"Hey Chris, wake up!" Lita was pounding on the door. I groaned and turned
my head to the clock. It was already 8, but I was still too tired to care.
"Just come in." I called and she did. I could see that Jeff was with her. "What, no Matt?"
"Come on lazy, we're heading for breakfast." Lita grinned.
"Vince called a meeting to discuss our match on PPV this Sunday." Jeff added. I nodded and went into the bathroom to brush my hair. I came out to see them watching the news. "Alright then, if you're ready, let's get the show on the road." At breakfast we met up with Benoit who was eating with Triple H and RVD.
"Chris, Rob, Paul!" I called and the turned.
"Hey Chris, morning." Rob replied.
"You sound tired." Paul joked. "Still as starved as the bottomless pit?"
"Can you spell Mr. Roboto with Robot?" Chris laughed. I joined them but wasn't to hungry so I just had a glass of milk.
"Guys we'd better see what the boss wants." Matt said, coming from around the corner. We followed him to the 6th floor where Vince room was. Everyone was in there now and we were getting our match assignments scheduled out. I was going to have a match against Kane again but with no dq. Lita and the Hardy Boyz would be going against Trish and E&C, Benoit and Triple H would be having a rematch. RVD and Kurt and Rock were going to have a number one contender match to meet Stone Cold on another day.
"Ok, now I want you to set the match out so we can make this as good as it gets." Vince said and we all said we would. "By the way, we're leaving for the airport at 1 so you'd better clean out your rooms and get ready." He added and we would do just that. Cleaning didn't take too long so I watched some TV. Daytime shows aren't half as good as nighttime shows, but hey, I already knew that. Chris and I met up in the elevator and we headed to the lot.
"So where are we headed to now?" I asked, just to start up a conversation.
"We're going to Miami." Benoit said.
"Oh yea." I had forgotten. "I can't wait to visit everyone back in Tampa." We got or rent-a-cars and drove to the airport where all of us waited for the half hour late plane. The ride wouldn't take so long since it was Manhattan to Miami. We arrived when the sun was just about starting to set.
"Hey, doesn't that look nice?" Benoit pointed at it out the window.
"Yea. Aw, it's a Kodiak moment." I joked and roared like a bear. Benoit grinned, he liked that joke. Me and Benoit seemed to be coming closer over the past few months. Then again, we'd always been friends but never this close as best friends. I hope RVD and Triple H aren't too jealous but then again, they have best friends of their own. We all got to the hotel in time for dinner. That night we had a great night sleep and I even slept in, something I hadn't done in a long time. I could hear Benoit in the room next to mine he was already watching TV. I got cleaned up in the bathroom and met the gang for breakfast.
"How you doing?" We all greeted each other at the same time. We were making fun of that beer commercial we had seen last night during the meeting. I was pretty hungry so I got a lot of meat for breakfast to build up and get ready for my match with Kane tonight. We all talked and laughed but that was a mistake on my account. I had just stuffed a big bite of Belgian waffle in my mouth when I was joking and laughing about when I began to choke. Benoit began to pound my back as everyone looked concerned.
"Hey Chris, here drink this!" Rob handed me his milk. I drank it and became free of the choke hold of the food.
"Thanks Rob. Heh, I guess that waffle was preparing me for a choke slam from Kane tonight." I joked and everybody began to laugh again. But I knew deep down, something was wrong. Chris and I went back to my hotel room while the others went to go around town.
"Don't you wanna go around and visit like you wanted to?" He asked but I turned on the TV. That's when he could tell something was bugging me in the back of my mind. "Chris, what is it? What's wrong?" Benoit is so soul mate, he knows when I'm thinking seriously.
"Well, remember when I choked?" I asked as I headed into the bathroom to get a glass of water. Chris said he remembered as he followed me. "Well, I didn't just choke because I was talking and stuff with my mouth full."
"Ha, like that's anything new?" Beniot joked. "You just naturally have a big mouth and your eyes can't make up for it." I drank the water and cringed. "You mean you're sick?"
