Hunter sat on the bed, watching the television idly. He wasn't really
paying attention to it. In fact, he didn't even remember turning it on.
He was too busy thinking to pay attention to what he was doing. It was a
miracle that he had even made it back to his hotel room.
He was thinking about earlier, about Stephanie and Chris. She still hadn't returned from the hospital and he was starting to get worried. It wasn't like her to call, especially if she was out this late. Then there was the whole business of Chris calling Stephanie "baby." His mind still hadn't grasped that one.
What would compel Chris to even call her such a term of endearment? He and Stephanie hadn't really discussed in depth everything that had gone on while they were apart. He had slept with a couple of women in that time period, so he really couldn't begrudge Stephanie if she had slept with someone. He just didn't really like the fact that that someone could be Chris Jericho.
His cell phone rang and he picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hunter, it's me."
"Oh hey baby, where are you?"
"I'm still at the hospital."
Hunter scowled, "Oh, still?"
"Yeah, they want to keep Chris here overnight, so I'm--"
"You're staying overnight!?!" he said angrily.
"No, I was just going to stay for a couple more hours," she said, slightly taken aback by his burst of anger, "I just wanted to let you know."
"Oh," he said, trying to calm himself down, "Yeah, that's fine."
"Ok, thanks," she paused, "Is everything ok?"
Hunter wanted to shout out that no, not everything was ok. But he held back and kept thinking that he was looking too much into this. I mean, they were obviously friends, he knew that, and he didn't mind. But there was something funny going on between the two of them and he couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from exactly.
"Yeah, I just miss you."
"Aww, I miss you too, but I'll be back before you know it."
"Promise?" he said seriously.
"Of course sweetie, I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."
She hung up the phone and turned it off, and looked at the bed, "He said it was ok."
"You don't have to stay with me you know?" Chris said to her, adjusting himself in the hospital bed.
"I know, but I don't think you really want to be alone now do you?"
He laughed, "Not really."
"So I'll stay," she told him, "Though Hunter did sound funny on the phone?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, like he was holding something back from me? I don't know what it could be, nothing out of the ordinary has happened."
"Are you sure? Think back to tonight."
She thought for a moment. Nothing seemed out of place to her. They had come to the show, they had talked to various people, hung out in their dressing room for a while. She had gone out for a match, seen Chris get hurt, helped him to the back, as she would've done any friend, and then she had helped him to the car where they had driven to the hospital. Then it suddenly dawned on her.
"Chris, I know what it is!" she exclaimed.
"Voice down a notch please, I've got a terrible headache," he winced.
"Oops, sorry," she said, quieting herself, "But I know why he seemed off."
"Ok, care to share or are you just going to sit there and muse to yourself."
She stuck her tongue out at him, "You called me "baby" tonight when I was helping you to the car."
Chris started laughing, "I did?"
"Yeah, I said we'd take care of you or something and you said "ok baby" to me," she giggled.
"Oh man, well of course he's gonna get mad, he probably thinks that we had a relationship or something," he told her.
"Yeah right, like I'd ever get with you," she scoffed.
"Hey! What's wrong with me?" he asked indignantly.
"You're not my type."
"Nice to know."
"I know," she yawned.
"Hey, you're tired, why don't you head on out of here and get back to your husband. I'm sure he's up waiting for you."
"I'll wait until you fall asleep," she said.
"Ok, well, I'll try to fall asleep quickly then," he said, yawning himself and closing her eyes.
Stephanie watched him and laughed softly when she thought about Hunter thinking they had been having some sort of affair or something. Nothing could be farther from the truth. She and Chris had never had a relationship, or sex, or anything else illicit ever. The thought was too preposterous, he was too much like a brother for her to think of him that way.
In fact, she really did think of him as an older brother. He was always defending her and being a good friend. Becoming business partners with him had been the best thing ever for the both of them. She smiled, he made her feel protected, kind of like when she was around Shane.
She watched him doze and yawned, maybe she should head out. Soon she thought as she laid her head on the bed. She really shouldn't drive while so tired, a little catnap would help her be more alert. She sat with her head on her arms on Chris's bed and quickly fell asleep.
