Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.
Authors' Notes: Our real lives are kinda crazy right now. (Esti's more than Tigger's. Tigger's is finally settling down.) That said, we seem to be doing fairly well at keeping this every other week schedule.
"You sure you're not coming down with that cold, bro?" Blake asked from the doorway to the Ninja Ops kitchen.
"Nah," Hunter said, he placed his large, black bowl of a salad on the bar that doubled as the Ninja Ops living quarters kitchen table. "Just said that to worry Cam."
Cam glared at him from the other side of the table, his hamburger temporarily forgotten.
"Yep, he's getting sick," Blake said, coming in to lean against the tan kitchen counter between Cam and his brother. "First symptom is to deny he really has come down with something."
"Am not," Hunter said, hopping up on a bar stool.
"See, denial."
"Is a river in Egypt," Hunter said.
"Blake, hold him there, I'm going to get a thermometer," Cam said, he hopped down from his bar stool, leaving the modern kitchen for the more cave-like hallway. Presumably to wherever he kept the medical supplies.
"What?" Hunter asked as their sixth ranger vanished out of sight. He sounded as if he'd rather be anywhere but there at the moment.
"Right," Blake said at nearly the same time. He sat firmly on Hunter's lap, and Hunter responded by trying feebly to move him off. "No moving, bro."
"If I'm sick, you're gonna get it too," Hunter pointed out reasonably. His voice came out noticeably rough.
Blake shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "I'm sleeping on the bunk under yours bro, I'll probably end up with it anyway."
Cam returned with the thermometer, turning it on and looking at Hunter sternly.
"You don't need to take my temperature, bro," Hunter said, trying, still unsuccessfully to push Blake away.
"Hunter, I'm not only the sixth Ranger, I'm the team's medic," Cam said. "And you look pale." He shook his head. "And your brother is the one sitting on your lap. Open your mouth."
Hunter clamped his mouth shut, his eyes glaring, and shook his head like a stubborn child.
Blake gave a half smile, rolled his eyes and pinched Hunter's nose. Harder than was strictly necessary. Hunter's only reaction was to intensify his glare. Blake kept holding his brother's nose closed.
This went on for a few minutes, until Hunter finally had to take a breath. Cam deftly slipped the thermometer under Hunter's tongue.
"Don't chew," Cam reminded, pointing sternly at Hunter.
Hunter glared at him, but did as he was told. And tried again to push Blake off his lap.
Blake got up, as if to humor his brother. "Need any help, Cam?"
Cam craned his neck to get a look at the display. "Assuming the patient *behaves*, no," he said.
Hunter, seemingly losing all his patience with the process, reached up to take the thermometer out of his mouth.
"Leave it and I'll make you a hamburger," Cam wheedled.
"Mrrf," Hunter mumbled in an irritated tone.
"Chill, bro," Blake said, heading for the fridge and getting out the pickle relish.
"Mrrfl," Hunter's tone was going from irritated to irate.
The thermometer beeped, signaling that it was done.
"Yes, Hunter. Open your mouth," Cam instructed, reaching up to take the thermometer and totally ignoring the fact that his patient wasn't in the best of moods.
"What's the verdict, Dr. Cam?" Hunter asked once his mouth was no longer full. He seemed to be back to impatient, his legs swinging under the table.
"Well, I don't think you're in danger of dying," Cam said dryly, reading the thermometer. "Other than that... you seem to be running a slight temperature." He looked at Hunter as if he fully expected the other Ranger to believe him.
"I told you you were sick," Blake said, cocking an eyebrow at Hunter.
"No I'm not," Hunter said. "I was exercising! I'm fine." His protests were interrupted by a cough.
"Yeah, right," Cam said sarcastically.
Hunter threw up his arms. "Fine. Don't believe me." He prepared to get up and away from the crazy people.
"Come on, bro, you're going to bed," Blake said, grabbing Hunter by the collar and pulling.
Hunter tried to stay where he was, but Blake's tugging pulled the barstool onto two legs, tipping Hunter forward. He ended up jumping for it as the barstool crashed to the floor. "Hey, I'm the elder brother here!" Hunter told Blake. "You can't sit on me and make me get better."
"Well, I don't expect to make you better, but I do want you to lie down," Blake said reasonably, taking hold of Hunter's arm and trying to lead him towards their room.
"But I don't want to lie down," Hunter said petulantly, and dug his heels in like he was dealing with an unruly dog on a leash.
