Part 1 of 3


Everything's so blurry
and everyone's so fake
and everybody's empty
and everything is so messed up
pre-occupied without you
I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumble then I crawl
Blurry – Puddle of Mudd


He knocked on her door again, since she didn’t answer the first time. He knew that she still wasn’t feeling very well so might not have heard him the first time. He waited for a moment, then dug out his keys. Using his key, he unlocked her door and peeked in. He didn’t want to intrude but also wanted to make sure she was okay. She knew they had a meeting this evening; they had discussed it earlier that morning.

“Hey, Care? You in here,” Wease said as he stepped through her entryway into the main part of her condo. Silence met his question. That was unusual, he thought to himself. He didn’t hear her music. That usually meant she was either going somewhere or expecting company. He grinned, thinking about how she usually turned her music off if someone was coming over since most people didn’t like her taste in tunes. But she always left it on for him. He stepped through into her living room slowly, keeping an ear open in case she was in the bathroom or something. Or worse, Mike could be over and they could be occupied. But that was unlikely since Mike had told him what she said last week. His sister was confusing, that much he knew, but he also had a suspicion about her reasons for her attitude towards Mike. His guess was that it was temporary, but Mike didn’t think so.

He walked through to her kitchen and stopped dead for a moment, not believing what he saw. It couldn’t be. What the hell? Too many memories flooded back and he started to shake as the room tilted on him. The flashes of the camera, the sounds, the smells flooded back. He had a hard time bringing himself back to the present, knowing that was all long past. He finally managed to grab the counter to steady himself and bent down to check her. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. She was alive, but she didn’t look good. What happened, he worried. No blood that he could see, but she was too pale. He checked her pulse and found it to be faint but definitely there. Shit, he had no idea what the hell to do. She was always the one that handled this kind of shit. Okay, think for a minute, she’s counting on you, he told himself as he took a deep breath.

Pick up the phone and call for help. You know you can do this, you’ve done it before, he told himself. He automatically picked up her phone and relayed to the emergency operator her address and her condition. They said they were sending someone right over. He hung up the phone in a daze. It couldn’t be happening to them, not again, not like this. He started shaking uncontrollably as he looked at his sister. She hadn’t moved, but he could see she was still breathing. He thought to himself, no, no, no. Not again. This is not happening again. Not her. No.

**
Wease looked up from his comic book in alarm as he heard Kris's mom's startled exclamation. He slid off the bed and stood in the hallway in time to hear Darlene mutter, "Sweet Mother Mary."

"What, Mom," Kris's frantic voice carried to him.

"Neal! Neal! Call 911 now," Darlene said without waiting to make sure she was heard or obeyed. Wease walked slowly down the hall to the room that Carrie was supposed to start sharing with Kris. He saw Darlene wringing her hands and talking to herself. He peeked around the door frame and saw Carrie sleeping on the bed. He frowned as he puzzled that out. She didn't really look like she was sleeping, but she was lying on the bed and her eyes were closed. He didn't realize he'd made a sound until Kris called out to him.

"Wease! She's gonna be okay, buddy," the blonde teenager said as she wrapped her arms around his too narrow shoulders and held him for both their comforts.

"What's wrong? Why won't she wake up, Kris," Wease asked in a child's simple way.

"Kris, you take him and stay with him, you hear me," Darlene directed to her daughter. Kris nodded and walked back to the spare room that he had been staying in.

"C'mon, let's get out of the way. Listen...you hear it," Kris asked with a brave smile for her younger friend. He shook his head tentatively, but then he stopped and smiled. He nodded slowly as his grin spread.

"They coming here," he asked. Cool, he thought. They never got to see fire engines up close before. That siren sure is loud, he thought, followed closely by the worry that they were coming because of his sister. "She's going to be okay, right," he asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. She's just tired, that's all," Kris said as she reached out to him and pulled him close and started to slowly rock on the bed with him in her arms.

Wease didn't believe her. The last time lights and sirens came to his house, bad things happened.

****

He wasn’t sure how long he sat on the floor next to her, crying with her head in his hands, but the next thing he knew someone was banging on her door. He set her head back down on the cold hard floor gingerly as he got up to answer it and the paramedics brushed past him to tend to their patient. He stood off to the side, and watched silently as he tried to shake those awful memories. It couldn’t happen again, it wasn’t going to happen again, he told himself.

The paramedics took all her vital signs, checking to see if she’d had a heart attack or stroke he thought. He could see they were both puzzled when nothing obvious jumped out at them. They were still trying to get a blood pressure reading on her. One of them looked at his instrument in confusion. His partner silently took the off the automatic device and slapped on a blood pressure cuff. She was intent, listening and watching, determined to get a reading. She sighed as she wrote it down. He partner noticed the reading and continued the task of relaying all the info to the hospital.

One of the firefighters had come in un noticed and asked them who had called it in. One of the paramedics pointed at him, saying something like, “brother.” It was obvious to all of them that he was related to their patient, the similarities were too striking to ignore. The same man walked over to him and asked him his name.

“Wes. Wes Martin,” he said as his eyes stayed glued to his sister. His hand strayed to wipe his face of his tears, unconsciously.

“And you’re related how,” he asked her brother.

“I’m her brother,” he said in a monotone. The experienced fireman recognized the signs of severe stress and softened his voice. He still had some questions that needed answers. He asked him gently her name.

“Carrie Martin,” he choked out as he watched them load her on to a gurney. “Where are they taking her,” he asked the man that was asking him questions without his eyes ever leaving his sister.

“Sacred Heart,” was his answer. Wes nodded in acknowledgement. “When did you find her,” he asked.

“Um, about just before I called? I’m not sure how long ago that was, ten minutes,” Wease asked, thinking that was about right.

“When did you last talk to her?”

“This morning at nine, she knew we had a meeting today and she didn’t sound any different,” he said. The fireman could sense his confusion.

“How did you get in,” he asked her brother.

“I have a key,” her brother admitted.

“Does she have any medical condition that we need to know about,” the fireman probed. Wease struggled to think. His brain seemed to be sluggish.

“No. Not that I know of,” he said finally. He watched as they wheeled her out the front door and lifted her down the steps. He followed them out, not caring if the other man followed him.

“Is there anybody else you can call,” the fireman asked her brother. He didn’t want him driving himself to the hospital and hoped there was other family available. At that question, Wes snapped back into himself and flipped open his phone and nodded. He hit the first speed dial button and managed to tell Carla what was happening and where she was going.

“Do you want me to call Kris, honey,” his raven haired partner asked. She knew what kind of state he was in by his voice.

“No,” he said irritably. “I can do it,” he told her as he disconnected. He hit another button and waited for an answer. No one was home so he had to leave a message. He knew David was home, but didn’t know what their schedule was like today. He flipped his phone closed and waited for everyone to clear out of her place so he could lock it up and drive to the hospital. It took a few moments for all the gear to be gathered. It seemed like hours to him, but knew it was just a few minutes.

Wease was walking out to his car as the fireman asked him, “You sure there isn’t someone else we can call for you?”

Wes shook his head as he opened the door and sat down and buckled up. The other man watched him pull out and hoped he made it the short distance to the hospital. They’d know soon enough, if they got another call involving his blue Audi. Wes kept repeating to himself, this is not going to happen again, not again as he drove and parked. This is not going to happen, he kept repeating to himself as he walked through the emergency room doors. Once he identified himself to the nurse at the desk, he was directed to wait for the doctor in the extremely uncomfortable lounge. His cell chirped.

“Yeah,” was all he said as he walked outside, trying to obey the signs about cell phone use.

“Wease! What’s happening? I don’t understand,” Kris asked frantically. He could hear David in the background, telling the kids they needed to be quiet. He guessed they were in the car somewhere.

“I found her when I went over for our meeting. She was out. I have no idea what the hell’s wrong, Kris. It can’t happen again,” he stopped as his voice started to break.

“What are the doctors saying,” she asked him.

“Nothing yet. I just got here,” he said. She told him they were dropping the kids off with David’s mom if possible and they’d be right there. He gave her the rest of his sparse details and hung up. He went back into the waiting area and sat down, and stared at the blank wall in front of him.

“Shit, I need to make some calls,” Kris said as David drove the short distance to his mom’s. He nodded, knowing she’d wait until the kids were inside. He was worried since he didn’t know any more than what he’d been told quickly by her. She had been circumspect, not wanting to frighten the kids. Once the kids were safely inside and they had hugged Louise telling her they let her know as soon as possible, she flipped open her phone and started dialing. David knew he’d find out as long as he kept quiet and listened. He saw Kris roll her eyes in exasperation as she listened to someone’s voice mail.

