to stay awake; she dimly recalled them trading stories... and singing? She wasn't quite sure, but apparently, they had had a great time. At least she didn't have a hangover.

She got up and checked on Tommy. His brow was covered with sweat; she wiped it and kissed him gently. His fever had climbed another degree or two. The sap had to work; if not... she didn't want to think about it. She checked the sky and noticed that the largest of the three moons was directly over head. Time to wake Billy for his shift.

"Hey, Billy, rise and shine," she whispered, shaking him gently.

"Hm? Oh, Kim, it's midnight already... Kim?"

"You were expecting Rocky maybe?" She teased and jerked a thumb in Sleeping Beauty's general direction.

"I had hoped he'd stay awake; I guess his hike with Adam took more out of him than I credited." Billy sat up and stretched, careful not to disturb Tanya and Adam. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore but otherwise okay. I'm sorry I was such a dweeb earlier."

"You weren't exactly in your right mind. Whatever possessed you to drink that stuff? It's not like you to take such a gamble--even with Tommy's life at stake."

"I didn't drink it; it's topical," Kim explained. "You smear the sap on the wound... boy, it smells really bad... then you put the leaf over top of it. It adheres to the sap and dampens the smell. The leaf doesn't come off until all the fluid is absorbed from it--I think."

"That would explain the color change, but what about the itching?"

"The bear's paw itched; that's when she worked the leaf off. Her cut was closed, and the skin was new and pink. It only took a couple of hours. The stuff probably works differently from animal to animal, cut to cut."

"It may not work on humans," Billy reminded her.

"We'll know in the morning," Kim said with certainty. "Tommy's fever is getting worse. I don't think he has much time."

"At the very least, we know the sap will ease his pain."

"It has to work, Billy; it just has to."
 

Chapter Nine: Color of Healing

As dawn reached their corner of the jungle, Billy noticed that Kim was tossing and turning fitfully, scratching at her leg in her sleep. Although she had only been asleep for a few hours, he decided to wake her.

"You're going to scratch your leg off if you aren't careful," he teased.

"Bloody miserable thing...." she growled as she slowly sat up, her nails raking across the flesh under the now-brittle leaf. "Stupid thing itches... it itches!" With a cry of delight she began peeling off the dead leaf. Her cry roused the others.

"Keep it down, will ya," Rocky grumbled, rolling over and trying to go back to sleep.

"Look, Billy; it worked!" She stood up and showed him her leg. There were four pink welts running the length of it, but they were healed over. Billy probed her injury gingerly.

"Any pain?"

"None."

"That must have been some swipe," Adam whistled in amazement as he caught a look at the rosy scars. The others were fully awake now, too.

"But Tommy's wound is so much deeper," Kat murmured doubtfully.

"It may take more than one application of the sap," Billy remarked. To Kim, he asked, "Do you think you can locate the source again?"

"With my eyes closed," she declared confidently. "We're going to have to pull Tommy's stitches, and with that infection, we'd better make sure the wound is cleaned good. Let's get the water on to boil."

"Infection?" Kat gasped.

"I noticed it yesterday," Kim replied, putting a comforting hand on Kat's arm. "That's why I was so desperate to find something. I didn't say anything because it was still early yet."

Tommy was quickly prepped for the operation. His head rested in Kat's lap, a thick stick placed between his teeth. The other four each held a limb while Kim straddled his hips. She unwound the bandage and poured warm water on the wound.

"It's too bad you couldn't use the sap to numb the cut before you start pulling the stitches out," Tanya murmured.

"I don't see why not, but I'd better not use my fingers or they'll be numb, too," Kim said. Rocky handed her a small twig, and Kim affixed a bit of the leaf to the end of it. Carefully, she spread the thick goo around the stitches, taking pains not to get the sap on the lacings. "Okay, here goes."

The removal process was slow and still agonizing--for both patient and doctor--but Tommy did not seem to be in as much distress. Kim's hands were shaking by the time she pulled out the last stitch. She cleaned the wound a second time; Tommy's body spasmed, nearly throwing her off.

"Hold him!" she ordered through gritted teeth. Billy and Rocky pinned his shoulders tighter. Kim grabbed the leaf and squirted the sticky fluid all over the open cut. Almost as soon as the sap made contact, the wound began to foam, and Tommy all but screamed.

"It'll stop hurting soon; I promise," Kim murmured, but whether to soothe Tommy or the others wasn't clear. "It's killing the infection." As soon as the stalk was emptied, she plastered the leaf over the sap. When it was in place, Tommy seemed to settle down. Once the leaf was secured with a measure of thread, Kim rolled off Tommy's hips. The others released his arms and legs. Her body felt rubbery from the strain, and she carefully blinked back the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

"All we can do is watch his fever and wait," Kim said as she reached over to feel Tommy's forehead. "Why don't we get some breakfast, then I'll go get another leaf."

"Why don't Adam and I go with you," Billy suggested. "More than one of us should know what this plant looks like and where it's located."

An hour later, Kim, Billy and Adam were on the trail to where the medicinal plant grew. Since Kim hadn't really been paying attention the first time she came through, she literally had to close her eyes to allow her feet to remember the feel of the path.

"You started out on the same path as Rocky and I," Adam murmured, noting the chalk markings on the trees they passed. "How come we didn't see you?"

"Because you stayed on the trail; I didn't," she answered. When the path curved, she showed them where she had fallen over the edge into the gully.

"You could have broken your neck," Billy chastised her.

"It wasn't like I did it on purpose," Kim shot back defensively.

The three made their way down the slope with more care than Kim had the previous afternoon. The gully still bore traces of the fight between the two animals: claw marks, dried blood, and bits of fur. Kim stooped down and retrieved something from the ground.

