Author's Note: A big THANK YOU to the lovely storm-stellar for beta-ing this fic :)

On Broken Wings

Chapter 1

Chase's face said it all.

"He still hasn't woken up, huh?" Tyler asked sadly. He wasn't expecting an answer, nor did he get one as Chase practically dragged his feet into the Dinolair and collapsed face first onto the couch, exhausted from spending the past few days at the hospital. The New Zealander would be there at the start of visiting hours and leave only when the nurses kicked him out.

"Give it time," Kendall advised, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "His Energem will ensure that he makes a full recovery. We just have to be patient."

There was no response from Chase, and a soft snore emanating from the cushions indicated that he was already out for the count. Kendall shook her head with a sympathetic sigh.

"Make sure he takes a shower after waking up," she told Tyler. "And get some food in him too. Proper food."

The red ranger cast a worried glance at the dark entrance to Koda's cave. "I'll do my best, but if even Koda has lost his appetite, I'm not sure how much Chase will be able to stomach."

"Try. I know we're all concerned about Riley, but we can't let this cripple the entire team. It's exactly what Sledge wants, and right now we're letting him win."

It was then that Shelby came down the slide into the Dinolair, making a beeline for Tyler's arms which automatically opened to receive her. "I found Ivan," she mumbled into his shoulder. "Tricera did, actually. Ptera flew him to his old castle to let off some steam. He's been training non-stop since…" An anguished sob cut her off, and Tyler immediately drew her into a tight embrace, gently rocking her back and forth.

The former knight had taken it the hardest, having felt personally responsible for failing to protect his protégé in battle. Even though they had eventually managed to defeat their adversary, their victory had come at a terrible cost. No one could find him after Riley had been sent to the hospital, and Kendall had feared he'd gone after Sledge on his own to seek revenge.

Still, Ivan's whereabouts were only a small comfort. Kendall's heart dropped at the sight of the shattered remnants of her team, feeling utterly powerless to help. As a woman of science she wasn't at all religious, but for what it was worth, she sent a mental prayer to whichever deity would listen, hoping that her charges – Riley especially – would be able to pull through.

:: It's been really quiet without you here. The tennis ball machine's already gathering dust in the corner. ::

"At least I still have them," was the only thing Riley had said after taking in the extent of his injuries. It was meant to sound somewhat optimistic, but Chase couldn't bring himself to feel thankful about that fact, let alone reveal that the green ranger nearly did get his arms sliced off, had Ivan and he not intervened the second they were able to stand up again. Nevertheless, the radius and ulna in both Riley's forearms had suffered comminuted fractures, and even with his Energem it would take at least a month for them to heal completely.

When the receptionist had called to inform them that Riley had finally woken up, Chase almost broke a dozen traffic laws skateboarding to the hospital to see him. Kendall had personally ensured that he was placed in a private ward, but a few minutes after bursting into his room, Chase wasn't so sure if the brunet being awake was a good thing anymore.

Riley refused to look at him, or at anyone really. His gaze never left the thick white casts which encased his arms after the surgery, and Chase had to physically tilt his chin up to see his face properly. Red-rimmed eyes and dried tear tracks down his cheeks were tell-tale signs that the younger teen had been crying before he arrived, but the final nail in the coffin was the dead, soulless look in his eyes.

There was no reaction when the entire team (except for Ivan, who was still uncontactable) crammed into the ward to visit him; when Tyler tried to cheer him up with his lame jokes; when Shelby arranged a bouquet of flowers in the empty vase next to his bed; when Koda offered him a Bronto Burger after hearing that hospital food generally sucked.

No one was sure if Riley just wanted to be left alone, but it was eventually decided that somebody should stay with him during visiting hours to keep him company, to remind him that they were there for him, that he was safe. But it didn't matter whether it was one, two, or all of them; Riley never said more than a few mumbled words at a time.

Then Ivan finally showed up one afternoon, stepping quietly into the room while Chase was reading aloud from 'The Da Vinci Code'.

"Hello Riley," the former knight greeted solemnly. "How are you?"

No response.

Chase shot Ivan an apologetic look. "Don't take it personally, mate. He hasn't been talking to any of us."

"Will he be alright?" Ivan asked worriedly.

"The doctors want to keep him here for a while longer, but he'll be able to leave soon. We just gotta make sure he doesn't overexert himself while his Energem continues to repair the damage." Chase sighed at the pained expression on the gold ranger's face. "Mate, it wasn't your fault. You know that, right? There was nothing we could have done."

