And before I knew it, it was morning.

Michelle had come, like the doctor said, and was baring the gift of clean clothes.

I changed in the bathroom, slower than I wound normally.

All my clothes screamed obnoxious, Batman symbols and massive rips.

But I didn't feel it today.

I felt nervous.

Scared.

I looked up at my face in the mirror.

My skin was pale.

Paler than usual.

I took in a deep breath, and looked down at the remaining clothes.

Gray sweatshirt and leather jacket.

Michelle swore, she washed them both.

I was kind of bummed.

Sure, I didn't want to wear a sweatshirt that smelled like puke, but for a little bit, it smelled like Punk.

I pulled it on slowly, then my jacket.

In another breath, I was back in the hospital room with a waiting Michelle.

After signing some papers, we were in the truck and was driving back to the ranch house.

"Why didn't Pops come with you?" I asked in the silent cab.

It'd been eating at me for days.

Why wouldn't the man I'd looked up to my entire life, come a visit me in the hospital?

Michelle sighed.

"You know him.."

Yeah.

I did.

And he wasn't one to run away from a problem.

"He just didn't want to see you like that. He sees you as a daughter, you know. And I guess seeing you in the hospital was too much." she turned to me with a smile.

"But what do I know, he's a guy. So obviously that means I have to guess at what he's feeling half the time."

I chuckled lightly.

It was true.

With him, it was anyone's guess as to what he was thinking.

Within ten minutes we were home.

And Michelle was insisting that I eat something.

Though this time it'd be light and not full of grease.

After a few minutes of the unrelenting pressure, I agreed to some cereal.

"Don't fill up on junk. We're going running in an hour."

That was the first thing Taker had said to me in days.

And even though I didn't want to go run ten miles, I couldn't have been more excited.

He was the kind of guy to pick things up where they left off.

And right then, that was exactly what I needed.

To forget that a week ago I'd almost died and spent the remaining time until now in a hospital bed writhing in pain.

I finished up the bowl, and changed into my running gear.

And thus we reengaged in the painful routine from the week prior.

The burn in my muscles felt almost nice.

To be outside, and actually moving, felt even better.

Taker and I had ran up a Texan ridge and through some light woodland, mixing it up a bit.

We couldn't have been more than half done, when we stopped in a clearing.

It had to have been at least four mile.

I stopped and sipped at the water bottle I kept clutched in my hand.

Taker was sitting on a fallen log, sipping at his own bottle.

I sat next to him, and all I could think about was how little I'd seen him, and how much I actually needed him, this past week.

"Do you really think I looked that bad?"

His head turned to me, but I kept a steady gaze with the ground.

"When I was in the hospital?"

He sighed, and reluctantly answered.

"I know that I never want to see you like that again. Yeah, it was hard to watch you almost die. I've spent the last twenty years knowing a happy, pain in the ass, Eli. The person in the hospital wasn't you." he paused.

"Plus, I knew that I wouldn't be any use there. So I spent some time coming up with a new exercise routine and food menu for you." he smirked.

His idea of food was fucking kale.

I hate kale.

I groaned.

Then a new worry popped in my head.

"What if it's too hard, getting it all back?" my voice was just higher than a whisper.

Without hesitation, he replied.

"Anything that's worth having, doesn't come easy. You have to fight for it." he was right.

Everything I had in life, I had to earn it.

I had to fight for it.

Literally.

The only reason why I was in the WWE and not a bum on the street was because I fought to be the best.

I had to survive.

"And that's the only thing you know how to do right."

I could hear him repress laughter at that last bit.

I looked up, seeing it on his face.

I laughed.

"I don't know if I should be thanking you, or insulted."

He laughed too, and stood.

"You can thank me when you're back in the game. Come on."

Then he took off running back down the hill we'd just gotten up from.

I followed, knowing that the next three weeks were going to be hell.

But they'd be worth it.

Later that night, Taker took me back to the meeting center per my request.

I'd gotten there early enough to start having second thoughts on what to do.

I stalked into the bathroom for a good old fashioned pep talk, Eli style.

I splashed some water on my face, and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Alright Eli," I started, leaning my hands on the porcelain sink.

"You're going to go out there. And tell them everything. Everything." I emphasized, for no good reason.

As is stared at myself, I started to feel awkward.

I was a grown woman, talking to myself in a public bathroom.

How was that not awkward?

I looked down, glancing at my neck.

The words from my mentor rang in my head.

I had to fight for it.

Everything in my way would get a fist in the face.

I let my fingers trace around the black ink butterfly.

Remembering the spur of the moment twin it had.

At that point, there was no doubt in my mind.

I didn't care if it was hard.

I was going to finish what I started.

I was going to get sober and stay that way.

Get my career back.

And get my guy back.

No matter what.

"And you're going to like it, dammit." I muttered, slapping my cheek, and leaving for the meeting.

"Eli, it's great to see you! We missed you." the woman I'd learned to be Debbie last week, came up to me as I exited the bathroom.

"But hey, you came back! That's the hardest part. You're all set to listen again tonight. Remember, there's no judgment here. We've all been through it."

"Actually, Debbie. I was thinking about saying something today, if that's alright."

Her sweet face turned shocked.

"Don't get me wrong, that's more than alright. But what changed your mind?"

I let my lips curve into a little smirk.

"I'm sick of losing the things I love."

She shot me a big smile, put her arm around me, and walked with me into the chair circle.

We sat and waited for everyone to sit with us.

Five minutes later, the meeting was being convened.

"Eli, would you like to start us off?" she asked.

My pulse kicked up, enough to call it an adrenaline rush.

I nodded and started.

"Hi everyone, I'm Eli." I stated, giving them a small wave.

They greeted me back.

"And as of recently, I realized I'm a alcoholic."

And just then, I was a baby step closer to my goal.

Another second, I was starting down the ten year long path that was my alcoholism.