The following week…

They're going to start charging me rent, the amount of time I spend in here. Olivia was once again sitting across from Bill and Matt in the meeting room, with Shawn joining them this time. Sunday and Monday, the group had been given the chance to relax at home, and Rami had recognised her mind had been doing overtime and did his best to distract her. They had gone bowling, for a jog along the beach, to a movie, hit the mall. He cooked and they watched entire seasons of Scrubs cuddled up on the sofa. But she knew he could see her mind was going over and over her actions on the weekend. And knew that there would be a welcoming committee for her when she walked into the Performance Center. And this morning, before Olivia even had chance to put her bag in the locker, Bill had told her to be in the office in five minutes.

She was initially baffled by Shawn's presence. In one of the many scenarios she had pictured over the weekend, she had seen James joining them. Or perhaps they talked to him separately. Shawn wasn't there, he didn't know what the conversations had been around Tye's state and condition to continue. There was only limited camera footage which had been shown backstage, and she wasn't sure what anyone back there had seen. They certainly wouldn't have seen the way his eyes rolled around in his head. But the more she thought about it, she realised that Shawn was a good, knowledgeable addition to this debrief, if in fact that's what it was. He was the senior official, and no doubt had been in similar situations and had to make calls during his time with the company. He'd also been increasingly complimentary of Olivia's work, so she settled on him being a calming influence in the room.

Everyone knew Bill would start the conversation, it was just a matter of waiting for him to feel like doing so. Olivia wiped her palms against her legs under the table. I'm already clammy and no one has said anything yet. She recalled Rami's words – that it was just a live event, nothing had been ruined, and above all else, she had Tye's best interests in mind. They can't contest that, right? Bill finally spoke up. "We all know why we're here," he said. "Olivia, why don't you tell us why you decided you could overrule our doctor." Why do I feel like I'm on trial in court here? Are they going to ask James why he felt Tye could continue? Her eyes roamed to Matt, a much friendlier face, and she willed him to fill the silence. Although not stern, he did look expectant, wanting to hear what she had to say. "Seriously?" she asked, unable to structure a mature reply. Bill and Shawn remained unmoved, while one corner of Matt's mouth turned up into the slightest of smirks. "You all saw him when he came back. He was out on his feet. His eyes were glazed. He couldn't remember what city we were in. I don't think there's any more justification required than that."

Bill leaned back in his chair. "Given that we're here, I believe there is," he said. A stalemate sunk in around the table. What more can I say that they don't already know? She looked at each of them again, before settling her eyes on her hands in front of her. This is ridiculous, she told herself. You know what you did was right. You know why you did it. Don't back down. "What I feel needs to be justified," she began, nerves shaking her voice slightly, "is why there were two of us out there being paid to look after the guys' health, and only one of us did." Bill didn't flinch. "Are you questioning the professional judgement of a long serving medical practitioner?" he asked. The way he framed the question made Olivia sound ridiculous. I guess I kind of am… "I respect James. I like James. Everyone around here has only good things to say about him. But he saw what I saw. He knows how bad Ronnie was. Why did he let him continue?" Or try to continue, at least.

Bill leaned forward onto the table. "Because Ronnie had a job to do," he said, matter-of-factly. "And James did his job, which was to decide if Ronnie could do his. You were doing your job, until you crossed into a jurisdiction that's not your own, and stopped Ronnie from doing his. And Rami, too." Olivia tensed hearing his name. She knew Bill would be playing her, mentioning Rami like that. While she considered a response, she saw Matt turn his chair slightly towards Bill. "I think what he's trying to say" he began, "is that, yes, while it is part of your position as an official to look out for the wellbeing of the talent, the ultimate responsibility for that rests with the medical team." Olivia appreciated Matt's more personable approach to the situation, and as such, was able to consider his statement, rather than feel accused. "The thing is, I didn't contest James' decision," she said, beginning a defence she'd reeled off to Rami multiple times over the previous days. "When they were out on the ramp, Ronnie was talking, telling us he was okay. I was sceptical, but James said he'd be alright. We all went with that, and moved back into the ring." That was true; there had been another two sequences before Ronnie had bumped backwards following the clothesline. That's when he didn't respond to her.

