Chapter Two
It seemed I couldn't get away from Randy after that. I had finally convinced my father to let me leave for college and we had gone all over looking for one that he thought was "suitable". We'd decided on New Mexico State University and I was going to have to book it if I wanted to get into classes for the fall. I only had two weeks to get all my transcripts transferred and boarding arrangements made. By the time I had taken care of everything I only had four days left to spend with my "family". The first of my last four days I'd gone to the weight room to do a little conditioning and who should be the first person I run into,quite literally, but Randy.
He reached out a hand to steady me. "Gonna make a habit of this, Flair?" I glowered at him and jerked my arm from his grip. Great. Just what I needed to end a perfect day. Dad and I had argued that morning about living arrangementshe wanted to buy me an apartment near campus, I wanted to live in a dorm. Now I know that sounds backward and believe me it was difficult enough trying to explain it to him. But the truth being told, I didn't want my dad to flaunt his money around and let it be known I was his daughter. That may sound ungrateful, but I was tired of living in his shadow and being thought of as a spoiled brat by outsiders to the business. You be amazed at how differently people treat you once they learn you're a "living legend" 's kid. We hadn't spoken all day and he'd left for his business dinner with Pat Patterson and Gerald Briscoe without telling me good-bye, a rarity for him. At the moment all I wanted to do was pump some iron and sweat out all my thoughts. Now I had Randy to deal with.
"IF you'll recall, Orton, it was YOU who caused the last incidentnot me." I said, turning to head over to the leg press. He followed and sat down on a nearby bench.
"Look, we got off on the wrong foot. Can't you just let bygones be bygones?" he queried. I gave him a bland look and started changing the weights. He sighed and stretched out on the bench, using his arms as a pillow. Despite my best efforts my eyes were drawn to the definition of the muscles in his torso and the golden hue of his skin. Mentally shaking myself I tried for an indifferent answer.
"Fine. I can handle that. Now will you please BE gone so that I can work out?" Randy lifted his head and gave me one of those cocky grins. God, those things were starting to infuriate me. Angrily I gave up on the leg press and stomped over to do a little bench pressing. I adjusted the weights to a fairly easy amount for me to lift and got situated on the bench.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you need a spotter for this sort of thing?" Randy's head appeared, upside down from mine. I growled and lifted up on the weights, just to spite him. The unexpected force I had to exude to lift them made me gasp and my arms tremble. I must have looked startled because Randy grinned. "And did I mention that the weights are labeled wrong? They're each off by AT LEAST twenty five pounds." I did a little quick mental arithemtic and concluded that I was lifting almost double what I normally max out at. Randy chuckled and turned to ready the leg press for himself. I was determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fail, so I pushed off from my chest, lifting the incredibly heavy weights.
I knew almost immediately that something was wrong. A liquid fire burning sensation shot through my left arm and before I could call out, it collapsed, bringing the weight crashing down on my chest. The clattering of the barbell must've startled Randy because before I could blink he was next to me, lifting the thing with ease and urging me to stay still. Hell, I didn't have ANY intention of moving for at least a week. My arm was screaming in pain and my chest felt like The Big Show had sat on it.Tossing the weights aside, Randy squatted down beside me, his hand hovering over me as though he WANTED to touch me, but didn't know where he COULD.
"Molly? Baby, are you alright?" Whoa. Hold the phone. Did he just call me BABY? I decided I must be in shock from the pain.
"Sure. Having your bicep torn and feeling like The Big Show sat on you is pretty normal for me." I replied sarcastically. One look at Randy's face though and I knew he was really worried about me. He was as pale as a ghost and he kept moving nervously.
"J-Just stay right there. I'll be ri" I held up my good hand to silence him. Struggling I managed to sit up.
"I'm alright, Randy. I just need to see one of the trainers or something." Randy shook his head firmly.
"Nu uh. You're going to the hospital." Without waiting for my reply OR opinion on the matter, he scooped me up, carrying me across the room and out into the parking lot. I glared up at him and would've smacked him upside the head, but my good arm was tucked firmly against the bare chest I had admired earlier, leaving only my injured arm free. Before I could say anything, however, I was deposited on the back of a motorcycle and was having a helmet shoved onto my skull. Pulling the chin strap firmly, Randy looked into my very-angry-but-with-excruciating-pain filled eyes. Taking my chin firmly in his hand he bent down and gave me a quick, hard kiss. "Don't move."
Like I could fucking go anywhere after that little shocker. The next thing I knew we were whizzing through the streets, looking for the nearest hospital. When we found one, Randy parked the bike and quickly got off, removing his helmet and mine. Why he insisted on carrying me into the Emergency Room, I'll never know. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with my legs, for God's sake. Rather than analyze it, I told myself it was because he wanted to impress any cute nurses that might be working.
It wasn't long after that I found myself in an examination room, Randy right by my side. While I'd filled out paperwork, he'd called my dad's cell phone, leaving a voice mail when he couldn't reach him. The doctor was a small, round woman who looked more like Mrs. Claus than a doctor. She was very patient and gentle and after she'd examined my arm, she turned to Randy.
