One Of Those Days
Knight Rider characters copyright Glen A. Larson
Any references to actual places or people are unintended and accidental.
This is a work of pure fiction. Parental guidance recommended.
The squeal of tires filled the air as a black Pontiac rounded the corner. It sent a cloud of dust flying as it made a turn-on-a-dime and accelerated towards the maintenance bay. Bonnie Barstow looked up in bewilderment as Kitt braked just inches from some equipment. Kitt's scanner flashed at a dizzying pace as Michael Knight threw the door open, "Maybe first impressions ARE right after all!" He was about to slam the door when it slammed shut angrily by itself. Kitt's engine revved but the AI didn't respond. Fists clenched Michael stalked inside with a curt, "Not now!" in response to Bonnie's open mouth. Kitt shifted into reverse and shot out into the mansion's yard. There he turned again, shifted into drive and headed for an old oak tree. He stopped mere inches from it. Keeping his front breaks in place, Kitt sent up a cloud of dust by spinning his back wheels several times. Then he let the engine die with a choke. Bonnie ran outside and watched as Kitt's engine stilled. She had never seen the two partners come from an assignment like this. Michael had been furious -and apparently so was Kitt! She approached Kitt slowly, "Kitt?" Kitt didn't respond but the driver's side door clicked open. Bonnie leaned inside as to sit down but quickly recoiled. A sickening stink emanated from inside of the car. The source was in the back seat: vomit. That wasn't all, Bonnie leaned inside to take a closer look and was sure the inside of the car had been hit by a hurricane. The backs of both of the front seats were in shreds almost as if someone had taken a knife to them. Cassette tape rolled out from inside of Kitt's player and had somehow managed to get wrapped around the gear stick. The passenger's seat was covered in coke and the display that was Kitt's voice modulator had apparently been punched in! The inside of the car was a mess! Fighting an impulse to gag at the smell Bonnie sat down in the relatively clean driver's seat. "Kitt, WHAT happened!?!" The lights in the smashed voice modulator quivered, "Bonnie, I think today was one of those days that it would have been better if I had stayed in recharge." Bonnie began to relax. Kitt's voice had sounded tired but not worried or overly mad. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, got out and circled to the front of the car. She climbed on Kitt's hood and sat cross-legged gazing through the windshield. "So, you wanna tell me about it?" Kitt switched off his scanner and began to recall one of the worst days since he had been activated. "We had been waiting for this smuggler outside one of those run-down hotels where he was staying. Michael hadn't slept well and he started today by complaining how uncomfortable the inside of this car was. I responded by merely stating that the inside of this car was built with HIS specs in mind. I scanned the man's room that we were waiting for and found him fast asleep. Michael decided that he would have to get some breakfast and left me to keep taps on the man. As soon as Michael entered the café of that motel a stray mongrel took a liking to my wheel! That's always so annoying when dogs won't go away! I picked up the man we were watching waked up. I contacted Michael on his comm. only to be brushed off with a, "Not now, Kitt!" I could hear a women laughing right next to him and realized I had interrupted them. I tried again as the man quickly dressed and walked out of his room. This time I got through to Michael just as the man saw me and recognized me. Michael came out at a run and I powered up to head this guy off. Unfortunately he turned and ran into an ally that was too tight for me. Michael followed him and after quite a long run caught the guy. He cuffed him and dragged him back and deposited him in the back seat. As we started the hundred-mile drive back here, he commented that I had not contacted him in time! I have to admit that that hurt since that is like saying I did not do my job. I did try to contact him and I replied -somewhat curtly- by saying that I DID try but he was too busy with something or should I say someone else. He got mad at that and asked me if I thought he wasn't doing his job. I then stated that we each have our own weak spots and his seemed to be young ladies. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so forward but Michael really got mad at that. I know he was tired from having hardly slept since Devon had pulled him from his vacation for this assignment and I think he took it out on me. Bonnie, we hardly ever really fight but today I have to admit we did. While I attempted to explain to Michael that I hadn't really meant to hurt him but merely state a known fact Michael focused his lashing at me! I don't think he even remembers what he said! Anyway, I have to admit that while Michael and I were, umm arguing our prisoner had somehow managed to free one hand. I hadn't thought to scan him and suddenly he attacked Michael from behind with some kind of pocketknife. I reacted before Michael had a chance to by taking control of the car and making a quick swerve. That caused the knife to miss Michael but rip the upholstery instead. He tried again and I responded in kind by sending the car to the other side. The passive laser restrain system wasn't on, since Michael ignores my suggestions and won't keep it activated during highway cruise -says it makes his uncomfortable. This caused Michael to lurch to the right and as he did he crashed into the dash or rather into my voice mod. All those other rips came from similar incidents as Michael fought with him. The tape is from one of Michael's favourite cassettes, our friend pulled out some