Chapter 2
2. Whoa....
Kate shifted in and out of sleep many times in the next hour. When she finally woke for good, she
rubbed her forehead and chuckled to herself. "You must have taken a serious blow to the head,
girl. You're starting to see things."
"I am?" asked an amused voice from the doorway. Kate looked over and gulped. There was Gerry
again. He wheeled over to hr and held out a hand with two aspirin resting in the center of the
palm. "Painkiller?"
Kate reached out, her hand shaky. "Thanks…" she said uncertainly.
Gerry's brow furrowed with concern. "Are you alright?"
Kate pushed down the lump gathering in her throat and glanced around. "Julius?"
Gerry stared at her in confusion. "He had to go…but how did you know his name?"
Kate didn't answer. She pulled the blanket closer, attempting desperately to process what was
going on.
Gerry scratched the side of his head. Something about this girl wouldn't stop bothering him,
something infuriatingly familiar. He didn't want to ask too many questions right away, though.
She still seemed stunned and unstable from her accident. "Well, it doesn't matter, little girl…"
"I'm not little," Kate replied automatically, momentarily forgetting all that had happened. Her eyes
sparked a bit. Gerry sucked in his breath. She reminded him so much of—
A knock at the door silenced both Gerry and Kate's thoughts. "Come in!" Gerry called. The door
opened and another figure that played with Kate's emotions even more walked through. "Hey
Gerry. I know you're busy, but I wanted to stop by and make sure that the plans are going well."
Kate couldn't stop staring at him. He was decades younger, but there was no mistaking the kindly
face, those loving eyes…"Grandpa Coach!" she exclaimed, finally able to stand from the couch,
run to her grandfather, and wrap him in a hug. Before long, her tears were seeping into his shirt. It
was too much, too strange, too scary…
Coach blinked and looked up at a now even more shocked Gerry. In a low whisper, he informed
Coach of Julius' finding the girl unconscious outside of the house on his way to visit Gerry. All the
while, Coach absentmindedly put his arms around Kate and rubbed her back soothingly. Instincts
told him that he knew the girl, though he couldn't avoid being disturbed at the title "Grandpa."
When Kate's sniffles decreased, Coach pushed her back slightly. "Alright, it's okay. Now, let's get
a good look at you…" he trailed off as he examined her face. It wasn't possible…it couldn't be
possible…
He turned to Gerry, who caught the look on Coach's visage, then suddenly realized what he was
thinking. "It can't be…" he murmured. "You're not serious."
"I am," Coach answered. "The dark blue eyes are distinctive, and tell me where youv'e seen hair
naturally this deep red before."
Gerry shook his head. "But how? They—"
Coach held up a hand. "Hold it there, Gerry. We should talk to her first to make sure."
"Make sure about what?" Kate asked, comforted by Coach's presence and no longer able to keep
quiet.
Coach smiled reassuringly at Kate. "Make sure you are who we think you are." Kate's stomach
dropped in panic. How could Coach not know who she was? Then it clicked. Of course, she was
back in time before she was born, so Coach wouldn't know who she was.
"I'm Kate." Kate gazed at Gerry and Coach's imploring faces and sighed. "Fine. Kathryn. But call
me that and I'll be forced to get violent."
Coach tried not to chuckle. So much like her mother…
"It's Kate Yoast."
Coach had a strange light to his eyes now. One of a man who already knew the answer to the
question he as about to ask, but to hear it confirmed by the lips of another held a certain power
that his own conclusions could and did not possess. "Who are your parents?"
Kate hesitated. Wouldn't some great disaster result from her telling Coach this information? She'd
seen Back to the Future enough to know that time wasn't something you could go playing around
with. But it seemed like Coach already knew, he just wanted to hear it from her. Kate bit her lip,
then took a deep breath. "Alan and J Yoast."
The air crackled, relieved of the heavy weight of her secret. Coach pulled her in for another hug,
while Gerry gaped at her in disbelief. "What date is it?" Kate mumbled through Coach's shirt.
"August 7, 1981," Coach replied. 1981. The date echoed in Kate's brain. She knew what that year
meant. The room was silent as everyone sorted through their own thoughts, only interrupted
finally b the ringing phone.