"Regardless," Bill continued, "you should've let James make that final call." Olivia shook her head. Surely James wouldn't have let him continue in that state. He had been in one of the worst states she'd ever seen someone following concussion, in person and backstage. The time had been ticking for the finish of the match anyway, and the fact that Rami's finisher included another shot to the head didn't bode well. And there was the crowd to consider also. It was obvious he couldn't defend himself, or react appropriately for the finish. Even they would've known that. She could feel her frustration building; an intense reaction to being accused of breaking the rules. "I thought, as an industry, we were past exploiting people's health," she said, letting the statement linger in the air momentarily. "It was a house show in front of 300 people in developmental. There was nothing at stake other than his wellbeing, which should come first no matter the circumstances."

"Shawn," Bill said, turning towards his longest-serving official. So far, Shawn had remained silent, and Olivia was keen to hear his thoughts on the matter. Shawn looked at Bill, as if he wasn't sure what he was expected to add. "Well, it's not what I would've done," he replied, "but I can't fault Olivia's intentions. Her execution could use some work, but from what I've heard of Ronnie's state at the time, he shouldn't have been allowed to continue on." Bill nodded. "But you'd have left that decision to James, yes?" Olivia noticed Shawn's eyes flick to her quickly. "Yes, I most likely would have called the doctor back over while attending to him, and allowed him to make the decision." Bill leaned back in his chair, looking like the conversation was now over. Shawn continued, however. "I think, though, it's worth noting that Olivia comes from a different system. In the indies, it's common for referees to be responsible for calling matches, as medical personnel are often not at ringside." Olivia turned towards him. Is he defending me? "She's here to learn WWE style, and that's something she'll have to get used to. That we have the resources and staff to take care of these situations."

Matt nodding in agreement caught Olivia's eye. "I think that's a fair thing to consider," he said. "Olivia would've been under pressure and in the end, I think we can all agree that the right decision was made for Ronnie's health, just not by the best qualified person. We can chalk this up to a learning experience, with, thankfully, no lasting negative side effects." Thank you, Olivia tried to convey through her eyes. I've certainly learned a lesson here. I have no power to do anything else than count to three. Her sarcasm aside, she now accepted that the health of the talent didn't rest with her. But I'll sure as hell intervene if I think it's in jeopardy. A big sigh from Bill interrupted her thoughts. "Don't forget you are on trial here," he said, looking directly at her. Tell me about it….. "It's obvious Vince is looking for any reason to not advance you. Don't give him another one."

With that, it was clear the meeting was over. Olivia felt a strange mix of frustration and relief. Frustration that the chat had to occur in the first place, but relief that there was no reprimand. With Bill's final statement swimming in her head, she walked out behind Shawn, Matt following them. He closed the office door behind them, leaving Bill inside. "Hey," he spoke up, causing both she and Shawn to turn around. Matt took a couple of steps away from the office door and lowered his voice. "I couldn't let you know this prior to the meeting, but Ronnie's failed impact testing. He won't be cleared for this week." He took a long look at Olivia, conveying an assurance he probably wasn't authorised to verbalise. He gave her a short nod, before walking towards the gym.

Olivia let out a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. She was disappointed and concerned for Ronnie, but felt validated. See, there really was something wrong with him. She moved to follow Matt, before Shawn's voice stopped her. "Count yourself lucky," he said, his tone different than it had been in the meeting. Olivia wasn't sure what he was referring to. I'm lucky that there is something wrong with him? She raised her eyebrows. "Me, or James. Because if we'd carried on under his instruction, without my intervention, and something serious had happened, who would be responsible for that?" Internally congratulating herself for a solid response, she turned on her heel and walked away. "Just don't let your oestrogen get in the way," she heard Shawn retort. What did he just say? She snapped her head back to face him. "I mean it," he continued, noticing the firm look on her face. "You want to be in the man's world, you've got to play the man's game. Watch your emotions."

And you watch your mouth, Olivia spat out in her mind. What kind of thing was that to say? That my additional X chromosome was the reason I called the match off, rather than the fact Ronnie was unresponsive? She watched as Shawn walked past her, and wondered if he meant what he had said maliciously, or had been trying to help her. Like he had in the meeting. She wasn't sure, but what she was sure of was that she'd spend the rest of the day, and evening, analysing it. Is every single thing I do going to come back to the fact I don't have a penis?!

The office door opened, and Bill walked out. "I hear Ronnie's not been cleared," she said anxiously as he moved quickly past her. "Makes no difference," he replied, his eyes never turning her way. "Know your role, or you'll go nowhere."