“Mike, it’s Kris. Please call me. It’s urgent. Carrie’s been taken to Sacred Heart. I don’t know why. Wease found her on her kitchen floor, unconscious. We’re going there now. If I find anything out before I hear from you, I’ll call and let you know. Talk to you soon, bye,” and she disconnected. She shook her head at the next call she had to make, since she knew Carrie’s schedule and her reasons.

“Hi John, I’m glad I caught you. It’s Kris,” she said to the voice on the other end. She could hear his surprise in his reply.

“Good to talk to you Kris, but what’s up? Dave need something,” he asked. She took a deep breath before she continued.

“No, John. Carrie was supposed to show up tonight, right,” she asked him. He admitted that she was, hoping that wasn’t a problem for her sister.

“She’s been taken to the hospital in town. Wease found her a little while ago,” she said and held the phone away from her ear at his startled exclamation. “Calm down, John. Let me finish. We’re on our way now and we’ll let you know when we hear something, okay,” she told the frantic man on the phone.

“Tell me the name of the hospital, Kris. I need to know,” he said urgently.

“Sacred Heart. It’s not far from her place. I bet we won’t know anything for a while yet, but I’ll call you as soon as we do,” she told him. She knew how much Carrie meant to him, even though they weren’t a couple. It was a fact and Dave said it hadn’t changed last he talked to him.

“Okay. But call me as soon as you know. I’ll be there as soon as I’m done here,” he told her.

“Okay sweetie. Take care tonight and I hope to have something to tell you soon,” she said as she disconnected. David looked over at her, knowing things could get ugly in the waiting area with both him and Mike waiting for news. “I’m not calling Mom and Dad and ruining their cruise until I know something. She’d kill me if I did,” she told her husband as he pulled into the crowded parking lot. Oh God not again, she said to herself, echoing her brother’s sentiment.

Mike took his time finishing up at the gym. He knew no one was waiting for him and no one cared if he was late. He grabbed a shower and changed back into his usual jeans and t-shirt before he decided what to do about dinner. He knew Dave was home so he didn’t want to impose on what little time he had with his family. Shit, just thinking the word hit a nerve. He clenched his jaw in anger and frustration. God damn it, what had he been thinking? How did she manage to do it again? Just when he thought he understood her, she completely changed direction on him again and tossed him out with a flimsy ass excuse. Something about her needing space? What the fuck? She got space every damn week while she traveled. He purposely didn’t call her often since he knew she had her hands full juggling all of Dave’s needs along with her other stuff. At least she didn’t run away this time, he thought.


I don't believe in love.
I need to forget her face, I see it still
I don't believe in love
it's never worth the pain that you feel.

no chance for contact,
there's no raison d'etre
my only hope is one day I'll forget,
the pain of knowing what can never be
with or without love it's all the same to me.

I don't believe in love.
I never have, I never will
I don't believe in love.
I'll just pretend she never was real.
I don't believe in love
I never have, I never will
I don't believe in love.
it's never worth the pain that you feel
Queensryche - I Don't Believe In Love


He thought he’d just grab some shit food and go back to his folks. First he needed to turn the damn radio off, what the hell were they playing? Was it some eighties retro week or what? Every where he went, he saw and heard things that reminded him of her. Now the damn radio was playing shit he hadn’t heard for years, just to fuck with him.

He still hadn’t gone back to his house. He was too leery of a repeat of the shit Lisa pulled last time. He may not be living with Carrie, and she might not love him, but he still loved her and didn’t want Lisa ever again. It felt like he hadn’t spoken to her in weeks when in reality it was only a week or so, he knew. He was tired of trying to figure out what the hell she meant. He couldn’t make any sense of her words, no matter how hard he tried. Maybe he’d just be a monk or something. Did you have to be Catholic or Buddhist, he wondered? He was pretty sure he wasn’t either of them, so he was screwed on that too. He wanted to avoid his mom, she would want to talk to him about it and he really didn’t want to talk to anyone about it, about her. He was just so pissed off and confused. He’d tried to burn off all that at the gym today. Instead, he’d made others in the gym stare at him because he was throwing around so much weight in an effort to purge her from his brain. It hadn’t worked. It never worked. Maybe one day it would. After getting some garbage that some folks called food at the drive through, along with a jumbo sized water, he grabbed his cell, just in case. Who the hell was he kidding he thought as he pulled back into traffic. He was just peeling the paper from the straw when he saw that he had a message. Could it be? Most people didn’t call his cell, but she had his number. She was one of the few. Unless it was his mom, he rationalized. He took a long drink before he checked the message. As he went through all the prompts, his mind was hoping it was her, praying it was her. He was stopped at a red light as he heard Kris’ message. Nothing else seemed to register. Carrie was in hospital? What? Why? Oh my God. Finally some asshole came up to him and knocked on his window and pointed at the light. He flashed an embarrassed smile at him and nodded, indicating he would go when it turned green next time. He had no idea how many cycles he sat through before the helpful asshole.

He found the next parking lot and whipped the little car around, pointing it in the right direction. He smiled as he thought of Carrie’s name for the car. Once she’d told him she called it Giselle, he always thought of the car as Giselle, too. He usually had male names for his vehicles, but then they were usually a lot bigger trucks. He sucked down all the water but ignored the other garbage he’d just purchased. He knew he wasn’t hungry anyway and thought that his stomach would probably reject any food now. God, how long could it take to go just four miles, he wondered. Did he have to hit every red light this evening? Finally he pulled into the parking lot and scanned it for a parking spot. Why were hospital parking lots always full and always built too small, he wondered for the millionth time. He thought he spotted Dave’s hummer, the windows were a give away. Was that a spot next to it? Could he squeeze Giselle into that? He certainly could, he thought with a grin. He patted the dash and smiled as he got out. Did he just go in the emergency entrance and ask? That seemed like the best way, since the place was a maze, he remembered. He walked in the doors and turned as he heard his name.

“Mike!” Kris said as she strode over to him. “Thank God you made it,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. He held her tight, and met Dave and Wease’s eyes. Neither looked like they had good news.

He held on to Kris as he asked Wease, “What do the doctors say?”

Wease shrugged and said, “Not a damn thing. We haven’t heard a word.” Mike met Dave’s eyes and he nodded. That wasn’t good. How long had they been waiting, he wondered.

“How long,” Mike asked Dave.

“We’ve been here about a couple of hours or so,” he said as he glanced at Wease. Wease nodded in confirmation. He could tell her brother was wound tight, tighter than he’d ever seen him. Wease was usually the most laid back guy he knew, so this was something new to witness. It was painful to watch Wease as he twitched and fidgeted. It was a side of him very few saw, he guessed.

“What happened,” he asked all of them. He heard about the morning call, without any discernable problem being noticed. He saw Wease take a deep breath before he continued.

“I went to her place this evening because we had a meeting and she was still sick so it was just easier if we did it there. When I knocked, she didn’t answer. So I let myself in and found her in her kitchen, flat out. She almost looked like she was sleeping, but she looked pale Mike. Too pale,” Wease finished and stared off into space.

He took a deep breath and squeezed Kris gently. “She’s tough, you know she is, Kris. She’s gonna fight this, what ever it is.” He knew he said it for himself also. He just hoped he was right. They walked back to the seats and perched on the uncomfortable chairs.

Wease got up and started to pace and fidget. He felt so helpless. She was always there for him, he didn’t know what he’d do if he lost her. The thought of losing her terrified him. It wasn’t going to happen again, he kept repeating. After he’d cracked every knuckle several times, he started to mutter to himself. David didn’t catch it at first, but then understanding dawned on him. Oh hell, he was worried he was going to loose her too, he realized. He stood up and grabbed him.

“It’s not going to happen, buddy. We won’t let it happen,” he said as he wrapped is arms around the smaller man. Wease looked at him with worry in his eyes and tried to feel reassured by the big man’s words, but still couldn’t shake the awful feeling. Mike watched the exchange, but didn’t hear what they said. Kris had understood it, but it took her several moments to stir herself enough to act.

“Dave, why don’t you give your mom a call. I know we don’t have anything to tell her yet, but at least she should know we’re still waiting. Let her know, will you honey,” she asked him. He nodded as he stepped away from Wease. He flipped open his phone and walked outside, following the signs that prohibited cell use inside. Kris stood up and hugged Wease too. He was standing and staring off into space.

