To all my readers: the following is based on a true story. My best friend was killed in a car accident 2 years ago. A 16 year old girl got in her car drunk and hit the car that he was driving in head on. Please don't drink and drive.
(Flash Back)
Keith: Karen are you ready yet? Sam will be here any minute to pick us up?
Karen: Yeah, I will be out in a sec. Is Lucas still sleeping?
Keith: Yep. I just check on him. When are you going to move his toddler bed out of your room? He is 2 now.
Karen: Soon. It just makes me nervous putting him in a different room. What happens if I don't hear him getting out of bed?
Keith: You still going to have him sleeping in your room when you and Jay tie the knot.
Karen: We are not getting married. We are just good friends.
Keith: No, you and I are just good friends. You and Jay are more then that.
Karen: I have known him since I was 12. Nothing more then a little kiss has happened.
Keith: That little kiss happened the other night and you have had this smile on your face ever since. So has he.
Karen: Did he say anything to you?
Keith: Just that he is totally in love w/ you and that it is about time.
Karen: Did he really?
Keith: No, but that is what I think. You two should have hooked up years ago. He totally loves you and he adores Lucas. You two would be great together.
Karen: I don't know Keith. We have been friends for so long, I would never want anything to ruin that.
Keith: How could you 2 hooking up ruin that? You are perfect together.
Karen: You think?
Keith: Yes I do. Now finish getting ready.
Jay went to pick up Lucas' babysitter and as soon as they get back Sam will be here.
Karen: I haven't seen Sam forever. How is he doing?
Keith: Good. He is on break from college for Thanksgiving. He is bringing his girlfriend along. Her name is Kristi.
Karen: We all going to fit in a car?
Keith: No he is bringing his father's work van.
(The door opens and in walks Jay w/ sarah.)
Karen: Hi sarah. Lucas is still sleeping. If it gets warm again today I laid out his coat, you can take him to the park. Just make sure that he has a hat on. He is dealing w/ another cold.
Sarah: OK. Kory here too?
Karen: He stayed at a friends house last night and he is getting dropped off about noon. Tell him I left him a note on the table. He can have a friend over after dinner for a while, but I want him to stay home while I am out of town.
Sarah: OK. Anything else?
Keith: No Karen. Say goodbye. Sam just pulled up.
Karen: Ok, just a sec I have to go and give my boy a kiss.
Keith: You're going to wake him and then he is going to throw a fit when he knows that you are leaving.
Karen: I won't wake him. (Karen goes into her room and kneels next to Lucas's bed and gives him a kiss on the check. He moves a little, but never opens his eyes. She waits for him to settle back in and then covers him up.) I love you sweetie. (She turns and walks out the door. Jay is standing by the front door holding her coat for her.)
Jay: You ready?
Karen: Yeah. (Putting her coat on.)
Jay: Good. (he puts his finger under her chin and pulls her face to him. He leans in and kisses her.)
Karen: What was that for?
Jay: Just letting you know that I like the direction our firendship is finally heading.
(With that Jay and Karen walk out the door. Keith saw this and could not have been happier for his 2 friends.)
Karen climbed into the van and sat in between Jay and Keith. The van that they were in only had two front seats and one long seat for the three of them to sit on. The back was totally empty and was for hauling equipment.
Karen: Hey sam. How are you?
Sam: Good. And you?
Karen: Busy.
Sam: How is that little rug rat of yours?
Karen: You mean Luke? He is as cute and cuddly as ever.
Sam: Karen and Jay, this is my girlfriend Kristi.
Kristi: Hi. Nice to meet you. Sam has told me so much about you.
(Sam begins to drive down the road on the way to the football game. It was about 6:15 am and they had left so early to get started on tailgating.)
Kristi: Is there any station you want to listen to?
Jay: No, whatever you 2 ladies want is fine w/ me.
Kristi: A gentleman, go figure.
Sam: Watch it. What are you saying that I am not...
Jay: Oh S***. Sam look out, that car.
