What Could Have Been X
Nurse Martin arranged to meet the Undertaker when he arrived at the hospital. She led him into a room in the ICU and then left, closing the door behind her. Not wanting to risk anyone disturbing the two brothers, she stood guard outside, nodding to the people who walked by and trying not to act as if she was up to anything.
Inside the room, the Undertaker was staring at the still form of Kane. It was as if he had been teleported back in time to the night Kane had first been brought here. His brother looked so fragile, hooked up to even more machines than he had been that terrible night. Only this time the Undertaker knew that things weren't going to turn out as well.
Taker took a deep breath and made his way over to Kane. He continued staring at his brother for several minutes until a choked sob escaped from his lips. "I'm sorry, Kane," he told his brother's still form, "I never meant for any of this to happen. I love you. I would never abandon you...never. I'm sorry..."
As the Undertaker became silent, Kane slowly opened his eyes. His heart wrenched at the sight of the Undertaker almost in tears over, what he believed, to be Kane's dying body.
The Undertaker gasped in surprise as he felt a hand grab his arm. Looking up through tear filled eyes, he was shock to see Kane awake and very much alive.
"No, Mark," Kane told him, "I'm the one who's sorry."
"What the hell?!" the Undertaker interrupted, rising from his seat so quickly that the chair overturned. "I thought you were dying, you bastard!"
"It was the only way I could talk to you!" Kane shouted back, his own anger and frustration coming to the fore. "You refused to answer any of my calls, you never came to visit..."
"You told me, very clearly, that you didn't want to see me again until, and I quote, 'I send your ass straight to hell," the Undertaker reminded him, causing Kane to sigh and lower his head in shame. "I'm out of here." Taker told his brother as he made his way to the door. "I don't want to hear anything that you have to say."
Upon opening the door, however, he was confronted by the petite form of Nurse Martin. She took one look at the Undertaker's angry features, then looked into the room and saw the look of despairing frustration on Kane's face and knew that things had not yet been settled between the two. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood stubbornly in the doorway, looking up at the Undertaker.
"Out of my way, woman," Taker growled, wanting nothing more than to pick her up and move her himself.
"Not until you listen to what Kane has to say," she told him. As he started to move towards he she added, "I wouldn't do that. One scream and I can have every security officer on the floor and most of the nurses here. Now get your ass back in that room."
Taker looked at her resolute form and realized that she was very willing to carry out her threat. Sighing in defeat, he made his way back into Kane's room. Nathalie closed the door again and once more positioned herself as sentinel.
The Undertaker remained near the door, obviously not wanting to be there. "So what was so damn important that you had to play dead to get me here?" he asked Kane.
"I needed to apologize," Kane replied. "Just hear me out," he added as he saw Taker preparing to interrupt. "Please, just listen to what I have to say."
Taker nodded his head slightly, "Alright, Kane, but only because that little spitfire outside won't let me out of this room until I do."
At that Kane smiled briefly, then he sobered as he began talking, his fists clench in his lap. "I'm not going to make any excuses," he told Taker, "I was stupid enough to let HHH convince me that you had joined the Power Trip plain and simple. And rather than ask you about it, listen to your side of the story, I just blew up at you."
Kane looked down at his hands in shame as he continued. "I should have known better. In spite of our history, whenever I REALLY needed you, you were always there for me. I don't know how I let HHH convince me otherwise. I guess I really am the retard that everyone calls me. But Mark," Kane spoke, the intensity in his voice increasing, "Just because I am an idiot, you can't let your dark side take over again. I understand you not wanting anything more to do with me, I don't blame you, but you can't go back to letting the hatred and the anger rule your life. Not because of me. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."
The Undertaker was jolted by the repetition of the very thoughts he had been having himself earlier. Now, however, he was able to distance himself from the anger he had been feeling and realized that they just weren't true.
"Not worth it," he spoke for the first time since Kane began his confession, "You're not worth it? Kane, you're the only person in this damn world who still IS worth it to me. I won't lie to you. When you kicked me out of your hospital room it hurt, it hurt a lot. But you are right. Ignoring that hurt and just concentrating on causing others pain wasn't the right way to deal with it. And neither was refusing to answer your calls. I did the same thing you did, refused to listen to what you had to say."
"But Mark," Kane protested, believing that the Undertaker had had more than enough reason to not want to talk to him.
"But nothing," the Undertaker interrupted. "We were both wrong. And I think it's long past time that we both sit down and talk this damn thing out."
Kane couldn't help the relieved smile that crossed his face. He hadn't lost his brother after all. And even if the Undertaker, after hearing how stupidly Kane had acted, decided he wanted to call it quits on their partnership, at least he would still be the American Badass...not the Lord of Darkness.
******************************************
Several hours later, when Nurse Martin checked to make sure that they hadn't killed each other, she found them still talking. Rather than the angry tension that had filled the room earlier, however, there was now only a quiet understanding. A smile on her lips, she quietly closed the door and left them to their privacy.