"If you're my older brother why aren't you acting like it?" Blake asked, dragging him around the corner. "You'd think I was taking you to get your shots."
"Hey, elder brother privilege," Hunter said, trying his best to get out of it by grasping whatever items were in the hall to anchor himself. Blake finally dragged him into their room and somehow managed to sit him down on the lower bunk bed, not quite able to figure out how to toss his brother up onto the top bunk.
"Here," Cam said, following behind them with a tray. "If you're not going to sleep, Hunter, at least eat."
"Let me eat at the desk, Blake," Hunter said reasonably. He looked pleadingly at his younger, domineering brother.
"Only if you promise to go straight back to bed," Blake said, folding his arms.
Cam brought in a chicken salad Hunter had made for himself. "Probably not all this is good for you, but you need the calories for your metabolism."
"Salad's pretty healthy," Blake pointed out. "Eat." He pointed at the food, and then Hunter's head.
"What happened to the hamburger?" Hunter pleaded, tossing his younger brother puppy dog eyes.
"If you insist," Cam said, trying not to crack up. "I'll get the hamburger too."
"Yes, please," Hunter said, looking at Cam with the same eyes.
"Blake, seat him at the desk," Cam said, barely stifling his amusement. "I'll put this tray down and be back for tea and his hamburger." Cam left.
"I'm capable of sitting myself down you know," Hunter rolled his eyes and took a seat at the desk. "I'm erroneously thought ill, not invalid."
"Hey, big bro, our turn to mother hen," Blake said. "Think of it as your little brothers' revenge."
"I'm doomed," Hunter sighed, leaning back against the seat of the chair, his arms hanging limply by his side.
"Nope," Blake said, spearing some salad with the fork and holding it in front of Hunter meaningfully. "But it's our turn to take care of *you*."
"Like I've ever 'taken care of' Cam," Hunter scoffed, obediently taking the fork and starting to eat.
"That's my Dad's job," Cam said, coming in. He placed the hamburger plate on the tray next to the salad bowl. "Not that I really need taking care of these days."
"Right," Hunter said, scoffing at his teammate.
"I could beat you in a fight," Cam reminded him.
Hunter snorted, taking a bite of the hamburger. "Yeah, right. Wouldn't know it in practice."
Cam shrugged, as if Hunter's disbelief didn't bother him at all. "I take it easy in practice."
"Why?" Hunter asked. He stuffed the hamburger in his mouth again.
"I think it's a bad thing to actually *hurt* one's teammates," Cam boasted, standing straight and tall with his arms crossed.
Hunter scoffed at that. "Healing abilities, remember?" He took another bite of the salad, which Blake had been pointing at meaningfully.
"Could go beyond that if I'm not careful," Cam said, his eyes narrowing.
Hunter shook his head in disbelief. "C'mon, Cam, you learned all your stuff secondhand."
Cam smiled mysteriously.
"Crimson-Samurai battle..." Hunter got up. Then sat back down. "When I get out of bed," Hunter said.
"Right," Cam said in his most sarcastic tone. It was clear he felt he'd be the victor.
"I mean it," Hunter said, crossing his arms. "You can't just go around making boasts like that...."
"Hunter, I mean every word I say," Cam said seriously.
"Right," Hunter said, in a tone indicating he didn't believe a word of it.
"He is the one who caught you that day in Ninja Ops," Blake reminded Cam. "Remember?"
"Only 'cause you guys took me totally by surprise," Cam said, shrugging. "And that hallway isn't exactly the widest in the world either."
"Face it." Hunter looked over at Cam. "I had you in a choke hold before you realized I was there. You were helpless as a kitten."
Cam raised an eyebrow, motioning at the food. It was plain that he considered the topic ended. "Eat your burger."
"Yes, Mom." Hunter bit into the burger.
Blake pulled Cam aside. "There's no way he's going to stay in bed," Blake whispered desperately. "Unless I sit on him."
Cam smiled mysteriously, laying a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "Oh, I think Hunter will find a nap extremely attractive soon."
"You spiked the burger?" Blake asked, trying not let his eyes widen and his panic show through.
"No," Cam gently squeezed Blake's shoulder. "I know how Hunter thinks."
"Huh?" Blake wrinkled his nose.
Cam just smiled mysteriously.
"Cam...." Blake frowned in admonishment.
Their sixth Ranger shrugged. "I spiked everything." He looked vaguely in Hunter's direction.
"Cam." The statement was calm. The look in Blake's eyes wasn't.
"With fever suppressant. Which should make him drowsy." The words were obviously meant to allay Blake's fears.
