Facts Of Life: Brand New Day

Chapter 2

II

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

Like my father's come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends

Wake Me Up When September Ends, Green Day

The last twenty or so days had been hell for Jo Polniaczek. While the terrorists had left New York in a state of almost catatonic shock for the first week, New Yorkers did what they had always done-rallied to each other, and began to move forward. By the middle of the next week, Jo's business, like many others, unless they were in Lower Manhattan, were open. One only needed to look at the still-burning remains of the Twin Towers to realize why nothing stirred in Lower Manhattan.

Warner International Corporation, like many places close to the towers, had been shut down simply to allow the streets leading to the site to be cleared for salvage operations. The Chief Operating Officer of the multinational corporation, Clarence Garner, had taken titular control of the company.

That was because David Warner, father of Jo's girlfriend, Blair Warner, was missing and presumed dead among the still-burning wreckage. The new CEO had moved operations temporarily to their Chicago office, until Lower Manhattan was safer to access.

One of the first people he had called was Blair, who, since the moment she realized that her father had been in the North Tower, had been almost inconsolable, and had needed a sedative to calm her. The COO had told Blair in no uncertain terms that, until further notice, she was on paid leave, pending the official word about her father's fate, and for as long as she needed after that. Blair hadn't even argued.

Since that day, Blair hardly talked, hardly got out of bed, and had seen no one save Jo, Mrs. Garrett, and her family physician. It wasn't until three days earlier, on September 26th, that Blair had been notified that some remains had been found that were identified as those of David Warner.

Whereas before Blair was almost incommunicado with everyone, including Jo, the official news had sent her into a free-fall for the next three days, crying inconsolably almost nonstop since then, Jo doing whatever she could to comfort her love. Jo was torn to shreds seeing the love of her life pulling away from everything, including her, but she did her level best to make sure Blair ate, and took care of her basic needs.

This morning, with people starting to arrive in town for the funeral services in two days, Jo had waken up that morning, expecting Blair to be crying when she woke up. As Jo woke, she looked at the pale, gaunt, exhausted face of the most beautiful women she'd ever known, nodding that Blair was asleep.

As Jo began to rise, a hand suddenly grabbed her. "Joey, don't leave me right now?"

It was one of the few things Blair had said in days to her lover. Jo had been sick with worry about Blair, the blonde full-well knowing that Jo was tying herself up in knots, but Blair had been unable to snap out of her depression since that awful Tuesday morning.

"Hey Princess", Jo said softly, with a smile on her face. She leaned in and kissed Blair on her cheek. "I'm sorry I woke ya. I was just gonna get up to take a shower."

"You didn't wake me, honey", Blair said. Jo was relieved that Blair was communicating with more than just crying, but Blair's voice was monotone and other-worldly. Jo knew it was a start. "Please, lay her with me a while longer." Jo returned to her side of the bed, Blair turning to look at her lover. "I'm so sorry what I've put you through these last few weeks, Joey. I've completely ignored you."