AUTHOR'S NOTE - Evan has and always will be Matt Sydal to me, so for the sake of the story, he never had to change his name after going into WWE.
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing. No harm, no foul.
By the time he was in a full state of consciousness, he was in a hospital bed with his right leg up and a cast wrapped around it. Most of it was a blur until that point, but even that was a little hazy at best.
Matt was no fool. Two months off for another dirty drug test and an eligible return date only a week and a half before Mania? He knew it was to become closer to a three month hiatus. And it was. Just before he was set to return he had contacted the appropriate persons to determine if he was to appear at the upcoming Raw taping, coinciding with his 28th birthday. He was told his services wouldn't be needed that week but that they would be in contact. It stung almost as much as hearing we wish you well...
Hearing that, though, Matt decided to go all out. It was his birthday and would probably be his last hurrah for a while as he'd hopefully be back on the road, without time to do all of the things he could only do with time off.
His brother had come down to Tampa for the weekend, and the two of them plus a few of Matt's friends rented a cabin along the coast, since let's face it; it was always nice in Florida. Camping out, fishing, grilling, drinking beers, and something he always wanted to do: Ride dirt bikes. It was a great end to a somewhat forced vacation. Probably the only real vacation Matt had ever taken in his life. All he knew was wrestling. Wrestling, wrestling, staying fit and hitting the gym, running every morning, eating right, and more wrestling. Even with his injuries, he was always doing to something wrestling and fitness related. This time was no different. He started the weekend with the boys by making one or all go running or hiking in the mornings. Sunday was no different.
A one mile jog around the campsite and areas they had scouted out the first day, grilling a hearty breakfast near the ocean on the patio of the cabin, and all around chilling out, relaxing and enjoying all the fresh air. About early afternoon, after a nap for some, it was time to go biking. Matt was still relatively new to riding motorcycles, but after a few test drives at home, he seemed to get the hang of it. At least enough to hang with the guys this weekend.
It shouldn't have happened; the guys had called out a jump in the trail, a warning to be careful. Matt, having been able to make that same jump the day before, or at least one similar to it, went for it just as everyone else, the only difference was he underestimated the length of it and didn't clear it. His buddy, more experienced on a bike, and currently on a quad for this trip was behind him and watched Matt miss the jump.
After that it all went black. Matt didn't remember passing out from the impact, nor did he remember getting back to the cabin and pounding back a bottle of jack to dull the pain.
Had they been drinking? Matt wasn't, two out of five, yes. Smoking, three out of five, and again, Matt wasn't one of them. It was nothing more than a mistake, they all knew, but still such questions needed to be asked.
Needless to say, the vacation was cut short and they all packed up and headed home, Matt passed out in the backseat with his leg up and a bottle in his hands, tightly against his chest. The smart thing perhaps would have been to call an ambulance up there, but when they picked the bike off of him and he finally came to, he was alert enough to get up and say that he was sure his foot was broken.
By the night's end, Matt couldn't tell if he was coming or going. He awoke the following morning with a mini birthday cake in front of him and a message from his buddies on the trip, delivered via his brother, Mikey.
"Happy birthday, you gimpy motherfucker."
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A week later he was able to go home. By that time his brother was due back in Kansas City, leaving Matt on his own in his house. His best friend Roddy, short for Roderick, brought him home from the hospital and helped him get settled in for the night, promising to check up on him in the morning.
"You sure you don't need me to crash over tonight? I'm pretty sure Ash can survive a night without me." Roddy said, looking down at his friend, laid out on the couch with everything he could possibly need only inches away.
"Go home to your wife, dude. I can hobble to the kitchen if I get hungry, and I've got a bottle in case I gotta piss." Matt joked. Truthfully, he'd be glad for the company, but he needed to learn how to manage on his own and be independent.
"Are you sure, you're sure?"
"Yeah, hit me up in the morning."
"You got it, broski." Roddy smirked, holding his hand out, which Matt immediately accepted and they half bro hugged. Matt watched him walk away and then returned his attentions back to the tv, barely paying attention, as Roddy left and locked up behind him, being the only person to have a set of keys to the house.
It was a long night, but the meds took effect and Matt was soon out for the night, curled up on the couch as much as one could, with his two cats, Skiba and Gabel lying on the back of the couch, respectively.
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Roddy had brought him breakfast, coming by after his early morning session at the gym. "Morning duder," he said, plopping down onto the love seat and setting a bag of takeout on the coffee table.
Matt slowly stirred on the couch, rubbing his eyes as he lifted his head up and saw his friend beside him. "What time is it?" he asked, pushing himself into an upright position.
"Like 10?" Roddy replied with a shrug, "I dunno, I've been up since six. Gave the woman some lovin before she headed to work, then I went to the gym, now I'm here."
"I never want to become a newlywed, gross."
"You're just jealous."
Matt laughed, "You're right, I am." Matt paused, "jealous that I never got to tap that first."
"What?" Roddy asked, glancing over at Matt with an odd stare.
"Nothing!"
