*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much!*
THREE DAYS LATER:
"Can I get you anything?" asks the nurse as I am sitting in the waiting room waiting for Dean's neck surgery to be done. It has been a long few days since Summerslam.
Dean injured his neck when Kevin Owens hit the Pop Up Powerbomb. Dean had been having issues with his neck a couple days leading up to the pay-per-view but we didn't really think anything of it. He had been stressed out and he had been working harder than before. He was sleeping on hotel room couches instead of in a bed we just assumed that he pulled a muscle or he slept the wrong way but the night of Summerslam we learned it was much more than a pulled muscle or sleeping the wrong way. When he was wheeled to the back after his match at Summerslam the WWE doctor looked over his neck and saw that there was a lot more than he could do. He ran through a list of possible neck injuries but couldn't determine one so they sent him to the hospital. It was a long night at the hospital as Dean was being examined and going through tests. After an MRI the doctor determined that Dean had a cervical herniated disc, which explained his weakness in his hands and fingers after the match. It was a relief knowing that he wouldn't be paralyzed for the rest of his life. He is 28 years old and has his whole career in front of him. I would hate to see him give it all up now after he has work so hard but that's to be determined by the surgeon if Dean can return back to the ring after it's all said and done. I would also like for my husband to be able to play with our kids and run with our kids on his days off. He wasn't going to get the surgery but he decided it was necessary to get it done so they could fix him up.
We flew down to Arizona to one of the best surgeons in the US so Dean could have his neck surgery. I'm not happy being in Arizona but I will do whatever I need to do so that my husband has the best care and the best surgeon in the world. It feels like an eternity as I wait for the surgery to be done. The doctor said it would be a simple procedure but there's always a risk when it comes to neck surgery or any surgery. He is removing the intervertebral disc and replacing it with a small plug of bone which will eventually fuse the vertebrae. It was the best option for Dean. "No," I say to the nurse as my leg bounces. "I'm all right. Do you know how much longer he's going to be?"
"It shouldn't be that much longer, Mrs. Ambrose," she says.
"Thank-you," I say as I sit and wait a little longer for his surgery. My phone rings a few minutes later and I see that it's Roman calling. He has been great. "Hey, Roman," I say with a smile as I answer the phone.
"Hey," he says, "How is Dean doing?"
"He's in surgery now. They said it shouldn't be too much longer. I'm worried, Roman what if after all this they tell him he can't get back in the ring."
"I'm sure it isn't that serious," he says, "herniated discs aren't that bad. Once they repair them they have a very slim chance of rupturing again. And the surgery he is having won't keep him out of the ring for long. He's going to need to recover but he will get back in the ring."
"I hope so," I say, "I know how much wrestling means to him. This is something he has wanted to do his whole life and for the last 11 years he has dedicated his entire life to wrestling sacrificing so much for the business he loves and I would hate to see it all go away now. He's worked so hard to get where he is. I don't want to see him give it up not at 28 years old."
"I am sure everything will be fine. Is there anything you need?" he asks.
"I think we're all right for now," I say, "My dad took some time off work and he's in Connecticut with Natalia and in a few days we should be back home in Connecticut as he recovers."
"All right, keep me updated and if you need anything please don't hesitate to let me or Galina know. We are willing to help in any way that we can."
"Thanks, Roman," I say with a smile. "I really appreciate it."
"It's no problem," he says, "you just take care of yourself and that baby."
"Thanks," I say with a smile. "I will talk to you later."
"Bye," he says before we hang up the phones.
I sit and wait a little longer before the doctor comes out of the operating room with a nurse. I stand up as I see him. "Mrs. Ambrose," he says with a smile. "Dean is doing well. He is in recovery right now. Everything went well with the surgery. I removed the intervertebral disc and replaced it with the small plug of bone. Hopefully everything will be all right and it will fuse the vertebrae together."
"That's a relief," I say with a smile. "Is he awake?"
"Yes, you can go in to see him and we'll give you a little bit of time before we discuss recovery time and his future as a WWE superstar," he says.
"Okay," I say with a smile. The nurse leads me back to the room Dean is recovering in. I can't wait to see him. I walk in to see him lying in his bed in a neck brace. He looks so uncomfortable. "Hey, Baby," I say with a smile as I walk over to his bed. He gives me a soft smile.
"Hey, Beautiful," he says groggily. "I'm thirsty."
"I'll get you some water," I say with a smile as I grab the pitcher of water. I pour some water into a cup for him and put a straw in it. I walk over to the bed and help him drink the water. "Feel better?" I ask after he drinks the entire cup of water.
"Sorry," he says, "I was really thirsty."
"I bet. I remember after my c-section I was really thirsty too," I say as I put the cup down on the tray. "So how do you feel?"
"I can't feel anything yet," he says, "I'm pretty doped up on pain meds right now."
"I bet," I say, "are you worried about the pain meds?"
"They're not my favorite," he says, "I want to take them as little as possible. I don't want to get addicted again."
