A/N: Heya, this chapter has been slightly edited, by about three words but i was re-reading it and it seemed a bit too dramatic to have Lexi nearly dying and stuff.
"Go Shawty it's your birthday we gonna party like it's your birthday we gonna sip bacardi like it's your birthday, and you we don't give a..."
"DAMN" The occupants of the room laughed as Lexi cut off John's singing.
"Ok then, and you know we don't give a damn coz' it's your birthday" The stars laughed and then watched as Lexi and Maria battled it out in a game of limbo. All of the stars had been ordered to arrive at the arena an hour before the show started and leave half an hour after it had ended. Eric had ordered this, as he wasn't keen on people leaving the show before it had ended.
Lexi and John had apologized to their friends, as they knew that Eric had found out that they had left early. It was ten minutes until the show began and some of the stars had gathered together in a large locker room and had proceeded to play limbo. As Lexi and Maria were the smallest two they had been able to outlast the others. Maria attempted to get under the pole but it was too low and she slipped, Lexi needed to get under it to win, she folded herself over backwards and added a little shake for effect and shimmied right under and was declared the winner.
"Mmm, I have to go now, I have a match with Kurt Angle." The superstars wished Eugene luck and Lexi noticed John slip out of the room, she didn't say anything and kept watch on the monitor. She frowned as she saw Eugene tap out but Angle refusing to break the hold. She smiled as John came to the aid of Eugene but her smile was quickly replaced with a look of concern, anger and pain as Tomko nearly knocked John's head off. Lexi sprinted out of the room, raced down the halls and burst into the trainers room were John had just arrived, she immediately went to his side and held his hand as the trainer checked him over and stated that he had an extremely mild concussion and that he would probably need painkillers but nothing else. Lexi thanked the trainer and placed a kiss on John's hand.
"My head hurts." Lexi rolled her eyes at John's comment.
"Well duh. Ye head nearly got knocked off me loves, so it might hurt." John smiled at Lexis' sarcasm; he had become accustomed to it over the past few weeks. He was sure that it had been rubbing off on him as he found himself giving sarcastic remarks without thinking. He watched as she began fiddling with her necklace, something she often did when she had nothing else to do. The necklace was a gold chain with a small ruby Liver Bird hanging off it; her best friend had given her it on her 10th birthday.
There was an added air of mystery to the situation regarding the necklace, every time John asked about her friend; Lexi would quickly change the subject and begin talking about something else. John was determined to find out about the friend but didn't want to push Lexi; she would tell him when she was good and ready.
"John, did you hear that? Earth to John please respond." John looked up just in time to see a stagehand disappear out of the door. He looked around bewildered and Lexi laughed.
"You look like a lost puppy, but I'm guessing you didn't hear what Kevin said then. He said …"
"Who's Kevin?"
"The stagehand, he was telling us that you've gorra match tonight against Tyson Tomko." John nodded his head and stood up slowly. Lexi stood with him and they made their way to his locker room. John changed silently while Lexi looked on; John assumed that she was lost in thought. She was actually staring at John's body as he changed and trying not to drool.
"I'm comin' out with you." John sighed and shook his head.
"No way, it's too danger…" John began but Lexi cut him off.
"Don't you dare tell me it's too dangerous when you know I ain't gonna listen. I'm comin' out with you. Even if I have to stand at the top of the ramp and watch, I'm comin'." Lexi looked at John with a defiant look and he slowly nodded.
"Ok," he conceded, "But if anything goes down that you can't handle get your ass outta there and get help. Lets go." The two then stood and mad their way to the entrance as Tomko made his way down to the ring. As he walked, John realised that the fans didn't know that he and Lexi were together, a plan formed in his mind to show the whole world how they felt.
They made their way out and John carried on to the ring leaving Lexi at the top. She watched the match on edge, she could hear parts of the ringside commentary and was very tempted to go and punch Coach in his big mouth. She nearly jumped in the air when John got the shoulder block in and began picking up some momentum. She actually did jump up in the air when John won, she yelled in delight as he celebrated and made his way up to the ramp. He picked her up and swung her around before setting her down, she grabbed his arm and raised it in the air, he grinned down at her before pulling her in for a passionate kiss.
The crowd went nuts, as they broke apart. Lexi smiled up at John when something hit them both hard in the back of the head and sent them both flying to the steel floor, Lexi's head colliding hard with the steel, she looked up in a daze to find Kurt Angle ripping at Johns face. She struggled to her feet and cried out in alarm as Angle rammed John's head into the side of the Titan Tron.
She stumbled forward, placing herself between Angle and John and shoved Angle as hard as she could. He staggered back a few paces before straightening up and walking towards her with a purpose, Lexi walked back slowly but Angle leaped forward and grabbed her by the neck. She clawed at his hands but he was too strong, behind him she could see John slowly getting up, she tried to call out but the grip around her throat was too tight.