"Bullshit. Remember when we were in Japan? We tried to get these two broads to come back to the hotel with us?"
"Um..." Matt glanced over at his friend.
"That's right; we do not speak of it because you and I ended up sucking each other's cocks and then boning when we got back from training."
"You know, I spent that trip heavily medicated."
"And I spent it drunk, but that's beside the point."
After a long pause Matt simply looked up at Roddy with a grin plastered across his face. "Asshole."
"I love you too. Now let's eat."
They chowed down on biscuits and gravy, Roddy using Matt's injury as an excuse to break diet, while Matt didn't care as long as it tasted good with pain meds.
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"So three pins in your foot?" Roddy asked, putting the finishing touches on an early afternoon joint.
"Three pins, four breaks, five dislocations, and a couple surgeries to repair." Matt shook his head and sighed, blaming himself for being so careless. It was easy to play the blame game in a situation like this, but it was nothing more than an accident. Accidents happen. The important thing was that he was still alive. Though it still didn't stop him from thinking that his career was over. That WWE would fire him for two dirty tests and getting injured twice within a year and a half. It weighed heavy on his mind but it was something he wanted to neither think nor talk about.
"And let's not forget a bone infection." Matt added, grabbing a lighter off of the table and lit the joint handed to him, taking the first rip before passing it off to his best friend. He knew better than to be doing this, having been fined and suspended for it twice, but sometimes, he needed to let go. His foot was a wreck, was pretty sure he had suffered a concussion as well, and over all, Matt's spirit was broken. If he couldn't chase the pain with his go to guy, Jack Daniels, he was going to smoke a little dank once in a while.
"Oi." Roddy quietly replied. "They giving you antibiotics for the infection?" He asked leaning over the table to grab the joint from him as well.
"An IV injection once a week." Matt chuckled. "I have to go back in Monday so they can put a line in. I'm beginning to think I went all out this time."
"No kidding, dude." Roddy sat there a bit shocked. He was aware that his friend had a serious injury but he didn't realize how bad it was until now.
"Yeah, and then in like eight weeks, another surgery to take the pins out." Matt paused, "hopefully. If it's healed correctly."
"But you'll be able to walk, talk, and chew bubblegum again, right?" Roddy passed the smoke back.
Matt simply shrugged, taking another rip. "That's all I know." he finally replied after a moment. "The doctors told me it was career threatening but with proper treatments and healing time, I'll be good as new." Matt paused again. "I mean, can you really see me sitting behind a desk as an alternative? Getting a business degree was a joke."
"Get your trainer's license," Roddy started. "If it wasn't for you and Viggy, I would've never cut down like I did."
Matt chuckled, leaning over towards the love seat, putting a little extra pressure on his foot just so that he could tap Roddy's stomach. "Abs of steel, right?" he joked, noticing that his friend was gaining weight again.
"Hey now, married life will do that to ya."
"Note to self, never get married." Matt laughed, "Domestic bliss just ain't my thing."
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They finished smoking, watching the highlights on sports center, and Matt had even gotten up to use the bathroom on his own. As he sat back down, he grabbed his phone, knowing that he must have a few texts and a missed call or two from his mom since he'd gotten home. No missed calls, but about a dozen texts and a couple Facebook notifications.
Nothing to out of the ordinary, a couple buddies wanting to know what happened, sending him get well wishes and such, but what surprised him the most was a Facebook message from a friend he hadn't spoken to in a while. A friend that he knew was living in the area but could never find the time to reach out and say hey and congratulate him. It always slipped Matt's mind, and seemed to do the same on the other's as well.
"Why the face, brosquito?" Roddy asked, checking out Matt's puzzled expression.
"Nothing... Surprised, is all." Matt shrugged a shoulder, tapping the reply button, attempting to form a response.
"Lemme see," Roddy declared, plopping down on the couch beside Matt, leaning against his shoulder and reading the screen.
"Heard about the foot, sorry man, I bet that's gotta be killin you. Hate askin, but the place I was renting in the hood just got foreclosed on, got a couch I can crash on for a week til I get a new place?" Roddy read aloud. "Huh, isn't our neck of the woods a little out of the way from Orlando"
"He's in Largo." Matt sat back on the couch, setting his phone in his lap.
"You talked to him recently?"
"No."
"Then how'd you hear?"
"Facebook told me."
Roddy rolled his eyes and stood up. "You are unbelievable."
"What'd I do?" Matt glared up at his friend.
"Can we say, unrequited crush?"
"I do not!" Matt argued, but it didn't last long, it soon being out of his hands, as Roddy grabbed his phone and replied for him. "Do you one better, got an extra bedroom since Strong moved out. Nurse my gimpy Jew ass back to health and it's yours. SEND." Roddy nodded in triumph, setting Matt's phone down on the coffee table. "Oh don't look at me like that; I just did your ass a favor."
"You're right, you did." Matt sighed, sitting up and grabbing the appropriate materials to roll another smoke. "You just asked Austin Aries to be my new roommate."