"Still think I was hallucinating?" she queried as she held out her prize: a tooth as long as her hand. She led them up the opposing slope and showed them the bush. Where the leaves had been pulled off, new shoots had already sprouted. Billy proceeded to examine the plant as carefully as Kimberly had.

"My concern is that the sap loses its potency being separated from the trunk for so long," he remarked.

"Are there any other plants like this around?" Adam queried. "There aren't many mature leaves left." The trio hunted around until they found two other plants. Kim harvested another leaf from the first plant.

"Let's get this back to camp," she advised. "I hope we don't have to wait all day to see if it works."

"Adam, what did your and Rocky's scouting trips uncover?" Billy wondered. None of them had had a chance to get a report from the two yet.

"Not much. Mainly more trees and a dried up river bed. No sign of the river either."

"Hm, sounds like our best bet is to continue the way we came before Tommy was injured," Billy said.

"I'm not letting anyone set foot in that field again," Kim declared. "If we stay close to the trees, we'll be able to skirt the field and keep the sun in sight."

"That will add considerably to our travel time."

"How much time have we lost already because we tried the direct route? No one goes out there again."

Kim fixed the two with a stern glare that dared them to defy her. A glance at the precious leaf in her hands was more persuasive than any argument.

Kat and Tanya sat with Tommy. Rocky had drifted off to sleep again after breakfast.

"I don't have the heart to wake him," Tanya murmured.

"I doubt anyone will be venturing far from camp today," Kat added as she absently brushed Tommy's hair away from his face. "I can't believe Kim found something out here to help him."

"I know; it's almost too good to be true."

"It has to work, Tanya. It just has to!"

Tommy moaned softly in his sleep and moved slightly.

"Sh, Tommy," Kat cooed.

"How are you holding up?" Tanya wondered.

"I'm doing all right--better than all right now," Kat sighed, nodding towards the leaf. "I feel as if there's some hope. Kim's made it real easy on me. It's funny, but I thought things would be a lot more tense between us. She's been really great."

"Kim knows that Tommy needs us to all pull together right now." Privately, Tanya wondered about Kim's behavior. Kim had almost been too nice--as if she was surrendering Tommy to Kat somehow. Tanya didn't doubt for a moment that Kim still cared for Tommy, regardless of the fact that she had broken up with him and had another boyfriend. It was plain in the way she looked after him. She was hurting and hiding behind her duties as leader so she wouldn't have to face the pain. Tanya didn't know what to make of her actions, but nothing good would come of Kim holding it all in. She hoped the few conversations Billy had had with her were helping.

"No... I won't... you can't make me... I won't be your Green Ranger...." Tommy moaned.

"What...?" Kat gasped.

"The narcotic side effect," Tanya realized. "He's delirious--babbling."

"Damn it, Rita... no... please... no... Zedd... not my powers... don't take my powers...!"

"Poor Tommy," Kat murmured.

"That had to be really tough on him," Tanya added sympathetically. The pain of his memories was raw in his tone. However, the pain gave way to bitterness and anger.

"Why me? I never wanted... stupid powers... wish to hell I'd never heard of any of you!"

He began thrashing around more vigorously.

"We've got to hold him," Tanya said. She and Kat tried, but their actions only made Tommy fight them even harder.

"No... I won't... you can't make me... Damn you, Zordon... why'd you do this to me?"

"I never knew he was angry at Zordon," Kat whispered as Tommy continued to rave.

"I don't think he really means it; he's not in his right mind. Maybe on some level he's angry about some of the things that have happened to him, the sacrifices he's had to make, but if he were himself, he'd tell you that he wouldn't trade his experiences as a Power Ranger for anything."

"I hope you're right; I hope it is just the medicine talking," Kat said nervously because he was starting to rant about his friends.

"Jase... why'd you have to go... didn't want to be leader... didn't want... responsibility! Billy... no, don't give 'em up... need you... Kim...."

Tanya and Kat exchanged worried glances. His tone was so dark all of a sudden, and his features contorted with his anger.

"Kim, why? I loved you; why did you leave? Why... did you hurt me... why did you come back! Stay... away... go away... don't want to remember... don't want to hurt... want to forget.... Kat... why? Why... can't you make me forget? Why... can't you be... her...?"

Tanya looked up at Kat's stricken face. She had already pulled away from Tommy as if she had been touching a hot iron. His words about her had been uttered with the same blackness that his words for Kim had been. Tears trickled down Kat's cheeks.

"He's angry... at both of us," Kat stammered in disbelief. "I don't understand."?

"Kat, this isn't really Tommy talking," Tanya reminded her, putting her arm around her devastated friend's shoulders. Even so, Tanya knew there had to be something behind those words. As she held Kat, she noticed that Tommy was slipping back into an uneasy sleep. "Come on; he's resting now. Why don't we wake Rocky and go find lunch or something."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay here," Kat said flatly.

"Kat, don't take it seriously," Tanya advised.

"I'm not. You and Rocky go; we're not supposed to leave Tommy unattended."

"He didn't mean it, Kat."

Reluctantly, Tanya wandered off. Kat pulled her legs in close and hugged them to her chest. Resting her forehead on her knees, she fought back her tears.

When Kim, Billy and Adam returned to the camp, they found Tanya and Rocky gone and Kat sitting in a huddled ball next to Tommy slowly rocking back and forth.

"Kat?" Adam called out.

The Australian's blue eyes looked haunted as she glanced up; her tear streaked cheeks were pale. Kim's heart all but leaped into her throat.

"Kat, what's wrong? Is something wrong with Tommy?" Kim asked, rushing over. The sickening feeling that the treatment had somehow poisoned Tommy rose up like a specter within her. She was relieved to see that Tommy was still breathing, but he was covered in sweat and moaning deliriously. His fever was still dangerously high. She checked the leaf next; it was black, but instead of being brittle, it was soft and slimy and smelled horrible.

"The sap's draining the infection, and the leaf is absorbing it," Billy observed as Kim peeled the pus-filled frond aside.

