The drive to the airstrip was silent. Neither Tommy nor Kimberly spoke a word. Trent, Kira, and Ethan were all silent, as well. Maybe it was the seriousness of their mission. Operation Apocalypse.
"Sometimes, fear makes you shut your mouth," Ethan said, to break the silence. After a failed attempt to start a conversation, he shrugged, and sighed.
Maybe the reason for Kimberly's silence was that she was thinking things over. Perhaps, Tommy too.
"So, you guys know each other?" Kira said, attempting to break the dead air.
"Yeah, we, uh," Tommy and Kimberly said, simultaneously.
"Go ahead, Tommy. You say it."
"Alright. She's my ex-girlfriend."
"Oh. Not to be nosy, Dr. O, but what happened?"
"Long story."
"Hey, it's a long way to the airport."
"You don't want to hear it," Kimberly said.
"Or you don't want me to hear it?" Tommy interjected.
"Alright, alright! Jeez! Tommy—Dr. Oliver—and I used to be high school sweethearts. I was into gymnastics. One day, a coach discovered my talent, and cultivated it. He wanted me on his gymnastics team. I left for Florida, because his facility was there. Unfortunately, I found
someone else. I fell in love—or I thought I did—with that someone. And I wrote Tommy, telling him everything in a letter."
"Everything? This is unbelievable," Tommy said, shaking his head.
"Excuse me! If you want to say something, say it to my face! Don't keep it to yourself, for Christ's sake, Tommy!"
"Well, that was a childish way to break-up with someone. Great! A Dear John letter! And you never told me everything, Kimberly!"
"Hell, that was a mistake, Tommy! What do you want me to do?"
"What do I want you to do? What do I want you to do? What I want you to do is to go fuck yourself!"
The argument went on for what seemed to be like years, with Tommy and Kimberly hurling bitter words at each other, each volleying back and forth.
"Guess it was better when it was quiet, huh?" Trent said.
Ethan and Kira nodded in agreement.
"I can't believe they're acting like kids," Kira said.
"Yeah, me too," Trent agreed
"Well, they gotta talk. Let's just let 'em," Ethan joined in.
"Problem is that's not talking. That's a fight."
"Yeah, it is. Told you it was better when it was quiet."
"Well, you know what they say. You don't know what you've got till it's gone."
All three of them shrugged, and resumed their silence, while the former Olympic gymnast and the paleontologist continued their heated argument for the remainder of the trip.
"Nice going, Kira," Ethan teased, nudging her.
"I am not saying anything, so shut the hell up," she said, with clenched teeth, covering her ears with both hands.
Both boys shrugged, and snickered softly.
As Kimberly and Tommy grew tired, and their argument went nowhere, all was silent again in the van. It seemed like it would take an eternity to get to that airstrip. At least that was one thing they both agreed on.
Now that everything was quiet again, Kimberly had time to sort things out. What she would say to Conner, once he woke up, what life would've been like had she only kept him, how it would've been like had she never broken up with Tommy. She looked back on everything from her past. Her schoolgirl crush on Tommy, their first kiss, the dance, their dates, Florida, the letter. And finally, Conner.
Flashback
Florida, 1992
"Are you sure you're ready for this? 'Cause there'll be no turning back, now, Kim," Cindy, Kimberly's former roommate said, as she escorted her to the small operating room at the abortion clinic, where the abortion was to take place.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Kimberly said, with a sob, as she held on tight to Cindy's hand.
"Hello, Kimberly," Dr. Laura Spencer greeted Kimberly with a fake smile, and sweet voice, "I'm glad you've made your decision."
"Yeah. I already have," Kimberly said, with a defeated sigh, her voice tinged with sadness. She tried to hide the tears. She had told her two friends Cindy and Susan that she was ready. But the truth was, she wasn't. She grew attached to the baby growing inside of her. How could she kill someone so small? So innocent? So tiny? Someone who was made with so much love? No, she couldn't live with it. She wouldn't be able to live with the thought that she had killed her own son. Blood of her blood. Heart of her heart. Her own flesh and bones. She couldn't go through with the abortion. She wouldn't.
"Kimberly, did you hear what I said?" Dr. Spencer asked, then, added, "I told you to lie down on the table. I've been telling you twice, now."
Reluctantly, Kimberly lay down on the table.
"Sarah, check for blood pressure, please," Dr. Spencer said.
Dr. Spencer's assistant Sara proceeded to do so.
"Now, tie the straps around her wrists."
Sarah obeyed, but Kimberly would have none of it. She stiffened her body. She sat up, and wrenched her arms away from the straps.
She struggled. It was a battle. She resisted. She was crying. Kicking. Screaming. Dr. Spencer took a syringe filled with tranquilizer from the tray.
"I want to help you, Kimberly. But you have to help yourself too, honey."
"Don't you honey me, you bitch!"
As she saw Dr. Spencer advance with the needle, she mustered all the strength she could.