Blake breathed a sigh of relief. "That shouldn't hurt him-- it is the proper dose right?"
"Yeah, I just had to spread it out over everything so he wouldn't taste it," Cam said, obviously proud of what he managed.
"Paranoid much? It's just a cold." Blake threw a covert look at Hunter.
"Unless it gets worse." Cam wrinkled his nose in concern. "In which case we have to take him to hospital, and hope no one asks too many questions."
Blake paled at the thought of Hunter needing medical attention and being unable to get it; not to mention the possibility that the hospital staff might realize he and Hunter lacked a legal guardian. "You'd better hope he eats everything."
"It shouldn't put him to sleep, but make sure he doesn't drive," Cam said, drawing himself up.
"Right," Blake said, a touch of his normal humor entering his voice. "No taking out your car for a joy ride."
"Or taking out the bikes," Cam pointed out, ignoring the comment. "No tackling any monsters on the Tsunami Cycles. Or practicing on the motorbikes."
"What you two whispering about?" Hunter asked, finally realizing the conversation was probably about him and not liking it one bit.
"Nothing," the other two chorused, trying to make themselves the picture of innocence.
"Cam, if you stuck a sedative in my food...." Hunter warned.
Cam chuckled. "Hunter, do I look suicidal enough to put a sedative in your food?"
"Yeah." Hunter stood up.
"You're paranoid, bro." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder.
"Just 'cause I'm paranoid doesn't mean you're not out to get me." Hunter crossed his arms.
"I'm not out to get you," Cam said, in his best "trust me" tone.
"Really?" Hunter asked, his tone and his posture indicating he didn't quite believe the other Ranger.
"Really. If you keel over, it's going to be on your own," Cam told him. "You're sick enough."
Hunter arched an eyebrow. It was clear what he thought on the matter.
"No sedative in the food, Hunter," Cam told him reassuringly.
"You haven't drugged my food?" Hunter asked, like a little boy who didn't quite want to believe there weren't monsters under the bed.
"I drugged your drink." Cam sensed that part of the truth was better than no truth at all. "With aspirin."
Hunter rolled his eyes. "I feel fine."
"Right," Cam said with practiced disbelief.
Hunter handed the glass back to Cam. "Not thirsty."
"Okay, but if you start feeling bad, it's not my fault." Cam took the glass.
"Well, duh," Hunter said, in a manner specific to petulant teenagers.
Cam shook his head. "Let me know if anything happens." He took the spiked tea back to the kitchen, knowing there was enough of the drug left in the food to at least cut Hunter's fever.
"Bro, he only means well," Blake clapped Hunter's shoulder.
"I'm perfectly capable of swallowing an aspirin," Hunter grumbled, throwing up his hands... and a forkful of salad with it.
"You don't seem to be very willing to, though," Blake pointed out.
"That's because I think Cam read the thermometer wrong, little bro, and you exacerbated it." Hunter glared at his younger brother.
"Hunter, you said yourself you were feeling off," Blake said, hoping to appeal to his brother's common sense... what there was of it.
"Not *that* off!" Hunter exclaimed, getting halfway up.
"Right." Blake said, pushed his brother back into the chair.
"Like Cam would take me off duty because of a cold." Hunter sized Blake up as if he was thinking of getting up again.
"Sensei might, if he thought it'd affect your performance out there." Blake moved closer to his brother, hovering protectively.
Hunter laid a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I'm fine."
"Hunter, I can't lose you," Blake whispered.
"Blake, not gonna," Hunter said soothingly. "And since when does Sensei pull anyone out of battle?"
"He would if he felt someone wasn't up to fighting," Blake said adamantly. "And if you're not feeling your best, and you fight, you could get yourself hurt. Maybe even destroyed."
Hunter nodded. He knew what Blake meant. But still... "I'm not that off."
"Uh-huh," Blake said, obviously concerned as to his brother's health.
"I'm not," Hunter insisted, looking up at his brother with pleading eyes.
"Normally, I wouldn't have been able to keep you still by sitting in your lap like that," Blake pointed out, making a motion towards where Hunter was sitting.
"I wasn't fighting that," Hunter said, as if he was humoring Blake.
"Yes, but why not?" Blake asked, obviously feeling that Hunter was deluding himself.
"Because I was too surprised." Hunter shrugged.
"Really," Blake said, doubt present in his voice.
"Really," Hunter said confidently.
Blake shifted from foot to foot. "Look me in the eyes and say that."