"Look! The edges of the wound are beginning to look a little smoother!" Indeed, they did. Kim cleaned the injury again and applied fresh sap.

While Kim and Billy were engrossed in tending Tommy, Adam turned his attention to Kat.

"What's happened?" he queried, reaching out to put a steadying hand on her shoulder. It was several moments before Kat focused her eyes on him. He found her dull stare disturbing.

"Tommy was raving," Kat mumbled. "Why did he say those things?" Her bleak tone caught Kim and Billy's attention.

"What sort of things did Tommy say?" Billy asked.

"Hurtful things."

"The narcotic side effect," Billy sighed, echoing Tanya's earlier estimation.

"Don't worry about it, Kat," Kim said gently even though she desperately wanted to know what Tommy had said that could have shaken her so badly. "Remember how the medicine turned me into a babbling idiot? You know that Tommy would never say or do anything to hurt you."

"You can't take anything that he says while under the influence seriously," Billy concurred. Kat did not seem convinced.

"Why don't you take a break," Kim suggested, peering up at Kat concernedly. "Why don't you and Adam go see what Rocky and Tanya are up to."

"Sure. Come on, Kat. I know Rocky's been behaving himself lately, but if anyone can goad him into doing something stupid, it's Tanya. She has a knack for getting to him," Adam said. "There's no telling what trouble those two have gotten into."

Kat allowed herself to be led away, and Billy and Kim could only wonder what Tommy had said.

~*~

Billy checked on Tommy as he promised Kim he would. He was still feverish, but he was down on leaf usage. He then glanced over at Kat who was tucked close under Tommy's arm. Tommy had ranted and raved quite a bit over the past couple of days, A lot of it was simple nonsense, but he had managed to throw in a few barbs at just about everybody. They had all taken to paying the content of his ramblings no mind. Still, Billy never knew that Tommy harbored so much anger and bitterness. Kat refused to say what had unsettled her so, but Tanya had confided in him. Billy had expected Tommy's anger at Kimberly but not his anger at Kat for being unable to replace Kimberly in his heart. The situation between the three of them would have to be resolved, but as long as all parties involved refused to address the issue, nothing could be done.

Billy looked over to where Kim sat huddled by herself in the crook of the tree roots. Now that he thought of it, Billy couldn't ever remember Kim joining in the comfortable muddle of bodies by the fire; she was always alone, sleeping on the fringe. Was that her way of saying that she still didn't feel as if she belonged? He watched her toss and turn, a frown furrowing her brow. She hadn't been resting very well either. It had been over a week since Tommy went down. The toll it had taken on all of them was tremendous. Of them all, Kim was the most in need of a good night's sleep. Billy had the feeling he knew what it would take. He walked over and scooped Kim into his arms.

"Hm? Wha...?" she murmured, rousing slightly.

"Tommy's cold and needs a little extra body heat," he whispered. "Go back to sleep." He laid Kim on Tommy's left. She snuggled in next to him, resting her head on his chest, and drifted back to sleep. Billy was rewarded to see the strain in her face melt away and her body relax. He smiled as he watched Tommy's arm close around her, pulling her close. He would have to make sure he woke Kimberly first in the morning, but for now she was at peace.

It was an hour or so before dawn that Billy thought he heard somebody stirring over at the lean-to. To his surprise and delight, it was Tommy. His eyes were open, and he was trying to sit up. Tommy groaned as pain flared up in his midsection.

"Don't," Billy advised, pushing him back gently. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"What's going on? What happened?" Tommy questioned as he put a wondering hand on his bandages. "The last thing I remember was seeing that rhino-thing popping out of nowhere... how bad was I hurt? How long was I out?"

"Sh, you'll wake the girls," Billy cautioned.

Tommy looked to his right and saw Kat pressed against him. "Kat," he murmured, smiling slightly and stroking her hair. Then it registered that Billy had said girlS --plural. Looking to his left, he found Kimberly tucked comfortably under his arm.

"My doing," Billy offered, noting Tommy's puzzlement. "You needed the body heat; she needed the rest. Don't begrudge her a decent night's sleep."

"She does look pretty worn out," Tommy agreed. His confusion gave way to a more thoughtful expression.

"She's the reason you're still alive, buddy."

"Kimberly?"

"Go back to sleep, Tommy. Wake up again when the girls are awake."

Tommy easily acceded to Billy's request. As he settled back down, he favored Kim with a smile and stroked her hair. Billy sighed and let them all sleep.

It was well past sunrise when Billy observed that Kimberly was stirring. For her, she had slept in. He was already warming up the water for cleaning Tommy's wound, and he had scrounged breakfast for everyone. He watched as Kim stretched along the length of Tommy's body with a hint of a satisfied smile on her lips. Finally, she sat up, yawned, and stretched some more.

"Mm, did that feel good!" she sighed. However, the ease of her wake up vanished as she realized where she was. She looked around, panicked.

"Good morning," Billy called out, rather amused.

"Billy, what am I... how did I...?"

"Don't you remember? I moved you there last night; Tommy looked cold, so I...."

"Oh, okay." Kim stepped out of the circle of Tommy's arm, and Billy found himself hurting for her as he glimpsed the regret and longing in her expression.

"The body heat seemed to do you some good as well," he commented as she joined him on the far side of the fire. "Kim, why do you isolate yourself so much? Do you really still feel as if you aren't a part of the group?"

"Maybe. I guess deep down inside I still feel guilty for what I did in leaving the team and breaking up with Tommy," she admitted reluctantly.

"Kim, you made a mistake. People make mistakes all the time; we're not going to hold it against you forever. And even if we were so inclined, everything you've done since we were deposited in this jungle has more than made up for it."

"I suppose...."

"We're not punishing you, Kim; stop punishing yourself." Billy peered up at her expectantly.