Ivan didn't seem reassured in the least. "Perhaps," he conceded reluctantly, his sword hand unconsciously curling into a fist. "But nevertheless, as his mentor, I am responsible for Riley. I understand that we all take risks as rangers, however no tragedy of this magnitude should have befallen him."

"You can say that again," the New Zealander muttered darkly under his breath. "I'm his boyfriend, and yet –"

The sudden gasp that escaped Riley was so soft that Chase nearly missed it. He whirled around in alarm, seeing the blank and listless look on the younger teen's paling face transform into abject fear. Riley had gone absolutely still, as though frozen in horror, and Chase frantically tried to recall all the things Kendall had made them read about panic attacks. This was the first big reaction he'd gotten since Riley had woken up, but just when he thought the shock had finally set in, he realized that Riley wasn't staring at his arms anymore.

His eyes, wide and unfocused, were looking in Ivan's direction. Not at the former knight specifically, Chase noticed, but rather at the small sliver of metal peeking out from just beneath his trench coat, the sturdy hilt of his sword –

Shit.

:: Everyone misses you. Yeah, even Kendall. Not that she'd admit it out loud, but still. ::

"Foolish rangers! You dare to challenge me?"

Normally Tyler would have some sort of witty comeback for when the monster of the week decided to play the intimidation card, but this time he had nothing, especially not since half his team had been demorphed and the other half scattered across the battlefield.

Devashi wasn't playing around, that was for sure. With six sword-wielding arms and an unhealthy obsession with sharp and shiny blades, he was able to deflect every shot from their Dino Morphers, forcing them to confront him at close range. Only Ivan and Riley had the proper skills to actually do some real damage, but while the others tried to provide cover fire and distract him, two rangers simply hadn't been enough.

His signature attack quickly took the green and gold rangers down, demorphing them in the process. The rest of the team was blown back by a barrage of daggers when they had attempted to rush to their friends' aid.

"Pathetic!" Devashi sneered with contempt, stepping towards the nearest ranger on the ground. One foot pinned Riley's right hand down as it tried to reach for his Dino Saber, eliciting a cry of pain. "And you call yourself a swordsman?"

"Riley!" Chase cried, struggling to get to his feet. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Ivan desperately trying to do the same, using his sword to pull himself up. His heart stopped when he saw Devashi raising his other foot up high, belatedly realizing what was going to happen. "NO!"

An earth-shattering scream pierced the air, but it failed to completely mask the sickening CRUNCH of bones as the monster stamped repeatedly on Riley's forearms as though he was crushing a bug, his massive weight shattering them into pieces.

It was hard to tell who was screaming anymore, and the moment Devashi pointed his swords at the brunet Chase was already up and running, blaster drawn and firing like a madman as Ivan charged alongside him with a battle cry, lightning streaking down his blade and –

– holding Riley's shoulders in a panic. "Riley, wake up! It's just a dream, WAKE UP!"

The younger teen gasped loudly as his eyes snapped open, but still he continued to struggle against Chase, frantically trying to escape.

"Dammit Riley, stop or you're going to hurt yourself!" Chase pleaded, using more of his weight to push him down firmly against the hospital bed. Riley's pupils were dilated and he had the most frightened expression Chase had ever seen on his face, his mind trapped in the horrific memory of the battle.

"Get away from me!" Riley half-screamed, half-sobbed, straining against the leather straps binding his arms to the bed. He thrashed around even harder to throw Chase off, to no avail. "Let me go!"

Chase knew he was probably reliving the attack all over again and that pinning him down like Devashi had was only making it worse. It broke his heart to do it, but he had no choice. "I can't! Riley please, you need to calm down! Stop fighting me!"

Something in Chase's voice must have gotten through to him, or perhaps Riley's body had finally tired itself out. Either way, Chase didn't let go until the brunet settled down again, panting harshly for breath as his sweat soaked through the sheets, the skin on his upper arms red from where the straps had dug into his flesh.

"Riley?" Chase asked tentatively after a while, stroking his hair tenderly. "You with me?"

A shuddering intake of breath and a weak nod was all Riley could manage. The younger teen had never looked so vulnerable, so defeated, so broken, and it was all Chase could do to wrap his arms around him as tightly as he dared without hurting him, as though to shield him from the world.

"I w-want to go home," Riley whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut in a futile attempt to stop the tears from falling.

"You will, I promise," Chase murmured into his hair as he kissed the top of his head. "Just a few more nights, love. They're going to release you soon and then I'll take you back to our apartment –"

"N-no Chase, I want to go home."

Riley's voice cracked at the end, along with Chase's heart.