of the tape in the hassle then managed to push the cassette in. Eventually Michael punched him out. We were about halfway here, now arguing about the passive laser restraint system and when to use it when Michael desided to stop at a drive through. He bought a hamburger a coke. For a while everything was quiet when suddenly our backseat passenger felt ill and well, the result is on or should I say in the back seat. The final blow came when Michael for the hundredth time put that bottle of coke on the passenger seat, even though I have told him not to, and I had to break suddenly to avoid hitting a squirrel. The result is." Kitt trailed off. "And he didn't even thank me for saving his hide when the guy started waving the pocket knife! Just snapped at me that I should have scanned it! Well I'm sorry if I'm not perfect!" Bonnie cringed. Kitt had diffidently had a bad day and so had Michael. They had taken it out on one another. She absently ran her hand on Kitt's hood noting the layer of dust and dirt on it. "I'm sorry you had a rough day, Kitt. It's something called Murphy's Law. ´Anything that can go wrong -will. ´ And more often then one would like to believe bad things pile up until there seems to be nothing else left. I'm sure Michael is thankful to you for saving his life. Perhaps he is beginning to take it for granted. You do it often enough! We humans have a bad habit of taking things for granted that we shouldn't. For example friends. It seemed like Michael shared your day, Kitt. Let him cool off." She hopped off the hood. "Now, let's get you cleaned up. I'll call Dan and the guys to get some new seats. We'll have to get that cassette out; the songs are beyond repair though. Hey! I'll install a CD player! How would you like that? Cassettes are almost obsolete now." She ran a hand over Kitt's roof as she started towards the maintenance bay and felt Kitt start the engine and follow, "Oh and let's not forget the most important thing. The best way -well for me at least- to relax after a bad day is to take a long hot shower and then curl up in bed and forget about the day. In your case however, I think a good car wash and a wax is in order." Kitt's scanner flashed to life as he followed Bonnie inside the wash area. He had to admit, he already felt better. Later that night Michael crept into Kitt's recharge area and found his partner in recharge. The car seats had been removed and the surveillance lights reflected off of the clean MBS shell. Kitt's dash powered up and the scanner pulsed to life as Kitt's systems detected Michael's approach. For a moment neither partner said anything, then both spoke at the same time, "I'm sorry." Michael laughed. He went and sat down next to Kitt's prow. "Sorry for snapping at you, buddy. I had no right. There's even no excuse save for the lame 'I was tired' one." There's no need to explain, Michael. I believe we both just had one of those days."
the end
Knight Rider characters copyright Glen A. Larson
Any references to actual places or people are unintended and accidental.
This is a work of pure fiction. Parental guidance recommended.
The squeal of tires filled the air as a black Pontiac rounded the corner. It sent a cloud of dust flying as it made a turn-on-a-dime and accelerated towards the maintenance bay. Bonnie Barstow looked up in bewilderment as Kitt braked just inches from some equipment. Kitt's scanner flashed at a dizzying pace as Michael Knight threw the door open, "Maybe first impressions ARE right after all!" He was about to slam the door when it slammed shut angrily by itself. Kitt's engine revved but the AI didn't respond. Fists clenched Michael stalked inside with a curt, "Not now!" in response to Bonnie's open mouth. Kitt shifted into reverse and shot out into the mansion's yard. There he turned again, shifted into drive and headed for an old oak tree. He stopped mere inches from it. Keeping his front breaks in place, Kitt sent up a cloud of dust by spinning his back wheels several times. Then he let the engine die with a choke. Bonnie ran outside and watched as Kitt's engine stilled. She had never seen the two partners come from an assignment like this. Michael had been furious -and apparently so was Kitt! She approached Kitt slowly, "Kitt?" Kitt didn't respond but the driver's side door clicked open. Bonnie leaned inside as to sit down but quickly recoiled. A sickening stink emanated from inside of the car. The source was in the back seat: vomit. That wasn't all, Bonnie leaned inside to take a closer look and was sure the inside of the car had been hit by a hurricane. The backs of both of the front seats were in shreds almost as if someone had taken a knife to them. Cassette tape rolled out from inside of Kitt's player and had somehow managed to get wrapped around the gear stick. The passenger's seat was covered in coke and the display that was Kitt's voice modulator had apparently been punched in! The inside of the car was a mess! Fighting an impulse to gag at the smell Bonnie sat down in the relatively clean driver's seat. "Kitt, WHAT happened!?!" The lights in the smashed voice modulator quivered, "Bonnie, I think today was one of those days that it would have been better if I had stayed in recharge." Bonnie began to relax. Kitt's voice had sounded tired but not worried or overly mad. