Author: Alliegirl4life
Title: I've Lost My Smile, Part 21
Disclaimers: I own nothing but the story idea itself. Of course, you guys should know that by now if you've made it this far.
Warnings: Slash, sexual situations, strong language and mentions of drug abuse. You have been warned.
Characters: Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, among others.
Pairing: Shawn/Bret
Author's Note: The lyrics featured in this chapter are an excerpt from Ozzy Osbourne's single, "If I Close My Eyes Forever."
Second Author's Note: Enjoy this story for what it is worth, or don't. The choice is yours. Also I want to take this time to thank my reviewers for sending me some great feedback (60 reviews? That's so awesome!). Thanks so much you guys and I hope this chapter does not disappoint. And thanks for being so patient with me when it comes to this story. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.
Part 21:
I quickly open the door to see a lone woman in an apron, overalls and high heels standing there. "May I help you?"
"Yes," the woman answers nonchalantly. "Were you one of the two men who used this room last night?" I look at the dark skinned woman and nod. "Well, just to let you know, your friend was sent to the hospital this morning."
"The hospital?" I ask. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she tells me. "Didn't anybody contact you?" Both Owen and I shake our heads in unison. "Well, he was rushed out early this morning around…1:30am? Yes, I believe it was around that time."
Knowing damned well the reason behind Shawn's quick departure, I thank the woman profusely for her information, and attempt the exit the room quickly. Just as I leave, however, she stops me and says, "Don't worry; I think your friend is going to be fine. Just have faith."
Yea, I think to myself. Faith is all I have right now.
Ten Minutes Later-
I climb into my car with Owen right behind me. As I turn on the ignition, I hear Owen say to me, "Just calm down, bro. I'm sure he's fine." I shake my head in silence and put the car back into reverse as memories of Shawn continue to overwhelm me.
After exiting the main parking lot of the hotel, I finally decide to put an end to the eerie silence that had settled between my brother and me. "Owen, Shawn has attempted this stunt before, and luckily I was there to stop him last time. This time…I might not be so lucky."
"What makes you so sure, Bret?" he asks me. I glare at him.
"I don't know okay? I just…Don't know." With that, I turn on the car's radio and try to relax my mind as the soothing sounds of metal reverberate throughout my car's interior. But no matter how hard I try to focus on the music, I just can't get the thought of Shawn out of my mind. What if I've…Lost him?
/ Baby, I get so scared inside and I don't really understand /
Is it love that's on my mind or is it fantasy? /
Several more scenarios blaze through my mind as the music continues to play on the radio:
/If I close my eyes forever/
Would it all remain unchanged? /
If I close my eyes forever /
Would it all remain the same? /
As I listen to the lyrics, I can't help but somehow relate to them, as if they are able to articulate how I truly feel…About Shawn. Leaning my head against the driver's seat, I let the song's lyrics take over where my constant, pestering thoughts once lingered.
/ Sometimes, its hard to hold on, so hard to hold on to my dreams /
It isn't always what it seems when you're face to face with me /
Like a dagger you stick me in the heart and taste the blood from my blade /
I know I've been so hard on you /
If I could have just one more wish /
I'd wipe the cobwebs from my eyes /
I suddenly snap out of my train-of-thought as I recognize the large city hospital to my left. Absent-mindedly, I hit my turn signal and slow the car down as the song comes to its end:
/ If I close my eyes forever /
Would it all remain unchanged? /
If I close my eyes forever /
would it all remain the same? (Oh yeah) /
After the song fades to silence, I turn into one of the closest parking spots in front of the hospital that I can find and turn off the vehicle. Despite my scattered thoughts, I seriously believe that the song explained my feelings where I otherwise would not have been able to. As I briskly jog towards the hospital's front entrance, I continue to replay the song in my head. For whatever reason, the lyrics are the only things keeping me calm, and I honestly don't know why. And then it happens. The music in my head stops playing the instant I approach the sign-in counter in the lobby.
"May I help you, sir?" The woman behind the counter asks me.
"Yes, I am looking for a Shawn Michaels; he was brought in around…" It takes me a few minutes to recall his log-in time. "…One-thirty this morning."
"Let me take a look, just a moment," she says. She then retrieves a clipboard with a list from her desk drawer and quickly scans the chicken scratch written on the first page. "Oh yes, here he is. I'm sorry," she looks up at me quickly. "Are you a relative of his?" Oh shit.
I suck in a breath and say, "No, I'm a very close friend of his." I wait for a few minutes, dreading the possibility of her turning me away. But to my utter astonishment, she looks at me and says:
"Okay, he is in room 415. Visiting hours are from eight-thirty a.m. to eight-forty-five p.m. So, you have another hour." She then replaces the clipboard and looks back at the computer before her and completely loses interest in my presence.
Looking at Owen, I relay the information to him and prepare to enter the main corridor as I dread the scene I will find when I enter Shawn's hospital room.
(Flashback: The Night Before)
Shawn's POV-
Bright lights flash above me, passing by with each second. I blink twice and try to focus on them, but I can't.
"It's alright, Shawn, just hang in there!" I hear a male voice shout down at me. I try to move my head to see where the voice is coming from, but I can't…Move. And the moment I look to either side of me, I suddenly realize why.
I'm in a hospital!
Trying not to panic, I recall what had happened to me just hours before. I opened the pill bottle, tossed every single pill back into my mouth that I possibly could and no more than…Ten minutes later? I blacked out. Now I'm here, floating in the air, hearing a male voice shouting down at me.
"His heart rate is dropping, his blood pressure is really low…God, we're losing him!" I see a large masculine face peering down at mine and feel the urge to stand up. But I can't. Something…Is holding me down! "Shawn, calm down, alright? You're going to be fine, just hang in there." I then try raising my arms, my legs, but I am completely paralyzed from the neck down. What is happening to me?
I listen as the male voice continues to read off my vitals. And from the sound of his voice, they aren't good. I then feel myself starting to fade out of consciousness. And without a second thought, I close my eyes and finally allow the darkness to overtake me.
(End of Flashback)
Opening my eyes for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I manage to focus on the door just as it begins to open. Before I can focus my vision completely, however, I see a dark haired blob enter the room and walk towards me.
I blink a few times and rub my eyes while thinking, 'No, it can't be. I can't be seeing that correctly, can I?' I finally clear my eyesight in time to see him. And upon doing so, I instantly feel the urge the cry. "Bret?"
"Hey Shawn," I hear him say as he hugs me tightly. "Don't worry, I'm here." I then let the tears fall as I hug him back; all while hoping that I will never lose him again.
To Be Continued?
A/N: Thanks once again for reading, and if you want to see this story continued, all you have to do is let me know via review.