A NEW DAY 
by Michelle T
© 2000

CHAPTER ONE

"Christ, Kev, this is a hell of a way to start a long weekend," AJ grimaced 
while peering through the windshield of Kevin's truck.  "It's been pouring 
for 2 friggin' hours."

"Yeah, Bone, tell me about it!  It's not quite 4:00 and the sky is almost 
pitch black.  We've got to be almost there, though,"  Kevin said while 
looking quickly at his speedometer and releasing the accelerator slightly.

"What the fuck?  Kev, stop the truck!" AJ twisted in his seat to the left and 
was staring out the back window, "There's a car off the road back there with 
it's lights still on."  

Kevin slammed on his brakes and the truck skidded towards the right of the 
road.  AJ threw his door open and ran behind the truck towards the red car 
across the road.  Kevin grabbed a flashlight from the glove box and a 
windbreaker from the back seat and flew out the door after him.   

When Kevin caught up to AJ he found him kneeling at the back of the car.  He 
had his hand on the shoulder of the woman slumped against the bumper.   

"Oh Christ, is she alive?" Kevin asked with a shaky voice as he went around 
AJ and kneeled down in front of her.  

"Yeah, looks that way.  She's passed out though." AJ said as his left hand 
pushed her wet hair off her cheek.  He noticed her long lashes fluttering and 
he felt of pang of sorrow in his heart as he heard a groan escape from her 
lips.  "Sweetie, come on, wake up.  We're going to help you."

Upon feeling AJ's touch, she opened her eyes and turned her head forwards 
them with another groan.  

She could see two men before her, but couldn't focus enough to make them out. 
 "Ohhhhh god, where am I?"  

Kevin reached out to her right hand and gently placed his upon it.   

"Owwww, my hand!!" she gasped and bent forwards while trying to protect her 
right hand with her left.  Kevin jumped backwards upon hearing her and AJ 
grabbed her shoulders to stop her from falling over, pulling her back close 
to him.  "I think….I've….. broken my hand." She whispered to them and moved 
her left hand onto her right protectively.   

Kevin came closer and carefully placed his hand on both of hers and said 
softly, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know.  Does anything else hurt?" He glanced 
at AJ and noticed that he was still holding her with a look on his face that 
Kevin hadn't seen there in a long time.  

"My left side hurts really bad and my leg aches.  But I don't think anything 
else is broken. I'm really cold though" She replied with a weak smile.  At 
that Kevin pulled off the windbreaker he had thrown on moments before and 
passed it to AJ.  "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Kevin and this is AJ.  AJ noticed your car off the road"

At that she turned her head to look at AJ.   She stared at his beautiful 
brown eyes filled with concern and said "Thank you for noticing my car, AJ.  
You'd think there would be more traffic on this road, considering where it 
leads to.  I feel like I've been here for hours."

"Your welcome," he said softly as he gently pushed her forwards and placed 
the jacket around her shoulders.  He looked at Kevin with concern and said, 
"We've got to get her some help, Kev." He looked back down at her, "What's 
your name, Sweetie?"

"Michelle."

"Michelle, we'll take care of you, ok?"  She squeezed her eyes shut again and 
nodded.

"Michelle," Kevin moved his hand to her left shoulder, "Do you think you can 
stand?"

"I don't know, but my ass is soaking wet from sitting here and it doesn't 
feel too pleasant." She said slowly.  Kevin felt a smile tug at his lips at 
her attempt at humor.  She can't be that bad off if she's trying to make 
light of the situation, he thought.  He stood and went to her left side and 
placed his arm around her waist. "Watch her right arm, AJ."  AJ followed suit 
and stood up and they both gently pulled her upwards.  Michelle groaned from 
the aches to her left side and the pressure she was placing on her leg.  She 
felt dizzy and nauseous and lurched to the right.  Kevin's grip around her 
waist tightened and AJ placed his arm around her stomach to keep her from 
falling.