Hunter, in the meantime, was waiting up for his wife. She said she would only be a couple of hours. He tried to wait up for her, but as the hours progressed, he fell asleep, still sitting up in bed, waiting.
The next morning he woke up and looked to the other side of the bed, expecting to see Stephanie laying there, having come in when he was sound asleep. He was surprised to find there was nothing there and there was no indication that there had ever been anyone. They were in a hotel there was no way Stephanie would make the bed after getting up.
He got up and looked around the hotel room. None of her things were there and she was nowhere to be found. Getting a little frantic, he ran for the phone and dialed her cell phone number. Immediately the voice mail picked up. He hung up without leaving a message and quickly got dressed.
Stephanie yawned and opened her eyes. Her back was so stiff and she didn't know why. She looked around and realized that she was sitting on a chair. Her head shot up and she looked around. She had slept all night on Chris's bed at the hospital. She looked at Chris who was still fast asleep.
"Shit," she mumbled, "Hunter's probably worried sick."
She grabbed her cell phone and turned it on. She dialed Hunter's cell phone, but it just kept on ringing and ringing. He must not be around it or something. She hung up and saw Chris starting to stir.
Hunter went downstairs, knowing he had forgotten his cell phone in the room, but in too much of a hurry to go back and get it. He scanned the lobby wondering if there was anyone he could ask about Stephanie's whereabouts, but there wasn't so he decided to go look for her himself.
"Hey," Stephanie smiled as Chris opened his eyes.
"Hey, did you spend the night?" he said, stretching in bed.
"Yeah, on accident, I totally fell asleep," she laughed.
"Does Hunter know?"
"No, I tried to reach him, but he wasn't picking up. I'm sure he's not too worried, he knows I was here."
"Did you sleep in the chair all night?"
"Yeah, I'm so stiff," she said, trying to get the cricks out of her back.
"Well, here," he said, getting out of bed, "You can lay down for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to the bathroom, and then I'll come back and sit down in the chair."
"You don't mind, I mean, you're the sick one?"
"Of course not, I was tired of lying down anyways, and don't worry, the bed is fine, I don't have cooties."
She giggled, "Eww, you're gross."
She climbed in the bed, throwing her shoes on the floor. She pulled the covers up a little and settled in the bed, smelling Chris's cologne on the pillow. Chris smiled and walked into the bathroom, wanting to freshen up. The hospital always made him feel dirty.
Hunter walked up to the room that they had said was Chris's. He approached the room and looked inside, and was shocked at what he saw. Stephanie was lying in the bed in the room. Had she been there all night? He fumed and stood just outside the doorway.
Chris came out of the bathroom and saw that Stephanie was asleep. He smiled down at her and smoothed some of her hair back, not knowing that someone was watching. He pulled the covers up on her a little more and went over to where his bag was to get his toothbrush so he could brush his teeth.
Hunter wanted to rush in the room and rip Chris Jericho to shreds, but this was a hospital and he knew he'd get caught if he beat on one of the patients. Instead he walked down the hallway and out of the hospital. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Stephanie's cell phone.
Chris heard the cell phone from the bathroom and ran into the other room to get it before Stephanie woke up. The poor thing had slept in a chair all night, she at least deserved a little bit of sleep. He grabbed her cell phone from the stand next to the bed and saw that it was Hunter.
"Hey Hunter," Chris said.
Hunter's breath started coming out in angry gasps, "What the hell are you doing answering the phone?"
"Um, Stephanie is asleep and so I didn't want to wake her."
"Ok, that's fine, I'll just tell this to you and you can relay the message to her ok?" he said coldly.
"Sure," Chris said, "Is this about the flight you want to take home?"
"No, this is to tell her she can find somewhere else to stay. Your house perhaps, since you two are so close. Tell Stephanie she can be with you for all I care. Cause as of right now I don't give a shit about her."
"Yo Hunter, what is the matter?"
"Don't pretend with me Jericho. You want her, you got her!" he yelled before hanging up.
"Oh shit," Chris muttered.
