The entire Korklan family surrounded the bedside of their son and brother as they waited anxiously for the doctor to arrive. As usual, Bryn and Harper were nearby and after six long weeks, it was time for a moment of truth.

"You okay, sweetie?" his mother asked, stroking his hair.

Wearing the soft collar, Matt frowned and turned, as much as his severely injured neck would let him.

"I'm fine, Mom," he mumbled.

There was a nervous and uneasy few minutes of silence until Dr. Davis, the specialist who had been treating Matt since the surgery, knocked on the door.

"How is everyone?" he politely nodded, as he had become well acquainted with the entire group over the month and half since Matt's operation.

The small group forced smiles and polite greetings.

"Eager to get the news, Doc," Mr. Korklan anxiously spoke on behalf of everybody.

"Well, I won't keep you. As we all know, Matt, you suffered a broken neck as a result of your fall. The surgery was a success and we have been able to achieve our goal of preventing increased pressure and damage to the spinal cord and nerves surrounding it. Along with the fusion and immobilization over the last six weeks, we have been able to promote the healing process. Matt, you have come a long way and the X rays look phenomenal. There is still impaiment and limited senation in some of the extremeties and that it to be expected."

"Will it ever go away?" Mike asked.

"That remains to be seen but with time and rehab, we are hopeful."

"What happens now?" Mrs. Korklan asked.

"Well, Matt, we hope to release you in the next week or so. After that, you must begin a vigorous round of intense physiotherapy as well as occupational therapy," Dr. Davis explained. "I would like to refer you to a colleague of mine in Charlottesville. He is one of the best physiotherapists in the country."

"Is he really that good?" Bryn questioned. "He has experience with these sorts of injuries?"

"Over 12 years."

"And how long does the rehab phase take?" Mr. Korklan asked.

"That depends," Dr. Davis said. "Could be months, could be years. I really don't want to put a time limit on it. It will take a lot of time and patience and effort to totally restore range of movement and neck muscle strength."

Matt cleared his throat.

"This guy, this doctor…can he help me wrestle again?"

Everyone in the room held their collective breaths. They knew it was the question burning on Matt's mind. He'd had two great loves…professional wrestling and Chloe Duncan. The latter had been lost, taking off without a glance or thought backwards. If Matt didn't have his career to fall back on, his loved ones feared the worst.

"Your career, though extremely rewarding, is very dangerous. You take a lot of risks and your fall was the result of one of those risks. The physicality, the bumps, your aerial style all put you at risk for similar falls, similar injuries. Matt, you were lucky, damned lucky this time but one more fall, one more mistake, one more simple bump gone wrong and that could be it. We're talking quadriplegia or even death. I highly recommend that you do not wrestle again and my colleagues concur. It's just too risky, I'm sorry. But I have sent your records to Charlottlesville and…"

"I'm not going," Matt said.

"What?" Mike asked.

"Oh honey," Mrs. Korklan looked at her son. "You heard Dr. Davis. This man is one of the best…"

"I don't care," he said quietly but defiantly. "I won't go. Live in Charlottesville for God knows how long? And for what? To be told I can never have my career back? That's bullshit."

"Matt…"

"I don't care what any you say. This is my life and my decision. I'm not going to Charlottesville and that's the end of it."

Everyone in the room exchanged uneasy glances.

"What are the alternatives?" Mr. Korklan finally asked.

"Well, physiotherapy is a must. Rehabbing the neck is the only proper treatment. There are other physiotherapists of course. Just let me know where you intend to go, Matt, and my office will make a referral right away."

"Could you please get us a list of qualified professionals in St. Louis?" Mrs. Korklan asked.

"Of course. I…"

"No," Matt spoke again.

"What are you doing?" Mike turned to him.

"I'm not going back to St. Louis."

"But St. Louis is your home," his mother began to protest.

"St. Louis is not my home, not anymore. I live in Tampa and that's where I'm going."

"Son, I know that's what you want but let's be reasonable about this," Mr. Korklan began. "You have a support system in Missouri. Your mother and I can take care of you, help you. In Florida you would be all alone. Do you think that's wise in your present condition?"

Matt smirked.

"My present condition, huh? That's what he call it? Whatever. Look, this is not up for discussion. I'll make do but I am not going back to St. Louis to have you and Mom hover and make me feel like more of an invalid than I already do."

"Matt, we understand how you must feel but now is not the time to be stubborn."

"You understand how I feel?" Matt repeated. "I don't think so. You guys think you know, but that's a bunch of bullshit. You have no idea."

"Matt…"

"It's okay," Harper, who had been absolutely quiet up until that point stood.

"Harper, it is not okay," Mrs. Korklan admonished, tears stinging her eyes. "Don't encourage him."

"If he wants to go back to Florida, then he should," Harper stood up for her friend. "It is his decision."

"Alone?" Mike asked.

Harper shook her head.

"He won't be alone. I…I'll go with him. I can move back in, stay with him and help out until he gets comfortable in rehab and is back on his feet."

Harper and Matt's eyes met.

"You don't have to do that," he muttered.

"I know but I want to. I don't have a job yet and you could use the help and it'll only be for a little while. Besides, I really like Tampa, it's sort of a win win."