From the corner of her eye she could see the crowd screaming in anger and rage at the fact that he would lay his hands on her. Suddenly she felt herself picked up and held high in the air by her neck and legs, she looked at the steel floor bracing herself for what was to come but it didn't happen. Angle began walking and stopped on the edge of the stage, she looked down in horror at the tables, chairs and other equipment that were piled out of the way down there. Everything became a blur as she felt herself flying through the air and then it all went black.
John looked up just in time to see Angle fling Lexi off the stage, he froze in shock which gave Angle the time he needed to get to John and continue his assault. The world tipped as he was given a vicious Angle Slam, he automatically stiffened and yelled in pain as Angle stood over him. Minutes later he was surrounded by referees and the trainer but he pushed them off and made his way to were the ramp was lower and went as quickly as he could to where Lexi was surrounded by trainers, referees and EMT's.
He found an open space by her head and got as close to her as he could, what he saw nearly made him sick. Lexi had landed on a table that had been covered in equipment back first. Her body was twisted around unused cameras and chairs, most of her upper body was covered in blood from two massive gashes on her head and shoulder, and she was completely unconscious and unmoving. The EMT's had attached a neck brace and carefully got her onto a stretcher and wheeled her out of the arena and into the ambulance.
John immediately clambered in afterwards and gently took hold of her hand as they drove. When they reached the hospital they rushed her through a set of doors and took him to check the two of them in. He allowed himself to be checked over and then returned to the waiting room until he heard some news.
"Here you go man." John jumped slightly and looked up and blinked to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. Stood in front of him were Shelton, Show, Ashley and one of the last people he expected to be there.
"Are you gonna take the shirt or not?" John accepted the shirt that his friend was holding out for him and put it on. He stood up and greeted the three RAW superstars who then went to find out what was going on and get some food and drinks. The remaining star stayed with John and after checking that no one was around pulled him into a tight hug. John felt all of the emotion of the past few hours welling up inside of him and felt the tears rolling down his cheeks. His close friend tightened the hug and comforted him, as you would do for your sibling.
"I'm so scared. When I saw her go over I…I… I dunno, I just watched and hoped that by some miracle that she hadn't gone down and that there was a ledge or she would just magically float back up. I just feel so helpless knowin' that she's somewhere getting worked on an' I can't see her or be near her coz' some guy who doesn't even know her or me said so." John pulled away and sat down, the other man sitting beside him.
"How come you're here anyway?" Johns' companion stretched out and tried to get comfy.
"I was watching and when I saw what happened I called Shelton, he told me where you were gonna be and I came. I knew you would probably need a lot of support."
"Thanks, I know you've probably got better things to do but I really appreciate you being here Dave." The World Heavyweight Champion gave a small smile and looked around.
"I know you probably don't want to be asked this but how bad is it? All I saw was equipment, EMT's, you and a hell of a lot of blood." Dave watched his friend pale at the description he had just heard and Dave cursed himself inwardly. John opened his eyes and Dave was shocked by the coldness in them.
"When I got down there she was lying funny, I don't know how she landed but her body was twisted around all the junk down there. She had a cut on her head but I couldn't see where I think it was near her hairline, she had another cut on her shoulder but I think that a piece of metal had been stuck in there and had been taken out. She was unconscious all the way here." Dave sat in horror as he heard how severely Lexi was hurt. He hadn't really got to know her having only met her once at Summer Slam but that was only for a few minutes while he passed a message to her.
He did, however know John and he knew that this girl was special. He had watched her in the ring and was impressed by her talent but he also heard John's voices when he spoke about her and the look on his face when she was mentioned. It was obvious how John felt about her and from what he had seen when Lexi was at ringside, he knew she felt the same. Looking up he saw Ashley, Shelton and Big Show approach, informing the two men that they hadn't been able to find out anything.
"Excuse me, are you here with a Miss Andrews?" John leaped out of his chair and stood in front of the tired looking doctor.
"Yes we are. How is she? Can we see her?" John almost grabbed hold of the man and shook him to get some answers.
"Yes you can see her but not all at once and I think that I had better tell you her condition before you go in." The doctor indicated for them to sit and they complied and waited until he spoke.
"Lexine is seriously injured and her status is very unstable. I have been informed that she landed on her back onto a lot of heavy equipment. Whatever she fell on has seriously damaged her back and spine. She sustained other injuries as well, a broken wrist, a large slice on her head which has been stitched, a piece of metal gave her a deep gash across her shoulder, she also has a sprained ankle, several cracked ribs, a broken jaw and she has a lot of bruising. Her back is the main source of concern; the damage is so severe that she may be permanently paralysed. Whether or not this will happen depends entirely on the next forty-eight hours. There was slight internal bleeding but that is no longer a problem. She has been slipping in and out of consciousness ever since we put her into a room."
"Have you told her yet?" Ashley asked, with tears in her eyes.
"We wished to know whether you want to tell her or if you wanted us to. But I must warn you, even if she does walk the chances of her ever wrestling again are very slim." The doctor looked around at the stars and his eyes fell on John who was staring into space.