2. Whoa....
Kate shifted in and out of sleep many times in the next hour. When she finally woke for good, she
rubbed her forehead and chuckled to herself. "You must have taken a serious blow to the head,
girl. You're starting to see things."
"I am?" asked an amused voice from the doorway. Kate looked over and gulped. There was Gerry
again. He wheeled over to hr and held out a hand with two aspirin resting in the center of the
palm. "Painkiller?"
Kate reached out, her hand shaky. "Thanks…" she said uncertainly.
Gerry's brow furrowed with concern. "Are you alright?"
Kate pushed down the lump gathering in her throat and glanced around. "Julius?"
Gerry stared at her in confusion. "He had to go…but how did you know his name?"
Kate didn't answer. She pulled the blanket closer, attempting desperately to process what was
going on.
Gerry scratched the side of his head. Something about this girl wouldn't stop bothering him,
something infuriatingly familiar. He didn't want to ask too many questions right away, though.
She still seemed stunned and unstable from her accident. "Well, it doesn't matter, little girl…"
"I'm not little," Kate replied automatically, momentarily forgetting all that had happened. Her eyes
sparked a bit. Gerry sucked in his breath. She reminded him so much of—
A knock at the door silenced both Gerry and Kate's thoughts. "Come in!" Gerry called. The door
opened and another figure that played with Kate's emotions even more walked through. "Hey
Gerry. I know you're busy, but I wanted to stop by and make sure that the plans are going well."
Kate couldn't stop staring at him. He was decades younger, but there was no mistaking the kindly
face, those loving eyes…"Grandpa Coach!" she exclaimed, finally able to stand from the couch,
run to her grandfather, and wrap him in a hug. Before long, her tears were seeping into his shirt. It
was too much, too strange, too scary…
Coach blinked and looked up at a now even more shocked Gerry. In a low whisper, he informed
Coach of Julius' finding the girl unconscious outside of the house on his way to visit Gerry. All the
while, Coach absentmindedly put his arms around Kate and rubbed her back soothingly. Instincts
told him that he knew the girl, though he couldn't avoid being disturbed at the title "Grandpa."
When Kate's sniffles decreased, Coach pushed her back slightly. "Alright, it's okay. Now, let's get
a good look at you…" he trailed off as he examined her face. It wasn't possible…it couldn't be
possible…
He turned to Gerry, who caught the look on Coach's visage, then suddenly realized what he was
thinking. "It can't be…" he murmured. "You're not serious."
"I am," Coach answered. "The dark blue eyes are distinctive, and tell me where youv'e seen hair
naturally this deep red before."
Gerry shook his head. "But how? They—"
Coach held up a hand. "Hold it there, Gerry. We should talk to her first to make sure."
"Make sure about what?" Kate asked, comforted by Coach's presence and no longer able to keep
quiet.
Coach smiled reassuringly at Kate. "Make sure you are who we think you are." Kate's stomach
dropped in panic. How could Coach not know who she was? Then it clicked. Of course, she was
back in time before she was born, so Coach wouldn't know who she was.
"I'm Kate." Kate gazed at Gerry and Coach's imploring faces and sighed. "Fine. Kathryn. But call
me that and I'll be forced to get violent."
Coach tried not to chuckle. So much like her mother…
"It's Kate Yoast."
Coach had a strange light to his eyes now. One of a man who already knew the answer to the
question he as about to ask, but to hear it confirmed by the lips of another held a certain power
that his own conclusions could and did not possess. "Who are your parents?"
Kate hesitated. Wouldn't some great disaster result from her telling Coach this information? She'd
seen Back to the Future enough to know that time wasn't something you could go playing around
with. But it seemed like Coach already knew, he just wanted to hear it from her. Kate bit her lip,
then took a deep breath. "Alan and J Yoast."
The air crackled, relieved of the heavy weight of her secret. Coach pulled her in for another hug,
while Gerry gaped at her in disbelief. "What date is it?" Kate mumbled through Coach's shirt.
"August 7, 1981," Coach replied. 1981. The date echoed in Kate's brain. She knew what that year
meant. The room was silent as everyone sorted through their own thoughts, only interrupted
finally b the ringing phone.