Author's note: The TLC match referred to in both this chapter and the previous one is a match in 2010 between Rob Van Dam, Rhyno, The Dudleys (Bubba and D'Von) and the Hardyz for the WWF Tag team belts.
This picks up right where Danny and Matt's conversation leaves off:
"Matt?" a redheaded lady walked up to Matt Hardy with concern on her face. I recognized her instantly. Amy Hardy had come to watch and observe a few weeks ago right before I found out everything I know now. I heard something about her husband having been a wrestler at one time. I put two and two together and realized that Matt was her husband.
"Hey, Ames," Matt said turning around and giving his wife a smile. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to know if you were okay," she said giving her husband a kiss on the head. "I was worried when Vince came out there and said that WCW was off the air. I didn't know if they'd done something to you."
"I didn't know if you were okay until Danny here told me you were," Matt answered her pointing at me. Amy gave me a small smile.
"Well, I thank you very much for reassuring my husband," Amy said.
"Look I'm going to talk to the rest of the production guys, see if they're all right and then I'm going to talk to Shane. Maybe find out what the hell is going on around here." Matt said rolling off in the direction of the production truck, which I now noticed had a ramp attached to it.
'Good luck' I thought about Matt finding out anything from Shane. I almost forgot Amy Hardy was there until she spoke:
"It hurts him," she said softly.
"What hurts him?" I asked confused.
"The fact that Jeff stayed in the WWF after his injury. I overheard you guys' conversation where Matt was telling you how he ended up in the wheelchair. Matt and his brother used to be so close. I think both of us thought that Jeff would leave when we both left for WCW. We both felt shocked and maybe a little betrayed when he told Matt he was staying in the WWF."
"Yeah I think I how he feels," I said remembering the shock I felt seeing Megan in Triple H and Stephanie's office.
"I don't know if Jeff stayed because he really wanted to or if he was resentful of me," it came out in almost a whisper.
"Of you? Why?" I asked, curious now.
"When I was wrestling, I'd wrestled under a variety of aliases. In the WWF I'd wrestled as Lita. Was known as the High - flying diva of the company because of my daredevil moves, which is how I'd eventually got put in a storyline with Matt and Jeff, both of whom I'd known for a long time. Even beat Stephanie for the women's title thanks to Shane and Linda's pushing for me."
In 2002 I'd suffered a broken neck while filming a stunt for a guest appearance on a TV show, it's been so long I've forgotten the name of it and the show was canceled anyways. I had to go under an operation to fuse some of the vertebrate in my neck. It took me away from the ring for a year but I eventually recovered and was able to do pretty much everything I was able to do in the ring before."
"Matt wasn't?" Dumb question Danny!
Amy gave a sad smile of the one she'd given earlier. "They were able to fuse a few vertebrae to enable Matt to have upperbody movement but there was too much damage to his legs. Who knows, with they way science moves these days, maybe someday Matt maybe able to walk again, but for now, it's sadly not in the cards. I decided to retire after Matt's accident and move over to the commentator's booth. Matt's accident made me lose all passion for the ring afterwards so I don't miss it. I've been a commentator before, and plus Michael's good to play off of and funny."
"So Jeff's resentful of you because your operation was able to allow you to return to wrestling and Matt's wasn't?" I asked, becoming more and more intrigued by the moment.
"Who knows? He was becoming distant even before the accident. He'd left for awhile in 2003 and went on the indy circuit. Things were better after he came back for me and Matt's wedding on the special live SMACKDOWN New Year's Day in 2004. That wasn't long after Stone Cold Steve Austin's death and not too long before your Dad's death. Anyways things started getting strained again after your Dad's death, when me and Matt had first started entertaining leaving as part of the mass exudus that took place after the RAW memorial. Jeff was insistent that we stayed and I think Matt was afraid of losing his brother after Jeff had cut off everybody for about a year beforehand, so we eventually gave in and agreed to stay in the WWF. Things got better and it looked like Matt and Jeff were closer than before. Then came the TLC match."
"Matt said he didn't remember what happened during that match, do you?" I asked wanting to know more.
"Nobody's seen what exactly happened during that match, but I was watching the monitor and there was a spot between Devon and Rob with a Van Daminator when all of a sudden the sound of wood was heard and the camera came back and there was Matt laying next to the announce table, not moving. I ran out there, not caring that I was breaking kayfabe because I'd just turned heel at the time. I tried to get as close to Matt as I could without interfering with the paramedics. I was afraid because he was unconscious and not moving. Even though he had broken several vertebrae, I was relieved when he woke up a few days later. Jeff, Jeff was just so distant, almost as if he didn't care about what had happened," Amy shook her head, as if trying not to cry over something that had occurred almost a decade ago.
"Amy?" A gravely voice broke into our conversation. Amy and I looked up to find a short haired man in a tank top and shorts.
"Yeah Mike?" she answered. That must've been her broadcast partner, Michael Manna. I vaguely remember some people telling me he was called Steven Richards in public.
"We need to get with Dustin and Shane, and see what the plan is for Orlando. Hell if I know anymore." Orlando was Thunder, I didn't know if Shane was going to show up there or not. I'd have to ask. I'd have to ask about a lot of things it seems.
"Okay, I'll be right with you. Nice talking with you Danny," she gave a smile and went off in the direction Matt had gone.
"Hold on I'll come with you. Shane's kind of my ride home so to speak," I went and followed Michael and Amy down towards where Shane, Matt and Dustin were.