"I was too surprised."
"That was my forehead." Blake frowned.
"You need to grow another inch," Hunter said in an attempt to distract Blake.
Blake crossed his arms. "Hunter."
"Okay, I'm not feeling all that great," Hunter finally admitted. "But not as bad as you and Cam make it out to be."
"Maybe you should get some rest." Blake threw his brother puppy dog eyes.
"Blake...." Hunter sighed. "All right, I'll get some rest. Let me eat first, though. I'm starved. And since this stuff isn't drugged...." He looked at his food again, as if doubting it was really there.
Blake nodded. "Ok, bro, you clean your plate." He sat down on the bed, watching over Hunter carefully.
"What aren't you telling me?" Hunter asked suspiciously.
"Eat," Blake told him firmly. "You heard Cam, if you don't eat you're going to crash and burn. Or get sick again."
"Blake...." Hunter glared at his brother, crossing his arms.
"Bro, eat before I eat it all for you." Blake's voice rose in pitch with his panic.
"All right," Hunter tucked in. "But if it's drugged, I'm gonna tickle you senseless."
"Right," Blake said sarcastically. "Like I'd risk that."
Hunter cleaned his plate, then climbed up to his bunk. "Can I read or do I have to count holes on the ceiling?"
Blake shrugged. "Pick your poison."
"Right." Hunter pulled a book out of the crack between the mattress and the wall and started reading.
Blake settled down on his own mattress and hoped the boring activity, combined with the drug in his brother's system would conk the bigger Bradley out.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Hunter was snoring away, his breath like a sharp rasp in the air.
Blake slipped out of their room, shut off the lights, and went off to see what was on TV. He found himself watching some cheesy vampire show and hoping Hunter was possibly right about not being ill.
"How is he?" Cam asked quietly, causing Blake to jump. Blake had gotten so much into the show that he'd forgotten that Cam had been lurking about.
"He's asleep," Blake said, reassuring the other. "He's really out of it. Snoring like there's no tomorrow."
"The sleep should help." Cam settled down in the chair and relaxing.
"Yeah. I convinced him the food wasn't drugged too." Blake grinned.
"Way to go, Blake," Cam said proudly.
"I was worried there that he might be so suspicious that he'd make *me* eat it, though." Blake fidgeted.
Cam snorted. "A little aspirin won't kill you."
"True, but...." Blake shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. "It doesn't mean that I wanted to take it."
Cam nodded sagely. "At least it put Hunter out like a light. I'll trust you can keep him from doing anything heavier than maybe light sparring until we're sure what he's got?"
"No problem, bro, we'll just make sure no one else on the team will do anything more with him," Blake said brightly. "Dustin's been offering to upgrade his bike. Maybe now's a good time."
"Good idea." Cam smiled at Blake's cunning. "I'll tell Shane and the others."
"I'll contact Dustin." A grin spread over Blake's face. "I've got to arrange getting Hunter's bike to him. Oh, and I'll call Tori."
Cam nodded in agreement, grinning for an entirely different reason. "You do that. I'll talk to Shane, in my capacity as Team Medic, and I'll get Dad to back me if needs be."
"Right," Blake said, totally missing Cam's amusement over Blake's wanting to call Tori.
"I'd better brush up on how to deal with difficult patients." Cam shuffled as if deciding whether or not to get up. "You keep him in that bed. Even if you have to strap him to it."
"I don't think straps will be necessary," Blake smiled. "Guilt trips are much more effective."
Cam grinned back, knowing that sometimes Blake was better at getting Hunter to do things than he was. Often, in fact. "Do your best."
Blake nodded, confirming Cam's statement. "Think he's sick?"
"I think he's just coming down with a cold," Cam reassured him.
"So you're just being extra careful?" Blake's eyes begged Cam for reassurance.
"Yeah," Cam said soothingly.
"We won't be in foster care by next week?" Blake's voice shook as he spoke.
Cam got up and put a reassuring hand on Blake's shoulder. "Not if I can help it."
* * *
The next morning, the Bradley brothers' alarm clock went off at 6:30 for school. Blake slinked out of bed, hit the snooze bar on the alarm clock and stretched. He then grabbed his clothes, and headed for the bathroom to take a shower.
When he returned half an hour later, the alarm was beeping and Hunter was laying in bed, in the exact same position he'd been in when Blake left. It was clear he hadn't moved.
Blake shook him. "Hunter? Bro?"
"Go 'way," Hunter said, his voice very far away.
