CHAPTER 11: We'll Be Fine…

Just minutes after he was sent to a private room, Shawn started to stir and soon opened his eyes to the delight of Rebecca. She released a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight has been lifted off of her.

She hugged Shawn suddenly, which somewhat surprised him. "Thank God you're awake! You scared me… how are you feeling now? Do you need anything? Does your body still hurt? What can I do for you?"

Returning the hug, soothing her back and letting out a small laugh, he replied: "Hey, I'm… I'm fine…"

After she broke away from the embrace, Rebecca replied: "Don't even dare to laugh… it's not funny! I was soooo scared that something bad had happened to you already. You assured me that you would be okay, and nothing would go wrong. Yet, you fell off the cell. And it's a 20-foot cell! And I was sitting there, front row! And by the way, Cam's been calling my cell and Cheyenne's been crying to death for forever because they're both as equally concerned. They're with John and Randy now… You don't have any idea how that fall looked… and the whole arena was even chanting…" At this time, she was again on the verge of breaking down.

"What? You mean… I… I actually fell off the cell? No wonder my body hurts like hell!"

"You mean you don't know! Oh god… oh well… that's no longer important. What matters is that you're okay now, are you?"

"Well, to be truthfully honest with you… I'm okay… except for my body… it hurts too much…"

"But how's your back!"

"That… that's doing good. So you have to worry about nothing. Just the usual stuff, nothing I'm not used to…"

"Oh yeah, gotta call the doctor before he discovers that you're awake and I didn't tell him…hang on a second…"

As Rebecca went out to call for the doctor, Shawn was left there thinking. First, he made sure he was able to thank the Lord Almighty for saving his life. Falling off the cell that high was no joke, and he would be ready to go, only if he didn't have responsibilities. But he had a family, and he has to be there for them, all the way. Another thought that came into his mind was how those very moments actually took place. He couldn't remember anything clearly, except for a super kick he was setting up on Shane, which was supposed to hit. But now, he's lying here in a hospital bed, feeling like he's the one who has been super kicked from the cell, straight to the floor. And what happened after? Was Paul left alone to work a three-on-one? He knew his friend was smart, but at times, he would be stubborn just to give the fans a hell of a time.

"Wait, wait. Okay, things are starting to become clearer… I was setting Shane up for a super kick… then… then… Paul pushed Shane away… then, I… I lost my footing… then… oh, shoot!" The events earlier on were starting to come back to Shawn, and now, things made a little more sense. But his friend sure owed him an explanation. "Why in the world did he push Shane out of the way? And if it was to save his ass, then why didn't he save mine? What the… and where is he? Isn't he supposed to 'pay up' even by just paying a small visit?" Truth be told, Shawn was slightly mad at Paul, and he would let his best friend know about it as soon as they get the chance to meet.

Rebecca came back with the doctor who did another check-up on Shawn, gave him a diagnosis and painkillers, and advised him to just get a lot of rest. There would be not much moving from the 41-year-old Texas native, meaning, no work tomorrow evening and the days after that, and the pain he was feeling was just "normal" from someone who has fallen off an area twenty-feet high. He assured both Shawn and Rebecca that everything was fine, and that they had nothing to worry about.

The doctor then excused himself to check-up on the other patients, and the couple was left to themselves.

Shawn decided that it would be a nice time for him to be filled with the answers to the questions he had in mind. "Uh… I just have a question, how did the match end? I mean I can't remember anything after I lost my balance and fell. So was it an ultimate one-man show by Paul? Or was it a horrendous three-on-one?"

"After Paul realized what had happened, he called for a choke slam, and he got one straight into the steel, and he got pinned."

"Oh! So I see he chose to be a little smart this time around. But just not that smart enough… do you have any idea why he pushed Shane out of the way? Don't get me wrong, I'm not wishing that it be Shane here lying in this bed… it's just that… you know…"

"Yes, I understand… well you see the thing is, I doubt anyone has talked to Paul yet about what had happened. He's been in a roller coaster the past few minutes or maybe hours, and with them not sure with what's going on with Steph, I doubt he's actually thinking about what had happened at this moment."

"Why, what's with Steph?" This seemed to be the question of the day.

"As far as I know, seconds after the match ended, she collapsed. And the last time I was with the McMahons, there was no word on her yet. But if my feeling serves me right, she's in her private room now. I'm just not aware of what's wrong with her."

