Chapter Four
"Hayabusa Karate Academy has quickly become one of the premiere karate academy's in the United States. Dr. Thomas Oliver, also known as Renshi Oliver, moved to New York City a few months ago and he had his eyes set on teaching his unique style of karate to the New York metropolitan area," the reporter chattered as she stood outside of the dojo and smiled for the camera. Tommy had not wanted to do this segment. Kimberly had agreed that it was a bad idea. Everyone else at the dojo thought that this was an absolutely amazing opportunity and his gym manager had talked him in to it. He was very much regretting that decision at the moment. This was not a good week for him to be in the limelight.
He watched as the reporter and the camera man made their way across the street, towards the front of the gym. They were slated to be there for filming for three hours and Kimberly was due back any minute now. When the local news station had realized who his wife was, they had insisted that she have some input in to the actual filming and questions. They both suspected that was because the station hoped it would be picked up on the national broadcast. Neither of them were interested in that.
"Good, they're not inside yet," Kim said as she came in from the back entrance and walked over to him. She quickly untied his gi and adjusted it before retying it. She may not like this, but she wanted him to look as good as he could for the spot. The other instructors smirked at the look on Tommy's face for a moment until she turned towards them and started doing the same thing. They all knew Kimberly, but none of them had seen this side of her. "Most likely- they'll want some sparring. A few one on one interviews and then to film a bit of the noon class. Anything outside of that will be odd."
"Kim, babe, we'll be fine," Tommy said as he walked over and grabbed her hands as she had started smoothing down all of their gis. He searched her eyes and saw the bit of fear that they both had. Would something happen to trigger his PTSD? It was the question that they both lived with every day and it was one that the other instructors understood. He had decided to be open about it with people that dealt with him on a daily basis- so his colleagues at the university and here knew. Most other people in his life didn't- not even his parents.
Most of his triggers came in the form of noises when he was awake. A bus backfiring. Tires squealing. Alarms. Alarms were always the worst. It had been several months since any of them had sent him in to full on defense mode, but that was not enough for either of them to feel calm about it. It could be triggered at any moment.
"I know," Kim stated as she pulled herself up to her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. They were three days away from California and her nerves were completely fried, he could sense it. This was the last major thing they had to get done before packing and making the trip. He felt her need to relax and he just wanted to get them to the point where they could.
"Remember- date night. You, me, and all the Netflix we want," Tommy whispered against her lips as her eyes found his and she smiled. He didn't know how that was the one thing that hadn't changed with his diagnosis, but for whatever reason- he was always able to settle and reach her.
"Kimberly- let's talk production," the reporter said and he watched her spine stiffen and for a moment he swore she was going to turn around and tell the woman to leave. He watched her turn on her smile and spin to walk towards the two media members.
"I'm a lucky man," Tommy whispered and he turned around to face his instructors who were all giving him a knowing look. "Not a word about what date night really means."
"We like it when the both of y'all are happy- you're covered," Grant remarked and Tommy could not help but smile. This group of instructors was absolutely amazing and he cared more about showing off their hard work in this dojo than his own work.
He set up their living room with just about every blanket they owned, popcorn, and Kim's favorite candy. It was his week to figure out their meal and set up a place where they could crash. Friday was the one night of the week that Kimberly could stay up late with him- which definitely made it different than Monday night date night. Monday night date night was all about them purposefully starting the week off well. Friday night date night was slated solely for alone time- whatever that needed to be for the week.
"I called for pizza, but they said it would take a little longer than normal," Tommy remarked as he heard her come in to the room and continued with piling pillows and blankets on to the sofa. It had been a rough few weeks for him, but he had also his first night of nightmare-less sleep in months. When he looked up, he was shocked to see that she had chosen a set of his old sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt. Sure, he loved the evenings when she came out in lingerie or nothing, but sweatpants Kimberly was his favorite. It was these nights where he was so grateful that she felt that she could take down her walls with him.
He had discovered the new walls when they had been in New York for a few months. It was part of why their date nights existed now. Newscaster Kimberly was amazing, but it was not the woman that he had fallen in love with. And the first night that she treated one of their evening conversations like an interview they had had a giant fight. He could not stand that side of her when it was just the two of them and he immediately recognized it as a protection mechanism for her. It had only happened one other time and that night it had been to pull him out of a particularly nasty PTSD spiral.
"So we're having popcorn and reese's pieces to tide us over?" Kim joked as she walked over and snaked her arms around him. "Go get on something more comfortable."