"No, well, I dunno, I just have that feeling." I sighed with a shrug. He came over to me. "I can't tell Vince, he'll cancel my match and I'll miss the PPV." I told my serious friend.
"If you really feel that way." Benoit sighed, knowing what I was doing was wrong. "Well, do you just have a sore throat or what?"
"Yea. I mean if I had a fever or something, then Vince could tell because I'd be tired right? Well, as long as I cough when nobody is around and clear my throat a lot, none of the others will be the wiser. Do you think that will work?" I asked and he just shrugged. "Ok then, it's settled. I won't even tell Kane, just keep it quiet you and me, ok?" He said he would. At the arena, I was very self-conscious and I got to my room without bumping into anyone. I got on my gear and watched the show from my TV in the locker room. It came time for my match and I heard the bang on my door that a superstar from the previous match is supposed to do. I opened the door, the coast was clear. I made it to the ring and came out after Kane. The match began. I did pretty good. I saved the coughing until I did a lionsault so it would play along. But I had to do two lionsaults to get it out of my system. I got ready for a Walls of Jericho and like planned, Kane countered and delivered a tombstone. I had a foot on the ropes so I was able to put Kane in a roll up where he kicked out. It was coming down to the end, Kane just gave me a boot to the face and thank god, I needed to cough so it was perfect. Then it was time for the chokeslam. He slapped his hand onto my neck and I cried out in pain, only then realizing how raw my voice was becoming and the vibration of his hand on my neck triggered the tingling again. He slammed me to the mat back first and I let out a few coughs as he got the cover. 1, 2, 3! Kane won the match and we headed backstage as the final match was taking place. I headed to my locker room only to be greeted by Kane.
"Chris?" His voice sounded stern. I gave him a 'what' face. "What's the matter?" I gave him a confused expression. "In the match. Did you have something to drink before the match and I was causing you to choke on it or something?" I understood what he was trying to say and it sounded like a good alaby. I nodded my head yes. "Ok then, just checking on you." He patted my shoulder. "Oh, good match too." He left. I went in the room and sighed, I had won. I changed and went over to meet Benoit in his locker room.
"Chris, you ready?" I asked as I opened the door. My voice sounded really bad now. I tensed when I saw him talking to RVD and Triple H. "What are you doing here?" I gulped.
"Whoa." They took a step back. "Are you ok?"
"Yea, yea, yea." I said and gave Benoit a look, did he tell them. "Coming?"
"Yea." They said and left first, me and Chris followed.
"Did you?" I whispered and he understood what I meant.
"No, but I bet they know now." He growled and I lowered my eyes. "Look, why don't you just tell Vince?"
"Hey, it's cool. Why don't we all just go back to the hotel and forget about it?" I asked. We would be staying in Florida until the end of the week, so we had time to settle in. That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept coughing into my sheets so nobody would hear but I bet Chris knew. That morning I could hear Chris, Rob and Hunter at my door. I rolled to my stomach and saw that it was 9:30 but I was still out of it. "Go away or come in!" I called but my voice came out squeaky and cracked. They came in. Dam, I was sure they'd go to eat without me.
"Man, you sound really bad now." Triple H said as they came up to me. I just turned on the TV and sat on my mangled bed sheets. I turn on the TV whenever I want to tune somebody out, it's just become a trademark thing of mine. I had tossed and turned so much last night that it wore me out and that's the only reason I got to sleep when I did.
"Maybe we should take you to a doctor." RVD suggested but I leered at him. Benoit sat down beside me. I felt horrible but I couldn't admit it and let my pride get shot. I turned my head away from him and he sighed, shaking his head. He got up and went to the bathroom. RVD and Triple H watched him. I felt like a stubborn little kid who was embarrassed since he knew he did something wrong.
"Ok man." Benoit returned and I looked at him. "Open up." I stared at him, RVD and Triple H looked at each other and then back at us. "Say ah." He went on but none of us moved. He sighed and felt my neck. I had no clue what he was doing but I let him be, hoping that he'd just leave me alone after that. That's all I wanted to be that day, alone. Then I'd go to the arena, put on a great show and come back here to hit the hay. "Come on!" Benoit demanded suddenly and the three of us jumped. "Sorry." He blushed a bit.
