--
Ric never fully awoke until he felt Arn Anderson and Charles Robinson, aiding him out of the bathroom. Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon were there as well, watching the weakened 'Nature Boy' be brought to his feet with assistance.
"What should we tell him?" Pat asked, rubbing away some stress in his neck. Vince gulped and cleared his throat, "I think we should give him some time off. He's sick." The 2 watched Ric stagger out of the locker room. Pat grabbed Flair's things and Vince stayed behind. He looked down at the blood below him.
**
Standing at the hospital room window, Ric looked down the 4 stories. Despite being told to remain in bed, his stubborn mind took over and he refused to stay in one spot. His eyes darted to the clock. It had been 5 hours. No one came to talk to him, but he didn't expect anyone anyway. He wasn't even sure if anyone was allowed to see him.
A timid knock on the door didn't budge him and he kept frozen. J.R. stepped in, cowboy hat in hand, with his head slightly bowed, "Ric," he began, "Beth is here to see you."
At first, Ric didn't move, but then he turned to see his wife enter. He could tell she'd been crying for quite some time. She looked at his blank, emotionless face and felt like screaming. She could see his pain, and wanted to take it all away.
With no words spoken, she came to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. She didn't feel him return the gesture, which was understandable. His arms were kept at his side and his expression was still vacant.
She backed away a bit and took his face between her hands, "Are you okay?" Ric blinked, then nodded, slowly. She helped him into a nearby chair and held his hand in hers.
Just then, Vince walked in. He wore a long face and looked at Ric, "We've decided to give you time off. Take as much as you need. Your mental health is important to us." Ric blinked at the Chairman, "Thank you."
McMahon nodded and left the room with J.R. Beth took a chair and sat beside Ric. He turned to her and smiled, weakly. "They said you can leave here. Rehabilitate at home," she said, as she fidgeted with his hair, "It'll be better for you."
Ric nodded, "I want to go home."
**
Upon arriving at home, Ric stared at his house in awe. It was so quiet and lonely. Beth had sent Ashley and Reed to friend's houses so they wouldn't bother their father.
Ric walked into the large living room and collapsed onto the couch, face up. He watched the ceiling fan, and started getting a headache. He covered his face with his hands and exhaled, softly. Beth looked over him, "Do you need anything?"
Ric remained still but then shook his head and took his hands away. She sat next to him. He didn't look at her. Instead, his eyes were trained on the blank, white ceiling above him. He didn't know what to think about anymore. He thought of the pain and almost smiled. He barely remembered being dragged out of the bathroom. When he did it, he realized he wasn't thinking straight. He wasn't supposed to cut his wrists, but something else. . .
"What are you thinking about?" Beth asked, breaking his train of thought. "Nothing," he uttered. "Why . . . did you do it?" She asked, almost afraid to. Ric shrugged, "They won't care when I'm gone. I thought I might as well get it over with."
Beth cringed; she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "But why? You have so much to live for."
Ric sat up, suddenly, and glared at her, "Like what? People want me to stop wrestling; wrestling is my life! If I can't do what I love, then what's the point of living?!" Beth remained calm and took his hand, sitting him next to her.
"Family."
Before Ric could reply, the phone rang. He looked at it and watched it ring. After 5 rings, he answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Dad. How are you feeling?" It was Ric's youngest son, Reed. Ric's lip trembled, "I'm fine." He looked at Beth, unsure of having Reed know about what he'd done to himself.
"You'll be okay, Dad. Don't worry." Ric smiled, "Thanks."
What Reed said next made Ric go numb.
"I love you, Dad."
The words of his son sunk in and Ric no longer knew what to feel. "Bye," Reed said, wanting his father to rest. "Bye," Ric uttered and then hung up. He sat, almost in awe and turned to Beth, "I'll be upstairs."
He left the room and headed to the staircase. Beth stayed where she was, "Are you going to be okay?" Ric froze on a stair step.
"Yeah, I'll be okay," He said, as he pulled out a razor from his pocket.