Stephanie opened her eyes a little, hearing Chris talking, "Mmm, Chris, who are you talking to?"
"Stephanie, we're in deep shit."
He was thinking about earlier, about Stephanie and Chris. She still hadn't returned from the hospital and he was starting to get worried. It wasn't like her to call, especially if she was out this late. Then there was the whole business of Chris calling Stephanie "baby." His mind still hadn't grasped that one.
What would compel Chris to even call her such a term of endearment? He and Stephanie hadn't really discussed in depth everything that had gone on while they were apart. He had slept with a couple of women in that time period, so he really couldn't begrudge Stephanie if she had slept with someone. He just didn't really like the fact that that someone could be Chris Jericho.
His cell phone rang and he picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hunter, it's me."
"Oh hey baby, where are you?"
"I'm still at the hospital."
Hunter scowled, "Oh, still?"
"Yeah, they want to keep Chris here overnight, so I'm--"
"You're staying overnight!?!" he said angrily.
"No, I was just going to stay for a couple more hours," she said, slightly taken aback by his burst of anger, "I just wanted to let you know."
"Oh," he said, trying to calm himself down, "Yeah, that's fine."
"Ok, thanks," she paused, "Is everything ok?"
Hunter wanted to shout out that no, not everything was ok. But he held back and kept thinking that he was looking too much into this. I mean, they were obviously friends, he knew that, and he didn't mind. But there was something funny going on between the two of them and he couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from exactly.
"Yeah, I just miss you."
"Aww, I miss you too, but I'll be back before you know it."
"Promise?" he said seriously.
"Of course sweetie, I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."
She hung up the phone and turned it off, and looked at the bed, "He said it was ok."
"You don't have to stay with me you know?" Chris said to her, adjusting himself in the hospital bed.
"I know, but I don't think you really want to be alone now do you?"
He laughed, "Not really."
"So I'll stay," she told him, "Though Hunter did sound funny on the phone?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, like he was holding something back from me? I don't know what it could be, nothing out of the ordinary has happened."
"Are you sure? Think back to tonight."
She thought for a moment. Nothing seemed out of place to her. They had come to the show, they had talked to various people, hung out in their dressing room for a while. She had gone out for a match, seen Chris get hurt, helped him to the back, as she would've done any friend, and then she had helped him to the car where they had driven to the hospital. Then it suddenly dawned on her.
"Chris, I know what it is!" she exclaimed.
"Voice down a notch please, I've got a terrible headache," he winced.
"Oops, sorry," she said, quieting herself, "But I know why he seemed off."
"Ok, care to share or are you just going to sit there and muse to yourself."
She stuck her tongue out at him, "You called me "baby" tonight when I was helping you to the car."
Chris started laughing, "I did?"
"Yeah, I said we'd take care of you or something and you said "ok baby" to me," she giggled.
"Oh man, well of course he's gonna get mad, he probably thinks that we had a relationship or something," he told her.
"Yeah right, like I'd ever get with you," she scoffed.
"Hey! What's wrong with me?" he asked indignantly.
"You're not my type."
"Nice to know."
"I know," she yawned.
"Hey, you're tired, why don't you head on out of here and get back to your husband. I'm sure he's up waiting for you."
"I'll wait until you fall asleep," she said.
"Ok, well, I'll try to fall asleep quickly then," he said, yawning himself and closing her eyes.
Stephanie watched him and laughed softly when she thought about Hunter thinking they had been having some sort of affair or something. Nothing could be farther from the truth. She and Chris had never had a relationship, or sex, or anything else illicit ever. The thought was too preposterous, he was too much like a brother for her to think of him that way.
In fact, she really did think of him as an older brother. He was always defending her and being a good friend. Becoming business partners with him had been the best thing ever for the both of them. She smiled, he made her feel protected, kind of like when she was around Shane.
She watched him doze and yawned, maybe she should head out. Soon she thought as she laid her head on the bed. She really shouldn't drive while so tired, a little catnap would help her be more alert. She sat with her head on her arms on Chris's bed and quickly fell asleep.