“We have to be strong for her, baby. You can do it. I can do it. She’ll be pissed if we let her down. You know she will. She’s got that temper, you know,” she smiled at him.

He smiled gently back at her and nodded. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders and sat back down and tried not to fidget and worry so much. Mike watched the exchange from the hard plastic seat, not knowing what to do or say. He was as worried as Wease, but he knew that if he started down that path, he was likely to punch holes in the walls and that wasn’t very productive. He was just turning that over in his mind as he looked up and saw Cena walk through the doors.

Mike jumped up and met the man at the door saying, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Mike’s aggressiveness towards him was surprising, he wasn’t prepared for it. He had been so worried about Carrie for the last couple of hours, he finished his run in and left right after, knowing he wasn’t needed for the rest of the night.

“What do you mean? What am I doing here? Kris called me and told me Carrie’s here somewhere. Who the hell knows where in this shit hole of a hospital. This place must have been designed by rabbits, how can anyone find any thing here,” John finished with his voice raised to match Mike’s.

“Boys,” Kris said to both of them. “This isn’t the time or place for that shit. I know your mother raised you better, Mike. I’m pretty sure yours did too, John. Sit. Both of you,” she pointed at the chairs. Mike glared at the younger man, letting him know he wasn’t happy that he was there. John glared right back, matching his anger and sat as far away from him as he could. John noticed the man sitting next to Kris and knew he was her brother just by looking at him. He’d never met him, but the resemblance was unmistakable. He noted the color and shape of his eyes, the chin and high cheek bones, just like hers. He guessed that if he let his hair grow, it’d be just as curly as hers, too. He’d mind his manners for him, because he could see he wasn’t in too good a shape.

He looked over at him and reached out a hand and said, “John Cena. Pleased to meet you. Sorry it has to be like this, man.” Wease took his hand, shook it and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. John looked at her brother again and realized he was a male version of her, just bigger. No one would ever think they weren’t related. He wondered briefly why Kris didn’t look like either of them.

“We haven’t heard anything John. That’s why I didn’t call you. I didn’t have anything to tell you yet. We’re sitting here and waiting, and hoping. Hoping someone will tell us something soon,” Kris explained to the recent arrival. He accepted her words, seeing that they must be true since everyone seemed on edge, not just Mike.

David walked back in folding his phone and pursed his lips at the scene that greeted him. He was glad he wasn’t there for that meeting, he thought to himself. He could almost see the anger rolling off both men, even though neither would admit it. They were both quiet and trying to ignore the other. It was impossible of course since the waiting area was so small, but both were trying their damnedest. They both looked up as he walked in and acknowledged him. He nodded to both and decided he needed to stand, just in case. His mom was worried, but was happy to hear from him. He asked her if she could take the kids to school tomorrow, if necessary.

“Mom’s cool with taking the kids to school if needed, she said,” he told Kris. It helped to break the tension in the room. Mike relaxed at that news, he saw. John was still coiled, like Wease.

“Hey Wease, you need anything to eat buddy? I bet you haven’t eaten in hours. You’re as bad as her sometimes,” he asked the youngest man in the group. He could see Wease think about it for a minute, then slowly nod. “C’mon, let me buy you something to eat. You’re making me hungry, just watching you fidget,” he chuckled. Wease got up and followed the larger man in search of food. Kris watched them walk away before she said anything to the two remaining men.

“You two will behave,” Kris told them both sternly. She made sure both looked at her before she said anything more. “Once this is finished, I don’t give a damn if you guys find some place private and beat the living shit out of each other. But not here. You understand,” she demanded of them. Both of them grudgingly nodded, like naughty school boys. She smiled to herself as she realized that was exactly how they were behaving. Men. Did they ever grow up?

“Kris, do we know what the hell happened,” John asked her finally.

“Not really. Wease found her this evening. They had a meeting at her place but she didn’t answer her door,” she supplied.

“Yeah, I remember her saying they had a meeting today,” he said absently. Mike looked at him sharply. He didn’t know they had a meeting today until Wease said something. He frowned, thinking about it. Kris caught his look and gave him a warning glare. He looked away so he wouldn’t be tempted.

“Last I knew, she was still sick. Did that stop? Did the doctors give her any help,” John asked her sister. He ignored the glares directed at him by Mike.

“She’s still sick, honey. She had an appointment, late last week I think,” she said as she looked to Mike for confirmation. He nodded. He knew she had the appointment, but didn’t know the outcome.

“Did they find out what the hell is wrong with her,” Mike asked her, forgetting his irritation at the other man’s presence.

“Yeah, they did. It’s fixable sweetie. But it’ll take a while,” she hedged. Both big men relaxed at that news. They had both been nagging at her and were worried that she had been so sick for so long.

“That’s good news,” Mike breathed a sigh of relief. John nodded at him, echoing his sentiment. At that instant, both knew their anger was a waste of time and smiled shyly at each other. It was almost like they were reading each other’s minds. The tension in the room went down considerably and Kris was able to take a deep breath finally. Wease and David were walking back to them, she saw. She also saw someone in scrubs walking towards them. She stood up expectantly.

“Who’s Mister Martin,” the small man in scrubs asked as he approached. He tried to hide his surprise at the size of the people in the waiting room. Thank goodness is wasn’t Friday night, he thought. He knew things could get very ugly on the weekends and their size would be a direct challenge to any of the drunks that came through the Emergency Room doors.

Wease walked over to him and said, “Me. I am. Is she alright,” he asked.

“Please come with me,” he said as he guided her brother through some doors and away from the rest of the crowd. Everyone looked at each other, not sure if that was good or bad.

“What do you think, honey,” David asked Kris. She shook her head, not knowing. They sat back down in silence.

Wease was led through several corridors, turning back on himself multiple times. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to find his way back alone.

The doctor stopped outside a door and turned to him and said, “You’re sister’s condition is greatly improved. It was very serious earlier. How long has she been sick,” he asked.

“A month,” Wease shrugged. The doctor shook his head at that news.

“She’s very lucky you found her today. She will get better, with lots of fluids and bed rest. She’ll be staying for a while. She must take care of herself, she isn’t strong enough to let herself get so dehydrated. When is she due, do you know,” he asked her brother. Wease was still for a brief moment, it took him a second to absorb what the doctor asked him.

He smiled as he answered, “No idea.” He knew he’d guessed it right. “How is she supposed to stop throwing up all the time,” he asked.

“We’ve given her something for it. It won’t harm her or the babies, so she should be able to hold her own and start gaining some much needed weight. Right now she just needs to rest and let us put back some of her nutrients that she was so deficient in. She’s been very uncooperative so far. Is she always like that,” he asked.

“Yes,” Wease said simply, not bothering to hide his ever widening grin.

“She needs to let us do our job and she has refused some of the iv’s. She needs the nutrients and vitamins. Can you convince her? We need to get her well enough to go home,” the diminutive doctor finished.

Wease nodded at him as he said, ”I’ll try.” The doctor patted him on the back and stepped away so he could visit his sister in private. Just before he pushed open the door, he replayed that conversation. Did the doctor say babies? Holy shit, he grinned to himself.

He saw her sleeping in the bed. He was so relieved that she was going to be all right that he didn’t have the energy to get pissed at her yet for hiding her pregnancy from him. She looked so tiny and frail. Why didn’t he see it sooner? She didn’t take care of herself. She cracked open an eye and saw him and tried to smile.

“Hey,” she said, licking her lips. He smiled back at her and took her small hand in his and sat next to her. He reached for her water jug, so she could drink from it. She looked at it in alarm and hesitated.

“Don’t worry. They gave you something so you should stop throwing up and it’s safe for you and the babies,” he grinned at her. She took the water from him and drank deeply. She brought her gaze back to her brother and stared for several long seconds.

“Wait, did you just say babies? As in more than one?” she asked him quietly. He nodded and grinned at her. She closed her eyes and sighed. When she fucked up, she did it in a big way, she thought to herself.

“Does Kris know,” he asked, fairly certain what her answer would be.

“Yeah, but not about two. Did they say two or…God forbid there’s more,” she grimaced.

“They didn’t say. This is the first I’m hearing about it, so why ask me? Seems like I’m the last to know,” he teased her quietly. He was so relieved that she was going to be alright. She looked at him and squeezed his hand.

“Sorry sweetie. I was in major denial until a few days ago. But it makes sense why I couldn’t stop throwing up, doesn’t it,” she finished. He could see she was drifting off, but he wanted to get her permission for the iv’s before he let her sleep.