"All right," she agreed, managing a timid grin.

"Good. Why don't you come have breakfast. I figured on letting everyone sleep in today. No one has been sleeping well, but now that things are looking up for Tommy...."

"Let me check on him first, okay?"

Kim wandered over and carefully knelt beside Tommy. An unexpected surge of warmth rushed through her; it had felt so good laying next to him with his arm around her.... Kim quickly shoved the thought aside and tended to business. She brushed her fingers across his brow first--and lingered, her eyes widening. Her pulse jumped. Trying to stay calm, she rested her palm on his chest, paying attention to the rise and fall. Then, she pressed her ear to his heart.

"Oh my God... Billy!" she called out in an excited whisper.

"What is it?" He hurried over, spurred on by her tone.

"Tommy's breathing and heartbeat--they're steady, strong... almost back to normal," she related excitedly, "and he's cooler... his fever has broken!" With trembling fingers she reached for the end of the leaf and pulled it back slightly. It revealed the pucker of newly healed skin. "The wound's starting to close up. He's made it, Billy! He's going to be all right!" A joyful tear slipped down her cheek and splashed onto Tommy's chest. She leaned over and impulsively hugged him. "You're all right!" When she sat back, she wiped the gathering tears from her eyes as if to stop them.

"Don't hold them back any longer," Billy instructed her. "Let yourself cry now." Kim threw herself into Billy's arms and shed her tears of relief and happiness. Not surprisingly, Billy found himself misty-eyed.

Kim clung to him, crying quietly, her tears trickling down Billy's back. Finally, she had to regain control of herself because her sniffling was starting to disturb Kat.

"I'm being silly," she said, freeing Billy at last.

"No, you're not. It just shows how much you care."

"You, too, huh?" She caught him wiping his own eyes.

"Yeah, me, too."

"Do you think I should wake Kat and let her know?"

"She'll be awake soon enough. It's not like Tommy is conscious or anything." Billy didn't have the heart to tell Kim that Tommy had already awakened once. Something told him that she really wanted to be there when he came out of it at last--and he didn't want to catch it for not waking her. It wouldn't hurt her not to know. "Ready for breakfast now?"

"In a bit. I'll go ahead and take care of getting Tommy cleaned up." With a lighter heart, Kim set about the morning ritual. Privately, Billy hoped that Tommy didn't decide to wake up while being changed.

As Kim saw to Tommy, her fussing woke Kat up.

"Kat, guess what! Tommy's... Kat? What's wrong?" Kim left off tending Tommy to see to Kat who was practically doubled over, a grimace of pain plain on her face.

"Really bad cramps," Kat groaned.

"Ah," Kim said knowingly. She, Kat and Tanya had discussed this particular difficulty of biology a while ago. They had hoped that they wouldn't have been out here long enough for it to become an issue. Now that Kim thought about it, Kat was late--probably due to the stress of Tommy's injury. It meant that the three of them were going to be overlapping each other. It always seemed work out that when one got it, they all got it. Rather like dominoes falling.

"It's been a long time since I've had them this bad."

"Too bad we don't have any Midol," Kim joked lightly. "This may not do much for the cramps, but it might make you feel better: Tommy's fever has broken, and the wound is starting to close."

"Really? Kim, that's wonderful!" Kat gave Kim and enthusiastic hug--until her abdomen tightened again.

"How far ahead of time do you get cramps?"

"Not very."

"I'll get my supply sack. I didn't use all the furs and stuff for Tommy's bandages. Would it help to have something to eat?"

"No! I can't stand the thought of food on the first day," Kat demurred. "Do you think you could feed Tommy this morning? I don't think I'll be able to do it without losing it."

"Sure. You just take it easy today." Kim quickly fetched the bag and handed Kat the necessary supplies.

"I'm going to feel utterly ridiculous. The thought that everyone else will know...."

"It can't be helped," Kim said consolingly. She and Tanya were going to have to go through the same thing.

"I know, but if Rocky says anything about me and Tommy having matching diapers, I'll deck him," Kat declared.

Kim smiled as Kat took herself off to outfit herself in private. She shook her head; the guys were doomed if they had to deal with all three of them indisposed at one time.

"Hey, Kim, Tommy's breakfast is ready," Billy called out.

Kim wandered over and collected the bowl and a bit of fruit for herself.

"What's up with Kat?" he wondered. "She looked like she was in pain."

"She's... just not feeling well this morning," Kim hedged; for some reason, she felt decidedly uncomfortable discussing this with Billy. Maybe because it wasn't her own condition.

"It's nothing serious, is it?" Adam asked as he drifted over.

Kim noticed that Tanya and Rocky were also waking up. For a change, Tanya was the one all over Rocky, and he looked more embarrassed than if it had been Adam again. "No, it's not serious. Nothing that five to seven days won't cure."

"Ah," Tanya said knowingly. The guys, however, hadn't picked up on it yet.

"Don't any of you guys have sisters?" Kim queried exasperatedly.

"Sure, I've got three. So?" Rocky answered.

Kim looked over at Tanya and shrugged. "You want to explain it to them?"

"Not on your life," Tanya replied with a grin.

"Explain what?" Rocky insisted.

"I'm going to go feed Tommy," Kim said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

"Something tells me you'd better leave this one alone, Rocky," Billy interjected.

"So, Adam, feel like sparring today...."

The lively conversation faded into a distant buzz as Kim returned to the lean-to. It really wasn't all that far from the heart of the camp--visible from the fire yet just away enough to afford a little privacy when it came to tending Tommy.

"Hey, Tommy, I hope you don't mind, but I'll be giving you breakfast this morning," Kim said brightly as she knelt down. She lifted Tommy's head and rested it in her lap. She tried talking to him a little everyday--usually during her afternoon shift when the others weren't around; she didn't know if anything was getting through or not, but she always felt better for trying. "Kat's not feeling well, but don't worry. It'll pass. I hope I don't make too big a mess here." She brought the bowl to his lips and poured a bit of broth into his mouth.

