Chapter 27

"Come on, Lana, just a few more steps till we're out," Paul instructed her gently.

She gave a small moan in response, moving alongside him—more like him practically dragging her—as the gradually reached the fire exit.

Lana had appeared more than groggy; it was more like she had been disoriented and coughing, making him wonder if she had breathed in too much smoke.

"I'm tired," Lana whined a little before she coughed again. "I want to stop."

"We can't, sweetheart. We're almost out; I promise."

"Tired…." she said again, trailing off.

"Just stay with me. It will be over soon."

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"Go ahead, get up and pace again and I will kick your ass," Kim warned Brian. "You're just making a bad situation worse."

"The rest of the damn roster is out! Where the hell are PL and Red?"

"Didn't I just say give it a couple more minutes?"

"Fuck this shit; I'm going to ask someone what's going on, since you want to sit on your flat ass and do nothing."

"Fine, go make a donkey out of yourself and be the laughingstock of the whole world. No skin off my teeth."

"Someone's coming out!" Kim heard someone call and beckon toward the fire exit. "That should be the last of them."

Loud applause broke out as Paul came through the fire door with Lana, catching the medics' attention and handing her over to them, saying she had been coughing and seemed confused.

"PL!"Brian yelled at the top of his lungs, running over and grabbing Paul in a bear hug, holding on for dear life. "You nearly scared the hell out of me, man!"

"Yeah, and you're going to get your ass in trouble for breaking kayfabe. You're supposed to hate my guts now, remember? Get off of me."

"You see anyone in these pants that gives a fuck about kayfabe right now? You're alive."

"Dude, come on; honest to Christ, everyone's looking and you're making an ass out of yourself."

"Don't care," Brian said, still hanging on.

"I don't even know this crazy guy," Kim said. "Never saw him before in my life."

"Kimbo, go ask one of those fire guys if they have a jaws of life to pry this thing off of me. I'd like to see how Lana is, but I don't want to drag this dead weight around."

"I sit down here worrying my happy ass off about you and this is the thanks I get?"

"Look, you see that I am breathing, now get the fuck off of me before I have Kimbo get the jaws of life for real."

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Lana had been taken to the hospital, where she was being admitted for observation while being treated for moderate smoke inhalation.

"What happened?" she asked later that morning once she had gotten her bearings.

"Fire at the hotel," Paul answered. "Apparently you'd already breathed in a shitload of smoke before I even got to you."

"But how did you…." Lana began.

"The big time hero broke the door to your room down," Brian grinned. "Don't ask how, but I cannot be prouder of my bitch than I am now."

"Okay, dude? I am not your bitch, and if you still think so, then you need to get your ass back downstairs and seek treatment for the stuff you inhaled because something in your head is totally fucked up."

"Yeah, and I thought I was your bitch," Kim said. "At least you call me one at every opportunity. I'm hurt."

"You're my paid bitch," Brian said laughingly. "PL's for the rest of it."

"If that is the case, I better prepare to go on strike then," Kim quipped. "For better conditions."

"Nice to see that the fire didn't affect some things," Lana said with a smile.

"Believe me, Lana, the damn world could blow up and these two morons would still be going at it. I don't why they just don't admit they like each other, go make out, and get it over with."

"Hey, come on, Paul, I may be single and looking, but I'm not thatdamn hard up," Kim replied.

"And Kim has cooties," Brian teased.

"Which I probably got off of you," Kim shot back laughingly.

"Never mind," Paul rolled his eyes. "Perhaps it's better to hear the insults. Anyway, we need to get going down to the Red Cross to clean up before we go back and see if anything is salvageable at the hotel."

"Yeah, Brian's due for his flea dip anyway," Kim quipped.

"Bitch," he growled.

"Ho," she responded.

"All right, children; let's go and let the nice lady rest for awhile," Paul said. "Lord knows I have to deal with your shit enough as it is once we get on the plane tomorrow."