“Care, they said you’ve refused some iv’s? What the hell are you thinking,” he asked her.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know if they’d be safe for me, me and the baby, babies,” she corrected herself.

“Can I tell them you’re okay with them now? You need to get well so we can get you home and fatten you up,” he chuckled at the thought. He’d never seen his sister fat and knew Mike would enjoy the challenge. She nodded and mumbled something that sounded like yes to him. That’s all that mattered right now. She was going to be well and she would let the doctors help her. That was a huge step for her, he knew. He knew he’d stay and watch her sleep, just so he could relax enough to know that it didn’t happen this time.

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end

Part 2 of 3


Mike was quiet, brooding over the worse possible scenarios. He thought back to the family meeting and some of the things he had learned that night, some of the things she had already survived…

Carrie grabbed the knife that her mother had dropped and reached over to cut the thick duct tape that bound Wease.

“Wease, get the phone, dial 911, even if you can’t say anything, just set it down and I’ll talk. They’ll find us and send help that way,” she told her terrified brother. He did as he was told. He managed to speak slow enough for them to understand. He stumbled a little on his address because he saw his dad looking at him, but he managed to make them understand. Carrie concentrated on keeping her hands on his chest, putting as much pressure as she could. She hoped they’d get there soon, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep the pressure up.

“The paramedics did arrive. They took in the scene and pulled Carrie off of our dad, even though she still wanted to help “ Wease said as he remembered it like it was yesterday. They were all surprised that he continued the story, he was usually quiet. “One of them checked mom for any signs of a wound and figured she must have fainted or something. She wasn’t priority, our dad was. They applied some serious bandages and the biggest of the two basically sat on Dad’s chest to stop him bleeding out. Once they felt they could move him, they took him away without a word to either of us. Then everything just fucking went sideways,” he said with a look to Carrie. She nodded slightly. The other three were stunned into silence again. They had thought the other stuff was bad, it wasn’t anything in comparison to what they were hearing now.

“Shortly after the ambulance left, some people came in and started taking pictures. Pictures of me, pictures of Carrie, pictures of Bianca, pictures of the wall, floors. Shit you name it, they took pictures of it. Nobody talked to us, they just treated us like pieces of furniture or something. Carrie just held my hand once she knew I was unhurt. We stood off to the side of all the activity, not knowing what to do, but worried to death about our dad. Then our mom stirred and started to wake up. That surprised them; I think they thought she was dead or something. Lots of yelling at each other and someone walked over to her and asked her if she was okay and if she needed any help.

“Oh thank you, thank you sir, Thanks for coming. Where’s Russ? Where is he?” she said starting to get hysterical. They told her he was at the hospital. They asked her if she knew what had happened, which is fucking weird since they didn’t ask us, ever. She opened her mouth and lied, “yes, my daughter killed the family dog, tied up her little brother and was trying to kill my husband when I walked in on her.” She even managed to shed a few tears as she told it. Carrie was stunned at her words.

“Momma, no. Momma, tell them what happened. Tell them!” she cried as the people started to walk towards her, intent on capturing her. She fought them, holy shit she fought them. Two of them went down as quickly as mom, but one of them managed to slap some handcuffs on her as she recovered and she was still, knowing she’d been caught. They picked her up by her cuffed wrists and hauled her away, away from me, away from our home. I looked over at Mom and she smiled.” He shuddered as he remembered her grin at him.

“I think it’s time for a break, don’t you,” Kris asked them. David nodded, Mike just sat still, looking at her back and Carla nodded through her tears. Mike watched her get up and leave again. He had no idea that she had experienced anything like that. His brother Matt said that one of the toughest things was watching someone die. He said that no matter how many times it happened, it was something you never got used to.

***

They sat in the waiting room, looking at each other, the walls, the magazines, hell even the fourth rerun of Sports Center . Kris could see they were all worried since they hadn’t seen or heard anything since the doctor came and got Wease over two hours ago. She got up to find the ladies restroom and knew that three sets of eyes watched her leave, since they didn’t have anything else to hold their attention.

“This is driving me fucking nuts,” Mike said to the room.

“Yeah, I know how you feel. I don’t think my mom raised a patient man,” John chuckled. David stayed silent, watching the dynamics between the two men. It was interesting to see it shift from outright animosity to camaraderie. Two very different men to look at, but similar in many ways. He knew he should have paid attention in his high school psych class. He was sure there was some kind of disorder or syndrome he was watching, didn’t know what it was called, but it was interesting. Kris had tried to tell him something like this he realized, but he didn’t understand at the time. Shit, she was usually right about people, he admitted to himself.

***

John was lost in thought as he remembered the first time he asked her to stay with him.

“Why not? Why won’t you stay with me, Baby,” he asked her as he caressed her bare shoulder.

She sighed, trying to think. He leaned in and kissed her neck, trying to win her over. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, still unable to articulate. He pulled back and looked in her eyes, her startlingly green almond shaped eyes. It never ceased to amaze him, the color of her eyes. He thought when he first met her she wore colored contacts to get them that color, like many women he knew, but he knew better now.

That was the night before she dealt with Christy and they hadn’t talked about it again until Vancouver . He asked her again, and she still said no. He thought that if he asked her when they were hanging out at the park that might make a difference, but it didn’t. She still said no. Then he asked her again when she mentioned moving away the next morning and her response was to remind him of the damn ground rules.

Screw those damn rules, he thought angrily. He should have ignored them and done what he had wanted to do, she wouldn’t be in the mess she was in. She would have been safe and with him.

He knew his mom wanted to meet her, she had asked him to bring her home on one of his weekends. He asked her and she said no since she was seeing Mike and didn’t want to confuse his mom. He also knew she was trying to gently remind him of those damn ground rules again.

He questioned himself again about how long it was going to take for him to get over her and move on with his life. It hadn’t happened yet and it didn’t feel like it was any where close to happening. The sick feeling he got at Kris’ phone call was not the sign of someone who was ‘over it’. Now he was sitting in the damn hospital, with his buddy Dave and Kris and her boyfriend. It didn’t matter that her boyfriend was here. He needed to be here for her, regardless.

He thought back to his first meeting of Mike and how much had happened since them. Who would have thought, he thought ruefully.

“Proto, hey John. There’s someone I want you to meet,“ Dave said with a grin to his fellow superstar wanna be. He remembered reaching out and shaking the hand of someone who was as big as his buddy Dave. Bastard was huge, the only difference from Dave was that he had a full head of hair. Oh, and he didn’t have as many piercings. He shook the other man’s hand and asked his name.

“Mike, Mike Adams. Pleased to meet you, Prototype,” he said with smile for him. Oh shit, is he smiling at me because we have match tonight? Bastard looks like he could do some serious damage without meaning to. Not good, he worried.

“Yeah, good to meet you, too. Are we working together tonight,” he asked the large man. He saw him frown as he considered his words for a brief second.

“What? Oh no. I’m not a wrestler. No way. You won’t catch me doing this shit. Lisa would shit anyway,” he smiled.

“Nah, he’s just here visiting since we’re in the area. He’s my training partner,” Dave said. He could believe it. They both outweighed him by a hundred pounds or so.

“Oh, cool. You had me worried for a sec,” he admitted. Dave shook his head at him and slapped him on the back.

“Would I do that to you, Johnny,” Dave smirked and assumed an innocent expression.

“Yeah, you would. Hell, you have,” he reminded him. He saw Dave think about that for a split second then bust out laughing, remembering. He shrugged at his friend and walked to the curtained off changing area. He remembered that Mike traveled with them that week, taking over the driving duties so they could catch some sleep on the road. Randy was supposed to travel with them that week but he had the flu or something so he was home and missed the shit that they managed to get into. Watching Mike and Dave together was entertaining as far as he was concerned. They were laughing and telling jokes most of the time, a lot like he was with his brothers.

One of the nights that they went to one of the local strip clubs to blow off some steam was hard to forget, for many reasons. That was a fun night, he thought with a grin. The ladies were bored and many of the guys from the company decided to go to the same club. The bar went for quiet to chaos in a few minutes once all the rowdy wrestlers arrived. The ladies gave all the guys table dances, most not caring if they got paid or not. He kept getting some serious lap dances from a few of the dancers. He noticed that Mike and Dave were laughing their asses off at him, seeing that he couldn’t turn around without another one jumping at his lap. He didn’t mind, at all. That kind of trouble he could handle. He remembered not getting back to his room until just before six am and they were scheduled to leave at six thirty because they had a long drive that day.

