Starting Over: 3 Short Stories

Wreckage: We meet ex-cop Marty Long, who has recently been stung by a reality he never saw coming: The police force no longer needs his services. Now driving an unauthorized beat he rolls onto the scene of a deadly crash. He shouldn't be there, but getting out of the car and going face to face with his fears is just what his shrink has asked him to do. But the longer he assess the scene, his sickness, starting at the base of his spine, rides like a rocket strait up his back. He loses his stomach to the road, pleading, please, what's taking the emergency units so long? And just when he's had all he can take, Marty is confronted with a situation no cop should ever have to face.

A Saturday night in 77: Two years after being released from the jungles of Vietnam, a 22 year old Palmer West bears the memories of loss, fear, and the chaos of front line war. Now back home, he's taking his time to re-settle, connect with friends, and taking even more time to choose a career. He takes a job as a cab driver, working the swing-shift where the money is. One day on a meal break Palmer meets an American Indian woman who herself has experienced loss. They slip comfortably into conversation that quickly dips below the surface. Together, they find a depth of character within each other that could carry them far. That is, if Palmer can survive his final ride of the night.

Calvin's Star: The once independent Calvin Smart is reluctantly surrendered to a nursing home by his eldest son. Once there, his fears are quickly confirmed. "This place smells like Lysol and piss," he tells his son upon arrival. Angry and bitter Calvin lives the life as a recluse, refusing to participate on any level while hoping against hope that his son will soon come to his rescue. And then, a very special woman comes to live in the home, and Calvin makes a friend. But her days are numbered, and Calvin struggles with the thought of once more being left alone.