Title: Taking Chances (6?)
Rating: R for adult themes, M as ffn have it
Content: Slash, angsting, violence
Disclaimer: Don't own, please don't sue
Characters: Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, HHH
Summary: Randy's relationship with Hunter is complicated. Will Chris help him to see it more clearly, or will that just bring more complications?

The trainer had little good news. "Well, you'll be able to work with it, but only lightly. I can't say for sure but I'm guessing you're gonna be looking at surgery. You're going to need scans and X-rays before we can tell for sure though."

Randy nodded. "I figured."

"I'll arrange for you to get scans done. I'll call you later, OK?"

"Yeah." Randy looked at Chris and forced a smile, "guess I should go and break the good news to the boss."

The trainer gave Randy some pain pills and strapped up his arm so that he wouldn't have to move it too much. Randy suddenly remembered that Hunter had destroyed his phone.

"I broke my cell phone the other day, can you call me on Chris'?" Randy looked sheepish, "threw it against the wall in a tantrum."

The trainer nodded, knowing that most of the wrestlers he dealt with had volatile tempers. He didn't exactly buy Chris' story of how Randy had acquired this injury, but guessed that the younger man had been drunk and fallen over or something similar.

Randy and Chris left the room in silence. Chris had mixed feelings. He knew it would hurt Randy to be out of action: the young man adored his profession. He also thought that a few months away from Hunter would do the young man the world of good.

"Vince isn't going to be happy."

Chris shrugged. "These things happen, he knows that. If you can work light then they can maybe save you for the match against Taker, and do an injury storyline around that." The more Chris thought about it, the more he thought a break would be the best thing for Randy.

"Oh yeah, the match against Taker." Randy looked down sadly.

"Not too keen?"

"No. Well, it's not that I don't want to fight him." Randy sighed, he was suddenly starting to see things much more clearly, and he didn't like the things he was seeing. "I just realised that Hunter probably suggested it so that I wouldn't go after him, go after the title again. They were thinking about putting me in the title match at one point."

While Chris was glad that Randy was seeing things more clearly where Hunter was concerned, he was also worried at the effect it was having on the younger man. Everything Randy had was being stripped from him, everything he had based his life on was being taken away. Chris wasn't sure what to do for the best. "We'll see what the boss says later. It's probably best not to speculate on how things will work out until we know for sure how bad your shoulder is."

"You're right."

"I always am." Chris grinned. "Well, almost."

Randy forced a smile. "Modest too."

Chris was pleased, that was almost like the old Randy back again.

"I'm gonna go and get my stuff. I have to see Hunter at some point, it may as well be now." There was some of the old steely determination in Randy's eyes and voice. It wasn't as strong as it used to be, but it did show Chris that Hunter hadn't managed to completely destroy the young man.

"Want me to come?"

"I don't want to make Hunter any more angry… so no." Chris could understand Randy's logic, but the protective side of him wanted to go with the young man to make sure that he was OK. "Can I bring my stuff to your room?"

"Sure. Be careful yeah?"

"I will."

Chris watched Randy walk off. The young man was trying to put a strength into his walk and demeanour that Chris just prayed the man really did possess. Otherwise, there was a real possibility that Hunter would talk him round. And Chris knew that each time you went back to Hunter, it became even more difficult to leave the next time.