“Wake the fuck up buddy. Time to rise and shine, pretty boy,” Dave said through the door. He was just leaving the bathroom and hadn’t had time to change his clothes yet, so he knew he was in for some serious shit from his buddy as soon as he opened the door. He stumbled to the door and opened it as he turned away, making sure he didn’t see his buddy’s face at his ragged appearance.

“Damn, look at you pretty boy. Mike, get a load of our pretty boy here. Damn, think he left any of them for the rest of us,” David teased as he saw John walk back to his bed and gather up his shit. David just looked at his friend and shook his head.

“I don’t know if I’d want any, looking at the shape he’s in,” Mike joined in. John stayed quiet, knowing he didn’t want to get into a verbal sparring match with them this morning. He didn’t have the energy for any of that shit. He just concentrated on getting all his shit put back in his case. There wasn’t much because he hadn’t been in the room enough to unpack anything.

“You think he’s taken a shower,” David tossed out to Mike.

“Um, don’t think so buddy. If he did, his momma forgot to show him how to get all that lip gloss off his neck,” Mike volleyed back to David.

“Is that what that shit is? I thought he might have some new disease and he was gonna have to ride in the trunk,” David chuckled.

“All right, you bastards. You think you’re through,” John asked them tiredly. Both of the other men grinned at his sorry looking ass and shook their heads.

“Oh hell no, pretty boy. This is too good to pass up,” David explained. Mike stayed quiet but couldn’t wipe the grin from his face, even at the early hour. John knew they were going to mess with him the entire ride, at least. He had a feeling it was going to last a lot longer.

David looked over at his buddy and winked, “Do you think that girl told him she was under age?”

Mike grinned and said, “What? You mean the blonde one with the great big…”

“Okay, okay you bastards. Enough! I got my shit, let’s go,” John jumped in to head off that discussion.

“I’m serious, Johnny. She was a baby and you need to leave town as fast as you can. I hear her daddy isn’t too happy that his little darlin’ was out last night,” Dave continued. John sighed as he picked up his bags and followed them both out into the parking lot.

“Are you sure that’s a crime, Dave? I mean c’mon. We are in West Virginia . Things are a little different here,” Mike reminded him with a laugh.

Mike unlocked the car and they piled in. John got the back seat to himself so he could sleep, he was sure. They might be assholes, but at least they were nice assholes.

“Maybe. But jeeze, Buddy. Did she tell you she was only fourteen? You’re a sick bastard, you know that,” David tossed back to the tired man in the back.

“No way am I gonna believe you big bastards, no way,” John said. He couldn’t help himself. He didn’t want to rise to their bait, but that was too much. No way was he going to sit and listen to them accuse him of that. No way was she only fourteen. Then a little seed of doubt started to nag at him. Shit man, what if these assholes were right?

“Hey, I’m ready whenever you are. Let’s get this show on the road,” he said to Mike. The sooner they left, they happier he’d be. He wouldn’t be able to stop worrying until they crossed the state line.

“I think I saw a diner on the interstate that looked good. What do you think,” David asked the driver. He knew their passenger couldn’t see him so he didn’t bother to hide his smirk.

“Yeah, sounds good to me. I’m hungry and could eat a house. How about you,” Mike lobbed back to David.

“Yeah, let’s eats before we hit the road,” he said with a grin, knowing the backseat passenger would speak up immediately.

“Nah, man. Let’s get going. I’m sure we’ll find some better places along the way. It’s too early to think about eating anyway,” John said, trying and failing to sound casual. David looked at his worried friend, knowing he was worrying for nothing, but enjoyed the hell out of his situation anyway. That’s what friends are for.

***

David stared at the rerun of Sports Center , not watching the images on the screen. He was thinking about Lil’ Sis and some of the crazy shit she’d pulled. David smiled as he remembered her duplicity at their wedding.

Little did he know it at the time, but he was shopping for his own wedding present. Kris, Doni, a friend of Kris’ from work, and Carrie had been busy planning the event, staying up late getting things straightened out between them. He was asked for his input on some things, but he didn’t really have an opinion on most things since he had done it before and wanted it to be Kris’ special day.

He picked up his phone and seeing it was from Kris said, “Hi sweetheart, how are you?”

“Um well. Sorry, this is Carrie,” she chuckled. There was an embarrassed pause.

“Sorry, I thought you were Kris,” he explained. She chuckled at him again, knowing that she had embarrassed the large man.

“No harm. I’m glad I caught you. Are you busy today? I could really use your help,” she said. He was a little surprised but managed to answer her.

“No, not busy. What did you need?” he asked, thinking it was something easy.

“Okay, don’t laugh at me, but I need someone to help me car shop and I know you’re a car guy and I’d like your help if you don’t mind,” she asked.

He was a little surprised because he didn’t know her very well yet, but could understand how car shopping might be daunting.

“Yeah, sure. Any excuse to look at cars is a good one for me,” he said honestly.

They agreed on a place to meet so they could arrive in one car to throw off the dealerships. She said she didn’t want them to think she was stupid and needed his help, so would he mind posing as her husband just for this. He thought that made sense, knowing how much chauvinism existed in the car world.

Turned out she was right to bring him. Once they arrived at the first place, they completely ignored her and talked to him only. She told him what she was looking for, what she needed and what she didn’t. She wanted a vehicle big enough to haul people around in, but functional enough to use daily. But, she did not want a min van, under any circumstances, he remembered with a grin.

Once the sales man had walked away at the first place she looked at him and shook her head slightly, telling him no. He didn’t know her reasons, but knew she’d tell him once they were finished. As they were walking out of the dealership, the salesman came running after him, not bothering to even look at her. That was when he figured her reasons why she wouldn’t buy from that business. That was going to make today’s experience interesting, he thought to himself.

She confirmed his suspicions once they were in his car and driving away.

“David, do they think I’m invisible or what? I haven’t been ignored that much since I was in school,” she told him. He didn’t have an answer for her, but she told him again what she was looking for and said she’d try to take a more active role on the next one, to see if they’d deign themselves to accept her as an important part of the buying process. He knew she was a little irritated, he would’ve been too.

Next place she spoke up a few times, when David asked questions of the salesman. The salesman was roughly her age and did make eye contact and acknowledge her presence, but continued to talk to David.

She knew she needed to stop that, so she asked politely, “Can we take this for a test drive please?” David looked at her as he nodded slowly, thinking that would be a good way to shake the pushy sales guy so they could talk about what she thought about the car. The salesman blinked and said sure, they could take it for a drive, he just needed to get the keys and the temp. plates.

The sales guy was more than a little irritated but didn’t dare say anything for fear of losing a sale and pissing off his huge customer, when they told him they’d like to take it out by themselves, leaving their keys and car as collateral. Lucky for them he agreed to their request. David was certain his size had intimidated the guy and for once he was happy about that.

Once they pulled out of the lot, Carrie turned to him and said, “Okay, so what do you think of this one? Drive it like it was yours, not like it’s new and tell me. But don’t say anything until after I drive it then we can compare.” That made sense to him, so he did as she asked. He took it on the freeway, stomping his foot down to merge and was pleased with the response. He liked the ride and feel of it, but kept his opinions to himself until she drove it. He pulled over and they switched places. Once she had adjusted everything, she pulled back out into traffic and grinned.

“This is a big bastard, isn’t it,” she smiled at him. He nodded, thinking the same thing. He wasn’t sure why she wanted something so big, but that’s what she said, so that’s what they looked at. She reversed his route, taking the freeway back to the dealership, but not pulling in yet. She parked it on a side road and switched it off.

“Okay, so tell me what you think,” she asked him. He thought for a moment before he said anything.

“Carrie, it’s a nice car. It’s got all you said you wanted on it and it can fit five easily. You can drive it but so can I and that’s also a plus. I like the feel of it, the response of it and it isn’t that difficult to park,” he told her. She nodded at his words, obviously thinking something similar.

“Okay, so we take this big boy back and tell the guy we need to think about it, regardless, right? You know he’s gonna try and pressure you. I need to go home and do some homework before I commit to this baby,” she said grinning at him. He nodded and she started it up and pulled into the lot, watching for the sales guy to pounce.

They weren’t disappointed, he was opening the door of the car, helping them out, he was so eager. In his eagerness he made his mistake. He spoke only to David, not her. He told him of the deal that he could get him for this car if they wanted it today, but couldn’t guarantee it’d be available tomorrow. David was quiet and let the guy talk, watching him dig his own hole without realizing it.