"Well, things are getting back to normal around here. Everyone's not so uptight now that you're on the mend. The mischief is back in Rocky's eyes; I hate to say it, but I've kind of missed it. We've started a story round robin at night after dinner. Come to think of it, we started it the first night after we put you on the leaves. Anyway, it's going pretty good. Rocky's turn is coming up soon, and I have the feeling he's going to send it spinning off in some really weird direction. Unfortunately, I follow him in the rotation.

"Let's see, anything else I need to bring you up to date on? Adam and Rocky's scouting trips haven't been too encouraging--more trees and a dry riverbed. Billy thinks the field is the way to go, but I'll be damned if I let anyone out there. I don't want to go through this again. This has been the week and a half from hell!"

Kim finished giving him the broth then bit into her breakfast. Almost absently she squeezed a bit of the juice into Tommy's bowl and fed it to him.

"I really hope you wake up soon. You need to have some solid food, and I hope your muscles haven't atrophied. We really need to get moving again. At least your fever has broken; God, I've never been so happy about anything in my life."

Kim smiled down at Tommy; his expression was the most peaceful she had seen it in a while. She idly stroked his hair and pulled a face as her fingers snagged in the tangles. His hair was a mess--full of snarls, matted with bits of grass and other debris, and caked with dirt.

"Your poor hair. It looks awful; of course, mine probably looks just as bad. Running fingers through it just doesn't cut it."

Without thinking, Kim reached for her supply bag; however, a moment of indecision gripped her, and she looked anxiously about to see where the others were. Adam, Rocky and Billy had taken themselves off some place, leaving Tanya and Kat talking quietly by the fire.

Satisfied that no one else was paying attention, she reached in and pulled out a little something she had been working on.

"I've made something," she began conspiratorially. "I just finished it the other night on my watch but I haven't tried it out yet. Actually, I'm kind of embarrassed to show the others. It looks really stupid, and it seems kind of frivolous.... I mean, there are so many other things we need more than we need a comb...." She had saved a section of rib bones from the a small animal they had for dinner a while ago. She had boiled them clean then worked to shape a handle out of the sternum and the teeth out of the ribs. It was very crude, and she didn't even know if it would work.

Kim left off her stream of babbling as she applied the comb to Tommy's hair, being careful not to pull too hard on the tangles. She swiftly lost herself in her task. She had always wondered what it would be like to play with his hair--it always looked so thick and soft and silky. With long, slow strokes she patiently worked the snarls out of Tommy's long locks. She liked the feel of his hair as it splayed out across her thighs and the way it slipped through her fingers as she raked them through the mahogany strands.

"So beautiful," she murmured. It was all she could do to keep herself from burying her face in the luxurious tresses. The only way she managed that was by recalling that it had been a while since he had had his hair washed. Kim suddenly realized that she was really getting into playing with Tommy's hair; she blushed even though no one had caught her at it. She shook off the spell of the moment and tried to return to the grooming with a more business-like attitude. However, it was so very tempting to lose herself in the softness....

A rock hit the ground fairly close to her, snapping her out of her reverie.

"What the...?" Her head snapped around, and she saw Rocky stumbling her way. Another missile soared past him, narrowly missing him.

"Sheez! What's with Kat?" Rocky gasped as he started to slow. He figured he'd be safe over by Tommy, not only because Kat wouldn't want to risk hitting him but because it was probably out of her range. If it had been Tanya throwing things at him....

"What did you... no, I don't even want to know," Kim sighed. She could probably guess what Rocky had done.

"I thought you said she wasn't feeling well."

"She isn't. So why were you teasing her?"

"She looked fine to me. Then, I noticed the diaper. All I did was ask if it was something she ate, and...."

"Rocky...." Kim moaned. "It's not diarrhea. Try cramps."

"Cramps?"

"As in menstrual...." Rocky regarded her blankly. Either he was deliberately being stupid or he really had no clue. "You know... p.m.s.--her period."

"Oh."

Kim had the wicked satisfaction of seeing Rocky blush to the roots of his hair. "You're lucky it wasn't me," she continued with a diabolical grin, pursuing the topic because Rocky was so obviously uncomfortable with it. "When I get mine, I have the most hellacious mood swings. Mess with me, and I'm liable to bite your head off." She could almost see the wheels spinning in Rocky's head. An impish twinkle lit his eyes; he opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "Don't even go there, Rocko."

Rocky flashed her a "who me?" look.

"Hey, what's that?"

Before Kim could recover from the sudden shift in conversation, Rocky had bent down and snatched the comb away from her.

"Give that back," she insisted.

"Is this a comb? Cool!" Rocky ran it through his own tangled locks. "Man, that feels good! Never thought I'd hear myself say that about combing my hair." He glanced down and grinned as he noticed Tommy's hair spread out all over Kim's lap. "Lucky dog. Too bad he's out of it. What I wouldn't give to wake up to find a total babe playing with my hair."

"Rocky DeSantos...." Kim growled threateningly, trying to retrieve the bone without dropping Tommy's head out of her lap. Just then, her patient moaned and shifted. His arm flung out and caught Rocky in the ankle.

"Ow! Hey!" Rocky yelped, dropping the comb. Kim quickly snatched it up.

"I think he's coming around," Kim gasped as Tommy continued to toss and turn. "Quick, go get the others!"

As soon as Rocky hurried off, Kim impulsively leaned over and brushed her lips lightly across Tommy's. Then, she eased him back to the ground.

"Kim, was Rocky kidding? Is he really waking up?" Kat asked anxiously. Kim moved out of the way so Kat could sit next to Tommy.

"He started stirring," Kim said.

The others clustered around as Tommy's eyelids flickered open.