Hunter, in the meantime, was waiting up for his wife. She said she would only be a couple of hours. He tried to wait up for her, but as the hours progressed, he fell asleep, still sitting up in bed, waiting.
The next morning he woke up and looked to the other side of the bed, expecting to see Stephanie laying there, having come in when he was sound asleep. He was surprised to find there was nothing there and there was no indication that there had ever been anyone. They were in a hotel there was no way Stephanie would make the bed after getting up.
He got up and looked around the hotel room. None of her things were there and she was nowhere to be found. Getting a little frantic, he ran for the phone and dialed her cell phone number. Immediately the voice mail picked up. He hung up without leaving a message and quickly got dressed.
Stephanie yawned and opened her eyes. Her back was so stiff and she didn't know why. She looked around and realized that she was sitting on a chair. Her head shot up and she looked around. She had slept all night on Chris's bed at the hospital. She looked at Chris who was still fast asleep.
"Shit," she mumbled, "Hunter's probably worried sick."
She grabbed her cell phone and turned it on. She dialed Hunter's cell phone, but it just kept on ringing and ringing. He must not be around it or something. She hung up and saw Chris starting to stir.
Hunter went downstairs, knowing he had forgotten his cell phone in the room, but in too much of a hurry to go back and get it. He scanned the lobby wondering if there was anyone he could ask about Stephanie's whereabouts, but there wasn't so he decided to go look for her himself.
"Hey," Stephanie smiled as Chris opened his eyes.
"Hey, did you spend the night?" he said, stretching in bed.
"Yeah, on accident, I totally fell asleep," she laughed.
"Does Hunter know?"
"No, I tried to reach him, but he wasn't picking up. I'm sure he's not too worried, he knows I was here."
"Did you sleep in the chair all night?"
"Yeah, I'm so stiff," she said, trying to get the cricks out of her back.
"Well, here," he said, getting out of bed, "You can lay down for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to the bathroom, and then I'll come back and sit down in the chair."
"You don't mind, I mean, you're the sick one?"
"Of course not, I was tired of lying down anyways, and don't worry, the bed is fine, I don't have cooties."
She giggled, "Eww, you're gross."
She climbed in the bed, throwing her shoes on the floor. She pulled the covers up a little and settled in the bed, smelling Chris's cologne on the pillow. Chris smiled and walked into the bathroom, wanting to freshen up. The hospital always made him feel dirty.
Hunter walked up to the room that they had said was Chris's. He approached the room and looked inside, and was shocked at what he saw. Stephanie was lying in the bed in the room. Had she been there all night? He fumed and stood just outside the doorway.
Chris came out of the bathroom and saw that Stephanie was asleep. He smiled down at her and smoothed some of her hair back, not knowing that someone was watching. He pulled the covers up on her a little more and went over to where his bag was to get his toothbrush so he could brush his teeth.
Hunter wanted to rush in the room and rip Chris Jericho to shreds, but this was a hospital and he knew he'd get caught if he beat on one of the patients. Instead he walked down the hallway and out of the hospital. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Stephanie's cell phone.
Chris heard the cell phone from the bathroom and ran into the other room to get it before Stephanie woke up. The poor thing had slept in a chair all night, she at least deserved a little bit of sleep. He grabbed her cell phone from the stand next to the bed and saw that it was Hunter.
"Hey Hunter," Chris said.
Hunter's breath started coming out in angry gasps, "What the hell are you doing answering the phone?"
"Um, Stephanie is asleep and so I didn't want to wake her."
"Ok, that's fine, I'll just tell this to you and you can relay the message to her ok?" he said coldly.
"Sure," Chris said, "Is this about the flight you want to take home?"
"No, this is to tell her she can find somewhere else to stay. Your house perhaps, since you two are so close. Tell Stephanie she can be with you for all I care. Cause as of right now I don't give a shit about her."
"Yo Hunter, what is the matter?"
"Don't pretend with me Jericho. You want her, you got her!" he yelled before hanging up.
"Oh shit," Chris muttered.
Stephanie opened her eyes a little, hearing Chris talking, "Mmm, Chris, who are you talking to?"
"Stephanie, we're in deep shit."