Serena put a few things on her late for dinner, even though she wasn't very hungry. For the past few days, her appetite had dwindled. She didn't want anybody to notice, so she picked at her meals whenever there were people around. Two days ago, she noticed her ribs were starting to become visible. It scared her, but she couldn't force herself to eat. There was a dark, sinking feeling coming over her as of late, and the more she tried to shake it off, the harder it returned.

She sighed, trying to ignore the buzzing that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. As the days passed, she was becoming more and more aware of the whispers and the stares, of what other people were saying about her when they thought she wasn't around to hear it. She looked down at her faded blue jeans and white turtleneck sweater. Alicia and Rosa were whispering about her. She could hear them; she was less than five feet away. When she looked up at them they quickly averted their eyes, giggling. They were sitting with Brie and Nikki Bella and Layla. Serena thought about talking to them, about mending fences and smoothing over any slight they may have thought she committed against them, but the truth was the Divas intimidated her. She was intimidated by their beauty, their tenacity and their normality.

She was pretty sure their giggling was all about her love of turtlenecks. Just feeling their gazes and hearing their laughter made her want to drop everything and leave, back to the confines of Dr. Rios' office. Her eyes scanned the room; she couldn't find Wade, Dean, Seth or Roman anywhere. The feeling of discomfort was becoming more and more visible.

"Serena! You must come forth and feast with us!"

Serena tried not to laugh at the familiar verbiage of Damien Sandow, who was dressed in his blue robe, sitting with Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Antonio Cesaro and Daniel Bryan. Serena felt a wave of relief that at least the guys were going out of their way to make her feel welcome, not like a figure to be ridiculed and pitied.

As Serena made her way to the back table, she didn't see Alicia stick her foot out. Serena tripped, falling and hitting the ground. Her dinner hit her sweater, staining the white fabric with butter and barbecue sauce. She made a small sound as she hit the ground and then clamped her mouth shut. She had the feeling Alicia did it on purpose, but she knew that she couldn't prove it. Several Superstars jumped to their feet as she went down.

"Oh, my, Serena, you really should learn how to be more careful," Alicia told her, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face. Her dress was white, tight like a bandage, her red hair pulled back. Rosa wasn't as subtle.

"Walk much, Lords?" she taunted. Alicia, Nikki, Brie and Rosa laughed. Red-hot tears burned began to sting behind Serena's eyes, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You did that on purpose!" Chris Jericho accused angrily. Serena felt hands grab her around the crook of her elbow and pull her to her feet. Turning, she realized it was Damien and Cody. Damien looked concerned, while Cody looked downright agitated. Serena struggled to catch her breath, but she was very aware that everybody in the room was looking at her. It made her remember the trial, all the eyes on her, all the pity and the sympathy and the embarrassment. Alicia was sputtering, stammering and insistent that she hadn't done anything wrong, but other people had seen it.

"Are you all right, Serena?" Cody asked her. She nodded, but he noticed she was going pretty pale. Her tongue felt swollen. She couldn't speak. Damien noticed that she was shaking.

"It was an accident," Rosa told them angrily. She muttered a few words in Spanish.

"Bullshit to that – I saw Alicia put her foot out," CM Punk piped up. He was sitting at a table with Vickie Guerrero, Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, AJ and Dolph. AJ was watching Serena intently. Serena squeezed her eyes shut, but it wasn't getting any easier to breathe. The shaking was getting more and more violent. She wished she could evaporate. Everyone was staring at her, and she felt like she was making a scene. She tried to suck in a breath, but ended up just wheezing. Damien's grip on Serena's arm tightened.

"Cody, she's having an anxiety attack!"

"I'll go find a paper bag," Cody replied urgently. He handed her off to Drew McIntyre, who had just entered the room with Wade and Sheamus in tow. Drew grabbed her other arm.

"Inhale, Serena," Damien coaxed. She tried to listen, but she couldn't. "Breathe, Serena."

"We should get her out of here," Wade told Damien. They nodded. Cody returned with the bag. The more everyone stared at Serena, the more embarrassed she became. She felt like she was having a heart attack. The guys ushered her out of the catering area.

"Who has the closest locker room?" Drew inquired.

"I think that's us," Cody told them. His tone hadn't dwindled in urgency. He rushed ahead and opened the door and everybody crowded inside.

"She's whiter than I am, fellas!" Sheamus exclaimed. Serena's breathing hadn't steadied. She was beginning to feel faint. Wade turned to Sheamus, Drew and Cody.

"We should go get Dr. Rios, mates. I think we're losing her."

"I'm…" Serena managed, but she couldn't say anymore. She was trying to assure them that she was fine, but she knew she wasn't. The doors burst open and Roman, Seth and Dean were in the doorway. Dean rushed her, but Damien and Wade stopped him.

"We shouldn't crowd her," Wade told him. Dean was irate, but he nodded, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. Blackness was beginning to dance at the edge of her vision, but she was too short of breath to say anything. Breathing into the bag wasn't helping, though she appreciated their efforts.

She swayed. Everyone made sounds of surprise. "Maybe we should get Serena on the floor. In case she faints," Cody suggested. Damien was stroking his beard. It was obvious he had never been in the middle of such a situation. Nobody knew what they were doing, but they agreed it was probably best to lay her down than have her fall over. As Dean and Seth assisted her to her feet, the blackness took over and she buckled.

Dr. Rios burst in as they lay her down. "What happened?"