"Tommy!" Kat squeaked out happily. One hand reached out for him, the other went to her mouth as she tried to fight back her surging happiness as if trying to keep from getting her hopes up.

"Hey, Kat," Tommy said hoarsely, managing a weak smile. Kat flung herself at him and hugged him tightly. It was an effort, but Tommy managed to get his arms around her to return the embrace. He looked past the blonde hair and offered another smile. "Hey, Kim." He extended his hand to her. She took it and squeezed it.

"Welcome back," she murmured in a husky whisper.

~*~

"I will be glad when I can walk on my own," Tommy grumbled as Billy assisted him in answering the call of nature. Tommy absolutely refused to be diapered again. It was the perfect incentive to get him started on his rehabilitation.

"Just be happy you can do anything at all," Billy reminded him.

Tommy's hand drifted to where another purple leaf swathed his midsection. "Believe me, I am. Kat's told me a lot of what's gone on while I was out. Has Kim really been directing the team?"

"Since the moment you went down," Billy confirmed.

"Funny, I guess I never pictured her as being team leader; I figured you'd have been the most likely candidate."

"Thank you, no. Being her second-in-command was difficult enough. She did a hell of a job keeping us together and pulling you through. It wasn't exactly easy... like I told you when you first woke up, that had been the first decent night's rest she had in a long while."

Tommy considered Billy's words carefully.

"So, how long had you been awake before going into your little performance with Rocky?" Billy wondered.

Tommy grinned lopsidedly. "I sort of drifted in and out all morning. It proved to be pretty interesting." And disturbing. Listening to Kim tease Rocky had been entertaining, and listening to her chatter had been informative. However, her other actions... the hug and her tears first thing, then later with the comb, and the kiss... they had left Tommy feeling very puzzled.

"Hm, better not let Kim find that out. It's a good thing she was distracted while she was giving you breakfast and wasn't paying closer attention to your vital signs."

"She's not a nurse, Billy," Tommy countered. It was difficult for him to believe that she could be so aware.... "She really could detect the changes in my condition?"

"Kat may have been by your side practically the whole time, and we all may have pitched in with your care, but Kim is the reason you're alive--and not just for finding that sap. She was there for you, Tommy, from the minute she stitched you up until the last time she changed your bandages. She never gave up hoping and wouldn't let any of the rest of us give up either."

"Why?" Tommy blurted out without thinking.

"Why do you think?" Billy asked quietly.

Tommy reflected on everything he had overheard and had been told since waking up. He couldn't believe... he didn't want to believe. It just didn't make sense. "If she still cares about me, why did she break up with me?" he asked, agonized. "I mean, I know she told me that she had gotten lonely down there and all... and I can understand that, but what gets me is why didn't she call? Why didn't she try to talk with me? We could have worked something out."

"But she did, Tommy," Billy replied. He had promised himself he wasn't going to interfere, but he couldn't let Tommy place all the blame on Kim. "Remember? I told you about the letters she sent to Aisha that never made it to us."

"Then why didn't she call?"

"She did that, too. If I recall correctly, wasn't it right after Christmas that your answering machine malfunctioned?"

"Yeah, it'd pick up when a call came in, but it wouldn't record the message," Tommy answered.

"I bet if you were to examine Kimberly's phone bill for the months of January and February, you'd find numerous calls to your home. She called, Tommy; you just never got the messages."

Now Tommy was really confused. At the time he received Kim's letter, he couldn't understand how she could have done that to him, that she could have changed towards him so quickly. Yet, as odd as it seemed, he had never doubted that Kim's change of heart had been all her own doing, but now Billy was implying that it wasn't....

Billy could sense the directions of Tommy's thoughts; it was time he saw the role he had unwittingly played in their break-up. "Tommy, at the time, didn't you think it odd that you hadn't heard from Kimberly for nearly two months? She was always so regular with her letters and phone calls. Didn't that strike you as strange?"

"At the time, no, but once I got her letter...."

"You mean to tell me that the woman you loved hadn't spoken to you since Christmas, and you didn't do anything about it? Didn't you try to call her or write to her or anything to find out what was going on?"

"Come on, Billy; that isn't fair, and you know it. That's when all the stuff with Master Vile and losing our powers and stuff happened. We had more important things on our minds."

"More important than the person you thought you'd spend forever with?" Billy's comment struck a nerve. "Being a Ranger meant more to you than Kimberly?"

"Well, it turns out gymnastics meant more to her than me," Tommy shot back.

"Then why did we all have to practically shove her in the airplane the day she left?" Billy knew Tommy was getting angry. It was time to back off for a bit. "Look, all I'm trying to point out here is that there was more going on than what Kim said in her letter. She admits that she turned to Todd, and why shouldn't she have sought out someone at the training center? Her friends weren't answering her letters. Her boyfriend wasn't returning her calls. She had no way of knowing what was going on, and when she finally connects with your dad, he tells her that you're out with Kat. Now you tell me; what was Kimberly supposed to think?"

Tommy didn't answer. He didn't want to believe it... but he knew Billy too well. Billy wouldn't lie about something like this. Tommy felt cold in the pit of his stomach--and it had nothing to do with his wound.

"If you're finished, we'd better get you back to camp before Kim sends out a search party," Billy said quietly.

~*~

"Intergalactic cockroaches? Rocky, you fink! What in the Sam hill am I supposed to do with cosmic bugs?" Kim protested as Rocky finished butchering the evening story.

"Drop 'em down his shorts, if he was wearing any," Tanya suggested.

"I leave the roaches to your imagination," Rocky retorted.

Laughter filled the cool night air with the seven sharing a camaraderie warmer than the campfire. The team was whole once again, and in another couple of days, they'd be moving out to continue on to Amadan's temple.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm beat," Tommy announced, yawning. He was pushing himself hard, trying to get back on his feet again. More than any of the rest of them, he wanted to leave this section of jungle far behind.

