Saturday morning, Conner did not feel good. It wasn’t nerves, exactly: just a nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong. That he and Trent would end up having another argument, or that someone would see them and somehow guess, or that it would start raining tadpoles or something.

Well. Possibly not that last one, though you never knew with Mesogog.

He went to his usual Saturday morning soccer practice, dodging enquiries about what he was doing later. He’d just reached home when his communicator bleeped.

He reached for it, trying to avoid a feeling of ‘at last’. “What’s up?”

“Conner,” came Hayley’s voice. “Can you come to the Dino Lab? And pick up Kira and Ethan on your way?”

“Sure. What’s going on?” Politeness and monster attacks didn’t tend to go together, meaning this was something else. “Should I pick up Trent too?”

“He’s keeping the cybercafé open for me. I’ll fill him in on what’s going on, don’t worry.”

She ended the connection before he had a chance to ask anymore questions. Figured. Trent wasn’t even going to be there, but he’d probably still end up knowing more than Conner. Hopefully whatever it was wouldn’t take too long—though Trent would probably understand if he was late.

He hesitated, glancing at the clock on the dashboard. Trent might be there, whatever Hayley said. Besides, what if it did take ages, and Conner had to turn up at the cinema in soccer kit?

Better go change.

--

“I’m blaming you if Hayley’s mad ‘cause we’re late,” Kira informed him, as they headed down the stairs into the Dino Lab. “And you have dirt on your sleeve.”

“Where?” That was the problem with wearing white. Red was much more sensible.

Kira pointed to a barely noticeable speck. “There.”

“Will you two shut up?” Ethan entered the Dino Lab ahead of them. “What’s up, Hayley? Where’s Dr. O?”

“Yeah,” said Kira. “Not that we’d be able to see him if he was here.”

“Hey, guys!”

Conner turned, to see an exercise machine moving on its own.

That was what it looked like, anyway. “I’ll never get used to that,” said Kira, echoing Conner’s thoughts.

“Hey, Dr. O,” he said. “No offence, but what’s the point of building your biceps if nobody’s going to see them?”

The exercise machine stopped moving. “Well, that’s the reason why I called you here.” Or told Hayley to do it. “Hayley found a way to bring me back to normal.”

In which case, why hadn’t Hayley sounded happy? She normally couldn’t resist blurting out good news. Especially not news that good.

“Well, that’s great!” said Kira.

“What are we waiting for?” asked Ethan. “Let’s do it!”

Hayley walked up behind them, looking annoyed. “Hold on, everybody. Tommy, I told you. I think the re-moleculiser may make you visible again, but I haven’t found a power source strong enough for it yet.”

Which, to Conner, sounded suspiciously like an excuse.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” A black box floated off a table and towards Hayley. “Maybe we should use this.”

Hayley frowned, opened it, and gasped. “No way. Forget it!”

Conner had to peer over her shoulder to see, and almost repeated her gasp at what he saw.

The Black Dino Gem. Dr. O had to be crazy.

“We gotta try something. My Dino Gem is the most powerful source of energy we have.”

“Powerful being the operative word,” said Hayley. “I have no idea how your body will react to it. It’s way too risky.”

“Hayley. We don’t have a choice.”

Conner exchanged a glance with Kira. She looked like he felt—scared and serious and determined at once. But he didn’t even know what he was determined about. That Dr. O shouldn’t do it? Like Conner could stop him. That Dr. O should?

He thought the idea of Dr. O going through with this was probably the thing making him scared. Anything could happen.

--

Trent had never heard Conner sound that bad. Never. He closed up the cyberspace on autopilot, shooing out annoyed customers (what did he mean, they were closing?) and locking up. He’d told Conner he’d get a taxi—Conner wouldn’t want to leave the hospital, not now.

He could still hear the words, repeating over and over in his head. ‘Dr. O’s unconscious. We’ve called an ambulance.’

God knew what Hayley would tell the hospital. She— or one of them, though Trent guessed it would have been her—had kept enough sense to realize that Conner, Kira and Ethan should leave, go to the hospital separately and meet Hayley there. Three students, spending time at a teacher’s house, being there when he somehow fell into a coma?