Blake fought down panic. "You OK?"
"My head's pounding, my nose is stuffy, and my throat hurts," Hunter nearly whispered, hoarsely. "Just let me go back to sleep, OK?"
"Told you you had a cold," Blake said, voice implying something he wasn't quite saying.
"Tell me so later. I'm sleeping." The shape moved a little bit, ducking further under the covers.
"Right. I'll tell Cam that you're not up for breakfast," Blake told him. Cam would probably feed Hunter breakfast anyway, in some form, but that wasn't something he was overly concerned about at the moment.
"Thanks, bro," the form under the covers rasped.
"And we'll have Sensei call you in for school," Blake said, making mental notes as he got ready. "I'll see if I can get your assignments."
"Chip Davis is in most of my classes," Hunter managed, his voice muffled by the blanket. "And I left my history book in my locker, but I'm gonna want it."
"I'll get in touch with him and get your history book," Blake said, rolling his eyes at the thought that his brother was worrying about school when he was clearly feeling so rotten. "Anything else?"
"I'm not going to be up for team practice, either."
"Well, duh, just rest bro." Blake resisted the temptation to roll his eyes again, even though Hunter couldn't see him. He started to leave.
"Kelly..."
Blake sighed. "I'll let her know you're sick, dude, don't worry about it."
"Thanks. I'm going to bury my head under my pillow now," Hunter said, doing so.
"'night, bro," Blake said, grabbing his shoes, socks, and backpack so that he wouldn't have to go back and disturb Hunter.
He padded out into the kitchen where Sensei and Cam were up. "How is he?" Cam asked quietly, his father looking up as if interested in the conversation.
"Stuffy nose, headache, the works," Blake said, shaking his head. "He's not very social right now."
Cam nodded, not stopping to run and check but obviously thinking of what to do next with Hunter. "I'll offer to run to the video store later. I presume he just wants to sleep?"
"Yeah. And Cam, you have half the video store in your DVD collection," Blake said, feeling the need to point out that Cam's collection was *huge*.
"So?" Cam asked, not getting the point.
"Let's just say that I don't think you'll have to go far for his choices." Blake waved in the vague direction of the rec room. "He'll probably want something soupy for lunch and I think for once he won't argue if you put his meds in the soup."
Cam looked at Blake as if the Navy Ranger were crazy. "You don't think if I just give him the meds he'll take them?"
"Well, that too," Blake said sheepishly. Given Hunter's reluctance yesterday, just *giving* his big brother the pills hadn't crossed his mind.
"I'll give him the meds," Cam said, more to put Blake's mind at ease than anything else. "You'll tell the rest of the Rangers that Hunter's out of it?"
"I'll do that," Blake told him, clearly relieved to hear that Hunter would soon be medicated. "At least right now he wouldn't dream of going outside."
"Actually, some sunshine might do him some good," Cam said thoughtfully. "Supervised, of course."
"After he naps," Blake pointed out. "He'll feel a little more human."
Cam nodded at that. "The others are returning to spar. I'll have him come out and watch."
"So this afternoon? OK." Blake felt a little better knowing that Hunter would be out when he was back.
"Yes," Cam said, still making plans. "We can prop Hunter up in a chair, and three of us will have to spar together."
"Tori and I will toast you, bro." Blake grinned. Seriously, the Green Samurai Ranger may have been taking care of his brother, but Blake still felt that he was owed a butt-kicking.
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yup." Blake took a box of cereal and a bowl out of various cupboards.
"We'll just see, won't we?" Cam said, with a wide grin.
* * *
"Hunter," Cam poked his head into Hunter's room the next morning. "I'm driving into town. You want anything?"
Hunter sat up, brightening. "Can I come with you?"
"You need to rest," Cam said. He would be the first to admit that Hunter was better today-- he'd gotten dressed for one thing.
"You're coming back, right?" Hunter frowned.
"Yeah." Cam tried not to think what in Hunter's past might have prompted him to ask a question like *that*. "But you shouldn't really be..."
"Cam, I need to get out," Hunter pleaded. "I definitely started feeling better after watching you guys practice yesterday. Come on, Cam. I'm not going to try to Ranger or anything like that. I just want to be outdoors."
Cam looked at him. "All right," he said. "It's against my better judgment, but Dad said the air did help. But promise me you'll sit in the car and read."
"I promise," Hunter said, holding his fingers up in a Boy Guard's pledge.
