Only A Memory Away

By: Luna Ace

Summary: Years after the infamous Dear John letter Kimberly Ann Hart calls Thomas Oliver and asks to met him in Angel Grove Park. Can a relationship ten years old be salvage?

She was sitting out side the command center. Tears fell from her eyes. She couldn't look at Hayley like that. She just couldn't. Hayley looked so defenseless... so helpless. How could Kim do that to one of her best friends? And, yet, Trini felt happy. Happy that Hayley was safe. That Hayley could survive whatever outcome.

Moments later she felt a palm on her shoulder, and looked up. Jason was there, along with Zack, Aisha, and Billy. She then stood up and threw her arms around Jason and cried. The others watched her painfully. And, wonder what was going on in her head. But, then she spoke up in a nice, yet smooth dreamy voice.

"Jason remember first grade?" she asked.

He hesitantly nodded, but didn't say a word.

"Do you remember who Kim and I use to hang with at lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays?" Trini asked again.

Jason looked over to his long time friends-- Zack and Billy. And, then it hit him. Trini knew Hayley. They knew Hayley. He remembered all through grade school he would always ask Kim how was Hayley. That was until they became Power Rangers. Once they were Power Rangers Jason had more important things to think of. But, Kim had always told the gang how Hayley was.

"What are you getting at Trini?" Aisha asked.

Trini looked up at Aisha and smiled softly. This was a tale worth telling...

Six year old Trini sat down by a wall in the gym. She was exhausted practicing martial arts. She had her little hands around a juice box and was watching a redhead stretch. Beside her was a brunette with brown eyes. Trini smiled at her best friend.

"Trini!" the redhead called over.

Trini got up and walked over towards them and tilted her head.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Watch this!" the brunette said said smiling as she went over to the high beam.

"Kimberly no!" the redhead cried hysterically.

"You can get hurt!" Trini screamed.

No one had heard their screams, and what was worse seven-year-old Kimberly Ann Hart was now climbing the high beam. Trini and her redhead friend watched in horror. Their small cries couldn't be heard by the brunette and they knew how badly this could end. How badly Kimberly could be for the rest of her life.

"Hails!" Trini fiercely whispered. The redhead looked over to her. "Watch her! I'm going to find a teacher!"

And, with that Trini ran far from her two best friends with tears stinging in her eyes. She was so focus in finding a teacher that she ran into one-- literary.

"Trini? What's wrong?" Ms, Lopez asked. She was a beautiful teacher who had long blond hair and baby blue eyes.

"My friend-- Kimberly... she's on the high beam... she's not suppose to!!" Trini cried, and with that she high tailed it out of there and went looking for her friends-- Jason, Billy, and Zack.

She had found them a little later playing basketball a little ways away from the gym. Trini felt privileged to have a small gym at their school and yet now she felt so helpless

"Jason!" she cried as she fell head first towards the blacktop.

And, yet she didn't hit the ground. She felt small arms catch her in her fall. She looked up and smiled as she recognized her African-American friend.

"Thank you Zack!" Trini muttered.

"What's wrong Tri?" a younger Billy asked.

"Kim she's---"

"Trini!" another voice called to her.

The four of them looked over towards the voice and found a redhead running towards them. Tears were falling from her eyes.

"Hayley? What's wrong?" Jason asked throwing the basketball into the hoop and letting it dribble away.

"Guys! This is bad."

"You mean as bad as Billy can't play basketball?" Zack asked.

Hayley blinked and then laughed... somewhat.

"No. They're taking Kim to the hospital!"

The five of them sat in the waiting room after school. They were so shocked. They couldn't believe what had happened. Kim was in the hospital. Kim had fallen off the balance beam. Trini knew she and Hayley tried to stop her. She knew this was worse.

"This feels like time-out," Zack muttered.

Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He knew he had to be strong. If not for himself for Hayley and Trini. He knew things could get worse before they got better. His grandmother had died a year ago. And, she never got better, and he couldn't understand why it was her time to go. But, his parents explained to him (as best they could) about how people could survive the disease.

"She'll be fine." Billy said timidly.

He sighed. Kim was the girl next door... cliché as it sounded. They did lived next door to each other. He could not imagine going to school without her. Their mothers took turns taking the two to school. They were each other's lifelines in some aspects. He sighed and wished this wasn't happening. Wished that this was just a dream.

"How do you know?" Hayley asked.

It seemed like she was taking the hardest blow. She had been crying hysterically ever since the incident. Her parents had been called and told about the situation, but Hayley felt like putting up an act to make sure that her parents thought she was fine. But inside, she was crumbling. The world she had known and loved was breaking before her eyes.

"I know." Billy said looking towards the reception desk.