"Me, too," Rocky piped up.

"Oh no you don't," Billy interjected. "It's time to change the watch. Kim and I have pulled nearly two weeks."

"If Rocky takes the first shift, I'll take the second," Tanya volunteered.

"That's okay, Tanya; I'll take it," Adam offered.

"I'm as capable of handling the late shift as anyone else."

"Probably even better than Rocky," Kat snickered. "He'll be snoring before midnight."

"Hey!" Rocky objected.

"All right, Rocky, you have the first shift. Wake Tanya at midnight for the second," Kim directed. Her no nonsense tone effectively settled the matter--to Tommy's amazement. He had not seen much of Kim's command mode and was surprised that the others followed her orders so readily. Somewhat disquieted, Tommy joined Kat by the fire and lay down. Adam and Tanya sidled up next to them. Kim was about to pull off to the side when Billy stopped her.

"Since Tanya has the dawn watch, she needs to be on the outside of the huddle," he reminded her. He indicated that she should lay down between him and Tommy. For a moment, Billy thought she was going to refuse; she looked panicked. He supposed he could have simply invited her to lay down on the outside next to him, but it would be warmer between the two of them and cuddling up next to Kimberly was more appealing than cuddling up next to Tommy. Kim glanced nervously at Tommy, who was already asleep. Only then did she lay down where Billy indicated.

"See, it's not so bad," he teased gently, "and I don't think Tommy bites."

"Shut up, and go to sleep," Kim grumbled as she settled down, her back to Tommy.

~*~

Fiery images shot through Tommy's brain: bears and long-toothed cats, lizard-like ostriches and dino-elephants, and a gigantic, lumbering shadow covered with razor sharp horns. A roar... a stab of pain... blood everywhere--his blood.... It was coming for him....

His friends interposed themselves between him and the creature, trying to save him. The murderous horns slashed through their ranks easily. First Adam and Billy... then Tanya and Rocky... soon, Kat was the only defender left. Yet, even she could not save him.

I won't let it get you.

Tommy turned to find Kim standing over him, her bow held ready. However, as the beast charged, she suddenly disappeared, leaving him alone, defenseless, vulnerable....

"Tommy. Tommy, wake up!" Kim called out, shaking him softly.

"K-Kim?" he mumbled, feeling muzzy-headed. Tommy blearily looked up and saw Kim hovering over him, looking at him concernedly. She smiled gently.

"It's all right, Tommy; you were having a nightmare," she said. She brushed the hair from his sweat-streaked face.

"... rhino-thing... coming for me... all alone...." he stammered as he began settling down. He glanced over at Kat, who hadn't stirred. Then, he looked up at Kim again in confusion.

"Go back to sleep, Tommy. I won't leave you alone; I'll be right here," Kim assured him. Her words seemed to bring him some comfort, and she stroked his hair until he drifted off once again.

Even after Tommy was sound asleep, Kim continued stroking his hair. She had already been stirring when Tommy began talking in his sleep; her own dreams had been disturbing, and when she had awakened, she was uncomfortably aware of how closely she was pressed up against Tommy--and it wasn't because Billy was crowding her. It had felt so good, so right, and it hurt like hell. Kim didn't know what she was going to do.

She glanced over to see how Rocky was doing. At the moment, he was engrossed in a kata, valiantly fighting to stay awake. Kim looked to the sky; midnight wasn't far off. Rocky was determined to show Tanya that he could stay awake. Kim smiled; the pair made an unlikely couple, but they were good for each other. With a yawn, Kim rubbed her eyes and settled back down between Tommy and Billy and went back to sleep.

~*~

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and everyone looked up. It was late afternoon, and the day had been unusually quiet. Billy and Rocky were helping Tommy practice walking with a staff. Tanya was struggling to get Kim's comb (Rocky had ratted on her, and at the others' embarrassingly enthusiastic insistence, Kim produced it) through Kat's hair. Kim and Adam had gone to fetch one last leaf and find dinner.

"That's all we need--rain and no shelter," Rocky complained.

"We've been fortunate; we've had no rain during Tommy's convalescence," Billy pointed out.

"Whatever happened to that tarp Kim mentioned?"

"I think you guys used all her supplies on me," Tommy said. Another crash of thunder--louder, closer--filled the air, and through the canopy of leaves, lightning lit the sky. "I hope Kim and Adam get back before the storm hits."

"Too bad this lean-to wasn't bigger," Tanya muttered.

"Let's gather up our gear and get it under cover," Billy recommended.

"With the wind picking up, we should put out the fire," Kat observed, shoveling handfuls of dirt over the blaze.

The five were just finishing their preparations when the first raindrops began to fall--large, heavy drops.

"Oh man, we are going to get soaked!" Rocky complained.

Shortly after the deluge hit, Kim and Adam came tearing into the campsite.

"We gotta... move out now," Kim panted, doubling over, trying to catch her breath.

"Lightning strike... forest fire...." Adam added.

"Where?" Billy asked.

"West of here, but blowing this way fast--in spite of the rain."

"Where can we go?" Kat wondered.

"The field...." Tommy began.

"No," Kim countermanded sharply, surprising him. She silenced his protest before he could voice it. "Besides the rhino-thing, that grass has to be pretty dry. If it catches fire, it'll go up faster than the tress."

"Won't the rain...?" Rocky began.

"Think, Rocky. We've got a forest fire burning out of control in a humid jungle in the middle of a rain storm. Does that sound natural to you?" Tanya queried. Her words brought to mind something they had all forgotten: Amadan. It was highly likely that this was his doing.

"Let's head east and hope we clear the trees quickly," Kim said. "Rocky, Adam, you guys know this stretch of trees better than any of us; take the point. Billy, Kat, take care of Tommy. Tanya and I will bring up the rear and keep an eye on the fire's progress."

