Chapter 25 - Fear of The Future
A/N: *ahem* …Hi? ^^;; *sees angry crowd about to kill her* I really wish I had an excuse for not writing besides the usual 'FUCKING WRITER'S BLOCK!' But sadly…I don't. Honestly, I haven't really written in…2 months, at least. Guess I was burned out. But a new rush of creative ideas has made me go back into the same ol' thing…and another story will follow this one, the TRUE final part in this insane series. This isn't the last chapter though – the next one, however…yep.
Jericho knew Rob had completely lost it. He seemed very intent on causing some sort of bloodshed. It was no wonder why he never blew his top – when he did; he was out of control. He didn't even bother trying to talk sense into him – wasn't going to work. He just dragged Lance along and hoped Rob's mind would snap back to being normal. He wasn't counting on it, but he really had nothing else to do besides that.
Poor Lance – Jericho felt bad for him, because he probably didn't know anything and was just asked to be a look-out. Still, he did as he was told, and Lance did too – he showed them where this room that held the two who attacked Raven. Rob was already ready to smash the door down, but Jericho, with his level-headedness, knew that was a bad idea.
"No, dude!" he hissed, unable to physically stop him because his arms were currently full with holding Lance back from running. Rob surprisingly did stop, half a step away from the door, and turned to look inquiringly.
"We can't just rush the place." Jericho explained. "This could be a trap. A big one. I'm sure they're ready for everything…."
"I'm ready for…"
"Can we please just make a plan?" he pleaded quietly. "Just in case."
Rob smirked a little more darkly then Chris was used too. "Alright then. We force this idiot to ask for them to come out. Then we beat the crap out of them. Agreed?" Without waiting for an answer, he looked at Lance. "Tell them to come out, Lance."
Lance tried to look indignant, even though he had no way to break free.
"This really isn't a good id…" Rob cut Chris off by grabbing Lance from him, throwing him into the wall lightly enough not to make a noise but hard enough to make him wince in pain. He pinned his neck against the wall.
"Talk. Now."
Lance gulped, uncomfortably squirming, and nodded once. Rob turned his head to Chris, who wore a slightly awed look. He definitely never thought quiet and soft-spoken Rob had this kind of anger in him. He knew he was an ECW wrestler, but still…Rob losing his cool? It was so foreign.
"What do you want me to say?" he managed to squeak out.
"Just say to come out. And you say anything more and I will hurt you." Rob threatened. Lance nodded again, slowly, and Rob let his neck go so he could speak, but still had him in a hold he couldn't get out of without really squirming and thus pissing Rob off even more. So he bowed his head and, after Chris knocked on the door when Rob motioned for him to do, spoke.
"Steph? It's me, Lance. I have to report something to you." He said, trying not to sound strained. Chris didn't blame him, he wouldn't want to piss off Rob in any way.
The door opened and as it did Rob smashed Lance's head against the wall, successfully knocking the guy out in one hit. The person who opened it was Hugh Morris – and Chris, with nothing else to do, jumped toward him, fists flying. It caught the man by surprise, and they both fell backwards and Hugh landed back first, with Chris on top of him, punching him in the face. He heard footsteps running toward him, but suddenly he felt something pass over him and upon looking up he found Rob had caught a bat mid-swing that was aimed as his head. Rob pushed the bat into it's holder – Shawn. Shawn was caught by surprised and smacked in the stomach. He staggered back and Rob threw the bat to the side. He knew, even in his rage, he didn't want to go too far. Shawn punched him, and stared in shock as Rob acted as though it never even happened. He shoved him back, past a screaming person – Steph, he realized - and slammed him into the wall.
It didn't take long. By the time Rob was done, Shawn was a bloody mess on the ground, his nose probably broken and his whole face probably swollen. Hugh didn't fair well either, he was out cold and already bruising. Rob stood up, turning to see Stephanie moving to run. He caught her arm and threw her back into the chair. She let out a slight whimper as he stood over her, glowering.
"R-Rob! You are so fired…h-how DARE you…!" she sputtered.
"I wouldn't want to work for a bitch like you if you paid me a million dollars." He spoke angrily. "How dare me? HOW DARE YOU! You…you destroyed someone just to get what you want. Do you not have any heart? How could you…?!"
"It's business." She said coldly, firmly. That did it. Rob picked her up by her shirt, ready to completely kill her for not caring at all.
"Wait, WAIT." He only lowered her wiggling form a little at Chris's voice. "You don't want to do this, Rob…you'll be just as bad as her. Let her go."
Rob seemed to think about it, then finally she let her drop. She fell back into the chair. Without another word, he turned and left the room, brushing past Chris in silence. Chris turned to follow.
"…Thank you, Jericho." He stopped at the words, turning around to stare at her.