Shawn sighed heavily. "This has been a weird day. You wouldn't believe how things have been today. What is with today, anyway? First, I don't get much sleep… then you start to act weirdly… and I tell Paul about it, only to find out that Steph's been that way to… then we get approached by Shane who's accusing Paul of having done something to Steph… then we find out that Rissa, too has been acting the same way as you and Steph… then we talked to Vince, then he tells us it's about tonight… then we talk to you girls… then Shane and I find out, then Paul doesn't cause Steph was insisting she was fine… then an accident happens, I fall off a cell… Steph collapses, and now we're both here in the hospital."

Before Rebecca even got the chance to react, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was a somewhat battered Shane, with Marissa.

"Hey man! How ya feeling?" It was obvious

"Well, for someone who has fallen off from 20 feet, I'm fine. I just can't believe how you're able to do this almost on a monthly basis when you're regular and be able to stand back up and walk. Dude, this is no joke! And I refer to myself as Superman. So what are you?"

With a slight sense of pride and arrogance, Shane replied: "Well… as you should know by now, it comes with the job…"

And simultaneously, Becca and Rissa muttered: "And pride…"

"We heard that!"

Then laughter filled the air. Well, at least the mood was lightened. And they proceeded to throw in jokes and comments to try and take their minds off things.

But Shawn just had to ask: "How's your sister?"

"Well, uhm…" Tightening his grip on Marissa's hand, as if asking for comfort, Shane continued: "She… she's in her room now, Paul and mom and dad are with her… waiting for her to wake up… she's been… she's been diagnosed with… with…" Tears started to form in his eyes. For the first time that night, it was only during this time that he had finally realized and took in what was going on with her only sister. Things have not registered in his head the whole time, which was caused by extreme shock and confusion. Seeing that Shane seemed to be unable to continue anymore, Rissa, for the second time of the night, was left with no choice but to be the bearer of the bad news.

"She's been diagnosed with… o-o-ovarian c-c-cancer… yesterday… and hasn't taken anything except coffee today, that's why she collapsed."

"Oh my… I'm sorry, bro…"

"I don't even understand why this is fuckin' happening! Why? Why to Steph? Why to my only sister? What, are we being punished for everything we supposedly did? Is this the consequence of firing a thousand people just because their services are no longer needed in the company? Is this what we get for presenting a form of entertainment that is deemed violent and senseless? Why her? Why can't it just be someone else? Maybe someone like me!" Finally, after keeping his cool for the past minutes, his emotions were let out. Yes, Shane was indeed questioning fate now. And he was not happy with how fate worked. He obviously did not like what was happening, and has not yet accepted matters completely. It would take time, as Shane loved his only sister so much.

In an almost inaudible voice, Marissa called out his name, in an attempt to stop him and calm him down. She was also confused, and at this time, was full of questions, too. For goodness' sake, that's her best friend they were talking about.

Shane stopped and just plopped down on the couch beside him. No, it was not because of Marissa, he just didn't have much energy to say something or do anything anymore. He just wanted to give up. Why was this happening?

---

Meanwhile…

Over at Steph's room, Paul was in there, waiting for her to finally wake up so they could talk. He was sure that of all the moments they were together, Steph needed him the most right now. She needed all his love, care, support and assurance, that he would be with her every step of the way. Each minute that passed seemed like an hour, and this was killing him inside. But he was fully aware that he had to be strong, for himself, for their families, for her.

Outside, Vince and Linda shared a conversation. They both decided that it be best for them to allow Paul to spend some alone, intimate moments with Steph. They may be her original family, but he was her family now. They understood that this was a very important yet hard time for Paul and their daughter, and they were surely there for back up and support.

"Why didn't you tell me? Us?" Vince just had to ask, even if somehow, he already knew the answer to that. He just felt it was a tad bit unfair that the three of them—Paul, him and Shane—were left out regarding the information. "So when were you planning to tell us then?"

"Steph didn't want you guys to know. She knew you'd freak out and be all over her every single minute. And by the looks of it, she's actually right. Look, I'm sorry, okay? I wanted you to know as soon as possible. It's just that Steph made me, made us, promise not to. And with her condition, I just had to give in…" Linda was on the verge of breaking down, already caused by the present situation with her only daughter, and now it seems that Vince was blaming her for not telling him about it…

Realizing what he had just done, Vince pulled Linda into a hug. "Lin… baby, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I know… I understand… I'm sorry…" Being the guy, Vince knew that he had to remain strong, even if he, himself already wanted to break down. He was supposed to be the source of strength for his wife, for his son, for his daughter. All his life, with all the trials he had faced in his life, he always drew strength from his family. They kept him going on, moving on… and as long as they believed, it was "screw you" to the world. Now, he was determined to be the strong one, to whom they would rely on, if they could no longer hang on.