The taxi driver looked at him sympathetically and drove fast. He got directions to the coma department from the reception, almost running up there. The right room was easy to find: Conner sat slumped outside, head in his hands.

“Hey,” he said, sitting next to him on one of the hard plastic chairs. “Are you okay?”

Conner looked tense and strained, but at least not crying or anything. The white of his shirt and t-shirt didn’t help, combining with the hospital lights to make him look even paler than he probably was. He looked at Trent with wide, wet eyes that barely focused on his face.

“I’m sorry,” said Conner. “I can’t go tonight.”

It took Trent a moment to work out what he was talking about, before he remembered their planned date. “Don’t be stupid. Of course not.” Trying to sound comforting, he added, “Another time, when Dr. O’s better.”

Conner just shook his head, rubbing his nose.

“Have you seen him?” Trent asked.

“Yeah. But I just . . .” he trailed off. “You should go in."

Trent looked towards the ward door. He didn't know if he wanted to see Dr. O lying unconscious on a hospital bed. "Will you come too?"

"The rules say only four visitors at a time.”

Meaning Conner would be out here on his own. Even if Conner wanted to avoid the others, Trent wasn’t leaving him for anything. He reached for Conner’s hand, finding it and curling his fingers over the clammy palm. “It’ll be okay,” he said, knowing the words were meaningless but needing to do anything to comfort. “Dr. O’s strong, healthy, young . . .” A ranger, which meant a lot. “He’ll be okay.”

“Trent . . .”

It sounded so despairing that Trent wrapped an arm around him, uncaring of the others in the waiting room. Conner sagged against him, slumping sideways till Trent was more holding him up than hugging him.

“It’ll be okay,” he repeated, noting the shake in his voice and hoping Conner didn’t hear it too. “It’ll be okay.”

--

It was Conner’s victory. Dr. O might have saved them by arriving when he did, and it had taken a group effort to finish off the monster, but it was Conner’s victory. When the rest of them had been reeling from the shocks of losing their powers, seeing Dr. O in a coma and hearing the news anchor announce that they’d ‘abandoned’ Reefside, Conner had just gotten angry. He’d led them out, refused to give up, kept fighting when Trent had known they’d lose.

And Trent found it hard to connect that Conner with the Conner who had slumped against him in the hospital, and who now sat on the stairs looking exhausted and close to tears. Ethan had managed to cheer him up, teasing and taunting, but now he and Kira were gone, and Trent didn’t know what to do.

He sat next to Conner on the step. Hayley was across the room from them, but busy at the computers. Trent reached out to touch Conner’s arm, stroking like he might a nervous dog.

Conner ignored him.

“You okay?” Trent asked.

“Yes.”

Obviously not, then. Trent struggled to find something—anything—to say. “So, you want to come do something tonight? We could still go see a movie.”

“I’m really tired.”

In the hospital, it had been easy to comfort, with both of them feeling the same grief and fear. Now Trent had no idea what was wrong: whether it was some delayed reaction or a deeper problem. What if Conner was mad at him? Trent didn't know why, but he couldn't help wonder. Conner could feel like Trent hadn't supported him enough, or had given up too quickly.

He bit his lip, trying to decide what to say when Dr. O interrupted. “Hey.”

They both looked up as he came out of the Raptors’ room, wiping his hands on a towel. He tossed it over the back of a chair—something Hayley would complain about later—then walked over to crouch in front of Conner. “You okay?”

He got more than a curt ‘yes’. “I’m just tired,” said Conner, looking and sounding it. “We’ve got a game tomorrow as well, and our main goalie’s got tonsillitis.”

Dr O looked more amused than concerned by that news. He straightened his face before saying, “You did well today. I’m proud of you.”

That got a smile, and Trent tried not to feel jealous or excluded.

“Are you okay?” asked Conner.

“Relieved to be visible again. I’m going to go get some rest. You both should too.” He stood, rubbing Conner’s shoulder and giving Trent a nod before moving past them up the stairs. “I’ll see you both tomorrow for training.”

Conner turned to Trent as soon as Dr. O was gone. “You want to see a movie on Monday? It’s the cheap day.”

Trent grinned in relief, uncaring of who had caused the mood change as long as Conner wasn't mad at him. “Yeah. Cool.” And dared to ask, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. I am.”

--