(It was too late for Sam to do anything. Before Karen knew what was going on the little blue car had crossed the center line and rammed head on w/ the van. The car was little and was no match for the huge van. It wedge itself under the van and sent the van rolling. It rolled once before it came to rest back on it's wheels. The first time that Karen opened her eyes, she could only hear crackling. Later she would find out that it was the car. It had caught fire on impact and was burning. The next time that she came to, she was trying to get this weight off of her. Her head was turned to the side and she was trying hard to turn it to see what was on her. Later she would find out that the weight that was on her was Jay. When the van rolled all of them went flying. Jay had been the first one to hit and then Karen hit him. He softened the blow for her. He came to rest on top of her when the van stopped rolling. Karen did not wake up again until she was in her hospital bed. She was in and out of sleep because of all the medication that they were giving her. The first person that she saw in the hospital was Keith.)
Keith: Hey hon. How are you doing?
Karen: I feel like a train hit me. What happened?
Keith: We were in a car accident.
Karen: (Seeing that he has a patch on his eye and his arm was in a sling.) Are you OK?
Ke: Yeah, I am fine. Just a little vision problem the doctor's think I got when I hit the side of the van. My arm was just sprained a little and I have a cracked rib.
Ka: (trying to sit up and then feeling the pain shoot through her body.) Uhh.
Ke: Karen, don't try to move. You got hurt pretty bad. You broke your right leg in 2 places and they had to do surgery. You fractured your left wrist and broke your left ankle.
Ka: What happened to Jay? Where is he?
Ke: (tears immediately coming to his eyes.) Karen, he was killed instantly. The impact of the crash tore the aorta away from his heart. He was dead in seconds.
Ka: No Keith. Please tell me it's not true. He can't be dead. What am I going to do w/o him. (the machines that Karen was hooked up to started to beep and a nurse came rushing in.)
Nurse: Karen, we need to you to settle down. (Giving her another shot. Within a few swconds she was back to sleep.)
(Keith sat next to her and just held her hand and cried. He felt horrible for his friend. An hour had past and Karen started to come to again. Seeing Keith,she remembered where she was and the tears started again.)
Ka: Keith, what about Sam and Kristi?
Ke: They had to life flight Sam to another hospital. I just talked to his mom and he is hurt very bad. He broke his back and his jaw. They have him in surgery now, but they think that he is going to make it.
Ka: And Kristi?
Ke: She didn't make it. She died about an hour after they got her to the hospital.
Ka: Oh my God Keith. What happened?
Ke: There were two 16 year old girls driving home after partying all night. They were both drunk. The driver fell asleep or passed out and they ran head on into the van.
Ka: Did they make it?
Ke: No, they died at the scene.
Ka: Oh Keith. Jay, he is gone. I am so scared. He has always been there for me and I can't survive w/o him. I just wish I could have died w/ him.
Ke: Karen, don't say that. Lucas needs you and so does Kory. I need you too. I will help you get through this. I will never leave you.
(Keith and Karen were openly sobbing. Keith did everything that he could to keep Karen calm. She had a long road a head of her.)
The accident happened on a Saturday and Karen spent most of her awake hours on the phone calling and talking to everyone that she thought needed to know that Jay was gone. It wasn't really to tell them, because most everyone had heard. Word spread quickly in small towns. It was really so that she could keep saying the words. Karen was trying to convince herself that what she was saying was really true, that it wasn't just a nightmare that she was hoping would everntually come to an end. At the end of the first day, when she had called that last person, she hung up the phone and laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. Many times in her life she had said that she was just "exhausted", but not until that second, had she truely known what the word meant. She was mentally and physically wiped out. Nothing hurt, there were no tears left for that day, all she could do was sleep.
Tuesday was the wake service. Keith and the doctors all pleaded w/ Karen not to go. They told her that her injuries were too much, but she knew that she had to go. Not really for Jay as much as for herself. She needed the reality to slap her in the face. To see for herself that this was not a cruel joke that someone was playing on her. Jay was not going to be back, he was gone.