"Hey, if he doesn't want to." RVD sighed.
"Yea, leave the baby alone." Triple H agreed, talking in a mocking voice.
"I'm not a baby." I leered at him. "I, uh, just don't want to. I hurt to much."
"I'll tell Vince." Benoit got a grin on and I turned to him.
"You wouldn't dare." I gasped but tried to growl. Soon I realized I was outnumbered. "Fine, you win. But you owe me." I pouted and Chris looked at me as if to say, I do?
"I love reverse psychology." RVD laughed.
"What?" Triple H looked confused.
"Ok ready, come on man." I cut in, wanting to get this over with. "I've got dinner plans."
"Sure ya do." Benoit smirked. "Alright." Chris, knowing how uncomfortable I was with all this, he put away the stick he brought from the bathroom. He turned on the little flashlight he always carried with him and stared into my mouth. I was thankful that my friends cared about me so much, but I was even more thankful that he wasn't probing me with any of those doctor tools. I've always hated hospitals and my friends respected that. I was glad. After a while, Chris let me close my mouth and he began to think. "Ok."
"Well?" Triple H asked.
"Shut up and let the doctor do his work." RVD teased.
"If you mind?" I playfully socked Rob in the shoulder but began to cough again.
"Well, I am no doctor but I think that you just might have laryngitis." Chris said.
"Well that's a big surprise. I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from that surprise." RVD joked.
"You need to lay off the sugar." I laughed. "And leave let me do the movie reciting." I grabbed my sore neck and cleared the tickle out of my throat.
"So it's not just a regular sore throat?" Triple H began to think.
"I'm afraid not and sooner or later Vince will find out." Chris added.
"Yea." We all agreed. I sighed, putting my head in my hands.
"So, what do we do?" I gulped and we turned to the scheming Benoit.
"Guys, don't worry." He stood up and turned off the TV. "For I have a plan."
"Just come in." I called and she did. I could see that Jeff was with her. "What, no Matt?"
"Come on lazy, we're heading for breakfast." Lita grinned.
"Vince called a meeting to discuss our match on PPV this Sunday." Jeff added. I nodded and went into the bathroom to brush my hair. I came out to see them watching the news. "Alright then, if you're ready, let's get the show on the road." At breakfast we met up with Benoit who was eating with Triple H and RVD.
"Chris, Rob, Paul!" I called and the turned.
"Hey Chris, morning." Rob replied.
"You sound tired." Paul joked. "Still as starved as the bottomless pit?"
"Can you spell Mr. Roboto with Robot?" Chris laughed. I joined them but wasn't to hungry so I just had a glass of milk.
"Guys we'd better see what the boss wants." Matt said, coming from around the corner. We followed him to the 6th floor where Vince room was. Everyone was in there now and we were getting our match assignments scheduled out. I was going to have a match against Kane again but with no dq. Lita and the Hardy Boyz would be going against Trish and E&C, Benoit and Triple H would be having a rematch. RVD and Kurt and Rock were going to have a number one contender match to meet Stone Cold on another day.
"Ok, now I want you to set the match out so we can make this as good as it gets." Vince said and we all said we would. "By the way, we're leaving for the airport at 1 so you'd better clean out your rooms and get ready." He added and we would do just that. Cleaning didn't take too long so I watched some TV. Daytime shows aren't half as good as nighttime shows, but hey, I already knew that. Chris and I met up in the elevator and we headed to the lot.
"So where are we headed to now?" I asked, just to start up a conversation.
"We're going to Miami." Benoit said.
"Oh yea." I had forgotten. "I can't wait to visit everyone back in Tampa." We got or rent-a-cars and drove to the airport where all of us waited for the half hour late plane. The ride wouldn't take so long since it was Manhattan to Miami. We arrived when the sun was just about starting to set.