I may not be the Pink Ranger anymore, but once a Ranger, always a Ranger, right? She edged her way to the end of the operating table, and exerted all her energy, giving Dr. Spencer a strong kick to the gut, hurling her against the wall.
Dr. Spencer tumbled, hitting her back on the tray full of operating paraphernalia, making it topple over, hurting herself, in the process.
That's what you get for messing with the former Pink Ranger, you slut, Kimberly thought. She weakly hoped off the table, and hobbled towards the door.
"Let's go, Cindy. I don't have to be here, anyway."
"You okay, girlfriend?" Cindy said, helping her, and rubbing her back.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"That was a brave thing you did, back there, Kimmie."
End of flashback.
Kimberly shook back to reality. She was staring out the window. Tears glimmered in her eyes. Sometimes, she debated with herself whether or not leaving the abortion clinic that day was the right thing to do. Was it all worth it? The pain of giving Conner up for adoption was as strong as the pain she had felt when she was at the clinic, that day. Giving Conner away was as painful as having him aborted. But although it hurt, she said to herself that she had made the right decision.
Flashback
Florida, 1992
Kimberly looked into her boyfriend's eyes, as she broke the news to him.
"I've decided to keep the baby," she said, trying to sound as brave as she could.
"Say that again?" Jack Hunter said, irritation apparent in his voice.
"I said, I'm keeping the baby!"
"The hell you're not, Kimberly! You will have that thing aborted, like it or not!"
"It's my son we're talking about here, Jack!"
"Oh, for cryin' out loud, Kimberly! That is just a blob of tissue!"
Kimberly's face reddened, and she slapped Jack Hunter.
"He's my son, Jack! My son!"
"I wouldn't have a problem if it was my son! But whose son is it? Your ex-boyfriend! Tommy!" he said, as he tightened his hold on Kimberly's wrists.
"Ow! Let go of me, you son of a bitch!" Kimberly cried, as she slapped Jack, once more.
"I may be just a son of a bitch, Kimberly, but you—you're a bitch!" he said, spitting in her face.
Kimberly wiped it off with the back of her hand.
"How dare you? You don't own me! I am not your property!" Kimberly said, glaring at him.
"I own you, bitch! And you will not have that baby, you hear me?"
"You can't force me, Jack! I'm having this baby, and that's final!"
"I will leave you, if you don't abort that thing!"
"You know what, that's it! I'm outta here! I want out of this abusive relationship! You're choking me, Jack! If you want to be possessive, go find another whore—not me!"
"Are you threatening me? 'Cause empty words don't scare me! You're not going anywhere,
Kimberly! You're not breaking up with me!"
"Fuck you!" Kimberly said, with nothing but contempt for him in her voice.
Jack hit Kimberly so hard, she never knew what hit her. She fell to the floor.
Minutes later, Cindy and Susan rushed her to the hospital. She almost miscarried. But the doctor said that the baby's hold was so strong—nothing could shake it from its mother's comfortable womb.
My baby is going to be a Ranger too, someday, Kimberly thought with a sigh, as she stroked her abdomen. She was starting to show now. She loved her son, so much, she was counting down to the day she would bring him out into the world.
End of flashback.
Once again, Kimberly came back to reality. They were now nearing the airstrip. She had a whole lot more to think about. But she would have to worry about that on the plane ride to Switzerland.
The van came to stop, and all five alighted. The driver got down and carried their stuff for them, while two military escorts brought them to the plane.
It was a strange feeling. They were out to save the world again. Nothing should come in the way of this crucial mission—not even Tommy and Kimberly's past relationship. But both of them argued that they should fix things between them, in case something happened. Tommy needed to know the truth, and Kimberly had to tell him all of it.
As Tommy, Kimberly, Ethan, Kira, and Trent boarded the Learjet, a strange feeling came over the current Black Ranger and former Pink Ranger. For a moment, all their arguments ceased.
"There it is again," Kimberly said to herself, rather than to Tommy.
"What's there again?"
"I can feel it. Don't you? The Crane is calling me. And the Pterodactyl. And the Firebird."
"I hear it too. The Dragon. The Tiger. The Falcon. All calling for me."
"Must be Zordon's way of cheering us on."
"Or calling us."
"It gives me goose bumps," Kimberly said, clinging to Tommy's jacket.
"Yeah, I know. Me too," he answered back, putting a hand around Kimberly's waist.
Ethan, Kira, and Trent snickered and nudged each other.
"Look at the two of them," Kira said, in a whisper, laughing softly.
"Yeah, I know. Cool, huh? They're actually cute."
"What if they got back together?"
"They just might."
"In no time."
Tommy and Kimberly turned to look at the three.
"Are you guys talking about us?"
"No," Trent fibbed, "Why would we?"
Kira suppressed a smile, while Ethan whistled to the tune of Something There, from the Disney classic Beauty & the Beast.
The pilot announced that they were about to take off, and told them to fasten their seatbelts. This was going to be a long ride.
It was silent, once again, and Kimberly had the chance to think about a lot of stuff, regarding hers and Tommy's past relationship.