Carrie spoke up finally and said, “Honey,” looking directly at David, “I think we need to talk about this, don’t you?” He made sure he didn’t smile, and just nodded. The sales guy could see his fat commission slipping away so he told them how he knew someone else was interested in the car and he couldn’t guarantee he’d have it later today, let alone tomorrow if they wanted it. They should buy it or at least put some money to hold it, just to make sure they got exactly what they wanted.

Carrie smiled sweetly at him and said, “Well, I guess if you don’t have it tomorrow, we’ll just go to the other dealership and buy it from them.” The sales guy was left sputtering at her comment as they turned and walked away, hand in hand for his benefit.

Once they were safely back in his car, David started laughing. “You’re bad, very bad,” he said with admiration. He was getting to know his sister in law a little better today and realized he liked her, even though she was so different from his fiancé.

“Well? He was pissing me off, and I didn’t think beating the shit out of him was something either one of us should do in public, so I just needed to remind him that he was replaceable,” she said with a grin. “I just need to go home and do some homework on the make and model and the numbers game. From there, I’ll be ready if I like what I see. Are you available to come play with me again tomorrow,” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him insincerely. He chuckled at her and admitted he was available tomorrow, if she needed him to be.

Turned out they had a different crisis to deal with involving the wedding the next day. The place that Kris wanted to use for the men’s tuxes couldn’t fit David or his best man. Kris was frantic, not sure what to do since her husband to be was never going to fit in the sizes that the place said they had available. They laughed at her when she told them roughly the size she needed for two of them. Carrie listened to Kris’ tirade, made a few calls and then asked Kris to please call the groomsmen and ask if they were available that day for a fitting.

“Why? They said they don’t have that size available, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she wailed.

“Sweetie. I have a plan, just call and ask them,” she said, knowing that David was available because of their car shopping. “We really need David and Mike today. If Dad’s available great, but it won’t be a huge deal if we don’t get him or Wease until tomorrow,” she told the upset bride to be. She could see that Kris didn’t understand but did what was asked of her because she was just too overwhelmed to think about it.

David returned her call once he was home with Mike. They’d just finished at the gym for the day and had time to go where ever she needed them to go. He knew Kris was getting very worried about all the planning, so he wanted to be as accommodating as possible. Mike nodded his agreement while he was on the phone with her.

They met at a men’s clothing store. Carrie had made a few calls so they were expected. Kris just looked at the place wide eyed, not understanding what they were doing, since it wasn’t a tux rental place. David had an idea, but he was quiet about it in case he was wrong. The manager greeted them like old friends at the front door. He introduced himself to Kris and asked her what she was looking for. She didn’t understand his question, he could see.

“What color and style did you want for your groomsmen,” he clarified for her.

Understanding dawned on her and she told him what she had in mind, knowing that she didn’t see any tuxes around, thinking he must not understand what their needs were. David and Mike were quiet, since they didn’t really have any input, they were just there for the fitting, they didn’t really care what they wore, as long as it fit and they could move. The manager excused himself and left them for a moment.

“Carrie, I don’t think he understands. I don’t think he knows what I want. I don’t see any tuxes here. Are you sure we’re in the right place,” she asked her maid of honor. Carries smiled at her, knowing she was getting overwhelmed with all the damn details of the whole wedding. It was one of the reasons she decide to take this task on herself.

“He understands, believe me,” she said just as he walked back with fabric swatches for her to see. David nodded to Mike, indicating he knew what was going on, even if his bride didn’t. He’d had been through this kind of thing once before. Another man appeared with pen, paper and a tape measure. He looked from one big man to the other and shook his head.

“Who’s the groom? He gets to go first,” he asked looking at both men. Mike laughed and patted his buddy on the back.

“That’s you, buddy. You won’t catch me getting married,” he teased. David shrugged at him and stepped forward to the man intent on measuring them. The man asked David for his name and asked him to stand relaxed. When he did, the measuring man, as David thought of him, just looked up at him and shook his head without a word. He measured his neck, arms, every which way from Sunday, shoulders, several chest measurements. Mike started to pay attention and look at the measurements and teased his buddy.

“Hey, wonder what mine’ll be? You think you’re bigger,” he asked, knowing that David usually was. David shrugged, knowing that the guy was going to eventually want an inseam measurement and that always made him uncomfortable. He measured thighs and then he measured outer seam first and wrote it down. He appeared nervous as he approached the big man, probably not wanting to offend, David thought. He warned him as he measured his inseam and damned if he didn’t make him jump anyway. Mike chuckled at his buddy’s discomfort. He knew what had just happened; it happened most of the time during these kind of things. The measuring man explained to the men that he took so many extra measurements because they wanted to make sure their suits fit them correctly and draped well, what ever that meant.

Mike’s turn next. He had watched so he knew what the guy was going to measure, so he wasn’t as unprepared as David. The measuring man did seem to take an awful lot of measurements, but the ladies weren’t paying attention, they were focused on fabric and styles with the store manager. David tried to compare their two measurements, because they always had a friendly rivalry going on in the gym.

“Looks like I got a pencil neck in comparison to you, Bud,” David said to Mike.

“Yeah, right. As long as that’s the only thing pencil like on ya, you’re fine,” he joked. The measuring man kept his head down and blushed at that comment. He tried to continue on with his task but excused himself for a moment. Mike and David shared a smirk, knowing they’d made the man uncomfortable with their joking. David winked at Mike as the man came back to finish the task…

top

end

Part 3 of 3


They all looked up as another doctor walked in to the room, looking for someone specific. He didn’t find whoever it was and walked away. They all shook their heads in disgust. They thought they were going to finally get some answers. Several minutes later, the doctor that came to get Wease walked in by himself and smiled at all of them. That’s a good sign, David thought to himself.

“Who’s the lucky man,” the diminutive doctor asked them. His question was met with confusion, he could see. He sighed and tried again, “Who’s the proud papa,” he asked. The effect of his words was instant. His question ignited a blazing fire in the room. Two men jumped to their feet and yelled at each other. The third man stood up and separated them. The doctor was glad he did it, because he knew he wouldn’t have been able to. The doctor backed away from the fray, sensing he had just dropped a bomb on the men. How was he to know, he wondered. Her brother seemed to know about it, so why wouldn’t these three? He walked away from them as they continued their loud discussion, knowing he had other patients that needed to be seen.

“What do you mean, shut the fuck up,” John yelled.

“Just what I said. Shut the fuck up. This is between her and me. You can go home now, thank you very much asshole,” Mike snarled.

“I don’t think so, buddy. Last I knew, your gun wasn’t loaded,” John sneered back at him.

Dave tightened his grip on both men and escorted them outside. The nurses were looking their way and he didn’t want to be asked to leave again. That hadn’t happened since Evolution used to visit hospital waiting rooms regularly and he didn’t want to start a new trend.

“Outside. Let’s take this outside,” he said loudly to both men. They both tried to struggle, but he was irritated and stronger so they had no choice. All three walked out the emergency room doors and walked towards the parking lot in the freezing rain.

David had enough sense to realize the two weren’t really listening to each other as they hurled insults. If they had, they would have heard that either of them might actually be the culprit. He was surprised at Mike’s news. He didn’t know he went to the docs and got the thing reversed. He knew it was possible, but he didn’t think too much about it. He could only think it might be painful and that’s as far as he thought about it, purposely. He was also surprised that John admitted to seeing her when she was in Vancouver . He understood what John didn’t say. Shit, what a mess. No wonder she hadn’t said anything. He hoped Kris would come back soon or he’d have to get more irritated at both of them. The only thing he could do right now was to keep them separated, but they certainly didn’t shut up, no matter how many times either one of them told the other to ‘shut the fuck up’.

“Let go of me, Dave,” Mike said eventually. Dave shook his head. “I’m not going to hurt this asshole. I just want to go see her,” he said. David looked at him, not sure if he could trust him. He still had a tight grip on John since he was still struggling, more so at Mike’s request. Dave made a decision and let go of Mike. Mike sneered at John, straightened his shirt and walked back inside to try to see Carrie.

“You ready to calm down now, man,” David asked the younger man.

Several seconds passed before John said, “Yeah.” David let go of him and made sure all he did was straighten his shirt and look at the doors.

“Why didn’t she say anything,” John asked him.

“Possibly because of what I just witnessed,” he replied.