* * *
Hunter leaned back against the backrest in Cam's car. His teammate had gone off to shop for groceries for the four residents of Ops, leaving him with a set of books and magazines, and instructions on how to lean the seat back should Hunter wish to sleep.
"Wish to sleep, hah," Hunter muttered to himself. He was tired, but at least Cam's errands meant he got to see something other than the inside of his eyelids or the layout of the quarters he shared with his brother. He wished Cam had let him go shopping, but Cam had been adamant. Hunter was not to leave the car unless his life was threatened.
Hunter's book sat on his lap, he stared out at the open window, people watching. An old man wandering into the bank on a cane. Hunter debated helping him, but decided the man needed his cold far less than he needed his help. A mother, trying to keep track of two young boys.
Hunter grinned at the memories of playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Blake throughout the grocery store every time their mother had taken them shopping as children.
Then he spotted two young women, both with really nice legs, coming out of a clothing boutique. He grinned, enjoying the chance to admire from afar, without anyone noticing... then he realized. He wasn't looking at innocent citizens of Blue Bay Harbor. He was watching Marah and Kapri.
Marah was chatting animatedly at Kapri as she returned a card into the purse she was carrying. Since they were walking about with bags, he hoped, he *hoped* that the card was legit. Marah still had her pompom hair devices, Kapri was still walking about with pink hair, but the two of them were otherwise inconspicuous.
Still... he should go follow. There was no telling when the girls' mood would change, and he had his morpher on. There was no reason he couldn't call for help if they turned nasty. It would just be a little walk. Nothing strenuous at all.
Hunter opened the car door slowly, trying to act casually.
"Hunter Bradley, what do you think you're doing?" Cam shouted at him. So much for inconspicuous.
Kapri and Marah swung towards the voice as Cam walked towards him, pushing a cart full of bagged groceries. Hunter closed the car door as the annoyed girls walked off.
As Cam arrived at the car, Hunter answered. "I was *about* to follow Marah and Kapri!"
Cam shrugged it off. "They like shopping at that store over there. I see them a lot when I'm grocery shopping. They never cause trouble."
"But..." Hunter said, motioning at where the two of them had been.
"Never escalate a battle," Cam reminded him softly
"I wasn't about to," Hunter said, defending his actions, "I was about to follow them. That's not escalating. And you didn't warn me about them!"
"You could have called me and I could have told you," Cam reminded him, motioning at his morpher.
"Yeah, and if they had been trouble, what would you have done, abandoned your shopping cart?" Hunter asked.
"Yup, part of being a Ranger," Cam said. He checked his watch. "Besides, Dustin has study hall right now, he could've ducked out for a few minutes without being observed." He opened the truck and started to unload the groceries into the car.
"Do you have all our schedules memorized?" Hunter asked in amazement.
"Yes," Cam responded patiently. But then, Cam was weird.
"You still should have warned me," Hunter said stubbornly. "You know I wouldn't have tried to get out if there was no other reason."
"I do?" Cam asked, crossing his arms. "How do I know that wasn't an excuse?"
"Dude, it was Marah and Kapri! It's not like I was just chasing after a cute girl or something," Hunter said, hoping he wasn't blushing at the fact that he'd been checking them out before he recognized them.
Cam shut the trunk. "Look, Hunter, this still doesn't explain why you didn't call me instead of trying to go after them yourself."
"You were shopping!" Hunter exclaimed indignantly. "I couldn't ask you to go after them, I was there and it's not like I was going to attract attention."
"Hunter," Cam said patiently. "If they'd been up to something, or you even suspected it... most of the clerks there know me. If I left my cart, they wouldn't have towed it."
Hunter raised his eyebrows. "They know you?"
"I always go shopping at this time," Cam said, rolling his eyes. "And this isn't *that* big a town."
"Must be," Hunter said, not realizing Blue Bay Harbor was so small. "Okay, I'm sorry, Cam. I didn't know it was nothing to worry about and my first instinct was stealth, not making you drop what you were doing."
Cam glared at him. "Don't do it again, you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I know why Blake's so protective, but what's your damage?" Hunter didn't get why Cam was so pissed.
"I'm responsible for you," Cam stated in a much-too-calm manner.
"We're responsible for ourselves," Hunter protested.
"Hunter, if you get pneumonia and you have to go to the hospital, I'm the one who has to convince them there won't be legal problems for treating you," Cam said reasonably.
"So?" Hunter asked petulantly.
Cam sighed. When he spoke, it was clear he was trying not to snap. "Hunter, we've barely been able to forge enough documents for you to go to school and get basic treatment. I don't want them looking *too* closely at what we did."
