Part Two

Monroe, Louisiana

"HHHHaaarrrrddddddyyyyyy!"

"What?" screamed an annoyed Matt Hardy from the hotel room's kitchenette, where he was busy making popcorn. "I'm coming, man. Don't get your panties in a wad!"

"Matt, get your butt in here right NOW!" yelled his roommate for this road trip, Edge. He was standing in front of the TV watching Raw,which just came on. He yelled again to Matt without taking his eyes off the TV, "Matt! I'm serious, man. Get in here now!"

"Geez, man," said Matt Hardy, entering the room, a bowl of popcorn in his hand. "What is it?"

"It's who it is," Edge corrected, emphasizing the word who. "Look, man, Bischoff has called Lita down to the ring."

"What?" Matt questioned, setting the popcorn down on the end table and moving next to Edge in front of the TV. "What business does he have with her? She's only working Heat as a commentator while she's injured."

"I know. From what I've seen, being called out by that idiot is never a positive experience either."

Matt didn't answer him, as he was glued to the screen. He watched as Eric lashed out at Lita, ridiculing her earlier comments regarding which was the better show. Matt unconsciously gripped his fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white as he listened to him berate her, calling her a bitch. "C'mon, Lita," he said to her on the screen as if she could hear him, "get out of there." He wasn't surprised to hear Lita come back at her boss, telling him exactly why she thought he got no respect. Matt wanted to cheer her on for her courageousness, but was too worried about how the man was going to react. As if on cue, their worst fears came true, with the Island Boys, Rosie and Jamal, showing up in the ring with Lita and Bischoff.

Matt and Edge watched in horror as Lita was stalked around the ring, then man-handled by Bischoff's thugs. Edge watched on in disbelief, anger overtaking his senses. A stream of obscenities left his mouth as he watched his friend be injured by the two much larger men.

Matt watched intently as he saw the woman he use to be so close to thrown around the ring like a rag doll. "NO!" he screamed as Rosie made the final blow, leaping off the turnbuckle onto the fallen diva. "My God, no," he cried, sinking to the floor in front of the TV, his hands falling to his face.

"Thank God, Jeff's there now," Edge said, as he watched the purple-haired Hardy rush into the ring, attacking Rosie and Jamal. He felt a slight feeling of relief as Booker T and Goldust joined in, knowing Lita's torturing was over.

"She's not moving, Edge," Matt said softly, his eyes burning into the TV screen, as if to try and will her to wake up. "She's hurt. They've hurt her bad." He watched in a daze as his brother dropped to his knees beside the redhead, placing his hand on her and talking to her. As the medics rushed towards the ring, the camera switched back to the King and JR, solemn expressions on their faces. A second later, they went to a commercial break.

"C'mon, Edge. Get your shoes and your cell phone and let's go."

"Where we going?" asked Edge, already knowing the answer as he looked around the room for his shoes.

"Houston," Matt said simply. "And I suspect to a hospital."

TBC