"Tommy?" Kat queried softly. The others were also looking to him expectantly, wondering what he would do.

Tommy looked to Kim. She seemed determined to get them out of there as quickly as possible.

"The lady's orders make sense."

"Thanks, Tommy," Kim murmured. "We don't have much time, folks; let's move!

The conflagration continued to burn hot, and the seven pushed on as if the flames were pursuing them in particular. Kim's concern about the field had proven warranted; it had gone up in flames as she had predicted, and not only that, but the rhino-thing was tearing through it, frightened by the fire. There was no way they could have dealt with the maddened creature. However, the fire continued to gain on them; choking on smoke, they hurried on, but it was becoming obvious that they weren't going to make it.

"Guys, where's that dry riverbed you said you found?" Kim called out.

"Not too much farther," Adam replied, coughing.

"Head for it," Kim directed.

"Didn't the guys say that it didn't head east but southward?" Kat murmured, trying to steady Tommy as another coughing fit gripped him.

"Yes, but the dry bed will act as a natural firebreak," Billy informed her.

"What if that riverbed isn't so dry any more?" Tanya wondered.

"I'd rather deal with water than fire," Kim responded.

"You guys, you gotta go on ahead; I'm holding everyone back," Tommy sputtered.

"Tommy, no!" Kat protested.

Just then, a brilliant bolt of lightning crashed into a tree directly in front of them, and everyone clapped their hands over their ears against the ear-splitting roar of thunder. However, they were in motion almost immediately as a large branch was sheared off and came crashing to the ground. Kim traded quick looks with Billy; he was thinking the same thing she was.

"Adam, Tanya, Kat, make for the riverbed. Rocky, you give me and Billy a hand with Tommy. Tommy, sit," she commanded, gesturing to the leafy portion of the branch. She, Billy and Rocky grabbed hold of the thicker side branches.

"Ouch!" Tommy yelped as he took a seat. "Oh man, I am going to have the worst case of splinters...!"

"Which would you rather be treated for--splinters in your butt or burns on it?" Kim retorted as the trio started hauling the limb along the bumpy trail.

Without having to wait on their companions, Adam, Kat and Tanya swiftly reached the rocky gully and skidded down into the basin, grateful for the momentary reprieve. Behind them, though it was difficult to see through the rain, the sky was thick with black smoke and orange flames.

"Where are they?" Kat asked nervously.

"Hey, do you guys hear that rumbling?" Tanya queried. Adam and Kat looked around, and soon they, too, heard the dull thundering that had nothing to do with the storm.

"Another stampede?" Kat wondered, fearing that the fire had drive the animals before it.

"No, it sounds an awful lot like water," Adam murmured.

"We'd better get out of this basin," Tanya declared. As the three scrambled up the opposite bank, Kat turned to once again check the far shore.

"There they are!" she cried happily. As they turned to look, they glimpsed the wall of water that was bearing down on them.

"Flash flood!" Adam gasped.

"Try and hang on! Stay together!" Tanya urged. The three were swiftly swept away.

"Now what?" Rocky asked of Kim and Billy as they reached the no-longer-dry riverbed.

"In we go," Kim directed. "We'll wind up wherever they wind up."

Rocky and Billy got Tommy to his feet, and all four took the plunge.

By nightfall, the storm had ceased, and as the first moon climbed high into the sky, the seven found themselves carried along to the southeast as the roiling waters rushed through the old channel. Kat surfaced first, catching hold of a dead branch embedded in the wall of the bank. From there she was able to snare Adam as he bobbed into view. The two of them reeled in Tanya as she came past. Tanya and Kat scrambled onto dry land as Rocky was caught, and he and Adam pulled in Billy and Tommy.

"Where's Kim?" Tommy sputtered as he was hauled up and Kat joyfully embraced him.

"She was with us but went under, and we lost her," Billy elaborated, choking on the water he had swallowed.

"We haven't seen her yet," Adam reported.

"We've got to find her," Rocky said.

"Unless she finds you first," came the weak reply as Kim was deposited against the branch. She had a hard time grasping it.

"What happened?" Billy inquired, noticing her arm's lack of mobility.

"When I went under, I got slammed into some rocks. I don't think it's serious," she murmured.

"At least we're all present and accounted for," Tanya sighed as she collapsed onto the ground.

"I wonder how far off course we are," Tommy added.

"We have come a considerable distance," Billy observed. His gaze drifted skyward. "However, judging from the position of the stars, I believe our circuitous watery route has us back on our eastward track."

~*~

Dulcea smiled then passed her hand across the viewing globe, dispelling the images. It would not do for Amadan to find her observing the Rangers; although, he was probably too exhausted from manipulating the weather to be concerned about her actions. The Rangers were doing well.

Admittedly, she had intervened--but minutely. She had done less in directing mother and cub to the selannant plant than Amadan had in rousing the riornin to attack the Rangers. Kimberly's observations and correct interpretation of the urus' actions were entirely her own doing. She could have just as easily have miscalculated and pulled off the poisonous orange blossoms. Of course, she had counted on Kimberly's clever mind and knew that she would be able to follow the clues provided by the animals. After all, had she not followed the mossassa and found the aloini to treat her companion's burns?

Perhaps she had gone a bit far in keeping watch over the girl while she had slept under the selannant's influence; however, she had done nothing more than that. She could not, unless Amadan attacked the Rangers directly instead of influencing the denizens of the jungle do his work for him. Amadan had the advantage in that his control over this dimension was considerable--as demonstrated by the storm and the fire; still, her own powers--limited though they were--could be quite effective. She smiled as she considered the strategically placed stone she had she requested the yekmo to remove. Not as grandiose an act as causing a forest fire to burn out of control but just as effective considering the flood that had been the result.

Dulcea withdrew from the chamber. Once again, the scales had been balanced--but for how long?

On to Part Three.....

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