When she first got to the church, there was no one there, that is except for her best friend in a coffin at the front of the room. Karen was telling herself how she had to stay strong the whole way over. She wanted to be strong for Jay and his family. But, when she went throught those last set of doors she lost it. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she needed to throw up. She had to leave. She went back out the doors again trying to calm herself. She had to get a grip. With the comfort of Keith she made her way back through the doors again. By this time more people had started to filter in. The first thing that Karen had to do was sign a book that Jay's parents had set out. She had seen the many signatures before hers. Some she knew well, and some she had never heard of. When she picked up the pen, her hand started shaking again and she could not control it. She was sure that no one would ever be able to read her writing. Next was seeing Jay laying there for the first time. Karen was sure that this would be the time that she would need to leave the church again, but it was just the opposite. A calmness came over her and she was not sure why. Karen did not know if it was the realization that he was gone and he was not in any pain. That Jay was at peace. Or the fact that the body that was laying there was not her best friend. There's no way that it could be. The friend that she knew should have been up talking and laughing and joking. She couldn't figure it out. Next came seeing Jay's family. His mom, his dad and his little brothers. They stood there talking to and hugging the hundreds of people that passed through the church that day. When Karen went through to extend her condolences, she was amazed at how together they were. Instead of Karen trying to comfort them, they were comforting her, because nothing would come out of her mouth. All she could do was cry. She missed Jay already and it had only been 3 days. What was she going to do w/o him the rest of her life. Next Karen stopped at a table that Jay's family had set up for him at the front of the church. It had items on it that had meant a lot to Jay. There were items from high school, like the bat that he used at every baseball game that he played in. There was his college diploma, that he had worked hard to get, but unfortunately now, was just a piece of paper. The world would never see Jay hit his true potential. Then, there was his jacket, the one of his favorite football team that Karen had given him. She cried at the memory of the day that he opened it. Next came the photo albums. She flipped through each on. There were pictures of the 12 years that they had been friends, but something that she had never thought about until that moment, there were pictures of him before Karen was in his life. When you are friends w/ someone for as long as she had been friends w/ Jay, you -assume- that you had always been a part of thier life, but now she realized that there were years in Jay's life that she never knew about and now she never would. She was angry. Those two girls were careless and they took Karen's best friend away. But more then angry, Karen was scared. It was hard to explain. She was an independent person, but w/o Jay there, she was scared. He had been her security. The one person that could make her laugh even when things seem to be at their worst. Who would do that for her now? They had built this relationship that no one quite understood, except themselves. Karen knew that she would meet new people and there would be new friends, that was just part of life, but there would never be anyone that knew her the way that Jay did. 12 years were gone, w/ one stupid thing that some stranger did. Worse yet, was that Karen couldn't even go to that girl that was driving and yell at her and make her understand what she took from her. Why? Because she suffered the same fate that Jay had. In a town not too far from One Tree Hill, there was a best friend just like Karen going through the same thing she was. That driver had a best friend too. She had a family that was suffering the same pain that Jay's family was. How could Karen feel anything but empathy knowing how much they were hurting too? When she got to the last picture in the photo album, she saw a few empty pages. This made her cry again as she realized that those pages would never get filled. Jay was gone forever.
Next, Karen sat there as the many people went through the church. Some of the people she knew well and they would stop and share a story and then move on. But there were other people that she had never seen before. How could that be she wondered? How could you think that you knew everyting about a person but yet not know any of these people. She wanted to walk up to each on of these strangers and ask them how they knew Jay and soak up everything about him that she could. But then the scariest thing came to mind. Jay was her best friend and she loved him w/ all her heart, but did she mean as much to him as he did to her? The panic set in, because she realized that it was too late to ask him. She would never know. She wanted to stand up right then and scream at everyone that he was HER best friend and yeah, they lost him too, but there was no way anyone in that room had lost what she had lost, or felt as alone and as horrible as she did. But, as more and more people filled the church, Karen began to calm down. She realized that Jay had touch each of these people in some way. All of these people came to say good bye to Jay. It was that calming feeling again. All of these strangers in one room, coming together because of this wonderful person, that she was able to call he best friend for 12 years. It didn't matter that many of the people did not know that he was her best friend, it just mattered that she did. At that moment, she also realized that she had meant just as much to him as he did to her. Jay was gone, but Karen would forever have her memories.
Dedicated to my best friend Dale who I lost 11/24/01. I miss you sweetie.
Karen told the whole story of the accident and the wake w/o a word from Lucas. Neither of them had even noticed that Kory and Keith had both come in the room and sat down. When she was finished both Karen and Luke had tears running down their cheeks. She still held Lucas's hands in hers. Luke was amazed. It had been 14 years since the accident and since Jay died, but his mom told the story w/ such detail, like it had just happened yesterday. He did not know what to say to her. He wanted to say something that would make her pain go away, but there was nothing profound coming to mind. All he could do was take her in his arms and hold her. As he did this Karen sobbed. Keith came up behind her and put his hand on her back. He was the one person that had lived through the hell w/ her and knew what she was going through. Karen got up and fell into his arms and there was not a dry eye in the room.