"I know," I say, "if you really need one then yeah take one but if not we'll just take it easy on the pain pills."
"I tried to talk them out of it but they insisted."
"It's okay," I say as I stand next to him. "The doctor said everything went well with your surgery."
"Good," he says, "will I be able to wrestle again?"
"He said he would discuss that with us once you were more awake."
"What if it's all over, Ana?"
"Then it's all over. I would be sad for you because I know how much you love it. How would you feel if this all ended today?"
"I would be upset, I'd be devastated but at the end of the day I have had a pretty good career. I at least held the WWE championship once. If the doctor told me my career is over today I think I would be all right with it. I mean at the end of the day all that matters to me is that I can still walk and that I can play with my kids. I don't know what I would do but I will think of something."
"You have always talked about opening up your own gym and training wrestlers when you were done with the business."
"I know," he says, "and that's a big possibility but to have it all over by 28 years old," he says.
"It would seem like the end of your world. I know. That's how I felt when I gave up dance. I had worked so hard to get where I was headed. Then I got pregnant and I gave up everything. It was the hardest decision I had to make in my life but it was the best decision. I watched you work so hard to reach your dream but sometimes things don't last forever."
"I know," he says as I take a seat next to his bed. "If it's all over today then it's all over at the end of the day I still have you, Natalia and Oliver. That's pretty much all I need."
"Yes, Baby," I say with a smile as I take his hand into mine. "Whatever the doctor tells us we'll get through it. I'll be by your side no matter what happens."
"I know," he says. "I shouldn't have wrestled that match. I knew my neck was hurting but I insisted that I was okay and now look at this."
"You thought it was just a pulled muscle and so did I. You had no idea it was more serious."
"I know," he says, "but I still should have been more observant, more concerned with my neck pain. I could have gotten paralyzed out there."
"But you didn't," I say, "and you're able to walk and move your hands and arms. Everything is going to be okay even if that was your last match everything is going to be okay, we're going to be okay. Whatever happens today, I am going to be by your side. We'll figure it out together. I love you."
"I love you too," he says before I kiss his lips softly. "Thank-you, Ana."
"For what?"
"Supporting me all these years and never giving up on me."
"I should be the one thanking you," I say, "you could have walked away so many times but you didn't. You are the one that didn't give up on me."
"We didn't give up on each other," he says fairly. "It's you and me till the end of time. For better or worse right?"
"Right," I say with a smile as I climb into his bed with him careful not to bump his neck as I lay my head on his chest. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer all the days of my life will be yours. No matter what happens today or tomorrow I'm going to be right here, by your side supporting you and loving you in everything you do. We have the most epic love story."
"One that will last a lifetime," he says making me smile as we intertwine our fingers. "Everything we've been through and everything that's happened to us and we're still going strong."
"You know what they say," I say, "the couples that are meant to be go through everything that's meant to tear them apart but come out stronger. I think after everything we've been through; teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, jail, being separated for years, you in Florida and me in New York, me cheating on you and everything else would have torn anyone else apart but at the end of the day it made us stronger because we love each other so much. What doesn't break us makes us stronger."
"I can't even lie about this but when I was younger after my dad left, I was probably about 8 years old maybe a little older I can't really remember. My mom was on one of her drug binges. She had disappeared for a few days and we had no food. I was hungry. I was starving but I was home alone. I found a few dollars in my mom's drawer so I went to the grocery store. I couldn't buy much just a pack of Ramen noodles," he says as I play with his wedding band. "And probably one of those little squeezable juice drinks. That was it. I went to the checkout to pay and I was probably a few cents short. There was a man with his wife and his children behind me as I'm trying to dig in my pockets for a quarter and when I couldn't find one I apologized to the woman ringing me out. I told her how hungry and thirsty I was that I needed to eat something but she wouldn't budge on just giving me the food. I told her I would put the drink back so that I could have enough but the man behind me stopped me. He told the woman to add his stuff to the order and give me back my money. He paid for my food. He paid for my drink. His wife was beautiful and his son was probably about my age but they seemed to have a good relationship. They seemed like a happy family. I thanked him for what he did for me and he told me not to thank him. He just wanted to help me. I was so grateful but jealous at the same time that the little boy had such a great dad and I had nothing. I didn't have a mom except when she wanted to be and my dad left us years earlier. I was alone in a world too big for me. I was so small and alone. I made a promise to myself that day when I got older I would have a beautiful wife, I would have a child and I would have a family. I promised myself that I wouldn't be alone. I didn't' want to be alone," he says as tears burn my eyes. He's been through so much. I can't even imagine his childhood and he rarely talks about it but when he does I listen. "And I went through some girls, Ana. I went through a lot of girls. I never really loved them. I didn't love them like I told them. I pretty much wanted to have sex and that was the end of it. I never really had a relationship until I met you. There was just something about you, something so special that I knew you were the one at 17 years old. I felt like it was a long shot to even try to go out with you but fate landed in my direction the day we got paired up on that project. I never knew what true love was until you told me you loved me. I never knew that three little words would change my life as much as they did when you said them to me. When I got you pregnant at 17 I was scared, I will admit that but I had thoughts of that family in the grocery store. You and I were going to be a family. You were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I had never loved anyone until I met you. You were the only person to take the time to get to know me, to get to love me, fall in love with me and look at every flaw, every imperfection and yet you still loved me the same. The day we had Natalia my entire life changed. I wanted forever with you the moment I fell in love with you. I wanted the family that I saw in the grocery store that day. I wanted it. I promised myself that I would do everything I needed to do to give you and Natalia the best life possible. I have the family that I have always dreamed of and whether I have my wrestling or not, I still have my family. You and Natalia are the only ones I have. I was never going to give up on you. I could never give up on you. There's just something so special about you that I love. I can't describe it but I love you so much and nothing will ever change the love I have for you. I love you so much, I love every flaw, every imperfection, I love every piece of you," he says, "we're not perfect by any means, Ana but the love we have for one another is perfect. Love is about loving the imperfect person perfectly accepting them not only at their best but at their worst. There is NOTHING that can come into our lives that will tear us apart. After 11 years and a kid and a half later, nothing will ever make me give up on you."