"Kev, bring your truck over here.  I think it would be easier on her than 
carrying her across the road."  

"OK, you got her?" 

AJ moved his left arm around her waist and Kevin removed his.  "I've got her, 
hurry!" Kevin ran across the road and jumped into his truck.  AJ held her 
tightly careful of her right arm. 

"Michelle, are you still with me?" AJ pulled her closer to him, feeling her 
trembling.

"I'm sorry!" she said barely audible.

"Ssssh, you don't have to be sorry.  I'm just sorry that you're in this 
mess."  He bent his head to look at her and noticed the tears sliding from 
her eyes. He lifted her chin with his right hand and looked into her green 
eyes before she shut them again.  "Don't worry, Babe, you'll be okay soon."  

She lifted her eyes to him and felt a rush of gratitude towards him.  "God, 
what would I have done if you guys didn't come by?" At that she started 
crying harder.  She slid her left arm around AJ and clung tightly to him, 
letting her emotions control her.  

"AJ." Kevin was standing in front of them. "Let's get her in the truck out of 
this rain.  I've found a blanket in the back seat and I've put the heat on."  

They both guided her towards the truck.  Kevin ran around to the driver's 
side and jumped in.  He slid over the bench seat and helped AJ lift her in.  
She cried out briefly as her arm hit the dash.  

"God, I'm sorry Babe." AJ looked at the pained expression on her face. 

"AJ, be careful!" Kevin said roughly.  

"Don't….I'm okay.  Really." Michelle said.

"I'm sorry, man.  I didn't mean to yell.  I'm just…..I don't know….I hate to 
see her hurting." Kevin looked at AJ with sorry eyes.

"Don't sweat it, I would have yelled at you too." AJ replied with a smile.

"Ok, we've got to find a hospital." Kevin said.

"Wait!!…..Oh my god, I've got to get back to the hotel" Michelle cried out.

"Babe, we'll……", AJ said while placing the blanket over her.

"NO!" she said sharply.  "You don't understand…. I left my daughter at the 
hotel while I ran out for some food and stuff.  She was sleeping when I 
left….." The look on Michelle's face was full of horror.  "I left her a note, 
but I've been gone so long.  She must be having a shit fit."

"You have a daughter?" Kevin asked incredulously.  "And you left her there 
alone?"

"Yes….oh god…don't look at me like that.  She's almost 11 years old." 

"You have an 11 year old kid?" AJ was shocked.  This woman next to him was in 
no way old enough for a child that age.  

"Yes, please just take me back to the hotel.  I have to make sure she's 
okay." The look in her eyes made AJ shudder.  

Kevin placed his hand on her head and pushed back her damp hair.  "I'm sorry, 
Michelle, I didn't mean to sound harsh.  You definitely don't look old enough 
to have a child that age.  I was picturing a toddler at best.  Please…"

She looked into his eyes and noticed how green and penetrating they were.  
She raised her left hand to his cheek and softly caressed it.  "It's 
okay……I'd yell at me too.  I shouldn't have left her no matter how old she 
is, but I knew how exhausted she was and I honestly didn't expect anything to 
delay me.  I was so stupid." She wanted to scream at herself, but took a deep 
breath instead.  "Oh man, that hurts."

"What hurts, Babe?" AJ asked.

"My left side when I breathe deeply.  I think I hit it on the door." 

"OK, Kev, let's get going.  We'll swing by the hotel first and pick up…. 
What's your daughter's name, Michelle?"

"Kimberly"

"Ok, we'll pick up Kimberly and then take you to the hospital, ok?"

"Yes, thank you both.  I'm so sorry to involve you, but I'm so grateful you 
came along." Michelle looked at AJ and then Kevin. "I'm really thankful and I 
promise to make it up to you."

"Well, we can talk about that on the way.  Is there anything in your car you 
need, a bag or wallet?" Kevin asked.  

Michelle nodded her head and then leaned it against the back of the seat.  
"I've got a few things in the front seat and my laptop and a backpack in the 
trunk."

