"After you give me the big drop-kick, I'll act like I'm knocked out until the ref gets to the two count;" Chris Benoit was explaining to fellow wrestler Chris Jericho as they drove along the winding mountain road.
"Then you lock in the cross-face and we'll end it there," Jericho suggested.
"Exac-" Benoit began to say but became frozen in disbelief as he glimpsed out the windshield; "LOOK OUT CHRIS! THAT CAR IS OUT OF CONTROL!"
Jericho swerved off into the roadside ditch just in time to avoid collision with the small sedan that was careening down the mountainside. The two wrestlers turned around in their seats just in time to see the tail lights of the wayward vehicle vanish over the edge of the steep embankment. Helpless they watched as the car barreled down the steep grade and rolled several times before coming to a rest on it's roof at the bottom of the slope.
"Come on Chris," Jericho shouted; "We've got to try and help them."
Benoit grabbed his cell phone and dialed quickly to request an ambulance while Jericho vaulted the remains of the guardrail. Hurriedly he worked a path down to the vehicle as another car joined Benoit up on the roadway.
"What's going on?" Fellow wrestler Matt Hardy asked getting out of his vehicle.
"Matt get down here!" Jericho called back; "This car went over the edge and someone's trapped inside."
Matt was quick to oblige and was followed by his carpool companion Gregory "Shane" Helms.
Reaching the side of the vehicle, Chris stooped and peered inside. There was a brunette haired woman hanging upside down inside and she seemed to be unconscious. Chris reached for the belt's latch and found it to be regrettably jammed tight.
"Matt?" Chris called over his shoulder; " Do you got that knife you always carry? The seat belt is stuck."
"Careful Chris," Shane advised. "Let me help you steady her. If she has a neck injury we want to immobilize her as best we can."
"Uh guys," Matt looked at the small flames licking up from the engine compartment as he handed over his pocketknife; "Whatever we're doing we'd better do it fast."
Benoit finally was making his way down at this point as the ambulance could be heard coming up the road at long last. "IT'S GOING TO BLOW! HURRY!"
Chris and Shane worked together to steady the young woman's body as Matt worked to cut her free. The flames had spread backward along the center of the car's underbelly and were nearing the gas tank. Frantically the last fiber came free and the three men maneuvered the lady out of the car. Hurrying as fast as they could they got about twenty feet from the car when they heard the sickening hiss as the flames ignited the gas. There was a loud KABOOM and then the four wrestlers found themselves knocked flat from the concussion of the exploding vehicle. Miraculously, no one seemed to be hurt and they quickly recovered as the ambulance pulled up on the roadway above them. The paramedics took over at that point and the men made their way back up to their vehicles. Stunned but glad that they were able to help.
Reaching the side of the rental vehicle, Chris Benoit discovered that they'd blown two tires when they pulled into the ditch. "Dang, both passenger side tires are gone."
"Well just hop in with us then," Matt suggested; "We can send the rental agency back to tow it after we get to the arena."
"All right," Benoit nodded.
Meanwhile Jericho was already opening the trunk of their downed vehicle in preparation to transfer their gear. All of the sudden, his vision began to haze over and his head began to swim.
"Chris, you okay?" Shane asked noticing that he was rather pale.
Just then, Jericho fell face down and hard onto the gravel and was out cold.
Shane rushed over and felt for signs of life and a reason for the sudden change, "He's alive but he must have taken a blow from something when the car blew there's something here in the base of his neck."
A shred of metal about a quarter of an inch could be seen sticking out of the very base of the wrestler's neck.
"Don't pull on it!" Cautioned Matt. "I saw on a medical program that sometimes moving stuff can do more damage."
Benoit meanwhile was dialing for another ambulance. They didn't have to wait long for a second ambulance had responded to his first call and was still nearby. It was decided that Benoit would ride to the hospital while Matt would call Vince MacMahon (their boss) and would fill him in on what had happened.
12 hours later, about 8 am the following morning…
"Where am I?" The mystery woman asked as she blinked against the harsh glare of the hospital lighting.
"You've had an accident, Miss;" Said a gentle older woman's voice; "But you're safe now, thanks to the quick thinking of some gentlemen who saw what happened. Do you know your name?"
"It's…oh…my," The mystery woman gasped as she realized she had no idea.
"It's okay Miss," The older woman chided; "You've had some serious trauma; it'll come to you in time I'm sure. They brought you in without any identification, but I'm sure you'll remember. Meanwhile, you just rest now."
"Thanks Miss," Muttered the mystery woman doubtfully.
"It's Amelia," Informed the woman; "I'm your nurse for this shift; if you need anything you just press this button here okay?"
"Thanks Amelia," The mystery lady nodded sadly wishing she knew what was going on.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the hall, Chris Jericho was waking up from his own state of unconsciousness. He opened his eyes expecting to see the face of his friend and colleague Chris Benoit. Blackness greeted his vision as he came to the sick realization that his eyes were open but he couldn't see anything.
"I'm Blind?" Jericho questioned as if daring to speak louder would ensure the dream was true.
"Yes Mr. Jericho," A medium timbre male voice informed him; "I'm your doctor, Jeremiah Logan. I feared this would be the case. But I mus—"
"I'M BLIND?" Jericho repeated loudly as he began to panic.
"Shh! Chris listen to the doc," Advised a familiar voice belonging to his friend Benoit.
"What is going on?" Jericho demanded.
"The blindness is a result of the swelling in your brain; it should be temporary," The doctor explained. "When your brain returns to normal, your sight will return."
"When will that be?" Jericho questioned wishing he could wake up from this nightmare.
"It's different in every case," The doctor continued; "When the vehicle exploded, a piece of the wreckage struck you much like shrapnel and became lodged quite deep in your skull. You are a very fortunate young man, Mr. Jericho. If it had hit even a half an inch in any other direction you could have been permanently paralyzed possibly even killed on impact. As it is the swelling is going to probably get worse before it gets better, you may experience periods of paralysis before it is over. But like the blindness in all eventuality it will go away."
"How long doc?" Jericho repeated his question realizing the doctor had yet to give him an answer.
"Could be a few months, or even up to a year," The doctor replied grimly.
The reality of it hit him like a sledgehammer blow to the stomach. "My career is finished," Chris sighed in disbelief.
"Not so fast Chris," Benoit stopped him; "We don't know that for sure, give it time; right doc?"
The doctor put his personal reservations on the career choice aside and admitted, "Yes, in time you can go back to work; but not until the swelling has completely stopped. For now, you are going to have to take some time off. I'll be setting you up for some therapy and training for the things you'll need to know to get through this period. Someone will be in to start with you after lunchtime. Goodbye Mr. Jericho, now if you'll excuse me." Dr. Logan stepped to the doorway and left the two Chris's alone.
"Does Vince know?" Jericho asked.
"Yeah," Benoit replied; "He's on his way in now."
"Did the lady make it?" Jericho asked then.
"Yeah, from what I could get out of them, she's going to be all right;" Benoit informed him. "They were having trouble locating family but I'm sure when she wakes up she'll help out there."
"Was she pretty Benoit?"
Benoit chuckled before responding, "Yeah man, like an angel."