Chicken Noodle Soup
by
Gear's Girl
Disclaimer: Do not own SPD just the idea.
A/N: Thought it would be cute. Please review.
- - - - - - -
Chapter One - AHCHOO!
“Ahchooo!” sneezed 20-year-old Sydney Drew her long blonde curls bouncing with the impact of her sneeze. “Uhg,” she groaned flopping back against her pillows and pulling her pink comforter over her head.
“Syd get up, we have training in fifteen minutes,” said 20-year-old Z Delgado to her roommate. “You know Sky doesn’t tolerate tardiness, even from you.” Getting no response Z shook Sydney by the shoulder. “Come on Syd this isn’t funny.”
Z eventually gave up and sprinted out to the training field to meet up with Sky Tate and Bridge Carson the Red and Blue SPD B-squad Power Rangers were waiting.
“Where’s Syd?” 21-year-old Bridge asked Z as he cast a nervous glance at Sky.
“Yes, where is she?” asked 22-year-old Sky in his stern no nonsense demeanor.
“In bed,” said Z not looking Sky in the eye. “I couldn’t wake her up, sir.”
Sky's lips formed a straight tight line not saying anything, so Z added, “She was sneezing a lot last night.”
“Skipping practice is inexcusable, unless cleared by Commander Cruger or Drs. Manx and Felix,” said Sky sternly. “I will go deal with Cadet Drew while you two start on the mud course. Bridge you're in charge.”
“Yes Sir!” Z and Bridge said in perfect unison. They looked at each other as Sky jogged off the training field.
“We might as well get started,” said Z, Bridge nodded his agreement and the two jogged over to the mud course and began.
- - - - -
Sky stalked into Sydney and Z’s room and over to Sydney’s bed where he saw the squad’s Pink Ranger curled up tightly in a ball huddled under a mountain of pink, white, and baby blue blankets.
“Sydney wake up!” he said loudly, all he got was soft groan from the Pink Ranger. “Come on Syd,” he said his normal tone of voice, he bent down and unearthed her from under the blankets where he found her curled up in ball shivering with her hair and thin pink pajamas were damp with sweat. “Syd?” he reached out a hand and laid it on her forehead where she shivered at his touch. Her skin was warm and clammy. Sky sighed and then gathered the small girl into his arms and carried her out of the room and down to the infirmary.
- - -
“Well?” Sky asked as Dr. Felix finished taking his notes after examining Sydney.
“Patience Cadet Tate,” said Dr. Felix. “Cadet Drew has an extremely bad case of the flu and most likely a bad cold on top of that. I am going to start her on an IV of antibiotics now and once she is finished with it, I will page you and you can take her back to her room. Just so you know Cadet Tate, your Pink Ranger will be out of commission for at least three weeks and even so she will be enervated.” Sky crossed his arms across his chest and nodded. “Cadet Drew is a fighter and her immune system is very resilient, but when Cadet Drew gets sick, it knocks her out. Now, I am not blaming you for what I am about to say, but as the squad leader, as the Red Ranger, you need to keep in check with your Rangers and their health, as well as your own. What you guys do as Rangers are is beyond words but it takes a tremendous toll on your body and health. You all work so hard; take time to enjoy life.”
Sky walked back over to the bed where Sydney lay, she looked to be sleeping comfortably, but she looked so fragile and small. Sky gently brushed a lock of hair of her face and trailed his fingertips down her face; she stirred in her drug-induced sleep resting her heated cheek against the inside of his large hand. Sky felt his heart tug as he watched her.
Chapter Two - Wheezing at Midnight
Z awoke to the sound of wheezing; she rolled onto her other side and pulled her pillow over her head before her brain registered the sound. Z sat up quickly and flipped on the lights.
“Syd?” she asked. “Are you okay?” Z’s eyes widened as she saw Sydney thrashing about in her bed wheezing and trying to breathe. “Oh god!” Z hit the red and blue buttons on her morpher as well as the emergency panic button. “Help!” she screamed.
Their door flew open, and Sky and Bridge burst into the room.
“What’s going on?” said Bridge. “We heard a scream.”
“That was me,” said Z as she frantically gestured to Syd’s thrashing and wheezing form. “I don’t know what to do…” Bridge pulled Z into his arms as Sky rushed over to Sydney and pulled her out of her bed and onto the floor with her head in his lap. One of Sydney’s fists struck Sky forcefully in the chest; he sucked in a sharp breath.
“Syd? Sydney? Syd…” Sky said finding his own throat start to constrict, he fumbled to find Sydney’s pulse, and he found a rapid erratic one as Dr. Kat Manx burst into the room with a med box.
“Update!” she barked out, pushing Sky out of the way and assessing Sydney.
“I woke up to her wheezing,” said Z in a shaky voice from the safety of Bridge’s arms. “I panicked so I called for Sky and Bridge, as well as calling for med help. And I screamed for help.”
“She’s got a rapid and erratic pulse,” said Sky. “I think she is having trouble breathing.”