"OK, AJ stay with her, I'll grab her things.  What hotel are you staying at 
Hon?"

"The Wayfarer.  I thought the name was appropriate." She said with a slight 
smile while closing her eyes.

"I'll be right back." Kevin jumped out of the truck and ran over to the car 
and started gathering her belongings.  

"Why is the Wayfarer an appropriate name, Babe?" AJ asked as he pulled her 
right arm from under the blanket.  He gently held her elbow as he lightly ran 
his fingers over her wrist.  As he did, he noticed the scar on the inside of 
her arm.  "What's this?"

He looked back at her face and saw the tears glistening in her eyes.  "It's 
nothing, just an old scar." She responded weakly.  AJ stared at her, with his 
mouth slightly ajar and fell silent.

Several minutes later Kevin came back and placed all her bags in the back 
seat of the truck.  He climbed in and started to put the truck in gear when 
he noticed the look in AJ's eyes.  "What's wrong?" he asked.  AJ held her arm 
up a bit for Kevin to see.   Kevin looked at the scar and knew instantly what 
it represented.  Tears were immediately evident in his eyes as he looked back 
at AJ.  "Man, I didn't expect this." He said.

Michelle pulled her head up and looked at Kevin.  "What do you mean?" she 
asked quietly.  At that, Kevin pushed the sleeve of his right arm up and 
turned the inside of his towards her.  She looked down and saw a scar very 
similar to hers.   She gasped and looked back up at him.  "Did you…." She 
started.  

"Yeah, about a year and a half ago" he said.  The tears started sliding down 
his cheeks as he looked at her face.  

"I'm sorry, you're the first person I've actually met with……that," she said. 
 She lowered her eyes and pulled her arm from AJ's hand. "Please, can we just 
go?"

Kevin just sat there staring at her and wondering what her reasons were for 
trying to take her own life.  "Michelle…look at me."  When she didn't 
respond, he gently placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head to meet 
his eyes.  "Don't feel ashamed. I've been there and I know how it feels." 

She once again raised her hand to his cheek and gently wiped away the tears 
from his right side and then from his left side with her thumb.  She stared 
into his gorgeous eyes and pulled his face towards her.  She placed a soft 
kiss on his cheek and said "I'd like to talk to you about this some time, but 
I've got to get to my baby."  

He nodded his head, righted himself in his seat and put the truck in gear.  
She turned to her right and looked at AJ.  He had tears in his eyes as well.  
He took back her arm and softly caressed the scar.  "Whatever or whoever made 
you do this isn't worth it," he whispered.  

She nodded her head and pulled him towards her with her left hand and kissed 
his cheek as well.  "Thank you…."  

He leaned back in his seat and placed his left arm around her shoulders and 
pulled her close to him.  "Let's go, Kev.  She's soaking wet and we need to 
get her hand taken care of."

Kevin nodded and pulled out onto the road and headed back to town.   As they 
drove the rain came down harder and the wind picked up fiercely.  Driving was 
difficult with tree branches swaying into the road and other debris flying 
around.  "I think we are in for one hell of a storm." Kevin mumbled.   

After 15 minutes of silence, Michelle pulled her head up from AJ's shoulder 
and looked at him.  "Where were you guys heading to?" Michelle asked with a 
shudder.  She was so cold, and even with the blanket covering her and the 
heat coming out full force, she couldn't seem to warm up.  

"We're staying at the Breakers in Key West for a few days." AJ responded.  "A 
few of our friends are waiting for us there."

"God, I'm so sorry I've delayed you." Michelle felt so awful. 

"Damn Michelle, if you say sorry to us one more time, I'm gonna have to slap 
you upside the head," AJ pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on her 
head.

"Ha, I can't believe you just said that, AJ.  My sister and I used to say 
that and do that to each other." She looked lost in thought and smiled.  She 
hadn't had a happy thought about Patti in so long.