"And nothing will make me give up on you. I love every imperfection of you, Baby," I say as I snuggle into his chest. "I love all of you."
I just sit snuggled into his chest as we sit in the silence before we are interrupted by the doctor coming into the room. "Well," he says, "it looks like you're feeling better, Dean."
"I am," he says, "so give it to me straight, Doc, am I going to be able to wrestle again or is it all over?"
"You are eager, Dean, let's just discuss the procedure."
"I know what you did you removed the intervertebral and replaced it with a small bone plug," he says, "so will I be able to get back in the ring again or is my career over."
The doctor smiles and says, "well, the good news is you will be able to return back to the ring," he says and I feel relief flood over me. As much as I would like for Dean to be home on a permanent basis, I never want to see him have to give up something he worked so hard for. He's only 28 years old he has so much more to do in the WWE yet. He has a lot more to accomplish. I want to see him live out his dream to the fullest. If I had to give up my dream he should never have to. At least one of us should be able to live their dream. "But the bad news is you can't return back to the ring for at least 6 months. This neck injury could have been worse than what it was had you let it go longer but we caught it in time before any significant damage was done. We got you all fixed up and there is a recovery process that you're going to endure. The time frame for this injury that you will be out of action is 6-8 months but we're being optimistic saying that you should be back in the ring in 6 months as long as everything heals the way it should and everything with physical therapy you should be back in the ring in 6 months if not then we'll have to wait till you're ready to go back. I'm sure your boss would want you to be 100% before you return so that you don't reinjure your neck. I don't want you to rush recovery, take it easy, relax, enjoy your family and enjoy your time off. Enjoy your new baby that I'm sure will be coming soon. Just take it easy no need to rush back into the ring."
"And wedding planning," I say with a smile.
"Oh yeah wedding planning," says Dean and I know he is less than thrilled. "I'll do whatever I need to do as long as I can get back in the ring. I won't rush my recovery and take it one step at a time."
"That's what you need to do," he says, "I'll get you hooked up with a physical therapist in Connecticut and you'll start your PT in about two weeks. I will also need you to come back in two weeks for me to check your incision and to check on your neck to make sure everything looks all right before you start PT."
"Okay," says Dean. "Thank-you."
"You're welcome," says the doctor as they shake hands. "And as long as everything looks good in couple days you can go back home to Connecticut."
"Wonderful," I say with a smile before the doctor excuses himself out of the room. "I bet you're happy aren't you?"
"I'm very happy," he says, "it's not over."
"Good thing. I don't' know what all the fan girls would do without their Lunatic Fringe," I say with a smile.
"I think the question is what are you going to do with me for 6 months," he says making me smile.
"I don't know, I think I'm going to torture you with baby stuff and wedding stuff how does that sound?"
"Painful," he says with a smile, "but anything for you, Baby."
"I love you and not just because you're sexy in that hospital gown but because you're an amazing husband and father for putting up with my wedding demands and baby crazed activities. Things are changing, Dean. Are you ready for the changes of life?"
"I always am," he says, "and the biggest change I look forward to most of all is letting the world know you're Mrs. Anastasia Eve Ambrose. I love you."
"I love you too," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly.
*A/N: What did you think about Dean's injury and him having to get neck surgery? What did you think of Dean's and Ana's talk in the hospital room? What did you think of Dean's story about wanting a family? Do you agree with their comment about love being about loving the imperfect person perfectly, loving everyt flaw and every imperfection, accepting them not only at their best but also at their worst? Do you feel they have a forever kind of love? What are your thoughts on Dean being out for 6 months? ARe you happy that he can still wrestle? What do you think he would have done if it would have all been over? Please review and thank-you for reading. *Special thanks to my best friend Lucy for helping me out with this chapter! You're awesome, Girl! *