Inside, Steph was still asleep as Paul took it as an opportunity to talk to her, and make her feel special, despite her condition. At this moment, like Shane, Paul couldn't understand why this was happening to them, especially to her! But he couldn't keep questioning… he can't keep waiting for the answer to come. He had to be tough.

Taking her soft hand into his, Paul, in a soft and gentle voice started: "Baby, I don't know why this is happening to us, especially to you. I don't know why this is going on… but what I know is that we can and will get through this. We will get past this storm, and are gonna emerge victorious. We're gonna tell that fuckin sickness to go take a hike. You, know… it's just a matter of two words… which I think you know all too well…" Then, he let out a small chuckle. And he continued: "Just remember, I'll be with you through all of this. You know that you're my heart and soul… I'll not leave you… don't ever doubt that. I love you so much to leave you… and Aurora and I are going to be with you. Baby, you have to be strong… for me, for Aurora, for yourself… for all of us. Keep fighting… I can't take it if something happens to you. I'll not be able to continue on with life. So come' on baby, just hang in there… keep holding on… keep fighting… you'll be fine… we'll all be fine. I love you so much." Then he kissed her hand.

Surprisingly enough, she squished his hand, signaling that she was already awake, and that she had heard every word he said. And in a weaker, softer voice, she replied: "I… love… you… too…"

Paul jumped up from his seat and went on to hug Stephanie tightly, like he never had before. "Oh my god, baby… I'm so glad you're finally awake! You scared me… oh my god…" Excitement was indeed clear in his voice.

Laughing at him, she teased: "It is that obvious…" He may be the conniving, evil, manipulative Triple H, but behind the camera he was just a regular guy, who happens to be a kid at heart. He knew when to goof and play around, and there were days that he's just to hyper and jumpy. It was showing now… you can bet he was extremely, extremely happy.

Turning to serious mode, Steph continued: "I'm sorry I scared you… and for not telling you in advance. I was just… I just didn't want you… I… I… maybe I was just scared about what you might think, and how you would react… and how you would consider me after finding out… and that you… you might… l-l-lea…" At this time, she was now in tears.

Sitting beside her on the bed, Paul took her into his arms, and comforted her in the best possible way. Wiping the tears that had already fallen from her eyes, he said: "Hey… it's okay… I understand. But next time, please… if there's something going on with you… I want you to tell me okay? So you won't be carrying the load alone. That's what I'm here for. As your husband, it is my duty to make sure you're okay and to share in whatever it is that's in your life… it's "for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part", remember? I recited those vows to you three years ago, and am planning to keep that vow even after I die. So, don't keep such things from me anymore okay… 'cause you're scaring me too much that it might kill me!" Obviously, as always, he was just joking with the last part. "And… don't ever… and I mean ever even entertain the thought that I'll leave you. I've accepted everything about you, and will continue to accept everything that you will still become. As I told you… I just love you too much." Then he kissed the side of her head.

"I promise. I promise to not keep important things from you anymore—that is unless Rissa and I find a new guy to drool over… and to never even think about you leaving me. I'm just that lucky, ain't I?" She was all smiles now, realizing how fortunate she was to have such a man who promised to love her in spite and despite of everything, and who truly loved her for who she really is.

"You can bet your ass that you are!" The two shared a laugh, then eventually, a sweet and meaningful kiss.

After they parted, Paul felt it was time for the rest of her family to see her already. He felt that he had been keeping them with information for too long now.

"Hey! Uhm… by the way… your family's here… as in all of them… well except the 2 little giddy boys… and I think they deserve to know that you're already awake, and I think that they, too have a right to see you… so, as much as I hate to end this special, intimate moment with you… I think I have to. Let's entertain some guests shall we?"

"Okay… don't worry… I doubt they'll be allowed to stay here for the night. So after they leave, it's just gonna be you and me."

"Kicking the family out aren't we? Nice to know you love them too much…" He teased.

"Send them in already!" And with all the strength she had, she threw a pillow at him.

"Ahh… so you wanna play huh? We'll play. After you get well, we'll definitely be playing…" He said playfully.

"Go get them already!"

"Fine, fine, fine."