L: Mom, what about you?
K: (looking at him confused) What do you mean?
L: Did you go back to the hospital after the funeral.
K: (Wiping her eyes.) Yes, I was there for 3 weeks. I had to go through months and months of physical therapy.
Keith: But she is a tough lady.
K: I could not have done it w/o Keith. You were only 2 and you were all over the place. Keith took you to work about everyday. I guess that is why you came to love the garage and Keith so much.
L: I can not believe that I did not know any of this.
K: I'm sorry Luke, I should have told you. It is just so painful to talk about. I know that it was so long ago, but for me it seems like yesterday sometimes. Maybe if I would have told you, you might not be laying in that hospital bed. I'm just glad that all that came out of this was a concussion.
L: Let's not forget, Haley never talking to me again.
Karen: I'm sure that she will talk to you again. Give her time.
Kory: Has she been here to visit you yet?
L: NO! That's what I mean. She's p*****.
Keith: Well, can you blame her Luke? You about ran her over.
L: Don't remind me.
K: Oh, I will be reminding you of that for a long time. I'm going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
L: If I told you that I have sincerely learned my lesson and that I promise never to do it again, do you think that I would still need to be punished?
K: You're kidding right? Speaking of punishments. I need the keys to your car.
L: You're selling it while I'm in the hospital? Talk about kicking a man when he is down.
K: Where are they Luke?
L: (Pointing to a bag that the nurse had put in the corner w/ all his personal belongings in it.) There in my jean's pocket. Make sure you get everything out of the trunk. You are really selling my car?
K: What did I always say that I would do if you ever drank and drove?
L: (Looking like a kid that lost his best friend.) That you would sell it.
K: Have you ever known me not to follow through on my threats?
L: No.
K: (Taking the keys out of his pocket and transferring them to her own.) I'm sorry son, but I really don't know what else to do. (Just as she said that Karen double over in pain and fell to the floor.)
Keith: Karen? What is wrong.
K: I don't know, I have been having pain since I got back from Paris, but this is about 20 times worse. Something is really wrong Keith, you better get help.
(Keith ran out of the room and Kory and Lucas went to Karen's side, each holding one of her hands.)
(Flash Back)
Keith: Karen are you ready yet? Sam will be here any minute to pick us up?
Karen: Yeah, I will be out in a sec. Is Lucas still sleeping?
Keith: Yep. I just check on him. When are you going to move his toddler bed out of your room? He is 2 now.
Karen: Soon. It just makes me nervous putting him in a different room. What happens if I don't hear him getting out of bed?
Keith: You still going to have him sleeping in your room when you and Jay tie the knot.
Karen: We are not getting married. We are just good friends.
Keith: No, you and I are just good friends. You and Jay are more then that.
Karen: I have known him since I was 12. Nothing more then a little kiss has happened.
Keith: That little kiss happened the other night and you have had this smile on your face ever since. So has he.
Karen: Did he say anything to you?
Keith: Just that he is totally in love w/ you and that it is about time.
Karen: Did he really?
Keith: No, but that is what I think. You two should have hooked up years ago. He totally loves you and he adores Lucas. You two would be great together.
Karen: I don't know Keith. We have been friends for so long, I would never want anything to ruin that.
Keith: How could you 2 hooking up ruin that? You are perfect together.
Karen: You think?
Keith: Yes I do. Now finish getting ready.
Jay went to pick up Lucas' babysitter and as soon as they get back Sam will be here.
Karen: I haven't seen Sam forever. How is he doing?
Keith: Good. He is on break from college for Thanksgiving. He is bringing his girlfriend along. Her name is Kristi.
Karen: We all going to fit in a car?
Keith: No he is bringing his father's work van.
(The door opens and in walks Jay w/ sarah.)
Karen: Hi sarah. Lucas is still sleeping. If it gets warm again today I laid out his coat, you can take him to the park. Just make sure that he has a hat on. He is dealing w/ another cold.
Sarah: OK. Kory here too?
Karen: He stayed at a friends house last night and he is getting dropped off about noon. Tell him I left him a note on the table. He can have a friend over after dinner for a while, but I want him to stay home while I am out of town.
Sarah: OK. Anything else?
Keith: No Karen. Say goodbye. Sam just pulled up.
