Houston, We Have a Problem

"And you're done, Superstar," the nurse smiled as she labeled the blood bag she had just extracted. "You feelin' light headed or anything?"

Randy shook his head and then rested against the leather chair he was reclined in. "Maybe just a little."

With a smile, the middle-aged woman patted his knee and stood. "Stay put for a second. I'll get you a drink, and the dizziness should dissapate in a few minutes."

"What'd she just say?" Randy asked, a look of confusion on his features as Dave pushed off the door frame and lowered himself onto the nurse's stool.

"I don't think 'thank you' is enough to say right now," he smiled, extending a hand to his friend.

With a shrug, Randy returned the gesture and then rested his head once more. "Little bitta blood, man. It ain't no thang."

Crossing his arms, Dave let out a sigh. "Not to you maybe," he chuckled slightly. "Everything seems like a big deal to me lately."

Randy looked at the piece of cotton affixed to his arm. "As long as the kid's okay," he stated easily, smiling when the nurse returned and handed him a soda can. "Thanks, Sharon."

She winked and patted his shoulder. "She's just lucky you had a compatible blood type, Kiddo."

As she left, Randy found himself watching his friend. This is so fucked up. John was worried half to death about Keegan when he had called the night before to tell Randy what had happened. Dave was ten times worse, his brow furrowed, even now that they knew everything was going to be okay.

"Why'd you do it?" Dave asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Randy asked, not sure if he was confused by the question, or the sudden loss of blood from his body.

Leaning back, Dave rested his back against the table behind him and looked his young friend over. "Why'd you volunteer?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, taking another drink. "Thought if you had to do it, the kid might turn out all jacked up with backne and some serious 'roid rage," he teased. When Dave cracked a smile, Randy let his shoulders relax. "Seriously?"

"I don't know, Orton. Can you tell the truth?"

Oh, if you only knew, motherfucker, Randy thought sardonically. "When I had shoulder surgery last year, they went through hell to find enough B negative to sustain me. Blood matching is complicated, man. You know that." Dave nodded in agreement. "I didn't want the kid to go through that shit, sitting around in a hospital bed, waiting for a stupid transfusion. She deserves better than that."

Dave nodded and picked a piece of imaginary fuzz off his pants. "That she does," he agreed.

"Look, even if she wasn't the cutest kid I'd ever seen. And even if I didn't love watching her chase Edge around with a wooden spoon, I'da done this, man," he said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "I mean, we been bros a long time, Dave, from Louisville on," he waxed nostalgic. "Family's family, whether you're blood or not."

Dave nodded and sniffled, meeting his friend's eye. "Alright, Orton. That's enough with the sentimental. It's freakin' me out."

Randy nodded and smiled, sitting up in his seat and swinging his long legs to the floor. "We could talk about Jennifer's ass if you want," he offered, standing and shooting Dave a cocky grin.

"It's a great ass," Dave said as he followed Randy from the lab.

"Yes, it is," the younger man agreed. "Firm, but it's got a nice curve to it," he smiled, making a gesture with his hands.

Side by side, they started for the elevators that would take them back to their family. "You realize I'm only not kicking your ass because you saved my daughter's life, right?"

"Oh yeah," Randy nodded as the elevator doors closed. "And I will milk it for all it's worth, motherfucker."

When they reached the pediatric floor, Randy hung back in the elevator a second. He knew he should just leave well enough alone, but he felt like he had to say something. "Can I ask you something?"

Dave nodded and followed Randy into the small, vacant waiting area at the end of the hall. "What's up?"

"Jennifer told you anything about Keegan's dad?"

The question was random, and Dave raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm Keegan's dad," he said cautiously.

Randy shook his head. "You know what I mean, Dave."

Unsure of why the kid would choose this moment to bring up the issue, Dave folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Not really," he answered honestly. "I don't really ask. None of my business."

Randy said nothing, only watched his friend's demeanor as he processed the question. It was clear by the look on his face that he thought about it more than he was letting on. "But you do wonder," Randy deduced.

With a shrug, Dave nodded reluctantly. "Sometimes I look at her and I just think the guy must have been fucked up beyond belief to leave that little girl behind."

"What about Jennifer?" When Dave gave him a questioning look, Randy clarified. "I mean, he didn't just leave Keegan, right? He left Jen, too. Were they serious or anything?"

While he knew it wasn't his place to tell Dave the truth, he couldn't help feeling bad for the man who was so oblivious to what was going on right under his nose. Randy had promised John he wouldn't tell, but if Dave had the pieces, just hadn't put them together, what was the harm in nudging him in the right direction? Didn't he have a right to know?

"We talked about it a little bit," Dave sighed, running a hand over his hair. "One night stand over in Europe one weekend. Meant nothing. She went back to her life and found out she was pregnant."

For once in his life, Randy thanked his lucky stars that he was so good at playing dumb. "Did she even tell him?"

"She told him. But he never really tried to be a part of her life, I guess." A look of slight frustration covered his features. "I don't know the details. Like I said, I didn't really ask. It doesn't really matter anymore anyway."

"Doesn't it?" Dave looked suspiciously at Randy, who just shook his head and held up a hand in defense. "I mean, you can close your eyes to it, Dave, but someday Keegan's gonna wanna know who her father is."

Pushing off the wall, Dave shook his head. "And she'll know it's me."

"What would you do if he just showed up one day? Wanted to be a part of her life again?"

"Is there something you're not telling me, Orton?" Dave asked suddenly.

Shaking his head, Randy walked toward the hallway. "Nah. I was just thinking about it while I was laying on that chair, man. Must be the blood loss talking."

With a smile, Dave patted Randy's back as they headed back toward Keegan's room. "To answer your question," Dave stopped outside the room, "The motherfucker had his chance, and he made his choice. From where I stand, as far as I'm concerned, they're not his family anymore."

Dave disappeared into Keegan's room and Randy turned to lean against the wall. When he opened his eyes, his heart dropped. "How much of that did you hear?"

John shrugged his shoulders and pulled his baseball cap lower on his head. "Enough to know he's absolutely right."