Hunter hung his head, reality sinking in. "Oh. We don't want you to go to jail for fraud, dude."
"We don't want you in foster care either," Cam added.
Hunter gulped, memories of his life before being adopted by Blake and their parents coming to the surface.
He hadn't realized just how tenuous his and Blake's situation was.
Cam must have seen the gulp and the expression in Hunter's eyes, for he merely replied, "Exactly."
"Man, I hate being a minor," Hunter complained, though he knew there was little he could do about it.
"You've got less than a year left," Cam pointed out reasonably.
"Blake's got two," Hunter said gloomily.
Cam nodded at Hunter's response. "But that's why you've got to keep low-profile, at least until you get old enough to sign legal documents."
"Right," Hunter said. He shook his head. "I'll be good."
"Good," Cam said, nodding at Hunter's answer. "Now, I've got more errands to run. Will you stay inside, or will you be spending the rest of the week in Ops?"
"I'll stay inside," Hunter promised. "Don't you have to worry about the frozen food melting?"
"Nope, now that I can stop worrying about you, I'm going to put it in a special box in the back," Cam explained, grinning.
"OK," Hunter said, clearly puzzled. "Why not just do the grocery shopping last?"
"Because that way I would have to go out of my way," Cam said reasonably. "Now, let me put the stuff away so I can finish my errands and take you back to Ops."
"Ok," Hunter said meekly. He got back into the car and returned to people watching.
"Good," Cam said, leaving to take care of his stuff. "I'll be just a minute or two."
And he was.
* * *
"Okay," Cam said, "We're home." They were sitting in a seemingly deserted barn, where Cam stored the Mobile Command Center and his car.
"I can see that," Hunter said, feeling... well, sorry for what he'd done. It had been great to be out. "Cam, I'm really sorry about the grocery store. Can I still sit outside and watch you guys spar?"
"We'll see." Cam did something with his small morpher, and Hunter found himself in the room he shared with Blake.
Knowing that he didn't want to tempt fate much more, Hunter went to bed.
* * *
Several hours later, Blake poked his head into their room. "How are you feeling, bro?"
"Better," Hunter said. He glanced at the clock. He must have been really out of it, given the time. "How was practice?"
"Pretty good," Blake said with a shrug. "I was going to ask you to come watch, but Sensei and Cam said that you needed your rest."
Hunter just shrugged. "Sounded good to me," he said. "Who'd you spar with today? Tori?"
"No," Blake said, clearly not completely happy with the arrangement. "Sensei thought that Tori should switch off, so she went against Dustin while Cam and I went against Shane."
"That's something I'd like to see," Hunter chuckled. "Who won?"
"Not Shane." Blake grinned impishly. Then, he added proudly, "Nor Dustin."
"Probably good for Shane," Hunter grinned, he thought that Shane's ego needed an occasional bruising. "How'd Dustin take it?"
"Since Tori and Dustin have known each other forever." Blake was smiling so widely Hunter could almost see his wisdom teeth. "Pretty well."
Hunter chuckled. "Can't wait until I can join up again. Bro, I've decided that bed rest isn't such a bad idea after all."
Blake sighed with relief, sitting down. "Thank goodness, maybe I'll be able to concentrate in class tomorrow."
"Hopefully I'll be up to school soon," Hunter said casually. "I just said that. I must be going nuts."
"We might want to take your temperature, bro." Blake handed Hunter his homework.
"Yeah," Hunter agreed, putting the homework down for the moment. "But with Cam being so careful, and with good reason, I might as well play along. At least until I get to go back to school. I'll have to ask Cam if he thinks I might be contagious."
"At least you don't have PE, bro," Blake pointed out. "That's a point in your favor."
"Thank goodness," Hunter said adamantly. "Dodge ball at this school? Talk about temptation to use Ninja Powers!"
"I don't think hanging with Dustin helped our social lives," Blake rolled his eyes.
"Dude, if this school can't appreciate him, that's *their* loss." Hunter's frustration showed through. "He may be a goof, but he's *our* goof."
Blake laughed, trying to remember why he'd been so against Dustin at first. Maybe because, at the time, he thought that Dustin and Tori were dating. "So you up for dinner, or..."
"Bro, I'm glad to have dinner." Hunter fidgeted a bit. "Could you grab me a tray? If I'm an invalid, might as well play the part."
His brother stopped laughing and sized him up. "You pissed Cam off today?"