Karen: Ok, just a sec I have to go and give my boy a kiss.
Keith: You're going to wake him and then he is going to throw a fit when he knows that you are leaving.
Karen: I won't wake him. (Karen goes into her room and kneels next to Lucas's bed and gives him a kiss on the check. He moves a little, but never opens his eyes. She waits for him to settle back in and then covers him up.) I love you sweetie. (She turns and walks out the door. Jay is standing by the front door holding her coat for her.)
Jay: You ready?
Karen: Yeah. (Putting her coat on.)
Jay: Good. (he puts his finger under her chin and pulls her face to him. He leans in and kisses her.)
Karen: What was that for?
Jay: Just letting you know that I like the direction our firendship is finally heading.
(With that Jay and Karen walk out the door. Keith saw this and could not have been happier for his 2 friends.)
Karen climbed into the van and sat in between Jay and Keith. The van that they were in only had two front seats and one long seat for the three of them to sit on. The back was totally empty and was for hauling equipment.
Karen: Hey sam. How are you?
Sam: Good. And you?
Karen: Busy.
Sam: How is that little rug rat of yours?
Karen: You mean Luke? He is as cute and cuddly as ever.
Sam: Karen and Jay, this is my girlfriend Kristi.
Kristi: Hi. Nice to meet you. Sam has told me so much about you.
(Sam begins to drive down the road on the way to the football game. It was about 6:15 am and they had left so early to get started on tailgating.)
Kristi: Is there any station you want to listen to?
Jay: No, whatever you 2 ladies want is fine w/ me.
Kristi: A gentleman, go figure.
Sam: Watch it. What are you saying that I am not...
Jay: Oh S***. Sam look out, that car.
(It was too late for Sam to do anything. Before Karen knew what was going on the little blue car had crossed the center line and rammed head on w/ the van. The car was little and was no match for the huge van. It wedge itself under the van and sent the van rolling. It rolled once before it came to rest back on it's wheels. The first time that Karen opened her eyes, she could only hear crackling. Later she would find out that it was the car. It had caught fire on impact and was burning. The next time that she came to, she was trying to get this weight off of her. Her head was turned to the side and she was trying hard to turn it to see what was on her. Later she would find out that the weight that was on her was Jay. When the van rolled all of them went flying. Jay had been the first one to hit and then Karen hit him. He softened the blow for her. He came to rest on top of her when the van stopped rolling. Karen did not wake up again until she was in her hospital bed. She was in and out of sleep because of all the medication that they were giving her. The first person that she saw in the hospital was Keith.)
Keith: Hey hon. How are you doing?
Karen: I feel like a train hit me. What happened?
Keith: We were in a car accident.
Karen: (Seeing that he has a patch on his eye and his arm was in a sling.) Are you OK?
Ke: Yeah, I am fine. Just a little vision problem the doctor's think I got when I hit the side of the van. My arm was just sprained a little and I have a cracked rib.
Ka: (trying to sit up and then feeling the pain shoot through her body.) Uhh.
Ke: Karen, don't try to move. You got hurt pretty bad. You broke your right leg in 2 places and they had to do surgery. You fractured your left wrist and broke your left ankle.
Ka: What happened to Jay? Where is he?
Ke: (tears immediately coming to his eyes.) Karen, he was killed instantly. The impact of the crash tore the aorta away from his heart. He was dead in seconds.
Ka: No Keith. Please tell me it's not true. He can't be dead. What am I going to do w/o him. (the machines that Karen was hooked up to started to beep and a nurse came rushing in.)
Nurse: Karen, we need to you to settle down. (Giving her another shot. Within a few swconds she was back to sleep.)
(Keith sat next to her and just held her hand and cried. He felt horrible for his friend. An hour had past and Karen started to come to again. Seeing Keith,she remembered where she was and the tears started again.)
Ka: Keith, what about Sam and Kristi?
Ke: They had to life flight Sam to another hospital. I just talked to his mom and he is hurt very bad. He broke his back and his jaw. They have him in surgery now, but they think that he is going to make it.
Ka: And Kristi?
Ke: She didn't make it. She died about an hour after they got her to the hospital.
Ka: Oh my God Keith. What happened?
Ke: There were two 16 year old girls driving home after partying all night. They were both drunk. The driver fell asleep or passed out and they ran head on into the van.