After being called, Vince and Linda were now in the room, and as one could guess, were as ecstatic as Paul was. Even if their only daughter was sick, what was important to them now was that at present, she was awake and fine.

---

Back in Shawn's room, after hearing about Steph, Shawn's "anger" on Paul all faded. How could he remain mad at a person whose wife happens to be suffering from ovarian cancer, and could probably no longer have kids? He was grateful that his wife was okay, and was healthy. And pitied Steph too much. She has been like a little sister to her over the years, and if an outsider who doesn't know them would look at how they interact with each other, he would think that something's going on between the two. They were that close and that was how much he cared for Steph. Also, he felt bad for his best friend. He knew how much Paul wanted to have kids… a lot of kids. And how about that Paul Jr., to whom he would serve as a godfather to? Paul promised him that, and he had to keep that promise!

"Uh… I'm… I'm going down. I'm seeing Steph."

The other three who were with him chorused: "What!" It was obvious they were shocked. Who wouldn't be?

"Look, the girl's sick… really sick. And… I think my best friend needs me at a time like this. So just please… help me up so I could go down visit the person I consider my little sister… excuse me, bro… but I think you know that I treat her as my sister."

Shane replied: "Yes, Shawn… I know… I know how much you care for Stephie. But you can't leave. You have to stay here and rest. You, yourself are not physically well… so you know… you have to remain in that bed, in this room and rest."

But after seeing that Shawn seemed to not take in anything he said and was determined to go see Steph, Shane continued: "You really that serious?"

"You can bet your ass I am…"

Looking at the two females in the room, Shane finally agreed. "Fine… we'll help you down. But if someone gets mad and sees us and sends us out of this hospital, it's all your fault… and I'll kill ya!"

"Shane!" Rebecca and Marissa said simultaneously. It was obvious they were against that idea.

"What?" Acting innocent, Shane continued: "If I'm the one lying there and my sister is sick somewhere, I'll fight till the end for me to leave and to go see her… and honestly, you, my dearest wife, could not really do anything about it, but to eventually give in. I mean, I can't blame him…"

Pouting like a baby and smiling inside, Shawn kept nodding. Now, both guys were pouting and pleading with their respective wives to go along with their plan already. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease…" They were really 2 of the cutest men above the age of 35 that has graced God's green earth.

Trying hard not to laugh, and with the kind of cute, puppy dog eyes their husbands had, Becca and Rissa finally agreed to it already.

So off they went to put into action their plan, hoping they would not get caught.

---

Over at Steph's room it was a family affair. The four shared a chat, talked about life, and anything under the sun. They had one goal: to lighten up the mood and not succumb into that deadly "C" word. They could and would get past that.

Then a knock came that temporarily stopped their conversation. After given permission to enter, Marissa came in first, and then was followed by Shane. They closed the door to keep Shawn a secret for the meantime.

"Hey baby sister! How ya feeling?"

"Glad to see you two have finally decided to see me… I'm okay… feeling better, thank you…"

"Uh… someone came down and said he wants to see you too…"

Once again opening the door, they saw Shawn, with Rebecca by his side, enter. He was in crutches.

"Shawn!" All four chorused at the same time.

Then Paul asked: "What are you doing here?"

Smiling and laughing inside because of the extreme shock he caused to the McMahons Shawn joked: "You didn't drop by to see me… so I thought I'd come down and see my best friend." The looks on their faces were just priceless.

"Are you insane? You should be in bed resting! And… how in the hell did you get here without getting caught! If someone goes to check on you in your room and you're not there, you're gonna be dead!" Shawn was stubborn at times, and Paul was always there to reprimand him for that. Even if Shawn was four years older, most of the time, it seemed like Paul was the older one, cause he was more mature.

"I just came to see my sister okay? Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Yes, if you should be in bed resting and storing up as much energy as possible…"

Even if Steph was thinking the same way as Paul was, she still saw Shawn's point. "Aww… thanks Shawnie… that's so sweet of you. So how are you? For a man who fell of 20-feet from a cage, you don't look that bad."

"You don't look bad yourself… still the same old… my pretty little sister…" And Shawn comfortably took a seat next to Paul, which earned him a soft slap in the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Shawn said while rubbing his head.

"For being an ass and very stubborn."

"Well I guess I have to slap you too." And he did.

Steph had enough of their immaturity. Boy, did she love their being kids at heart. "Okay kids… stop it! You act worse than Declan and Kenyon."

Laughter filled the room once more, as more talks, jokes and slaps were shared inside.