"I didn't do that to save you." He said quietly. "Hell, you deserve to get every single bone in your body broken in half. You don't care about anyone but yourself, Princess, and that's sickening to more then just Rob. You hurt someone badly today. He might even die. Only the most soulless person in the world can have no remorse with that kind of guilt. It wasn't for you Steph…it was because I didn't want Rob to have that on his conscience." He turned and started walking out. Over his shoulder, he continued, "I'm going to enjoy picking apart your company a hell of a lot more now."
After he left her standing there speechless, he found Rob a little bit away from Lance's still form. His headwas bowed and his face was hidden under his half taken out ponytail. His shoulders kept rising and falling to the long, deep breaths he was taking as they entered and exited his lungs. He could see the slightest shivering going through him, and he had to wonder that, now that the rage probably left him, he was feeling the physical drain. He approached cautiously.
"We need to get out of here, Rob." He spoke quietly. "She's probably calling security right now."
Rob sighed, pushing himself off the wall. He glanced at his hands – soaked in blood because of the fighting. Flashes of his discovery of Raven hit him and he felt sick to his stomach. He swallowed the need too and nodded once in agreement.
"Yeah, let's go." He muttered lightly.
When they moved back to the car, Rob just slumped into the seat, closing his eyes for a moment. It was noted his breathing labored and he seemed like he was in a calm daze. But in truth, he kept remembering everything that happened and it continued to make him sick to his stomach. Also, the slow realization of what just happened was sinking in, and what was to come out of his actions. "I don't have a job anymore."
Chris nodded slightly. "Yeah, you don't…but when Vince hears what you did…he'll let you in the WWE. It's as simple as that. Raven too, when he gets…better."
"…I don't think he's going to get better." Rob continued quietly, almost mournfully.
"You don't know that…!" Chris protested. "He might be awake right now!"
"I hope so."
Chris paused, quiet for a moment. He glanced toward him. "…You really don't think he's going too…?"
"He lost a lot of blood. And before I heard the nurses talking about how bad he looked…I'm just saying…"
Chris sighed, nodding. "I know…but for Sam's sake, I hope he pulls through. He's been her rock since you and her…" he stopped mid-sentence, realizing he didn't want to bring –that- up.
"…We broke up." He finished. "I know he has been. That's why I'll always be in debt to him…he can take care of her better then I ever could…even if she would never admit –anyone- could take care of her. Whenever I couldn't stop her…he did. I know that now. I understand. And if he dies…I don't know what's going to happen."
"I know, man. I know. I'm worried about it too."
They both sighed at the same time, thinking of the consequences that would come from losing Raven if it came down to it. Not only would they lose a friend but Sam…
…It might be the last straw.
~~
Sam continued her vigil beside Raven's bedside. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was getting worse. Hour by hour, he was growing more pale. It was as if his life was draining from him. The doctor told her that the only thing they could do is wait. That he wasn't stable enough to test in too many ways. The blood transfusion worked, but he still looked like he was getting very frail…and it scared her. She had the horrible picture of being without him and she couldn't take it already.
Even before anything happened, he always understood her…
He saw all her moods and still would console her – or knock sense into her, as the case once was. He loved her for her, and even through the hardest moment could look at her with all the devotion he would have in their happier moments. And what could have been his last words…
It made her tear up, thinking of what he said. It was all worth it? She was worth dying over? She was worth this? She already knew she couldn't live with herself if he…
An awful thought kept coming to her head, about the moment when he ultimately died from those wounds he had acquired from the attack. She kept trying to think positive, but everything was so bleak. How would she 'keep living' like Raven asked her too? How? It was impossible. If he was gone, it would be the third and final straw in her life. It was too hard to imagine not having him around.
Yet reality was harsh and with his condition staring her in the face, she knew she might have to face it. She didn't know how she would react, but she knew she might have to find out whether she wanted too or not. She heard the doctors talking, as low as they tried to be. She knew they weren't giving him good odds. And she knew in her heart the same thing.
She took his slightly cold hand and sighed. "I know this is hard, Raven, but come back if you can." Her talking was below a whisper and almost couldn't be heard by normal hearing. "…If you can't, I'll…have to understand. I know they say you're not going to make it…that your body has been hit too much…they say you might even be hurt more then they think." She sighed. "…I don't know what to do, Raven. I always came to you when problems came up. Now who can I turn to? No one ever understood me on the level you did…"
His silence was unnerving and again tears threatened to spill. "But regardless….if you're not getting through this, I won't be mad at you. I could never be mad at you, Raven. So if you're holding on for me only, don't. I think you've done enough for me to never be nice to me again."
It was as if he heard her, because his seemed to get a little colder and his heart rate dropped just a tiny bit. She noticed it automatically. She stared at him for a moment, and realized that perhaps somewhere that had reached him. Somehow he was holding on just because of his concern with her well being. And it hurt for her to allow her to let go, but she knew that it was the right thing to say. "…Don't stay alive if you won't be able to function for me, Raven. Just don't."
And she turned and walked out to tell the doctor that his stats were starting to fall at an alarming rate, even though inside she knew he would be dead by the next day.
She didn't start crying until she told the doctor and was alone to her tears.