Hunter blushed, staring at the floor. "Scared him, actually. Seems he's worried about me getting something worse and having to be hospitalized."
Blake nodded, his face likewise contorted with worry. "I'm worried too, bro."
"It finally came home to me," Hunter said quietly, "Of how close we are to ending up in foster care."
Blake put a hand on Hunter's shoulder in a reassuring way. "We just can't let it happen, that's all."
Hunter nodded, leaning back. "Not to mention all the forging Cam's done to keep us *out* of foster care." He gulped. "Can you imagine what it would be like to be in foster care?"
Blake shuddered. "No, I'm so glad I got adopted before I was old enough to remember anything."
"Dude, Mom and Dad picked you up from the hospital after you were born," Hunter said, clearly looking a little jealous.
"Yeah." Blake looked down, he couldn't help but think about the fact that his brother hadn't been so lucky to be adopted so early in his life. Hunter had started life with his birth parents, then entered the foster care system following their deaths.
"Me? I have *no* desire to go back to foster," Hunter said adamantly. "No matter what. They try to put me in foster, I'm not sticking around. And I'd take you with me."
Blake looked at Hunter for a minute. "Dude, after you turned eighteen you could get into..."
"I'm *not* letting you stay there," Hunter said fiercely. "Do you know what could've happened to you if I hadn't dragged you back to Mom and Dad at the group home that day?"
"I'd have gotten a crappy brother instead of you?" Blake shoved Hunter affectionately, clearly anxious to change the subject. "Let's go get something to eat. This is scaring me and that's making me hungry."
"I think I'll just go for the tray," Hunter said, settling back in bed. "And I'm not a crappy brother?"
Blake shook his head. "Could be worse."
Hunter grinned.
* * *
"Hunter wants a tray?" Cam repeated incredulously, fixing Blake with a "are you trying to pull a fast one" look.
"I think you scared him to death earlier, he's trying to be a good boy from now on." Blake sat down at the bar that served as the Ninja Ops kitchen table.
"I'm not that upset at him." Cam frowned at the thought of Hunter trying to avoid him. "I'll make him a tray. I want to talk to him anyway." He looked over at Blake. "Make sure nobody eats until I come back, Ranger metabolism or no." Cam took out a tray and filled it, putting enough on it for Hunter's accelerated metabolism.
Blake pouted. "But I'm starving!" His protest sounded more like a whine.
"I won't be long," Cam said reassuringly, and left.
"I won't tell if you grab a snack, Blake. You trained hard today." Sensei winked at Blake.
"Thanks, Sensei," Blake said, reaching in the fridge for some carrot sticks. "If this is a Hunter-Cam discussion, he might be a while."
"Indeed," Sensei acknowledged in his wisest tone.
* * *
Cam took the tray into Hunter and Blake's room. "Hi, Hunter," he said, as the comforter on the top bunk moved and Hunter peered out at him. He couldn't think of anything better to say.
"Hey, Cam. Thanks for bringing dinner," Hunter said, trying to keep the confusion out of his voice. He'd been expecting his other brother.
"Hunter, are you OK?" Cam asked, concerned about the other Ranger.
"Yeah." Hunter rubbed his face. "Other than this blasted cold. But to be honest I was expecting Blake, not you."
"I wanted to talk to you about something." Cam placed the tray on the bunk. Cam wished Hunter had the bottom bunk so he could sit next to Hunter on the bed. "You did nearly give me a heart attack today, but in a way it wasn't something you could do anything about."
"Huh?" Hunter scrunched up his face in confusion.
"When you tried to go after Marah and Kapri," Cam started stiltedly, "I felt the same way the first time I saw them shopping after I gained my Powers, even though I'd been seeing them shop occasionally for weeks. Some kind of Ranger instinct, I think."
"Again, I say: Huh?" Hunter's face crinkled even more.
"It's hard to explain." Cam bit his lip. "It's just that... you did it because your powers told you to, and I didn't think to warn you about it because I didn't think it'd come up."
"Oh." Hunter's facial muscles finally relaxed. "Well, I'm warned now. I'll never do that again."
"Good." Cam nodded at Hunter's answer. "Anyway, eat. I'll be back for the tray." He got up, leaving the tray behind. "That's why I really shouldn't have let you out with me, with your brain as clogged as it was."
"Oh," Hunter repeated, hoping that he didn't sound as stupid as he felt. "You're saying I'm stuck here until I'm un-fuzzy?"
"Pretty much." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder and then headed back into the kitchen.
The End