He gave a sympathetic look to the young man who obviously cared for this young woman a great deal. He wasn't a huge fan of wrestling but it was put on the small televisions in the waiting room and he often found himself taking glances at it or watching it on his break. He had been on his break that night when he watched the young wrestler as she had been flung off the stage and lay unmoving. He felt great sympathy for all of the stars and understood that they were like family as they were constantly on the road together.
"I'll tell her." The doctor looked at John and nodded indicating that he should follow him.
"Your friends can come in later but only if she is feeling up to it, we can't be sure how she will react to the news. She will either want to know everything or nothing, most people react like that. The fact that even if she walks, she probably won't wrestle again will hit her hard. Now are you sure you understand what I told you about her injuries and status." John nodded looked at the door they were stood outside.
"Remember, it is up to you if you tell her everything. Also remember that the next forty-eight hours will be crucial. You've got as long as you need." With that the doctor patted him on his arm and walked down the hall and disappeared from sight.
John took a deep breath and entered the room, closing the door quietly. He looked at the bed and his heart broke, Lexi was sitting up stiffly, strapped to the bed, to prevent moving. Her hair was tousled around her head, bruises were visible from were he stood and her breathing was uneven. He approached the bed, pulled a chair up close and gently held her hand. He then stood and placed a light kiss on her head, he then returned to his sitting position and watched her sleep.
"Do I have a telly on me 'ead or something?" Lexi whispered, John smiled and pulled closer to her.
"Hey Shawty, we're having another limbo competition, you gonna defend your title?" Lexi smiled and tried to move, but when she found she couldn't, opened her eyes and looked down in confusion.
"They're bed straps." John stated, just to break the silence.
"Duh. But why 'ave I got them on? Do they think I'm gonna run away or something'?" John didn't smile and knew that he had to tell her. He looked up but stopped at her neck when he saw bruises there, in the shape of a hand. He swore lightly and brushed her hair out of her face, wincing when he saw the bruises and large bandage on her hairline.
"Shawty, the doctor came to see us before you came in and he told me all the stuff that's wrong with you. You ain't gonna like it but all I ask is that you let me speak coz' I know it's gonna be hard to hear but it's also hard to say." Lexi nodded the best she could and John took a deep breath.
"Ok, you've got a broken wrist, sprained ankle, cracked ribs, bruising internally and externally everywhere, the cut on your head, the gash on your shoulder which only needed stitches thankfully, a broken jaw so it probably hurts to talk and slight internal bleeding but they fixed that up when they brought you in." Lexi blinked and waited, knowing that he had more to say.
"Your back is an entirely different thing. You landed on it and the damage is excessive, you may be permanently paralysed but the next forty-eight hours will decide that. If you do walk again the chances that you wrestle again are slim to none." John watched as Lexi looked at the bed and then beck at him, he was surprised to see tears flowing down her face. He quickly stood and hugged her the best he could and placed light kisses on her head.
"Why me? Once was bad enough but again, that's just cruel." John looked at Lexi in confusion and sat down, he waited until she had calmed down before asking.
"What do you mean…?" But Lexi cut him off.
"I'll tell you but you've got to promise me you won't interrupt me or tell anyone."
"I promise." John said solemnly.
"When I was thirteen I was walking home with me mate, Kelly, from a rehearsal for a dance show we were organising an' performin' in. We were goin' the usual way home when we were jumped from behind. They beat us up and left us there but someone came by and phoned an ambulance.
I was paralysed for five months and had to learn to walk again. Kelly died, we were best friends since we were born, the only thing I have of her is photos and me necklace. Yeah, she was that friend. I was in a wheel chair for the funeral; I was so helpless that it almost destroyed me. I decided never to be helpless again. I helped others and ensured that no one helped me. I missed the dance show and missed life. I hated it and I don't think I could cope if I had to be like this again."
John leant forward and kissed her gently, making sure he didn't hurt her. He stroked her head and she looked to the door. John turned to see Show, Dave, Shelton and Ashley peeking through and indicated that they could come in. The stars entered and one by one took a chair by the bed.
"So you're the nutty diva I've been told about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Dave held his hand out, realised his mistake and took it back and placed a kiss on her cheek. Lexi smiled and the stars took this cue to begin conversation. At about six in the morning a nurse informed them that a call had been made to the hospital by Mr. McMahon who had cancelled all John's appearances but the rest had to be in the next location for the house shows and SMACKDOWN for Dave. The four grumbled about this before saying their goodbyes and leaving the couple.
"You need some sleep." John looked up and smiled before dragging the chairs and putting together a makeshift bed for himself.
"I'm gonna get through this John," John was surprised by the fierce determination in Lexis eyes, "I'm gonna walk and I will wrestle. I didn't spend all my life wishing and dreaming and then training my hardest to have a few weeks in the spotlight. I can do this, I'm a fighter. I will survive."
"I know you will and I'll be there every step of the way for you," John kissed her and lay back down, " I love you Lexi."
"I love you too John." With that the couple fell asleep, knowing that they were in for a rough time but would face it head on together.