“She’s gotta know that this is the best news she could have told me. She knows how I feel about this stuff. I’ve told her many times. Why would she keep it a secret,” John asked. He was confused and angry at Mike, but he was so relieved that she was going to be okay. The waiting and not knowing was excruciating and he never wanted to have to go through that again.

“Do you know how she feels about kids? Has she ever told you if she wanted any,” he asked John. He knew the answer, but didn’t know if they had talked about it.

“Hell yes. I knew she wanted kids, but didn’t think it was possible for some reason. Plus she always wore that damn patch. We both thought it was stupid since she wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant but her doctors wanted her to wear it to keep her cycle normal or some such shit. Last I knew, that part was working. Didn’t seem to work too well about the no baby thing, did it,” he told his friend.

“Shit, nothing is a hundred percent. I know that. One of my kids was conceived using the pill,” David admitted. At the other man’s surprised look, he nodded. John stood quietly and went through all the shit Mike had said in his head.

“When did he go to the doctors,” he asked David quietly.

“I have no idea. It’s news to me,” David told the younger man.

“Does she know,” John asked him. David shrugged; he was so out of the loop in this he wouldn’t be surprised if The Undertaker waltzed up any minute.

“Does this mean she’s going to stop throwing up all the time,” John asked him.

“Um, I don’t know. Kris was pretty sick too, but Carrie’s been real sick. I hope they can give her something. She’s lost weight again,” he told John.

“I was afraid of that when I talked to her last week,” John said. Both men were silent, keeping their thoughts to themselves. John finally shook his head and grinned. “This is amazing, just amazing,” he laughed. David looked at him, thinking he was jumping the gun, but knew that John had a naturally buoyant nature. It was hard to keep him down for very long.

“Think they’d let me see her,” he asked David.

“I don’t know. Think you can behave if we go back in? Kris must think we’ve vanished into thin air,” he told the other man.

“Oh shit. Sorry. I forgot,” John said sheepishly. He looked over at his buddy and grinned, he couldn’t help it. David shook his head at him as they walked back in. Kris was relieved when she saw them walk through the doors. John was still smiling and walking on air, but he managed to stop floating long enough to sit down.

“We’re going for a walk. See you in a bit and remember, you said you’d behave,” he said to the other man as he took his wife’s hand. Kris took his hand gratefully but looked at him incredulously at his announcement. “Trust me baby, we need to go for a walk. You won’t believe it.”

“Mike went to the doctor’s,” she repeated for the second time after David had relayed the information and the events that involved them all going outside for some air. They were seated by one of the many covered outdoor fountains at the hospital.

“I take it Carrie doesn’t know,” he aid. She shook her head slowly. “You knew she was pregnant?” She nodded in response. “She thinks it must be John’s?” Again, she nodded. “Honey, did I ever say I thought we should just up and move and not tell anyone where we went,” he smiled at her. She smiled back and kissed him. “Things were going so smoothly there for a few weeks, I thought I must have stepped into someone else’s life, but this shit reminds me that it’s mine,” he said with a tired sigh.

“You wouldn’t have it any other way and you know it. You’d die of boredom,” she giggled at him.

“Maybe, but you don’t have to remind me,” he said as he nibbled on her ear and gripped her ass.

“Mmm, I might have to take you up on that later mister. The parking lot of the local ER just doesn’t do it for me,” she said.

“What? I thought you loved that show,” he teased. She reached over to the front of his jeans and stroked him quickly, to cement her promise and turned to go back in. “Honey, you are so bad. I’ll wait for a few, but I’ll be there shortly. Try to keep John and Mike from killing each other, will you,” he asked her as she walked back in. Her naughty chuckle floated back to him as she left.

A volunteer offered to show Mike how to get to Ms. Martin’s room. He smiled his thanks at her and followed. They went through the doors and turned and twisted too many times for him to be able to figure it out. He was so distracted by the fact that Carrie was going to be okay he just followed blindly. He did know they didn’t change floors, but that was the only thing he was sure about. The helpful volunteer had stopped at a door and waited for him to catch up. He was stuck behind a few folks that weren’t very mobile.

She smiled at him as he walked up to her and said, “Here’s her room, sir. I think someone is already in there with her,” and smiled at him again and left. Gotta be Wease, he thought to himself.

He pushed the door in slowly and peeked around it, just in case there were doctors or something in there with her. He saw the back of Wease sitting next to her bed, slowly rocking back and forth. He stopped and took in the entire room before he went in any further. The lights were off except the one behind the bed, he could see the shape of feet through the blankets on the bed. He also looked and counted four bags of stuff. He was surprised that one of them was an interesting shade of green and another looked like milk or something. He always thought they were clear; at least that’s what it looked like on TV. He stepped in to the room and pulled the door closed, but not quite latched, not wanting to wake her with the noise. He walked over to Wease and put his hand on his shoulder. Wease looked up at him with eyes that were almost as green as his sister’s and gave him a small smile. He nodded and stood up, prepared to vacate his seat. Mike shook his head and picked up the other chair and put it on the other side of her bed.

She looked so small, so small and frail lying there with all the tubes and wires everywhere. She had so many needles stuck in her he wasn’t sure where he could touch her without disturbing any of it. He settled on just taking her last two fingers into his hands and holding them. She had an iv in the back of her hand. Her hand looked bruised from what he could see, so he hoped he wasn’t hurting her. His eyes met Wease’s over her bed and they shared a long look, both realizing how close they had come to loosing her. Mike looked away first to look at her, sleeping. Her hair was spread out behind her, the little curls falling on her shoulders. He loved her hair and wanted to brush it from her face, but didn’t want to disturb her. Wease was right, she did look pale. She looked pale and frail. He was doing a terrible job protecting her, even from herself. He vowed to do better, in spite of her. He didn’t want to be that worried about her again. He saw Wease stir across from him and watched as he stood up and looked at him. He nodded at the door, indicating he was leaving for a while. Mike nodded in response.

He scooted his chair a little closer and leaned in to her so he could see her better. He just wanted to climb in the bed with her and hold her and make her better. He brought her fingers to his mouth and gently brushed them with his lips, careful not to disturb any of the tubes or wires.

He saw her smile at his action and ask quietly, “Mike?” She struggled to open her eyes and look at him. She squinted painfully, trying to focus on him.

“Yeah, babe. I’m here. I’m here for you,” he said quietly. He saw that she gave up trying to open her eyes, but had a small smile on her lips. “Carrie, honey, you need to rest. Just relax and rest. We can talk later, since you say that’s all we do anyway,” he said with a quiet chuckle. She nodded and sighed and stayed quiet. He watched her for a while, watched her as she drifted into sleep. As he watched her sleep, he felt himself start to relax. He hadn’t realized how tense he had been until he started to relax. He was so exhausted, he felt like he could sleep too. He didn’t know how long he sat beside her, but Wease came back in eventually. That was his cue to let her brother keep vigil. He’d be back, he knew. But she needed rest right now. He left with a nod to him and shut the door quietly behind him. Now he had to try and figure out how the hell to get back to the waiting room where Kris and Dave were. He hoped John wasn’t still there, but he had a feeling he would be.

After several wrong turns and stopping himself from getting on the elevator, once he remembered he didn’t get on one before, he found his way back to the waiting area and saw three sets of worried eyes meet his. Kris jumped up and hugged him.

“Well, how is she,” she asked from in his arms. He walked over to the other two with her cradled in his arms.

“She’s sleeping right now. Wease is with her. She just needs rest,” he said with meaning as he looked directly at John.

“I hear you. I understand, but I still want to see her,” John said returning his direct look.

Mike heard Kris say quietly from in his arms, “Mike, just let him. He’s been worried too.” He knew no one else could hear her, she spoke softly so only he would hear. He glared at the other man and nodded finally.

“She’s in room 1259. Don’t ask me how the hell to get there because I don’t know. But it’s on this floor,” he said. Before the other man had finished speaking John leapt up and walked through the doors that the others used. He glanced up at the signs and tried to figure out how the numbering system worked. After a few wrong turns he made it to her room.