Ka: Did they make it?
Ke: No, they died at the scene.
Ka: Oh Keith. Jay, he is gone. I am so scared. He has always been there for me and I can't survive w/o him. I just wish I could have died w/ him.
Ke: Karen, don't say that. Lucas needs you and so does Kory. I need you too. I will help you get through this. I will never leave you.
(Keith and Karen were openly sobbing. Keith did everything that he could to keep Karen calm. She had a long road a head of her.)
The accident happened on a Saturday and Karen spent most of her awake hours on the phone calling and talking to everyone that she thought needed to know that Jay was gone. It wasn't really to tell them, because most everyone had heard. Word spread quickly in small towns. It was really so that she could keep saying the words. Karen was trying to convince herself that what she was saying was really true, that it wasn't just a nightmare that she was hoping would everntually come to an end. At the end of the first day, when she had called that last person, she hung up the phone and laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. Many times in her life she had said that she was just "exhausted", but not until that second, had she truely known what the word meant. She was mentally and physically wiped out. Nothing hurt, there were no tears left for that day, all she could do was sleep.
Tuesday was the wake service. Keith and the doctors all pleaded w/ Karen not to go. They told her that her injuries were too much, but she knew that she had to go. Not really for Jay as much as for herself. She needed the reality to slap her in the face. To see for herself that this was not a cruel joke that someone was playing on her. Jay was not going to be back, he was gone.
When she first got to the church, there was no one there, that is except for her best friend in a coffin at the front of the room. Karen was telling herself how she had to stay strong the whole way over. She wanted to be strong for Jay and his family. But, when she went throught those last set of doors she lost it. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she needed to throw up. She had to leave. She went back out the doors again trying to calm herself. She had to get a grip. With the comfort of Keith she made her way back through the doors again. By this time more people had started to filter in. The first thing that Karen had to do was sign a book that Jay's parents had set out. She had seen the many signatures before hers. Some she knew well, and some she had never heard of. When she picked up the pen, her hand started shaking again and she could not control it. She was sure that no one would ever be able to read her writing. Next was seeing Jay laying there for the first time. Karen was sure that this would be the time that she would need to leave the church again, but it was just the opposite. A calmness came over her and she was not sure why. Karen did not know if it was the realization that he was gone and he was not in any pain. That Jay was at peace. Or the fact that the body that was laying there was not her best friend. There's no way that it could be. The friend that she knew should have been up talking and laughing and joking. She couldn't figure it out. Next came seeing Jay's family. His mom, his dad and his little brothers. They stood there talking to and hugging the hundreds of people that passed through the church that day. When Karen went through to extend her condolences, she was amazed at how together they were. Instead of Karen trying to comfort them, they were comforting her, because nothing would come out of her mouth. All she could do was cry. She missed Jay already and it had only been 3 days. What was she going to do w/o him the rest of her life. Next Karen stopped at a table that Jay's family had set up for him at the front of the church. It had items on it that had meant a lot to Jay. There were items from high school, like the bat that he used at every baseball game that he played in. There was his college diploma, that he had worked hard to get, but unfortunately now, was just a piece of paper. The world would never see Jay hit his true potential. Then, there was his jacket, the one of his favorite football team that Karen had given him. She cried at the memory of the day that he opened it. Next came the photo albums. She flipped through each on. There were pictures of the 12 years that they had been friends, but something that she had never thought about until that moment, there were pictures of him before Karen was in his life. When you are friends w/ someone for as long as she had been friends w/ Jay, you -assume- that you had always been a part of thier life, but now she realized that there were years in Jay's life that she never knew about and now she never would. She was angry. Those two girls were careless and they took Karen's best friend away. But more then angry, Karen was scared. It was hard to explain. She was an independent person, but w/o Jay there, she was scared. He had been her security. The one person that could make her laugh even when things seem to be at their worst. Who would do that for her now? They had built this relationship that no one quite understood, except themselves. Karen knew that she would meet new people and there would be new friends, that was just part of life, but there would never be anyone that knew her the way that Jay did. 12 years were gone, w/ one stupid thing that some stranger did. Worse yet, was that Karen couldn't even go to that girl that was driving and yell at her and make her understand what she took from her. Why? Because she suffered the same fate that Jay had. In a town not too far from One Tree Hill, there was a best friend just like Karen going through the same thing she was. That driver had a best friend too. She had a family that was suffering the same pain that Jay's family was. How could Karen feel anything but empathy knowing how much they were hurting too? When she got to the last picture in the photo album, she saw a few empty pages. This made her cry again as she realized that those pages would never get filled. Jay was gone forever.