Kat slipped an oxygen rebreather mask over Sydney’s nose and mouth giving her a fresh flow of oxygen. After a few minutes, Sydney stopped thrashing and her eyes opened and she looked around wide-eyed, she reached a hand out to Sky. Sky took her hand and held it.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay?”
Kat moved Syd’s mask so she could speak.
“I…I…couldn’t breathe…” Sydney rasped with tears in her eyes. “It hurts to breathe.”
Kat replaced the mask back over Syd’s mouth and nose and said, “Just try and breathe normally Sydney. Sky, bring Sydney and come with me to the infirmary.” Sky lifted Sydney up into her arms; the Pink Ranger wrapped her arms around his neck. “Bridge, Z try to get some sleep. Z, you did the right thing by calling for help.” Z nodded as Sky with Sydney followed Kat out of the girls’ room.
“Are you okay?” Bridge asked Z as the two sat on Z’s bed.
“I…I don’t think I have ever been so unsure of what to do in all my years as a Ranger,” Z replied softly. Bridge wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close into a one armed hug. Z rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.
- - - - -
The next morning Z and Bridge sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria eating cereal when Sky walked in. Sky looked like he hadn’t slept since they had been awaken at one in the morning, he had dark bags under his eyes, which were blood shot; he wore his uniform jacket over his pajama’s (a grey t-shirt and red plaid long boxer pants). He came over to their table and sat down heavily. Bridge handed him a cup of coffee, Sky took a sip and swallowed.
“So how is she?” Bridge asked laying a hand on Sky’s shoulder.
“She has pneumonia,” Sky replied in a horse voice. “In both of her lungs, which explains why she couldn’t breathe last night.”
Z nodded and rested a hand on his other shoulder; Sky took another drink of his coffee.
“How are you doing?” she asked. Sky looked at her in confusion.
“Me?” he said. She nodded. “Fine, I guess. Why?”
“You look dead on your feet,” Z said.
“I, I stayed up in the infirmary last night with Sydney. I’ll be fine, thanks for your concern,” Sky replied setting his cup down and scrubbed his face with his hands. “As Red Ranger I am responsible for your guys’ health and well being. I should have seen Syd’s health declining, the way she’d become breathless after running a mile… it is my fault she’s sick.”
“No it’s not Sky,” said Bridge. “And don’t ever think it is. We all should be in check with our bodies. Don’t play God. Moreover, right now, I am doing what you used to do to Jack, and I am canceling practice today and ordering that we all rest. Especially you Sky. If we don’t take time to rest we can all wind up like Syd, or worse. On stress level wise, I would say Sky if you don’t be careful you will be next.”
Chapter Three - Sedated
Bridge walked into the sickbay to check on Syd. She lay asleep in a bed, an IV was in her right arm and from her head to her torso, and she was encased in an oxygen-mist tent that was helping her breathe. Sky slept in a chair next to her bed and some one had covered him with a red micro fleece blanket. Bridge stifled a laugh when he saw that Sky still wore his pajamas, he studied him; Sky’s head lolled to one side, he was going to have a very stiff neck when he woke, most of his 6’2” frame was curled into the chair that he was in, one of his hands rested on Syd’s on her bed. Bridge smiled at that.
“How long has Sky been asleep?” Bridge asked Dr. Felix.
“Before or after I sedated him?” Dr. Felix replied.
“You sedated him? Is that legal on your half,” Bridge exclaimed in surprise.
“Commander Cruger gave consent. Cadet Tate came into the sickbay about four hours ago to sit with Cadet Drew, he was reading to her from a book, he nodded off after and hour or so and then I injected the sedative into him shortly after he fell asleep. It should knock him out for about 8 hours, and add in his sleep deprivation, he should be out for at least 12 hours, which will be good for him,” said Dr. Felix.
“Right,” said Bridge. “Do you think that you could you know put Sky in a bed?”
“I would but I don’t think that Cadet Tate would take kindly to being separated from his…Cadet Drew,” said Dr. Felix.
“The two of them just need to get…confess their feelings,” said Bridge. “I know it would be easier for me.”
Dr. Felix merely nodded and went back to his rounds. Bridge looked at his two sleeping best friends and walked out of the sickbay.
- - - - -
Z sat on her bed in her and Syd’s room, reading a magazine and eating a sandwich. She looked up when she heard the door slide open with a hiss.
“Hey Bridge,” she said. “How’s Syd doing?”
“She was sleeping,” he replied as he came over and sat down on the end of her bed. “Sky was in with her.”
Z raised an eyebrow as to say oh.
“He was sleeping in a chair next to her bed,” Bridge continued.
“Well that is good,” Z replied. “Sky was a walking zombie.”
“Cruger told Dr. Felix to sedate Sky,” he said. Z looked at him incredulously and the pair started to laugh.
“You’re kidding,” said Z.
Bridge shook his head and said, “I went and asked Cruger myself.”
“Wow,” was all she said.
“He’s giving us a week off to just relax and rest.”
“That’s nice… A whole week?”
“Yup.”
“That is great!”
“He said it should give Sky a chance to recoup, come to his senses, and confess his undying love for Syd.”
“Really now…”
“I’m serious! Okay so that is what his thoughts were saying.”
TBC....