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, got out and circled to the front of the car. She climbed on Kitt's hood and sat cross-legged gazing through the windshield. "So, you wanna tell me about it?" Kitt switched off his scanner and began to recall one of the worst days since he had been activated. "We had been waiting for this smuggler outside one of those run-down hotels where he was staying. Michael hadn't slept well and he started today by complaining how uncomfortable the inside of this car was. I responded by merely stating that the inside of this car was built with HIS specs in mind. I scanned the man's room that we were waiting for and found him fast asleep. Michael decided that he would have to get some breakfast and left me to keep taps on the man. As soon as Michael entered the café of that motel a stray mongrel took a liking to my wheel! That's always so annoying when dogs won't go away! I picked up the man we were watching waked up. I contacted Michael on his comm. only to be brushed off with a, "Not now, Kitt!" I could hear a women laughing right next to him and realized I had interrupted them. I tried again as the man quickly dressed and walked out of his room. This time I got through to Michael just as the man saw me and recognized me. Michael came out at a run and I powered up to head this guy off. Unfortunately he turned and ran into an ally that was too tight for me. Michael followed him and after quite a long run caught the guy. He cuffed him and dragged him back and deposited him in the back seat. As we started the hundred-mile drive back here, he commented that I had not contacted him in time! I have to admit that that hurt since that is like saying I did not do my job. I did try to contact him and I replied -somewhat curtly- by saying that I DID try but he was too busy with something or should I say someone else. He got mad at that and asked me if I thought he wasn't doing his job. I then stated that we each have our own weak spots and his seemed to be young ladies. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so forward but Michael really got mad at that. I know he was tired from having hardly slept since Devon had pulled him from his vacation for this assignment and I think he took it out on me. Bonnie, we hardly ever really fight but today I have to admit we did. While I attempted to explain to Michael that I hadn't really meant to hurt him but merely state a known fact Michael focused his lashing at me! I don't think he even remembers what he said! Anyway, I have to admit that while Michael and I were, umm arguing our prisoner had somehow managed to free one hand. I hadn't thought to scan him and suddenly he attacked Michael from behind with some kind of pocketknife. I reacted before Michael had a chance to by taking control of the car and making a quick swerve. That caused the knife to miss Michael but rip the upholstery instead. He tried again and I responded in kind by sending the car to the other side. The passive laser restrain system wasn't on, since Michael ignores my suggestions and won't keep it activated during highway cruise -says it makes his uncomfortable. This caused Michael to lurch to the right and as he did he crashed into the dash or rather into my voice mod. All those other rips came from similar incidents as Michael fought with him. The tape is from one of Michael's favourite cassettes, our friend pulled out some of the tape in the hassle then managed to push the cassette in. Eventually Michael punched him out. We were about halfway here, now arguing about the passive laser restraint system and when to use it when Michael desided to stop at a drive through. He bought a hamburger a coke. For a while everything was quiet when suddenly our backseat passenger felt ill and well, the result is on or should I say in the back seat. The final blow came when Michael for the hundredth time put that bottle of coke on the passenger seat, even though I have told him not to, and I had to break suddenly to avoid hitting a squirrel. The result is." Kitt trailed off. "And he didn't even thank me for saving his hide when the guy started waving the pocket knife! Just snapped at me that I should have scanned it! Well I'm sorry if I'm not perfect!" Bonnie cringed. Kitt had diffidently had a bad day and so had Michael. They had taken it out on one another. She absently ran her hand on Kitt's hood noting the layer of dust and dirt on it. "I'm sorry you had a rough day, Kitt. It's something called Murphy's Law. ´Anything that can go wrong -will. ´ And more often then one would like to believe bad things pile up until there seems to be nothing else left. I'm sure Michael is thankful to you for saving his life. Perhaps he is beginning to take it for granted. You do it often enough! We humans have a bad habit of taking things for granted that we shouldn't. For example friends. It seemed like Michael shared your day, Kitt. Let him cool off." She hopped off the hood. "Now, let's get you cleaned up. I'll call Dan and the guys to get some new seats. We'll have to get that cassette out; the songs are beyond repair though. Hey! I'll install a CD player! How would you like that? Cassettes are almost obsolete now." She ran a hand over Kitt's roof as she started towards the maintenance bay and felt Kitt start the engine and follow, "Oh and let's not forget the most important thing. The best way -well for me at least- to relax after a bad day is to take a long hot shower and then curl up in bed and forget about the day. In your case however, I think a good car wash and a wax is in order." Kitt's scanner flashed to life as he followed Bonnie inside the wash area. He had to admit, he already felt better. Later that night Michael crept into Kitt's recharge area and found his partner in recharge. The car seats had been removed and the surveillance lights reflected off of the clean MBS shell. Kitt's dash powered up and the scanner pulsed to life as Kitt's systems detected Michael's approach. For a moment neither partner said anything, then both spoke at the same time, "I'm sorry." Michael laughed. He went and sat down next to Kitt's prow. "Sorry for snapping at you, buddy. I had no right. There's even no excuse save for the lame 'I was tired' one." There's no need to explain, Michael. I believe we both just had one of those days."
the end