Next, Karen sat there as the many people went through the church. Some of the people she knew well and they would stop and share a story and then move on. But there were other people that she had never seen before. How could that be she wondered? How could you think that you knew everyting about a person but yet not know any of these people. She wanted to walk up to each on of these strangers and ask them how they knew Jay and soak up everything about him that she could. But then the scariest thing came to mind. Jay was her best friend and she loved him w/ all her heart, but did she mean as much to him as he did to her? The panic set in, because she realized that it was too late to ask him. She would never know. She wanted to stand up right then and scream at everyone that he was HER best friend and yeah, they lost him too, but there was no way anyone in that room had lost what she had lost, or felt as alone and as horrible as she did. But, as more and more people filled the church, Karen began to calm down. She realized that Jay had touch each of these people in some way. All of these people came to say good bye to Jay. It was that calming feeling again. All of these strangers in one room, coming together because of this wonderful person, that she was able to call he best friend for 12 years. It didn't matter that many of the people did not know that he was her best friend, it just mattered that she did. At that moment, she also realized that she had meant just as much to him as he did to her. Jay was gone, but Karen would forever have her memories.
Dedicated to my best friend Dale who I lost 11/24/01. I miss you sweetie.
Karen told the whole story of the accident and the wake w/o a word from Lucas. Neither of them had even noticed that Kory and Keith had both come in the room and sat down. When she was finished both Karen and Luke had tears running down their cheeks. She still held Lucas's hands in hers. Luke was amazed. It had been 14 years since the accident and since Jay died, but his mom told the story w/ such detail, like it had just happened yesterday. He did not know what to say to her. He wanted to say something that would make her pain go away, but there was nothing profound coming to mind. All he could do was take her in his arms and hold her. As he did this Karen sobbed. Keith came up behind her and put his hand on her back. He was the one person that had lived through the hell w/ her and knew what she was going through. Karen got up and fell into his arms and there was not a dry eye in the room.
L: Mom, what about you?
K: (looking at him confused) What do you mean?
L: Did you go back to the hospital after the funeral.
K: (Wiping her eyes.) Yes, I was there for 3 weeks. I had to go through months and months of physical therapy.
Keith: But she is a tough lady.
K: I could not have done it w/o Keith. You were only 2 and you were all over the place. Keith took you to work about everyday. I guess that is why you came to love the garage and Keith so much.
L: I can not believe that I did not know any of this.
K: I'm sorry Luke, I should have told you. It is just so painful to talk about. I know that it was so long ago, but for me it seems like yesterday sometimes. Maybe if I would have told you, you might not be laying in that hospital bed. I'm just glad that all that came out of this was a concussion.
L: Let's not forget, Haley never talking to me again.
Karen: I'm sure that she will talk to you again. Give her time.
Kory: Has she been here to visit you yet?
L: NO! That's what I mean. She's p*****.
Keith: Well, can you blame her Luke? You about ran her over.
L: Don't remind me.
K: Oh, I will be reminding you of that for a long time. I'm going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
L: If I told you that I have sincerely learned my lesson and that I promise never to do it again, do you think that I would still need to be punished?
K: You're kidding right? Speaking of punishments. I need the keys to your car.
L: You're selling it while I'm in the hospital? Talk about kicking a man when he is down.
K: Where are they Luke?
L: (Pointing to a bag that the nurse had put in the corner w/ all his personal belongings in it.) There in my jean's pocket. Make sure you get everything out of the trunk. You are really selling my car?
K: What did I always say that I would do if you ever drank and drove?
L: (Looking like a kid that lost his best friend.) That you would sell it.
K: Have you ever known me not to follow through on my threats?
L: No.
K: (Taking the keys out of his pocket and transferring them to her own.) I'm sorry son, but I really don't know what else to do. (Just as she said that Karen double over in pain and fell to the floor.)
Keith: Karen? What is wrong.
K: I don't know, I have been having pain since I got back from Paris, but this is about 20 times worse. Something is really wrong Keith, you better get help.
(Keith ran out of the room and Kory and Lucas went to Karen's side, each holding one of her hands.)