Zack kicked his small feet into the air. He watched the other kids play with the small toys and gadgets, and read the kids books. They had smiles. He so wanted to run up to each kid and smack them. The only thing that stopped him was Hayley. Hayley had latched onto him and was crying into his shoulder.

And, he wasn't use to this attention. He wanted her to stop crying. He wanted her to realize this was useless. He didn't understand girls. And, yet this felt nice

"Zack, you look like a handkerchief," Billy said, smiling at his friend.

"Don't remind me," he muttered again.

Jason looked at Hayley. She looked so broken. He guessed Hayley and Kimberly went way back. He, himself; had just met the redhead this year-- in September. He remembered that day. She, Hayley and Billy had walked into class together. But... Hayley had her emotions in check ever since he met her.

"I remember that day," Zack said dryly.

He couldn't believe the girl Jason, Trini and Tommy saved was the same girl that had latched onto while they thought Kim was dying.

"Yeah... if memory serves me correctly she dragged you with her to see Kim." Billy said, smirking.

Trini and Aisha laughed.

Over the next couple of days everyone had been edgy. Hayley hadn't been to school in days. Jason, Trini and Zack sat huddle together everyday during their breaks. They didn't feel like playing or having fun. The only thing on their mind was Kim. She was too young to lose their life.

Billy, on the other hand stayed in the hospital watching her-- before and after school. It was odd to him not to go with her to school everyday. They were told she was in a coma. They didn't even know what a coma was! But, after looking it up Billy had told them.

"Guys. I know what it is," Billy said clutching a dictionary close to him.

Trini, Zack and Jason looked up.

"What's what?" Jason asked puzzled.

Trini frowned at Jason and playfully pinched him.

"Hey!" he cried.

Zack laughed, but stopped as Trini folded her small yet stubby

"A coma. It is a state of comatose where a person is in a unconscious state. It could be weeks or months before she could awake."

Silence.

"At least she's alive," Trini whispered, somewhat relieved.

That Saturday Trini and Hayley went to Angel Grove Hospital to visit Kim. When they walked into her room there was a small African-American girl sitting beside their friend's bed. And, yet she was talking to Kim.

"I would like to see you do gymnastics." the young African-American girl was wearing a white shirt and a yellow dress. She was holding Kim's hand.

"I'm really good." young Kim gushed.

Hayley and Trini exchanged glances. She was awake.

"Kimberly!" the two girls cried as they run into the room. Kimberly smiled at her friends. They had run up to her and hugged her. The African-American girl watched them oddly. She had just met Kimberly, you see. She didn't expect this and yet...

"Oh my god." Aisha cried backing up from her friends.

She hadn't seen it before. She had totally forgotten about that.

"I forgotten about that! I thought I met Kimberly for the first time when I became the Yellow Ranger." Aisha said, still in shock.

Trini smiled and laughed. She had known, but didn't say a word. "It's all right. Right now we need to focus on Hayley. In that instant Rocky ran over to them yelling.

"Guys!" he called waving his arms in the air.

They all looked up to him. Trini and Aisha exchange glances.

"Hayley's awake. And, you won't believe what she said!" Rocky cried, now gasping for air.

"What?" Billy, Jason and Zak asked somewhat amused.

"She said she heard Trini talking to her," he was looking at Trini who wasn't surprise. "She wants to talk to Trini. She wouldn't even let Tommy talk to her."

Trini sighed. So, Hayley was okay. That's what Tommy deserves, Trini thought bitterly. She stood up and then turned to Aisha. The other Rangers watched in interest.

"Come on Aisha. Lets go talk to Hails," Trini said linking her arm with Aisha's and then marched into the command center with the other Rangers on their tail. And, then passed Tommy, Adam, and Katherine to get into the hospital wing locking the door behind them.

"Sorry about that Aisha." Kimberly said embarrassed.

Aisha laughed. She waved at the two shyly.

"These are my two best friends. Hayley Ziktor and Trini Kwan. Hails, Tri this is Aisha Campbell."

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Nice to meet you."

When Kimberly was released from the hospital she said good bye to Aisha Campbell. Aisha had only gone to Angel Grove Hospital because of her mother. Dr. Campbell was assigned to Kimberly's case through the Stone Canyon Hospital. At the time she was the only one in the vicinity who could handle the case.

As for Hayley Ziktor she moved away. She had moved to Reefside, California with her parents. She had tried to keep in touch with Kimberly. But, that had turned hard since she and Kim went on different paths. Kim stayed as a gymnastic as Hayley found her calling: Computer Science.

A/N: This chapter originally started with Hayley and Trini telling the story. But, since Hayley is still trying to be revived as Trini tells this story she can't. This chapter has been planned since last Decemeber, and I can't believe it's now written. R&R!

-Ace!