"I'm going to have to have her chest X-rayed, dear. When that barbell dropped it could've bruised her lung or cracked a couple of ribs. I'll need you to leave the room for just a few minutes."
"But she's gonna be okay, right doc?" Randy asked, worrying his lower lip. He seemed a bit distorted to methe pain medication they had given me was starting to take effect. Mrs. Claus chuckled and patted his hand, where it clasped mine. Wonder when that happened, I thought drowsily.
"Certainly dear, certainly. Now you just go set outside in the waiting room and I'll have someone fetch you just as soon as we're done with the x-rays." I felt Randy give my hand a little squeeze and then he was gone. Mrs. Claus chuckled as she bustled about the room, readying things for the radiologist. "That's a very sweet young man you have there. He's quite smitten with you." I rolled my head to the side she was nearest. That was about all I could move. I wondered idley what it was they had given me and if it came in pill form.
"Oh 'es not m'boyfrind" I protested, my words slurring terribly. "We'fight altime." She smiled at me and patted my hand, much the same way she had Randy.
"That's normal in any relationship, dear."
I was too tired to argue with her. Whatever it was they had given me was some pretty powerful shit, because the next thing I knew I was waking up to see a pair of worry-filled blue eyes, identical to my own, anxiously searching my face.
"Molly baby...it's Daddy. Can you hear me sweetheart?" Groggily I forced my eyes open wider and struggled to push myself into an upright position. TWo sets of strong hands helped me sit up and I slowly turned to see who the other person was, even though I had a fairly good idea. I was slightly shocked to see Shane McMahon with my father, his warm brown eyes filled with curiosity. He reached over and took hold of the hand on my good arm and gently lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss there.
"Can't leave you alone for two hours, Flair and you're causing trouble" Shane joked, coaxing a small smile from my parched lips. It felt as though I'd swallowed a mouthful of cottonballs.
"Randy?" I managed to croak out. My dad pour a glass of water from the pitcher setting beside the bed and handed it to me. Shane seemed reluctant to let go of my good arm and took the water himself, placing the glass at my lips and allowing me to drink deeply.
"He's in the waiting room, Molls." Shane said, somewhat abruptly. Inwardly I sighed. Those two had yet to get along when they were in each other's company. Shane had always looked out for me, ever since we were kids and I knew that it just ate at him that Randy was the one to be there for me and not him. I looked my long-time friend dead in the eye.
"That'll be quite enough of that, Shane. " His eyes widend in surprise and his jaw fell open. I continued before he could say a word. "Randy may be a pain in the ass sometimes, and I may regret admitting to this later on, but I'm glad he was there to help me. He was a perfect gentleman and didn't leave my side until he HAD to. I don't know many fifteen year olds that are that responsible." I could tell my dad was trying not to laugh at the tongue lashing I was giving Shane. To tell the truth, I'd always sorta run roughshod over him and it seemed that today would be no different. Shane sighed heavily and sat on the edge of my bed, careful not to jostle me.
"Alright, Molls, whatever you say. I'll be civil to him...but ONLY for your sake." I smiled and patted him on the arm. I knew I could count on him to keep his word. I turned to my dad.
"Daddy, will you go ask Randy to come in here, please?" My father smiled and nodded, walking calmly from the room. Apparently he'd been unable to contain his laughter once he stepped out into the hall, because Shane and I heard a loud snicker come from right outside the door. I grinned and winked at Shane. The pain meds were wearing off and I was starting to lose some of the fogginess I'd felt upon waking. Unfortunately it also meant feeling the incredible pain in my arm and chest. I leaned back against my pillow and tried to take a deep breath. It hurt, but not terribly so I was pretty sure that my ribs weren't broken. Opening just one eye I looked up at Shane. "So, what's the verdict?"
Shane stood and made a big production of straightening out my bedsheet. Uh oh. He was avoiding the question. Damnit, that must mean something's really wrong. "Well, uh, see Molls...it's like this..." Right then dad and Randy came through the door and Shane was saved his explaintion of my condition. Actually, if I hadn't known any better, I'd have said he was almost GLAD to see Randy right at that moment.
He walked in, looking little worse for the wear. He immediately sat on the side of the bed and gently pushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Hey you." I grinned, grudgingly. I knew I'd just given Shane a lecture about being nice and I really DID appreciate everything Randy had done for me...but we still weren't what you'd call "friends".
"Hey yourself." I gestured towards the stargazer lillies he held in his hands. "Who're those for?" Randy blushed. He ACTUALLY blushed! Sometimes, when we were arguing, it was hard for me to remember that he was only fifteen...then he'd turn around and do something silly or stupid or sweet and sentimental and remind me. He sat the crystal vase down on the tiny bedside table.
"Well, I had bought them to try and convince Stephanie to go out with me..." The mischeivious twinkle in his eyes told me he was saying that just to get a rile out of Shane. I sat up straighter, trying to look indignant. Let Shane get a little hot under the collar...it had been far too long since I'd aggravated him anyway.