"Serena had a panic attack and fainted," Wade told him. He looked down at Serena, in her barbecue and butter-stained sweater. The only time she looked at peace was when she fell unconscious, he noted. It made him feel sorry for her, but he would never admit it to her.

There was a knock on the doorframe. Wade looked up and saw Layla with Naomi and AJ in tow. "Is she all right?" Layla asked. When they realized she was unconscious, AJ and Layla clasped their hands over their mouths.

"You tell Alicia and Rosa that if they don't back off Serena, they're going to have to deal with us," Dean threatened darkly. He was kneeling next to Serena, holding her limp hand. Damien was still tugging on his beard, pacing back and forth and muttering under his breath. Dr. Rios used some smelling salts to bring Serena around.

She groaned. "Easy, Serena," Dean coaxed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Just lie still for a moment. You fainted." She nodded, letting her head rest back on the floor. The embarrassment of tripping, of having the panic attack and fainting came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes.

"Can we get a cold cloth or something for her head?" Drew suggested. Cody nodded and disappeared into the shower area. She worked at steadying her breathing, mortified that Dr. Rios had to use his medical expertise on her, his assistant.

"Are you taking your anxiety medication?" Dr. Rios asked her.

"It's not working…" Serena told him. "They make me drowsy…you wouldn't understand…" She clapped her hand over her face and groaned. Cody came back out with a cold cloth and Dean thanked him, laying the cool, damp fabric against her forehead. "Thank you, Cody," she told him.

"You scared me to death," Cody told her with a light chuckle. The room went up in agreement.

"I'm sorry, you guys…"

"It's all right, Serena. We worry about you," Seth told her.

"I can't believe I just had a panic attack in front of the whole locker room…"

"Don't think about that, love," Wade chided her gently. Dr. Rios stood.

"Take as long as you need to get yourself in order. Come back when you're good to go," Dr. Rios told her. Serena nodded and he left, leaving her with the handful of Superstars and the trio of Divas in the doorway. Serena slowly sat up. She saw the barbecue sauce stain on her sweater and sighed. Dean rubbed her back soothingly.

"So much for the turtleneck," Serena sighed. Damien reached into his bag and pulled out one of his T-shirts, a bright blue monstrosity with YOU'RE WELCOME emblazoned on the back. Serena looked at it and started laughing, laughing until she physically shook. Everyone exchanged glances.

"I know it is a ridiculous garment, but it is the best I can manage on such short notice," Damien told her. There was a twinkle in his eye and Serena knew right away it was his way of joking around with her. She flashed him a gracious smile.

"It's fine, Damien," Serena assured him. "It's just so…bright."

Wade helped Serena to her feet and she disappeared into the shower area to change. She was thankful her hair was long enough, down over her chest. It felt weird having her neck exposed. She looked at the wrecked turtleneck, knowing full well the barbecue sauce would never fully come out. Sighing in aggravation, she slammed the shirt in the trash and walked back into the room. Everybody was staring at her. The shirt hanged off her. "Thank you, Damien," she offered sweetly. She spotted AJ, Layla and Naomi in the doorway.

"Are you okay, Serena?" AJ asked. Her brown eyes were wide and brimming with worry. Serena nodded.

"You gave us all quite a fright," Layla told her. Serena didn't feel like being around the Divas.

"I'm sorry," Serena replied. Cody and Drew said something to the girls that Serena only half-heard, leading them back to the catering area. Serena sat down on a bench and rested her head back against the wall. Damien sat to her left, Dean to her right. "I feel like I should crawl into a hole somewhere and just never emerge."

"It's fine, Serena," Dean assured her. "Don't worry about the Divas, all right?"

"We need to go, fella," Sheamus said to Wade. He nodded.

"Are you going to be all right, love? I'd hate to leave you behind when you're not a hundred percent…"

"She's fine, Barrett," Roman told him. "We're with her." He looked to Serena, who nodded. His face flooded with relief and he bid her farewell, following Sheamus out the door. Damien left, explaining he had a match. He left with Cody. Serena was left in the room by herself with The Shield.

"You're not taking your medication," Dean accused. She never could lie to him.

"You wouldn't understand," Serena told him.

"Make us understand," Roman begged. Serena shook her head.

"I can't. Just know that I think I'm doing the right thing," Serena told them. She knew that they would try and convince her that she was being ridiculous for her reasons to not take her medication. They couldn't understand the fear she felt, the vivid nightmares that haunted her.

"Serena, it's supposed to keep you from this," Dean told her, distastefully grabbing the Damien Sandow T-shirt she wore. "Serena, we're worried about you, and we don't want to babysit you, but you need to take your medication."

"It makes me drowsy, all right? I don't want to walk around feeling like I'm going to fall asleep standing ninety percent of the time," she argued. "I'll be all right, okay? I'm working through it. I just still have issues."

Dean draped an arm around her shoulder. "I know, Serena. We just worry about you."

"I'll be all right. I'm just glad to have you guys around." She rested her head back against the wall. "I should get back to Dr. Rios. I swear - he has the patience of a saint." She stood. Her chest still felt a little heavy and her head a little light, but she wanted to get through the night. She just had to get through SmackDown the next night and then she could go home and hibernate for four days.

"He understands, Serena. We all do. Well, most of us," Dean told her. "Come on; we'll walk you back to the trainer's office." She nodded. Dean stood and offered her his arm. She took it, flashing him a soft smile as they left the Team Rhodes Scholars locker room.