"Hey, doesn't that look nice?" Benoit pointed at it out the window.
"Yea. Aw, it's a Kodiak moment." I joked and roared like a bear. Benoit grinned, he liked that joke. Me and Benoit seemed to be coming closer over the past few months. Then again, we'd always been friends but never this close as best friends. I hope RVD and Triple H aren't too jealous but then again, they have best friends of their own. We all got to the hotel in time for dinner. That night we had a great night sleep and I even slept in, something I hadn't done in a long time. I could hear Benoit in the room next to mine he was already watching TV. I got cleaned up in the bathroom and met the gang for breakfast.
"How you doing?" We all greeted each other at the same time. We were making fun of that beer commercial we had seen last night during the meeting. I was pretty hungry so I got a lot of meat for breakfast to build up and get ready for my match with Kane tonight. We all talked and laughed but that was a mistake on my account. I had just stuffed a big bite of Belgian waffle in my mouth when I was joking and laughing about when I began to choke. Benoit began to pound my back as everyone looked concerned.
"Hey Chris, here drink this!" Rob handed me his milk. I drank it and became free of the choke hold of the food.
"Thanks Rob. Heh, I guess that waffle was preparing me for a choke slam from Kane tonight." I joked and everybody began to laugh again. But I knew deep down, something was wrong. Chris and I went back to my hotel room while the others went to go around town.
"Don't you wanna go around and visit like you wanted to?" He asked but I turned on the TV. That's when he could tell something was bugging me in the back of my mind. "Chris, what is it? What's wrong?" Benoit is so soul mate, he knows when I'm thinking seriously.
"Well, remember when I choked?" I asked as I headed into the bathroom to get a glass of water. Chris said he remembered as he followed me. "Well, I didn't just choke because I was talking and stuff with my mouth full."
"Ha, like that's anything new?" Beniot joked. "You just naturally have a big mouth and your eyes can't make up for it." I drank the water and cringed. "You mean you're sick?"
"No, well, I dunno, I just have that feeling." I sighed with a shrug. He came over to me. "I can't tell Vince, he'll cancel my match and I'll miss the PPV." I told my serious friend.
"If you really feel that way." Benoit sighed, knowing what I was doing was wrong. "Well, do you just have a sore throat or what?"
"Yea. I mean if I had a fever or something, then Vince could tell because I'd be tired right? Well, as long as I cough when nobody is around and clear my throat a lot, none of the others will be the wiser. Do you think that will work?" I asked and he just shrugged. "Ok then, it's settled. I won't even tell Kane, just keep it quiet you and me, ok?" He said he would. At the arena, I was very self-conscious and I got to my room without bumping into anyone. I got on my gear and watched the show from my TV in the locker room. It came time for my match and I heard the bang on my door that a superstar from the previous match is supposed to do. I opened the door, the coast was clear. I made it to the ring and came out after Kane. The match began. I did pretty good. I saved the coughing until I did a lionsault so it would play along. But I had to do two lionsaults to get it out of my system. I got ready for a Walls of Jericho and like planned, Kane countered and delivered a tombstone. I had a foot on the ropes so I was able to put Kane in a roll up where he kicked out. It was coming down to the end, Kane just gave me a boot to the face and thank god, I needed to cough so it was perfect. Then it was time for the chokeslam. He slapped his hand onto my neck and I cried out in pain, only then realizing how raw my voice was becoming and the vibration of his hand on my neck triggered the tingling again. He slammed me to the mat back first and I let out a few coughs as he got the cover. 1, 2, 3! Kane won the match and we headed backstage as the final match was taking place. I headed to my locker room only to be greeted by Kane.
"Chris?" His voice sounded stern. I gave him a 'what' face. "What's the matter?" I gave him a confused expression. "In the match. Did you have something to drink before the match and I was causing you to choke on it or something?" I understood what he was trying to say and it sounded like a good alaby. I nodded my head yes. "Ok then, just checking on you." He patted my shoulder. "Oh, good match too." He left. I went in the room and sighed, I had won. I changed and went over to meet Benoit in his locker room.