"It's a boxer and t-shirt night for me. I'm just waiting for them to ring for pizza delivery," Tommy said as her hands tucked in to his pockets and he closed his eyes. There were things he needed to say tonight. Things that could not wait until they got back from California, at least not for him. If he let them keep going down this road- they wouldn't have pizza or talk. He needed the release as much as she did. "Babe, I taught three classes and barely had lunch. Dinner. Then sex- I promise."
"Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page for tonight," Kim whispered in his ear and he looked over his shoulder to smile down at her.
"This page is pretty much always available," Tommy said with a grin as he quickly turned around, picked her up, and walked the two of them over to the couch. The doorbell buzzed and he gently placed her down on the couch with a groan. "Stay there."
He jogged down their private access stairs and noticed their favorite pizza guy waiting. For some reason, Roberto had become a bit like family when it came to his pizza deliveries. They both had long conversations with him and loved to hear about his recent adventures in college.
"Dr. Oliver- it's another Hawaiian pizza night, is it?" Roberto joked as Tommy passed him his tip and barely nodded. He tended to order Kimberly's favorite pizza and she tended to order his- maybe one day they'd remember about the baby pizzas Roberto had informed them they carried. "I hear the dojo is being featured in the news."
"Did Rebecca tell everyone?" Tommy groaned and Roberto let out a hearty laugh.
"No- just the better part of the West Village," Roberto responded as he started heading for his moped. "See you next week, Dr. O."
Dr. O. He stopped in his tracks as that name washed over him and with it the memories of Conner, Kira, Ethan, and Trent. He managed to wave good-bye to Roberto as he sped down the sidewalk and then out in to traffic, but he still stood on the corner. Fixed. He hadn't been called Dr. O in at least eight, if not nine, years. He felt a hand land gently on his elbow and he wheeled around to see Kimberly jumping out of his range. How long had he been down here that she had come to find him?
"It's been about 15 minutes, just wanted to check on you," Kim soothed as she placed her hand back on his arm and he closed his eyes as he tried to memorize the feel of her. He wanted the feel of her to always mean safety in his mind, but that wasn't always the case when his symptoms flared. "What's going on?"
"He called me Dr. O. No one has called me that since…" Tommy trailed off and he quickly gathered her in to his side before turning to take them inside. He had never really told her about the Dino Thunder rangers, although he was sure that someone had told her about the last time he had powers. As soon as they were back inside he sunk down to the bottom step and took in a deep breath. "Their names were Kira Ford, Conner McKnight, Ethan James, and Trent Fernandez. They were some of my first students and the last rangers that I was on a team with. They called me Dr.O."
"Oh, Tommy- I…" Kim started as he looked over at her and he hoped that she could see how lost he felt right now. When she took the pizza out of his hands and squatted down to be closer to his level- he knew that she had. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and let the sobs come. If he had learned nothing else from therapy- it was that he must process these things. He must process them or it was going to eventually hurt someone. That thought alone terrified him enough to actually make it a priority.
"I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have been the one to survive. Not after everything. Not after being known to every team out there. He should have come after me first," Tommy rambled against her skin and he hoped that she could take this. He hoped that she would not think him weak now. He didn't know if he could deal with that.
Her hands worked wonders on his muscles as he felt her work to relax him. His therapist had given her some suggestions for when moments like this happened and he was so thankful that she had read them. At first it brought him down slowly and then it brought him back to reality by yards at a time.
"You can't control who Atlantis decided to start with, Tommy. But you can remember your rangers and sometimes that's going to hurt, but you know what is amazing to me? That a man that has been through this much hurt can still love so much. I see that every day in our dojo- I see the mentor that you have been since you were 19. I see the weight that you have carried that no one else was asked to carry. I know there is so much that you've been through, but I am proud of how you have handled all of this and I fall in love with you more every day because of it," Kim whispered as she pulled back just enough to catch his gaze. He noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks as well and his compulsion to wipe them away had his hand traveling to her face before he could even think about it. Her gentle smile and quick squeeze around his waist was enough for him to hastily wipe his own cheeks and then return to the discarded pizza. He found his way to his feet and appreciated Kim wedging herself under his arm. While he had gotten through the worst of the memory, he still didn't feel as steady as he had mere minutes before.
"Go ahead and pick a movie. I need a couple of minutes," Tommy said as he felt her nod and he then headed back to the master suite. He walked into their closet, opened the safe, and pulled out his folder. The folder of all of the rangers. He flipped through until he came to a picture of him with the Dino Thunder rangers and he let out a shaky breath. "I miss you. I miss all of you."