The door wasn't latched, just pulled shut. He pushed it open enough to step through and gently pushed it closed behind him. Wease heard him and turned around. He smiled at the other man, letting him know he could come closer. He took in the sight of her lying motionless in the bed surrounded by all kinds of contraptions. He had been so worried since Kris’s call, he didn’t want to think about what had caused her to be in the hospital. Whatever it was, it must be bad if all the wires and lights and shit were any indication. He sat in the other chair, across from her brother. He looked at his baby in the bed, looking so small, so small and frail. He felt his eyes start to burn as he looked at her and the relief he felt knowing she was okay. He wanted to be able to touch her, hold her, give her some of his strength to fight. He touched her arm lightly, and noticed she had something stuck in pumping in something, so he left her arm alone since he didn’t want to hurt her. She was so small, so frail. He knew his tears were visible to her brother but he didn’t care. He remembered that Wease looked like he’d been crying recently too when he walked in. He touched her hand and saw it had been bruised all to hell. Must have happened when they were sticking her, he thought. He reached for her hand and gently covered it with his, willing some of his strength to help her. She looked so small. He forgot how small she was. Whenever he was around her, she was the center of his universe and he didn’t notice how tiny she was.

Wease stirred across from him and got up. He walked to the door and looked back to make sure John was okay with him leaving. John nodded at him and turned his attention back to the tiny lady on the bed. Why did she have to be so stubborn, so damn stubborn? He had asked her to stay with him and she had refused. Watching her sleep and looking at her helpless in front of him, he realized her damn stubbornness was one of the many things he loved about her. She wouldn’t have lasted very long with Evolution if she was delicate, he knew. She might appear delicate on the outside, but she was tough, a fighter. His baby was a fighter and she better make it through this shit, whatever it was. He knew he couldn’t go back out with tears running down his face, so he laid his head on her bed and listened to her breathe. He watched the lights on the display at the foot of her bed and felt himself relax. He stirred suddenly when he felt a small hand caress his head. He looked up and saw her gentle smile.

He smiled into her eyes as he said, “Carrie, you going to be okay, baby?” She nodded as she continued to rub the side of his face with her hand, enjoying the feel of his whiskers starting to make themselves known.

“Shave? What time is it,” she asked him vaguely with a small frown. He could see she was still very sleepy, she wasn’t making sense. He gently held her hand as he looked at the clock above her bed. He blinked. It couldn’t be that late, could it?

“It’s late, past your bedtime young lady,” he smiled at her. He reached for her water jug, noting how dry she sounded and passed it to her.

“Sorry about missing today,” she said quietly, trying to apologize. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her.

“You were kind of busy, Baby” he told her seriously. She stayed quiet and watched him, not saying anything. She was just relieved that he was okay and hadn’t hurt himself in the ring tonight. “Do I need to come and take care of you? You don’t seem to be doing very well on your own,” he teased.

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. He watched her face and saw a tear slide down her cheek unnoticed by her. He reached up to touch it and wipe it away. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Carrie, I’m sure Kris is dying to come in. I’ve been here a long time; I know she’s worried about you too. I’m planning on stopping by tomorrow before I have to leave. You going to be okay until then,” he asked her. She nodded and watched him open the door and leave.

He was startled to find her brother on a chair outside the door. “Sorry, I didn’t see you,” he said since he almost walked into him. Wease waved his apology away. “You could’ve asked me to leave sooner. I had no idea it was so late.” He told her brother.

“Nah. It gave me time to call home and fill her in. Carla was worried too. Plus I made some others calls for her because I know she didn’t today,” Wease told the superstar honestly. John nodded his understanding.

“Kris hasn’t seen her yet, right? That’s not right. I need to let her know she can come in and be with her,” he said as he looked at the overhead signs, trying to remember which way to go.

Wease stood up with him and said, “Yeah, I’m sure she’s ready. I told her you were visiting and would be a while but I’m sure she’d ready by now. Dave probably had to sit on her,” he chuckled.

John looked at him sharply as he said, “That shit runs in the family, huh?”

“With those two it does,” Wease told him with a smirk. John was reminded of his baby’s sparkle seeing it in her brother.

Wease walked like he knew where he was going, so John followed him, hoping he’d be able to find it again in a few hours. Kris jumped up from Dave’s lap at the sight of them walking through the doors.

“Sorry I was so long. I lost track of the time. She’s sleeping, but she seems to be okay,” he told the beautiful blonde looking at him. She nodded and reached up to touch her face, using the same gesture her sister had. Dave looked at him, but stayed silent. Kris reached for her husband’s hand and they walked through the doors to see Carrie, finally.

John knew he needed to get back to his hotel but also had so many questions rolling around in his head, he thought he’d follow her brother as he sat back down in the waiting area. Wease looked up in surprise with a questioning look at the superstar.

“I won’t be able to go to sleep for a while, plus I have some questions. Do you mind if I ask you,” he asked the tired man sitting on the world’s most uncomfortable chairs ever made.

“Yeah, I thought you might. You can ask, some I’ll answer, but some you’re gonna have to get from her. She’d kill me if she knew I answered anything,” he grinned at the bigger man.

John decided to stand, he’d had enough of sitting in those uncomfortable chairs to last a lifetime. He thought for a moment at her brother’s comment, not wanting to step in some major shit with him. He knew that wouldn’t be a smart move.

“What’s wrong with her that she looks so frail? How’d she get so sick,” he asked Wease.

Her brother paused before he answered. He wanted to make sure he kept his word to his sisters. He did know about the yelling match between Mike and John. Kris and Dave had told him when he came out to talk to them earlier.

“Um, I know you know she’s been sick for a few weeks, right,” he asked the other man. John nodded. “She’s so damn stubborn. She wouldn’t go to the doctor, no matter what. She hates all of them and thinks they’re a bunch of quacks. No, before you ask me why, I’m not going to tell you. That, you’ll have to ask her,” he told John because he saw a question starting to form. John stayed quiet at that piece of news, but rubbed his chin as he thought about it. He felt that he needed a shave again. That’s what she must have been talking about, he realized. She made sense after all, he just missed it.

“Yeah, I’ve been nagging her to go, too. But she wouldn’t,” he told her brother.

“She finally did and found the reason for her sickness, but it didn’t stop it. She was still throwing up too often to be healthy. That’s what landed her ass in here, from my understanding. She got so dehydrated and weak that she passed out. She has never been robust, but add in the last few weeks and she was wiped out,” he told the other man.

Wease watched the other man and wanted to see if he would make the logical step, but it didn’t look like it. He knew he must be exhausted so he didn’t give him any shit about it. Besides, he knew how much bigger John was than him. He wasn’t that stupid, he laughed to himself.

“So, why couldn’t they stop the throwing up and not being able to keep down water, man? That’s pretty bad when even water makes you sick,” John asked the other man.

Wease looked directly at John as he said, “Kris told me that both you and Mike got some unexpected news tonight. That’s why she’s been throwing up,” he said quietly, waiting for the other’s reaction.

“What? She’s been sick because Mike and I yelled at each other? That doesn’t make any sense,” he said. He was staring off in to space, waiting for things to settle down in his brain. Once they finally did, he was almost speechless. He whipped his head around to Wease and said, “No! She’s sick because she’s pregnant? She’s that sick? I’ve heard of morning sickness, but she has it all the time. That doesn’t make any sense to me. Can’t they stop it?” he asked the other man. He was incredulous that his baby was so sick carrying his child.

“John, you know my sister. She doesn’t ever do anything half way. She must have thought morning sickness was lame or something, so she had to do it one better,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “The doctors said they can stop it, without harm, but she was still sick when I was in there last time. Not as bad as before, but she still…” Wease finished as he watched the bigger man plunk himself down onto one of the most uncomfortable chairs ever known to man.

“No, no,” John said quietly, shaking his head. It wasn’t worth it, he told himself. He wanted babies and wanted to have them with her, but not at this cost. No. Too high. How could he tell her that she was more important to him than her giving him babies. She never thought she was worth a shit so he knew she wouldn’t believe him about that either. It was too important to let go. He needed to try to get through to her. She was more important to him. Oh god, he didn’t know what to feel, other than exhausted. He finally pulled his brain back together enough to know he needed to get back to the hotel. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping much, but he had to try.

“Hey, thanks for telling me,” John said, sounding almost normal. “And I’m sorry we had to meet like this. I’ll be back in a few hours. I have to get some sleep or I won’t be worth a damn tomorrow and I have some appearances scheduled. Are you going to be here later,” he asked Wease as he stood up.

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here,” he said as he shook the other man’s hand and watched him walk out the doors. Wease had a lot to think about as he sat in the waiting room. He knew how Mike felt about her, but he had no idea about John. He thought they were just buddies, very good buddies, but still just buddies. No wonder she tried to deny her pregnancy. He smiled thinking what the next months would bring. She hated being told what to do and he was pretty sure she’d be surrounded by people doing exactly that. Trying to get her to slow down would be another challenge, he knew. He didn’t know where to start on that.

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