"Chris, you ready?" I asked as I opened the door. My voice sounded really bad now. I tensed when I saw him talking to RVD and Triple H. "What are you doing here?" I gulped.
"Whoa." They took a step back. "Are you ok?"
"Yea, yea, yea." I said and gave Benoit a look, did he tell them. "Coming?"
"Yea." They said and left first, me and Chris followed.
"Did you?" I whispered and he understood what I meant.
"No, but I bet they know now." He growled and I lowered my eyes. "Look, why don't you just tell Vince?"
"Hey, it's cool. Why don't we all just go back to the hotel and forget about it?" I asked. We would be staying in Florida until the end of the week, so we had time to settle in. That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept coughing into my sheets so nobody would hear but I bet Chris knew. That morning I could hear Chris, Rob and Hunter at my door. I rolled to my stomach and saw that it was 9:30 but I was still out of it. "Go away or come in!" I called but my voice came out squeaky and cracked. They came in. Dam, I was sure they'd go to eat without me.
"Man, you sound really bad now." Triple H said as they came up to me. I just turned on the TV and sat on my mangled bed sheets. I turn on the TV whenever I want to tune somebody out, it's just become a trademark thing of mine. I had tossed and turned so much last night that it wore me out and that's the only reason I got to sleep when I did.
"Maybe we should take you to a doctor." RVD suggested but I leered at him. Benoit sat down beside me. I felt horrible but I couldn't admit it and let my pride get shot. I turned my head away from him and he sighed, shaking his head. He got up and went to the bathroom. RVD and Triple H watched him. I felt like a stubborn little kid who was embarrassed since he knew he did something wrong.
"Ok man." Benoit returned and I looked at him. "Open up." I stared at him, RVD and Triple H looked at each other and then back at us. "Say ah." He went on but none of us moved. He sighed and felt my neck. I had no clue what he was doing but I let him be, hoping that he'd just leave me alone after that. That's all I wanted to be that day, alone. Then I'd go to the arena, put on a great show and come back here to hit the hay. "Come on!" Benoit demanded suddenly and the three of us jumped. "Sorry." He blushed a bit.
"Hey, if he doesn't want to." RVD sighed.
"Yea, leave the baby alone." Triple H agreed, talking in a mocking voice.
"I'm not a baby." I leered at him. "I, uh, just don't want to. I hurt to much."
"I'll tell Vince." Benoit got a grin on and I turned to him.
"You wouldn't dare." I gasped but tried to growl. Soon I realized I was outnumbered. "Fine, you win. But you owe me." I pouted and Chris looked at me as if to say, I do?
"I love reverse psychology." RVD laughed.
"What?" Triple H looked confused.
"Ok ready, come on man." I cut in, wanting to get this over with. "I've got dinner plans."
"Sure ya do." Benoit smirked. "Alright." Chris, knowing how uncomfortable I was with all this, he put away the stick he brought from the bathroom. He turned on the little flashlight he always carried with him and stared into my mouth. I was thankful that my friends cared about me so much, but I was even more thankful that he wasn't probing me with any of those doctor tools. I've always hated hospitals and my friends respected that. I was glad. After a while, Chris let me close my mouth and he began to think. "Ok."
"Well?" Triple H asked.
"Shut up and let the doctor do his work." RVD teased.
"If you mind?" I playfully socked Rob in the shoulder but began to cough again.
"Well, I am no doctor but I think that you just might have laryngitis." Chris said.
"Well that's a big surprise. I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from that surprise." RVD joked.
"You need to lay off the sugar." I laughed. "And leave let me do the movie reciting." I grabbed my sore neck and cleared the tickle out of my throat.
"So it's not just a regular sore throat?" Triple H began to think.
"I'm afraid not and sooner or later Vince will find out." Chris added.
"Yea." We all agreed. I sighed, putting my head in my hands.
"So, what do we do?" I gulped and we turned to the scheming Benoit.
"Guys, don't worry." He stood up and turned off the TV. "For I have a plan."