GUILT
Takes place the day after the December 18, 2017 Raw
Kayfabe Compliant
"Ugh. I'm sleeping!" Dean promised with a growl, keeping his eyes closed as he heard the door to his hospital room open again and someone walking in. He knew that there was a damn good reason why he avoided hospitals at all costs! These pesky nurses wouldn't let him wander around like he wanted to, but also seemed to want to wake him up every 15 minutes or so when he did finally give in and relax. "See? Being a good little boy and staying in bed just like you want! Do I get a freaking cookie or something?"
"Me wanting you to be a good little boy and stay in bed?" his visitor repeated with a laugh, prompting Dean to immediately open his eyes. He knew that laugh (and its owner) well and usually did whatever he could to prompt it. "I'm not touching that one. No, sir."
"Uce!" Dean smiled, looking at the tall, broad shouldered man now standing at his bedside. "What in the hell are you doing here?"
"Eh," Roman casually shrugged, "This place is only a two and a half hour drive from my place, so…"
"So, three hours the way you drive?" Dean teased.
"Ah, whatever, man." Roman shook his head, reaching over and ruffling Dean's hair. "You know, I used to be the same way you are, but the minute they put JoJo in my arms for the first time, the ability to push that gas pedal down to the floor just vanished! It'll happen to you one of these days."
"Keep dreaming." Dean replied with a grin, which soon turned into a frown. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, brother, but what ARE you doing here? You're supposed to be on vacation this week, and you already got JoJo's birthday party, early Christmas with the family, AND your belated anniversary on your plate. You didn't need to take the time to come see me."
"I know that I didn't NEED to, Deano." Roman replied, looking around for a chair. "I wanted to! You are my best friend after all." He spotted a nearby closet. "You going to freak out on me if I grab the folding chair from the closet?"
"Nah." Dean waved off, "You aren't Seth so I shouldn't have flashbacks."
"Yeah, I am definitely not Cross Fit Jesus." Roman laughed, setting the chair up by Dean's bedside before sitting down. "How'd surgery go?"
"It went fine." Dean nodded his head towards his now wrapped up elbow. "But the docs are still trying to figure out how long I'll be out. They did say that the Rumble is definitely out since it's too short of a time." A deep sigh escaped him as he remembered the bad news the doctor had given him earlier that day. "Worst case scenario? I'm out until Summerslam at the very least."
"Damn. That's what? 9 months?" Roman winced before shaking his head and lowering his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, Dean."
"Eh, not your fault." Dean waved off.
"Yeah, it is." Roman insisted, not looking up.
"What? What do you…?" Dean started to ask before the realization of why the slightly older man was here hit him. "Oh, my God. That's WHY you're here, isn't it? You feel like you need to apologize to me?"
"Yeah." Roman admitted, prompting Dean's healthy hand to find its way to its owner's forehead.
"This isn't your fault and you know it." Dean groaned, shaking his head.
"You're wrong." Roman shook his own head, finally looking up at Dean. "Joe doesn't have beef with you, man. His issue is with me! He only targeted you because he knew damn well that taking out you and/or Seth would get to me."
"Regardless of what Vinnie Mac might think, the world doesn't revolve around you, Uce." Dean sighed, dropping his hand from his forehead. A small smile crept its way across his face as he stared at his best friend. "Come on, man! You know me! I like to run my mouth and, sometimes, it doesn't work out in my favor and I get my ass handed to me. Maybe I said something that Joe took offense to? But, you know, even if you're right and he attacked me because he's got beef with you, you know damn well how things work with you and me! If someone's got beef with you, then they have beef with me! That's how you and I roll, have rolled and will continue to roll." He paused momentarily before shrugging his shoulders. "And I guess you can throw Seth in there too if you want now that the Shield is back together."
"Mess with one of the hounds, get all three of us." Roman nodded, "Yeah, that's exactly what Seth said when I called and talked to him last night."
"Ugh, I can't believe you're making me say this," Dean groaned, "But you should have listened to him, brother. Occasionally, our dear Princess does have the right answer."
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Roman shrugged before shaking his head again and letting out a deep breath. "I guess that I just feel guilty about what happened to you, Deano. I keep telling myself that I should have been there to be protect you."
"No, you were exactly where you needed to be." Dean replied firmly, mentally shaking his head at his best friend feeling like he always had to play the protector. It was something both infuriating and endearing to Ambrose. "You weren't there because you took some much needed time off to spend time with your wife, and my niece and two baby nephews. No way in hell should you feel guilty about that! Also, you need to quit thinking that you have to protect me all of the damn time! Despite how I may act sometimes, I'm a grown man, brother, and I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. Alright?"
"Alright." Roman relented, tucking a stray strand of his dark hair back behind his ear before smiling at the bedridden Ambrose. "I guess that I do take this big brother thing with you and Seth a little too seriously sometimes."
"Don't get me wrong, Uce." Dean smiled back, "It's not like I don't appreciate it. It's actually been pretty nice to have someone watching my back after being alone since…well, pretty much since I can remember."
"It's like I told you before, Deano. No matter what, you're always going to be my brother."
"Believe that?" Dean grinned, holding out his healthy fist.
"Believe that." Roman nodded, fist-bumping him.