While You Were Wrestling
"What was that?" Jeff asked Lita when they got to the back.
"I thought I heard him say he can't do this but I'm not sure." Lita answered.
"Never knew Richards to be a quitter." Jeff said as he wiped his face with a towel.
Shane was standing not too far away shaking his head. Raven was not going to be happy. Someone grabbed him and pulled him into another room. He turned around to see Meanie.
"Don't tell Raven that happened." Meanie said.
Shane looked at the man that wasn't much larger then him but was wearing a menacing look on his face. "Okay I won't tell him. Make sure Richards doesn't flip out again or I will." He left.
Meanie sighed. He was pretty sure that wouldn't happen again. He went into the locker room and found Stevie sitting there with his head in his hands. "You okay?" He asked. Stevie shook his head. "Is it about Jeff?" Again he shook his head. "What?"
"Raven called." Stevie looked up. There were tears streaking his face. "He reminded me not to blow it."
Meanie looked back to make sure no one was in the locker room. There were a few but they were out of earshot. "He beat him while on the phone with you?" Stevie nodded. "Damn it. Okay if anyone asks why you bailed from the ring say your ankle was bothering you."
***
Matt was in so much pain existence seemed to no longer exist. Time meant nothing. Where was Stevie? He could use some of that Tylenol right about now. But Stevie hadn't been there for a long time. Where was he? Did he leave? He thought he heard a voice that sounded like Stevie during the last beating but it was garbled.
But if so why wasn't he here? When was the last time he was here? He had a hard time concentrating on anything any more. Pain seemed to block his concentration.
He remembered he still had a Tylenol hidden and crawled over to its hiding place. He took it dry and then crawled back to his corner wincing at the pain that it caused. He curled back into his ball and fell into an uneasy sleep. The pain didn't permit him to stay asleep for very long.
The door opened and he heard someone walking down quietly. He opened his eyes to see Kanyon standing there with a tray of food. He handed it to him and walked out. Matt reached for it and hissed as his arms protested the whole way. He sighed as he tried again. This time a bit more successful. He ate slowly and then eventually passed out from the pain.
***
"Change of plans for tomorrow." Shane said the next day coming into Meanie and Stevie's room. "You are now wrestling as a tag team against Daniels and Modest. You think you can handle that?" He asked looking pointedly at Richards. Richards nodded. "People are going to start wondering if you keep jumping out of the ring. As I told Blue Meanie last night I won't tell Raven about last night if you don't leave in the middle of the match again. Okay I gotta go. Don't mess up." he left the room.
"Punk like we don't already know that." Meanie said before turning back to his friend. "Don't let him bother you."
"I don't. Sorry about yesterday. I just couldn't get the thought out of my mind that Matt's in California in a basement being beaten. I saw it while I was setting up for the Steviekick."
"I know it's hard. But you've got to get through it. raven hasn't exactly given you a choice."
"Never has."
"What was that?" Jeff asked Lita when they got to the back.
"I thought I heard him say he can't do this but I'm not sure." Lita answered.
"Never knew Richards to be a quitter." Jeff said as he wiped his face with a towel.
Shane was standing not too far away shaking his head. Raven was not going to be happy. Someone grabbed him and pulled him into another room. He turned around to see Meanie.
"Don't tell Raven that happened." Meanie said.
Shane looked at the man that wasn't much larger then him but was wearing a menacing look on his face. "Okay I won't tell him. Make sure Richards doesn't flip out again or I will." He left.
Meanie sighed. He was pretty sure that wouldn't happen again. He went into the locker room and found Stevie sitting there with his head in his hands. "You okay?" He asked. Stevie shook his head. "Is it about Jeff?" Again he shook his head. "What?"
"Raven called." Stevie looked up. There were tears streaking his face. "He reminded me not to blow it."
Meanie looked back to make sure no one was in the locker room. There were a few but they were out of earshot. "He beat him while on the phone with you?" Stevie nodded. "Damn it. Okay if anyone asks why you bailed from the ring say your ankle was bothering you."
***
Matt was in so much pain existence seemed to no longer exist. Time meant nothing. Where was Stevie? He could use some of that Tylenol right about now. But Stevie hadn't been there for a long time. Where was he? Did he leave? He thought he heard a voice that sounded like Stevie during the last beating but it was garbled.
But if so why wasn't he here? When was the last time he was here? He had a hard time concentrating on anything any more. Pain seemed to block his concentration.
He remembered he still had a Tylenol hidden and crawled over to its hiding place. He took it dry and then crawled back to his corner wincing at the pain that it caused. He curled back into his ball and fell into an uneasy sleep. The pain didn't permit him to stay asleep for very long.
The door opened and he heard someone walking down quietly. He opened his eyes to see Kanyon standing there with a tray of food. He handed it to him and walked out. Matt reached for it and hissed as his arms protested the whole way. He sighed as he tried again. This time a bit more successful. He ate slowly and then eventually passed out from the pain.
***
"Change of plans for tomorrow." Shane said the next day coming into Meanie and Stevie's room. "You are now wrestling as a tag team against Daniels and Modest. You think you can handle that?" He asked looking pointedly at Richards. Richards nodded. "People are going to start wondering if you keep jumping out of the ring. As I told Blue Meanie last night I won't tell Raven about last night if you don't leave in the middle of the match again. Okay I gotta go. Don't mess up." he left the room.
"Punk like we don't already know that." Meanie said before turning back to his friend. "Don't let him bother you."
"I don't. Sorry about yesterday. I just couldn't get the thought out of my mind that Matt's in California in a basement being beaten. I saw it while I was setting up for the Steviekick."
"I know it's hard. But you've got to get through it. raven hasn't exactly given you a choice."
"Never has."