"You would DARE to bring me the flowers you bought for someone else?" A worried look crossed my dad's face and I knew that he wasn't quite sure if we were fooling around or not. I caught his eye, silently communicating to him that everything was fine. Shane on the other hand was fit to be tied.
"Orton, you've got one hell of a nerve coming in here like that..." Shane looked at me, but I was too busy glowering at Randy, or I might have seen what was coming. "And I don't give a damn if you ARE seven years younger than me, I'm gonna beat your sorry ass!" He lunged for Randy, just as my dad stepped in front of him, holding him back. Randy looked at me, allowing a bored look to school his features.
"Molly, do you want to call off your 'guard dog' now?" he asked, blandly. I started giggling and couldn't stop. Vaguely I wondered if acting like an assclown was a side effect of the medicine I'd been given. I hadn't even acted like a four year old when I WAS four...and here I was being childish and playing pranks on Shane.Shaen looked at me,confusion written all over his cute little face. I sighed.
"He's just yankin' your chain, Shane. He brought the flowers for me..." I looked at randy, suspicion on my face. "Right?" He laughed and sat down on my unoccupied side and touched my cheek. I shuddered lightly. I felt weird whenever he did that and I wasn't quite sure I liked it. I really looked at him then. His eyes seemed tired and for the first time he looked like the scared fifteen year old I knew he'd been bringing me here. I reached up, trapping his hand against my face with my own. "You okay?" I asked, searching his face. His chuckle sounded forced.
"Hey, I'm the one suppose to be askin' that, Flair." He sat up a bit straighter, as though he suddenly remembered the two other people in the room. "How ya feelin'?" I shrugged, the movement causing pain to shoot up my arm, making me wince.
"Like shit." Randy grinned, mischief lighting his eyes.
"Yeah, you look it too." I narrowed my eyes at him, angrily.
"Fu" My dad interrupted then, asking Randy what had happened and so forth. It turned out I'd only been in the ER for an hour and dad had only just gotten there, Shane trailing behind him, as I woke up. Up until they'd gotten there, Randy had stayed beside me. I smirked as I thought of his comment about looking like shit. THIS was ground I was used to and could handle. I started chuckled again and sucked in a short breath at the sharp pain that went through my chest. Dad glanced over, worriedly.
"Hun? You okay? Should I get the nurse?" I shook my head and took a couple of shallow breaths. That seemed to help. I looked over at Shane, who was trying at all costs to avoid looking me in the eye. I looked at him suspiciously.
"Shane..." He looked over my right shoulder, staring at my pillow instead of me. A fake smile was plastered on his face.
"Yeah?" he asked, just a little too cheerfully. I crooked my finger, motioning him closer. He leaned over me and I grabbed a fistful of shirt.
"You are going to tell me what the doctor's said was wrong and you're going to tell me NOW." I said sweetly, giving him a huge smile. He gulped and FINALLY looked me in the eye.
"Molls, I really think that's something you should..."
"Talk about with me." I let go of Shane and turned to see the ER doc, Mrs. Claus, standing in the doorway. She positively twinkled as she came in, introducing herself to my father and Shane.
"Hello. I'm Dr.Greig. I'm the attending physician this evening." She turned and looked at me, her face suddenly becoming stern. "Alright, young lady.You were VERY lucky that when you cracked those ribs you didn't puncture a lung. You should have had a spotter and this wouldn't have happened..." As she continued I looked over to Randy and saw the smirk on his face. I glared at him, letting him know that if he said a word, I'd strangle him dead.
"Here's the thing though...when we x-rayed your chest, we found something that worried us a bit." All eyes immediately turned to the doc, even Shane's. He'd been told that it was sever, but not HOW severe.
"Do you have chronic back pain, Molly?" Dr. Greig asked me. I thought about it.
"Yeah, normally when I get up, my back's sore. And when I go to the gym sometimes it bothers me. But other than that..." She looked at me, all traces of cheerfulness gone.
"Molly, I'm not going to beat around the bush. When we x-rayed you chest we saw a mass on one of your vertebrae. While you were still sedated, we did another spinal x-ray." She took a deep breath. It seemed to me like she really didn't want to be telling me this...which just really did NOTHING to calm MY nerves. "There's a tumor on your spine Molly, compromising one of your discs." My dad and Shaen immediately starting asking all sorts of questions, firing them off as quickly as the doctor could answer them. I suppose I must have been in some sort of daze because I really don't remember too much after she said "tumor". Me? I had a tumor? I was only 17 for God's sake! I looked at her, careful to keep the fear out of my eyes.
"So, where do we go from here?" I asked calmly. There was no need to upset my dad anymore than he already was. His face had gone ashen, making him look older than I'd ever seen him before.
"Well, we need to perform a very delicate procedure to remove the mass. I say "delicate" because the way it's lying, if we are off by even a fraction of a millimeter, it's possible we'll hit the spinal cord making you paralyzed." I swallowed dryly. Looking up, I stared her straight in the eye.
"So what you're saying is that I may never walk again."