Most people remember their big first moments.  The first time they go to the beach, the first day of school, or the first time driving.  Jane Welch remembered each day vividly. She would never forget the first time she would drive a vehicle.

“Jane! Just turn the key!” Her mother demanded. “It has been five minutes of just sitting here. You have got to go! I’m paying for you to take drivers’ ed, so turn on the car and get going!”

Jane huffed as she commanded herself to place the key into the ignition and turn it till the car engine roared to life. The white 2009 Honda Civic engine purred as the scared sixteen year old sighed in relief.

“Okay,” she said, “I’ve got this. Got the car on, how hard can this be?” she told herself.  

“Okay Jane. Can you pull out of the parking stall?” The instructor’s voice commanded. Jane tentatively put the car into reverse and crept the car out of the stall, inch by inch.  Over the next three and a half minutes, the instructor stared at the bizarre behavior of the teenager and pondered why she was so hesitant.

“Jane? Are you going to be okay?” She questioned.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.” The trembling teenager assured her. She involuntarily reached towards the four inch long scar that wrapped from above her right temple to three inches behind her ear. Jane’s fingertips grazed the scar as her vision began to flash between reality and her memory.  Over and over again flashing back to one day, eight years ago. When she was a small, carefree little girl, Jane suffered two traumatic accidents in one day. She remembered bounding down the stairs everyday like clockwork.

“One. Two. Skip a few. One-Two-Three. One-two-three-four. There’s only six more!” Jane would cheer as she played her little counting game her mother taught her.  She was a smart young girl who loved to play guessing games, counting games, and most of all, she loved learning math facts with her mother.

“Jane! Supper Time!” Her mother called out on that fateful day.  Jane sprinted out of her upstairs bedroom towards the steep and narrow wooden staircase.  

“One! Two! Skip a-AHHH!” She screamed as her body was plummeted down the stairs, making her spin in circles and smash against the hardwood floor.  Seconds felt like hours to her as she continued to fall, and fall, and then fall some more. Jane frantically tried to count in her mind how many stairs she would hit until she would reach the bottom.  Then suddenly there was only blackness. An ear splitting crack sounded throughout the entire house as Jane lay there with broken bones and bruises beginning to cover most of the skin surfaces of her body.  Her mother leaped towards her non-responsive daughter, seeing all the damage that was done. She grabbed her keys, a large blanket, and a coat and rushed the unconscious child to her car. She put her daughter as carefully as she could and rushed to start the car.  Her mother began dialling a number she hoped she would never have to dial.

“911 what is your emergency.” A voice responded on the call.  

“My daughter! She fell down the stairs and she’s not responding. I’m on my way to the nearest hospital please, please have someone there! I’m five minutes away from Blue Haven Hospital!” She cried out. Suddenly she dropped the phone between the seat of her car. While reaching down to grab it, a deer meandered onto the road.  Jane’s mom looked up and saw the deer. With horror, she slammed on the brakes, only for it to be too late. They crashed into the deer with a sickening thud. The operator on the phone tried yelling for the mother to respond only to no avail. Jane and her mother were both unconscious in her car. Jane would only remember the stories of her terrifying tumble and the car crash from stories that she was told.  She would always remember what it felt like to be cold, dark, and lost in her absent mind for what felt like an eternity. The coldness tingling her entire body, feeling stuck in a vortex, waking up in a hospital with many bandages and needles. All of it made her want to curl up in a ball and just….

“HONK!” Sounded the car horn.  Jane jumped out of her fetal position as she had bumped her knee against the horn.  The instructor looked at her as she held down the brake.

“It’s okay.  Let’s just take this slow.” She told her calmly.  Jane knew that it was time to face her memories and drive.  She wouldn’t end up in an accident like her mother, she knew that.  Still she was afraid. But as the instructor gently nodded at her and smiled, Jane knew that this drive for her would turn out okay. She looked out the driver’s window to see her mom sitting in the front seat of her car, patiently waiting for her daughter to finish her hour long lesson.  Her mother looked up and saw Jane staring at her. She waved. Jane felt confident all of a sudden, she waved back and sat up in her seat. 

"Breathe!" She told herself.  "You have got nothing to worry about Jane. Just Drive."