--
Ric never fully awoke until he felt Arn Anderson and Charles Robinson, aiding him out of the bathroom. Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon were there as well, watching the weakened 'Nature Boy' be brought to his feet with assistance.
"What should we tell him?" Pat asked, rubbing away some stress in his neck. Vince gulped and cleared his throat, "I think we should give him some time off. He's sick." The 2 watched Ric stagger out of the locker room. Pat grabbed Flair's things and Vince stayed behind. He looked down at the blood below him.
**
Standing at the hospital room window, Ric looked down the 4 stories. Despite being told to remain in bed, his stubborn mind took over and he refused to stay in one spot. His eyes darted to the clock. It had been 5 hours. No one came to talk to him, but he didn't expect anyone anyway. He wasn't even sure if anyone was allowed to see him.
A timid knock on the door didn't budge him and he kept frozen. J.R. stepped in, cowboy hat in hand, with his head slightly bowed, "Ric," he began, "Beth is here to see you."
At first, Ric didn't move, but then he turned to see his wife enter. He could tell she'd been crying for quite some time. She looked at his blank, emotionless face and felt like screaming. She could see his pain, and wanted to take it all away.
With no words spoken, she came to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. She didn't feel him return the gesture, which was understandable. His arms were kept at his side and his expression was still vacant.
She backed away a bit and took his face between her hands, "Are you okay?" Ric blinked, then nodded, slowly. She helped him into a nearby chair and held his hand in hers.
Just then, Vince walked in. He wore a long face and looked at Ric, "We've decided to give you time off. Take as much as you need. Your mental health is important to us." Ric blinked at the Chairman, "Thank you."
McMahon nodded and left the room with J.R. Beth took a chair and sat beside Ric. He turned to her and smiled, weakly. "They said you can leave here. Rehabilitate at home," she said, as she fidgeted with his hair, "It'll be better for you."
Ric nodded, "I want to go home."
**
Upon arriving at home, Ric stared at his house in awe. It was so quiet and lonely. Beth had sent Ashley and Reed to friend's houses so they wouldn't bother their father.
Ric walked into the large living room and collapsed onto the couch, face up. He watched the ceiling fan, and started getting a headache. He covered his face with his hands and exhaled, softly. Beth looked over him, "Do you need anything?"
Ric remained still but then shook his head and took his hands away. She sat next to him. He didn't look at her. Instead, his eyes were trained on the blank, white ceiling above him. He didn't know what to think about anymore. He thought of the pain and almost smiled. He barely remembered being dragged out of the bathroom. When he did it, he realized he wasn't thinking straight. He wasn't supposed to cut his wrists, but something else. . .
"What are you thinking about?" Beth asked, breaking his train of thought. "Nothing," he uttered. "Why . . . did you do it?" She asked, almost afraid to. Ric shrugged, "They won't care when I'm gone. I thought I might as well get it over with."
Beth cringed; she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "But why? You have so much to live for."
Ric sat up, suddenly, and glared at her, "Like what? People want me to stop wrestling; wrestling is my life! If I can't do what I love, then what's the point of living?!" Beth remained calm and took his hand, sitting him next to her.
"Family."
Before Ric could reply, the phone rang. He looked at it and watched it ring. After 5 rings, he answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Dad. How are you feeling?" It was Ric's youngest son, Reed. Ric's lip trembled, "I'm fine." He looked at Beth, unsure of having Reed know about what he'd done to himself.
"You'll be okay, Dad. Don't worry." Ric smiled, "Thanks."
What Reed said next made Ric go numb.
"I love you, Dad."
The words of his son sunk in and Ric no longer knew what to feel. "Bye," Reed said, wanting his father to rest. "Bye," Ric uttered and then hung up. He sat, almost in awe and turned to Beth, "I'll be upstairs."
He left the room and headed to the staircase. Beth stayed where she was, "Are you going to be okay?" Ric froze on a stair step.
"Yeah, I'll be okay," He said, as he pulled out a razor from his pocket.
--