2Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot idea.
TJ silently followed Andros through the Megaship. After defeating Vacsacker minutes ago, he'd noticed Andros acting erratically; avoiding contact, rubbing at his morpher's strap, and wincing when people walked too close. He'd claimed exhaustion from the Battlizer and retreated from the cockpit, but TJ had seen a limp in his stride. That along with everything else was what had prompted his decision to follow his leader.
When Andros collapsed, he knew he'd made the right choice. TJ emerged from behind the corner and strode over to Andros, reaching out to catch his elbow and help him to his feet. The heat radiating off of Andros caught him off guard.
"Andros?" he asked. The only answer he got was a pained groan. Worried, TJ grabbed Andros' arm and tried to get a better look at Andros' face. Andros cried out, and tried to move away. "Hey, whoa, it's just me. Let's get you to the med-bay, alright?"
When physical contact only proved to intensify Andros' pain, even through two layers of clothing, TJ bit the bullet and pulled Andros up and into a fireman's hold, then raced down the hallway to the med-bay, his speed increasing as Andros continued to cry out in pain.
Once there, TJ quickly laid Andros out on a bed and stripped off his jacket and shirt. Wetting some cloths with cool water, he laid them against Andros' skin but Andros moaned and batted them away.
"I know it's cold and it hurts, but you're burning up," TJ said. He tried again, and this time they stayed where he put them. He was about to get more when he heard a whisper in the back of his mind.
Burns.
"What does?" TJ asked. "What's happening to him?"
Power, came the reply. Focus.
TJ frowned, then realized the second word had been a command, not an answer. Shrugging, TJ closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing his mind the way Tommy had taught him. In moments, he understood what the Power was saying: it was the Red power that was causing this, because Andros' Red power fed his Battlizer, and the Battlizer energy was burning Andros' skin. Slowly, following the Power's one word commands, TJ removed the morpher attached to Andros' wrist, then gathered his Blue energy and sent it out like a mist to surround Andros. Blues were naturally less powerful than Reds, and TJ's Turbo morpher wasn't actively connected, so he'd lost most of his Red energy over the past few months. After half an hour, by which time Andros' fever had finally broken and the obvious signs of pain had faded, TJ's control wavered. Reassured by the Power that he'd done enough for now, TJ relaxed and set up an IV to help Andros regain some of the moisture he'd lost. After he finished, he sat back.
Sorry. Too much, the Power whispered.
"What do you mean?" TJ asked. A flood of information poured into his mind, and TJ reeled from the shock. Once he recovered, he sifted through the knowledge and discovered just what the Power meant by 'too much.'
Andros had needed the Battlizer to defeat Vacsacker, but the Power had overestimated his capabilities and limits, and had given him too much power. Reds tended to have a close affinity with fire, and the fire-like qualities of the Red energy had led to Andros' fever and collapse. Blues had an affinity with water, hence the reason why TJ's power had helped break the fever and lower Andros' core temperature. TJ would need to stay in close proximity to Andros while his body recovered. If Andros used his Battlizer again, the results would be much the same. Unfortunately, the only way to refine the size of the power boost Andros got when using his Battlizer was to use his Battlizer. TJ sighed and rubbed his forehead. He wasn't looking forward to the coming weeks. Knowing Andros, the Red would insist on using the Battlizer so that no other Red would have to go through the same thing, no matter the cost to his own body. Watching Andros breathe, TJ promised himself and the Power that Andros wouldn't go through this alone. They were a team, and they'd face any obstacle together.
I was re-watching the older seasons and this idea formed after watching Andros activate his Battlizer for the first time.
My view of the Power is that it's sentient to a degree, otherwise how would it choose the Rangers who wield it? It can interact with the Rangers, but more often than not, chooses not to. Tommy first talked with the Power while Zordon and Alpha were creating the White Ranger powers, and it was the Power who wanted Jason to become the Gold Ranger in Zeo. Tommy told TJ about the Power when he handed the Red Turbo morpher over to him, and TJ's heard it a few times during Turbo, then In Space.
I apologize about any OOC-ness, I've never written Andros or TJ before. Concrit is welcome.