Wrestlemania XXX, 3 Years Ago...
He didn't notice until the small blur ran past him what exactly was happening… but that small figure was hugging the Deadman and the commentators were confused as to why.
And so were he and Paul…
The backstage area was quieter when Undertaker wrapped his large left hand around 23 year old Amanda's slender right wrist.
"Why did you do that? He could've hurt you, kiddo." Undertaker says.
"I think of you as an uncle, Mark… and seeing what happened out there, the undefeated streak ending… it was a bittersweet feeling." Amanda says, Undertaker carefully pulling her into his arms.
She wasn't even scheduled to be here tonight, only a month removed from her seizures… but he knew why she was here.
Later in the locker room, both saw Brock and Paul… and Brock and Undertaker shook hands, Undertaker leaving to find the others.
"Mandy?" Brock says, the small brunette looking back at him after turning around and bits of her blonde ombre color showing up in her dark locks. "It is a bittersweet feeling, kiddo… I wish it had ended differently." He says.
"I know, Brock." Amanda says, her normally sparkling eyes filled with tears. "I know." She whispered before leaving, Paul stopping Brock.
"Give her time… she's more like them than you realise." Paul says, Brock nodding.
He hated seeing her cry… especially when he caused it…
Present time…
"Focus… focus." Amanda whispered while at ringside for the match, her head throbbing as Shinsuke faced off against Dolph.
The match progressed evenly with Shinsuke getting the victory and him and Amanda hugging after she got into the ring. Dolph pulled himself up and, breaking character, extended his hand.
Shinsuke shook it before all three headed to the back and Amanda took a few moments to compose herself… before feeling a hand pinch her side and letting out a small shriek, Randy laughing as she glared at him.
But the laugh and smile dropped when he saw how pale she looked.
"Damn… are you sure you want to go back out there? I'd understand if you wouldn't want to." Randy says.
"I'm okay… I can handle it." Amanda says.
"Okay, just… give me that subtle signal when you start feeling like you're dragging, princess." Randy says.
The two headed out there for the match… as she had earlier, Amanda memorized the script.
'Jump on his back when the Bollywood Boyz interfere, go for the Demon's Destruction… how hard could it be? You've interfered before.' Amanda thought as the match progressed evenly.
The part crept up, Amanda bolted into the ring and jumped on Jinder, who was going along with the script and shook her off, Amanda helping Randy up.
Again was where it went wrong… on instinct, the Demon Mistress shoved the Viper out of the way and Jinder's left foot slammed hard into the right side of her head and she was down on the mat.
"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck! What have I done?! I swear, I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry!" Jinder whispered in horror as tears started falling, Randy shoving him aside and crouching down to the barely conscious brunette as a terrified Finn ran into the ring and was near Amanda too, her left hand gripped in his hands and both trying to wake her up.
Amanda's eyes opened partially… and above her was someone else, a third set of blue eyes staring at her.
She couldn't talk though because at that point, all consciousness had left her.
Finn's P.O.V
No… no, damn it, this can't be happening again! She's… I should've taken her to the hospital after what happened on Monday, the doctors backstage had missed something because now she's on a damn ventilator and everyone from both rosters to backstage personnel are here, no one's done much in the last 12 hours… is it really almost 9 am?
"It should be me on that damn machine, not her… she hasn't been the same after those seizures, she's…" I hear Randy say, Nia comforting him.
I walk into the room, the monitor making its usual sound that indicated that the patient's vitals were stable.
No swelling on her brain, no bleeding… she's just not waking up.
Sitting down, I take her right hand into my hands... and start singing Little Wonders by Rob Thomas… but it's not working.
"Damn it…" I say in a rough voice as more tears fell. "I don't want to lose you, no one does… please, Mandy, you need to wake up." I say softly, hearing the glass door open and seeing Randy and Sami.
"Just give her time… she'll…" Randy says, cut off seconds later.
"Look!" Sami says as the toes on Mandy's right foot twitch… and then her hand squeezes mine and her eyes start to open.
Amanda's P.O.V
Everything feels so damn fuzzy… but I'm alive, I… I cheated death twice now.
I try to talk but can't… and feel the ventilator tube down my throat before it's removed by the doctor.
"What… happened to me?" I ask, my voice sounding like a Dalek.
"You were rendered comatose for twelve terrifying hours… everyone's out there, Mandy, we were all scared to death that we had lost you." Finn says, lightly stroking my hair as Jinder walks in, dressed in normal clothes but his eyes are bloodshot and he looks like hell.
"Mandy, I am so sorry…" Jinder says after walking over, the two of us hugging.
"These things happen… I'm okay, it's not your fault." I say as we look at each other after letting go.
"I thought I had killed you when you weren't waking up immediately." Jinder says.
You don't know how close to death I was… I saw Chris there like I had before three years ago.
And his message was clear… I'm nowhere near ready to leave this earth, not by a long shot.
"I'm not leaving this world for a long time, Jinder… I still have too much left to do." I say.
"Damn right you do, Amanda Rose Cena." Jinder says before walking back outside with Randy and Sami after I hugged both of them and letting me and Finn have some time to ourselves… and I let the tears fall as both of us hug each other tightly.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again!" Natia says, nearly shouting as she and several others run in and Natia and I hug.
It's not my time, nowhere near it… I'm not letting anything take me.