Nurse Martin arranged to meet the Undertaker when he arrived at the hospital. She led him into a room in the ICU and then left, closing the door behind her. Not wanting to risk anyone disturbing the two brothers, she stood guard outside, nodding to the people who walked by and trying not to act as if she was up to anything.
Inside the room, the Undertaker was staring at the still form of Kane. It was as if he had been teleported back in time to the night Kane had first been brought here. His brother looked so fragile, hooked up to even more machines than he had been that terrible night. Only this time the Undertaker knew that things weren't going to turn out as well.
Taker took a deep breath and made his way over to Kane. He continued staring at his brother for several minutes until a choked sob escaped from his lips. "I'm sorry, Kane," he told his brother's still form, "I never meant for any of this to happen. I love you. I would never abandon you...never. I'm sorry..."
As the Undertaker became silent, Kane slowly opened his eyes. His heart wrenched at the sight of the Undertaker almost in tears over, what he believed, to be Kane's dying body.
The Undertaker gasped in surprise as he felt a hand grab his arm. Looking up through tear filled eyes, he was shock to see Kane awake and very much alive.
"No, Mark," Kane told him, "I'm the one who's sorry."
"What the hell?!" the Undertaker interrupted, rising from his seat so quickly that the chair overturned. "I thought you were dying, you bastard!"
"It was the only way I could talk to you!" Kane shouted back, his own anger and frustration coming to the fore. "You refused to answer any of my calls, you never came to visit..."
"You told me, very clearly, that you didn't want to see me again until, and I quote, 'I send your ass straight to hell," the Undertaker reminded him, causing Kane to sigh and lower his head in shame. "I'm out of here." Taker told his brother as he made his way to the door. "I don't want to hear anything that you have to say."
Upon opening the door, however, he was confronted by the petite form of Nurse Martin. She took one look at the Undertaker's angry features, then looked into the room and saw the look of despairing frustration on Kane's face and knew that things had not yet been settled between the two. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood stubbornly in the doorway, looking up at the Undertaker.
"Out of my way, woman," Taker growled, wanting nothing more than to pick her up and move her himself.
"Not until you listen to what Kane has to say," she told him. As he started to move towards he she added, "I wouldn't do that. One scream and I can have every security officer on the floor and most of the nurses here. Now get your ass back in that room."
Taker looked at her resolute form and realized that she was very willing to carry out her threat. Sighing in defeat, he made his way back into Kane's room. Nathalie closed the door again and once more positioned herself as sentinel.
The Undertaker remained near the door, obviously not wanting to be there. "So what was so damn important that you had to play dead to get me here?" he asked Kane.
"I needed to apologize," Kane replied. "Just hear me out," he added as he saw Taker preparing to interrupt. "Please, just listen to what I have to say."
Taker nodded his head slightly, "Alright, Kane, but only because that little spitfire outside won't let me out of this room until I do."
At that Kane smiled briefly, then he sobered as he began talking, his fists clench in his lap. "I'm not going to make any excuses," he told Taker, "I was stupid enough to let HHH convince me that you had joined the Power Trip plain and simple. And rather than ask you about it, listen to your side of the story, I just blew up at you."
Kane looked down at his hands in shame as he continued. "I should have known better. In spite of our history, whenever I REALLY needed you, you were always there for me. I don't know how I let HHH convince me otherwise. I guess I really am the retard that everyone calls me. But Mark," Kane spoke, the intensity in his voice increasing, "Just because I am an idiot, you can't let your dark side take over again. I understand you not wanting anything more to do with me, I don't blame you, but you can't go back to letting the hatred and the anger rule your life. Not because of me. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."
The Undertaker was jolted by the repetition of the very thoughts he had been having himself earlier. Now, however, he was able to distance himself from the anger he had been feeling and realized that they just weren't true.
"Not worth it," he spoke for the first time since Kane began his confession, "You're not worth it? Kane, you're the only person in this damn world who still IS worth it to me. I won't lie to you. When you kicked me out of your hospital room it hurt, it hurt a lot. But you are right. Ignoring that hurt and just concentrating on causing others pain wasn't the right way to deal with it. And neither was refusing to answer your calls. I did the same thing you did, refused to listen to what you had to say."
"But Mark," Kane protested, believing that the Undertaker had had more than enough reason to not want to talk to him.
"But nothing," the Undertaker interrupted. "We were both wrong. And I think it's long past time that we both sit down and talk this damn thing out."
Kane couldn't help the relieved smile that crossed his face. He hadn't lost his brother after all. And even if the Undertaker, after hearing how stupidly Kane had acted, decided he wanted to call it quits on their partnership, at least he would still be the American Badass...not the Lord of Darkness.
******************************************
Several hours later, when Nurse Martin checked to make sure that they hadn't killed each other, she found them still talking. Rather than the angry tension that had filled the room earlier, however, there was now only a quiet understanding. A smile on her lips, she quietly closed the door and left them to their privacy.
