Chapter 13

Steve sat in the waiting room at the hospital...It had been nearly 2 hours, since they'd taken Marie into surgery. The shoulder wound and hand wound were good; because the bullets didn't hit anything major, no muscles or bones...Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the one in her right lung.

John was sitting in the waiting room with Steve, Mark Callaway, Rachel and Mark Jindrak. John couldn't help it anymore, he started pacing around the waiting room...Steve walked over and said, "Son, sit down, Walking a hole in the floor doesn't do anyone any good." John said, "I should've been there for her...God I feel like such an asshole...I can't believe I just walked away the way I did."

Steve grabbed John's shoulder and said, "None of this is you're fault...Hell none of it is even my fault...You guys had a fight, big deal...Not every relationship is perfect." John said, "But I said some awful things to her...Really hateful things...I feel so stupid, I let her old relationship with Randy get to me."

Steve said, "Hell son, we all make mistakes...Now you listen to me...If you like my little girl as much as I know you do, you need to get your head on straight, because dwelling over the past, is not going to help her heal...Which I know will take a while...with her type of injury."

John said, "I don't know Steve...Do you think she'll forgive me?" Steve said, "Well son, there's only one way to find out."

Another 2 hours later and finally a doctor came out and said she was going to make an excellent recovery, the surgery had taken longer, cause they wanted to make sure all the holes were stitched up and nothing was leaking and all bullets were removed. She had stopped breathing for about 5 minutes, but it was not unusual with people who had a punctured lung.

A few minutes later a nurse came over and handed Steve something and said, "Mr. Williams, we found this in your daughters hand...I'm afraid it's covered in blood, so it will have to be clean professionally, and the chain is busted so it will need to be fixed."

John walked over as Steve handed John the necklace he'd given to Marie for her birthday at the beginning of the month. John couldn't believe she'd kept it, but the nurse was right the chain was busted and it was covered in Marie's blood, she must've had it in her hand when she had been shot.

Steve watched as John looked at and studied the necklace and then walked out of the hospital as fast as he could without running out…John got to the parking lot and leaned over resting his hands on his knees, trying to take in as much oxygenthrough his lungs as possible.

Rachel had followed John out to the parking lot and saw him standing in the middle of the road trying to breathe deeply. Rachel watched as John hit his knees...as she ran over to check on him as she slowly walked around to face him, when she noticed the huge unshed tears in his eyes. When he saw Rachel standing there he looked up at her and stood up.

John said, "I have to go." Rachel said, "You're not going to go see her are you?" John shook his head and said, "I can't see her like this." Rachel said, "I hope you mean you can't see her while you're teary eyed, and not because she's got three new holes in her body...John she needs you now."

John said, "She doesn't need me...she's got you and Mark and Steve and your dad...hell she's got half the Raw roster and the entire Smackdown roster there for her." Rachel grabbed his arm and said, "John if you think she's going to get through this with out you then you're sadly mistaken. John she needs you now more then ever...Don't walk away."

John said, "I'm not walking away...I just...I just can't stay." John started walking to the parking lot when Rachel said, "John...you know she's going to ask about you...don't be a chicken shit...be a fuckin man and walk in there and see her."

John turned and looked Rachel in the eye and he said, "Don't you get it? I CAN'T SEE HER LIKE THAT!" John turned around and left.

Rachel was taken back, never in all her life had she'd see any one with emotions that raw before. Now she just had to figure out how to tell Marie what happened.