He knew her well and knew what she was trying to do. As stubborn as he was being and as exasperated as he was with the situation, he really didn't have much of a choice.

"Do whatever you want," Matt looked away. "I'm going back to Tampa."

"Very well," Dr. Davis conceded. "I'll have my nurse get right on that referral and have some info for you in a few days. Any other questions?"

There were a murmur of no's. The family thanked the doctor and then he was on his way. Matt was in a bad mood, becoming angrier and more somber by the day it seemed. After a few minutes, everyone began to quietly disperse and let him have his privacy. Harper was the last one to leave. She had waited for Matt to say something, anything but he had been quiet so she had followed suit with the others and let him be. Sighing, she closed the door and took a seat in the nearby waiting room. Burying her face in her hands, she jumped when moments later she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. Looking up, her worried and tired face relaxed a little when she saw Cody's face. Cody Runnels had proved to be good friend, loyal, caring and suppotive. Though it was rare, when his busy schedule permitted it, he was on a plane to Virginia to look in on his fallen friend and co-worker and offer Harper some much needed supoort.

"After nine hours of drivng and two flights from hell, you're certainly the prettiest thing I've seen in a long time," he flashed that million watt smile.

"Then I feel sorry for you," she joked back. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much. You?"

"I'm okay."

"How's Matt?"

Harper sighed.

"They're releasing him next week."

"That's good."

"His doctor wanted him to go to Charlottlesville to a specialist for rehab but he um, refused. Then he also refused to go back to St. Louis."

"What's he gonna do?"

"He wants to go back to Tampa."

"Alone? How smart is that? I know he's stubborn and wants to be independent but he's gonna need a lot of help whether or not he wants to admit it."

"I know…so that's why I volunteered to go with him."

Cody was not surprised. Harper was a giving, kind, and compassionate soul.

"You sure you want to do that?"

"He needs me."

"But what about what you need?"

"Matt needs support right now and that's what I want to do."

He pulled her close and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You say you'd do anything for your friends and you always do. I admire that, Harper. You're a hell of a woman, babe."

"He's gonna be okay," she wished out loud.

"I'm gonna go see him."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Cody. He's in a really bad mood and the doctor just told him he shouldn't wrestle anymore."

"That sucks," Cody said. "I feel bad for the guy. I still have to go see him, though. If he bites my head off, that's okay but I'd feel really guilty if I didn't at least go check on him."

Harper nodded as Cody stood and walked past her, knocking softly on the door before entering. The room was quiet.

"What brings you by?" Matt finally said.

"Just saying hi."

Cody pulled up a chair.

"Well, you're wasting your time."

"It's never a waste of time to see a friend," Cody explained. "So Harper tells me you're getting out of here soon. That's a good thing."

"Did Harper also tell you the doc says I can't wrestle again?"

Cody nodded solemnly.

"Yeah…um, she did. I'm so sorry, dude."

"Me too," Matt stared off into space. "I, um…I can't hear that right now, you know? The WWE is my life. I sacrificed everything to get there. It's all I ever wanted to do. I can't let them take that away from me. Without that, I feel like I have nothing left."

Cody felt awful. What did you say in a moment like that?

"Don't talk like that. Listen, I can't pretend to know what you're going through but I'm a wrestler, too. I live and die in that ring every night just like you do. It would be devastating, unimaginable to be in your position or to hear the news you just heard. I know you're sad but you can't give up. WWE or not, you've got a lot to live for. You have to go on, man."

"What am I gonna do if I can't wrestle again? What am I gonna do if my arm never works right again or if I don't regain sensation in my leg?"

"I…I don't know…"

"My whole life is so screwed up, Cody. Wrestling is my dream, it's all I have left. I can't lose that, too. I already lost my girl."

"Yeah…I'm sorry about Chloe. Tough break but you have plenty of people around who do care about you."

Matt sighed.

"I know they do, I know they mean well but it's suffocating sometimes. They don't understand. They think they do but they don't. They can't. No one does."

"They're trying. You've just got to be patient, especially with Harper. That's a good thing she's doing for you."

"She just feels sorry for me."

"Don't say that, Matt. Come on. You know that's not true. Harper is probably one of the most genuine people you or I have ever met. She's concerned. She really cares about you and whether you admit it or not, you need her."

"Whatever."

"I know you're sad and angry and hurt and bitter but you can't let those emotions, that negativity get the best of you. If you keep pushing everyone away and pretending like you don't care and that you don't need them, one day you're gonna look up and they really will be gone and maybe you won't care. But you don't want that. Don't let your heart get that hard, man."

Matt closed his eyes and Cody knew he had said enough. He quietly excused himself leaving Matt all alone. As the door closed, Matt's tears fell. He couldn't listen to logic at that point. He was too hurt, too lost. He had lost so much physically and emotionally and it was starting to weigh in on him mentally. He had lost the love of his life and now his career, his life long dream was slowly fading away. His pride had taken a major hit as well. He was a grown man and he needed help bathing, eating and getting dressed. It hurt. He hurt. He was traveling down a very lonely and dark road and there seemed to be no light at the end of this tunnel. Though he had the love and support of his fans, colleagues, family and friends, he had never felt so alone.