I had a lot of questions of my own for Shane and Erichson when we got back to Kentucky.
This picks up right where Danny and Matt's conversation leaves off:
"Matt?" a redheaded lady walked up to Matt Hardy with concern on her face. I recognized her instantly. Amy Hardy had come to watch and observe a few weeks ago right before I found out everything I know now. I heard something about her husband having been a wrestler at one time. I put two and two together and realized that Matt was her husband.
"Hey, Ames," Matt said turning around and giving his wife a smile. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to know if you were okay," she said giving her husband a kiss on the head. "I was worried when Vince came out there and said that WCW was off the air. I didn't know if they'd done something to you."
"I didn't know if you were okay until Danny here told me you were," Matt answered her pointing at me. Amy gave me a small smile.
"Well, I thank you very much for reassuring my husband," Amy said.
"Look I'm going to talk to the rest of the production guys, see if they're all right and then I'm going to talk to Shane. Maybe find out what the hell is going on around here." Matt said rolling off in the direction of the production truck, which I now noticed had a ramp attached to it.
'Good luck' I thought about Matt finding out anything from Shane. I almost forgot Amy Hardy was there until she spoke:
"It hurts him," she said softly.
"What hurts him?" I asked confused.
"The fact that Jeff stayed in the WWF after his injury. I overheard you guys' conversation where Matt was telling you how he ended up in the wheelchair. Matt and his brother used to be so close. I think both of us thought that Jeff would leave when we both left for WCW. We both felt shocked and maybe a little betrayed when he told Matt he was staying in the WWF."
"Yeah I think I how he feels," I said remembering the shock I felt seeing Megan in Triple H and Stephanie's office.
"I don't know if Jeff stayed because he really wanted to or if he was resentful of me," it came out in almost a whisper.
"Of you? Why?" I asked, curious now.
"When I was wrestling, I'd wrestled under a variety of aliases. In the WWF I'd wrestled as Lita. Was known as the High - flying diva of the company because of my daredevil moves, which is how I'd eventually got put in a storyline with Matt and Jeff, both of whom I'd known for a long time. Even beat Stephanie for the women's title thanks to Shane and Linda's pushing for me."
In 2002 I'd suffered a broken neck while filming a stunt for a guest appearance on a TV show, it's been so long I've forgotten the name of it and the show was canceled anyways. I had to go under an operation to fuse some of the vertebrate in my neck. It took me away from the ring for a year but I eventually recovered and was able to do pretty much everything I was able to do in the ring before."
"Matt wasn't?" Dumb question Danny!
Amy gave a sad smile of the one she'd given earlier. "They were able to fuse a few vertebrae to enable Matt to have upperbody movement but there was too much damage to his legs. Who knows, with they way science moves these days, maybe someday Matt maybe able to walk again, but for now, it's sadly not in the cards. I decided to retire after Matt's accident and move over to the commentator's booth. Matt's accident made me lose all passion for the ring afterwards so I don't miss it. I've been a commentator before, and plus Michael's good to play off of and funny."
"So Jeff's resentful of you because your operation was able to allow you to return to wrestling and Matt's wasn't?" I asked, becoming more and more intrigued by the moment.
"Who knows? He was becoming distant even before the accident. He'd left for awhile in 2003 and went on the indy circuit. Things were better after he came back for me and Matt's wedding on the special live SMACKDOWN New Year's Day in 2004. That wasn't long after Stone Cold Steve Austin's death and not too long before your Dad's death. Anyways things started getting strained again after your Dad's death, when me and Matt had first started entertaining leaving as part of the mass exudus that took place after the RAW memorial. Jeff was insistent that we stayed and I think Matt was afraid of losing his brother after Jeff had cut off everybody for about a year beforehand, so we eventually gave in and agreed to stay in the WWF. Things got better and it looked like Matt and Jeff were closer than before. Then came the TLC match."
"Matt said he didn't remember what happened during that match, do you?" I asked wanting to know more.
"Nobody's seen what exactly happened during that match, but I was watching the monitor and there was a spot between Devon and Rob with a Van Daminator when all of a sudden the sound of wood was heard and the camera came back and there was Matt laying next to the announce table, not moving. I ran out there, not caring that I was breaking kayfabe because I'd just turned heel at the time. I tried to get as close to Matt as I could without interfering with the paramedics. I was afraid because he was unconscious and not moving. Even though he had broken several vertebrae, I was relieved when he woke up a few days later. Jeff, Jeff was just so distant, almost as if he didn't care about what had happened," Amy shook her head, as if trying not to cry over something that had occurred almost a decade ago.
"Amy?" A gravely voice broke into our conversation. Amy and I looked up to find a short haired man in a tank top and shorts.
"Yeah Mike?" she answered. That must've been her broadcast partner, Michael Manna. I vaguely remember some people telling me he was called Steven Richards in public.
"We need to get with Dustin and Shane, and see what the plan is for Orlando. Hell if I know anymore." Orlando was Thunder, I didn't know if Shane was going to show up there or not. I'd have to ask. I'd have to ask about a lot of things it seems.
"Okay, I'll be right with you. Nice talking with you Danny," she gave a smile and went off in the direction Matt had gone.
"Hold on I'll come with you. Shane's kind of my ride home so to speak," I went and followed Michael and Amy down towards where Shane, Matt and Dustin were.
I had a lot of questions of my own for Shane and Erichson when we got back to Kentucky.