Aloe Vera
"Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot..." Tom chanted his new mantra as he hobbled across the tiled hospital floor.
"What are you doing out of bed?" He was suddenly confronted by a very ornery head nurse.
"The same thing I've done every day since I got here: trying to get my mobility back." Tom retorted "I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow."
"And if you keep pushing yourself before your knee is ready, you'll be back here the day after that."
What Tom wouldn't have given to be able to "Go Insane" on this large buzz-killing woman. "Fine." He grumbled under his breath.
"I don't want to catch you out of your room unless you're in a wheelchair."
Tom hobbled back to his room. He turned around once and stuck his tongue out at the nurse, who wagged her finger at him condescendingly.
"Stupid woman..." He muttered. "Why the hell couldn't Adam have had fun with a hippopotamus instead of needing a female for companionship?"
"What's this about me and Vickie?"
Tom looked up. Edge was leaning against the door to Tom's room, grinning widely. "Different Adam and a different hippopotamus."
Grimacing a little, Tom got back into his bed, politely refusing assistance from Adam. "It's okay man, I got it."
"Cool." Adam watched while Tom adjusted the blankets and leaned back, closing his eyes.
"Sorry I haven't been by recently, but shit's been happenin'."
"Doesn't it always... how're you and Jay?"
"Incredible. I have never been so in love with someone in my life." A blush appeared on his cheeks. "By the way, Heyman wants to put E 'n C back together."
"Just no more five second poses, okay?" Tom smiled "They were corny."
"Awww... I liked those." Adam pouted
"You been up to see Randy at all?"
"Not since he arrived. I hear he ain't doin' so good." Adam's concern for his former tag-team partner was understandable, but from what Matt had said, visitors were always welcome. Whatever shit had been happenin' in Adam's life, it must be big.
"Yeah." Tom agreed "From what Matt told me, he's still not sleeping much, and eating even less..."
"I thought Matt was gonna get him to talk to a counselor."
"He tried. Randy refuses to talk to anyone about this. Even me." An offer had been made by Tom shortly after Randy initially balked at talking, but that idea was met with even more disdain.
"Orton'll deal with it in his own way, I'm sure." Adam answered
"What happened with you and Glenn and Evan and Jack after I left?" Tom was really curious. He'd heard nothing from anyone about it, and the news had nothing either.
Adam chortled, scratching the back of his neck. "You want the bad news or the shitty news?"
"Neither, if it can be helped."
"This is what I heard and I hope you understand that this is all secondhand what I'm telling you..."
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'd like to know by then, if possible."
"Unless Orton starts talking, there's no physical proof to hold them for kidnapping. They have DNA for sexual assault, but again Randy has to talk."
"...and convincing Randy to do that isn't gonna be easy. Are they even in custody?"
"That's the shitty news: no." Adam answered
"Nothing's ever easy, is it?"
"If your last name is Hardy, then no. Anyway, I gotta split. Call me once you get home and I'll bring the gang over for a poker night or something."
"I'd like that." Tom replied
"One last thing. Mark wanted me to give you this. He said he tried to deliver it in person, but Jeff wouldn't let him see you."
Tom's eyes narrowed. Is that why Mark's been a stranger? Jeff has some explaining to do...
Adam handed a single sheet of paper to Tom. "Later, man."
Tom stared at the paper for several minutes once he was alone. "Oh well, can't get any worse than it already is." Reading the note, his eyes got even wider and he had to reread it twice more before the everything made sense. Well, not everything, but...
"Hardy," it read "hopefully Copeland gets this to ya before the rumors start flyin'. I know this may sound like compete bullshit, but what happened in the ring between us was an accident..."
"That's for sure." Tom continued to read.
"I'm going to explain my side of things and maybe it'll make sense. I don't know what you've heard about my divorce, but I guess the Deadman isn't as good at creeping around outside the ring as he is inside. Bourne found out that I was shackin' up with someone else and he threatened to go to Sara with pictures. The only way I could keep James out of the picture is to do what they wanted, and what they wanted was to take you out permanently..."
"Well, you succeeded." Tom grunted "Whether you meant to or not is irrelevant."
"... hopefully the fact I choke-slammed both of them makes up for it, at least a little bit. James said he would deal with them personally and that scares even me. He takes territorial to a new level."
"So I've heard." Tom stuck the letter under his pillow when he heard the doorknob rattle. It was his husband, returning from whatever errands he'd been running.
"Hi, baby." Jeff dropped a bag on the floor and rushed over to give Tom a big hug and wet, sloppy, open-mouthed kiss.
"Mmm... I missed you." Tom kissed Jeff back, his tongue automatically seeking out the warm cavity of Jeff's mouth. "Where'd you go?" Once he had to break for oxygen, he spoke.
"Home. I got you some clothes for when you leave tomorrow."
"Thank-you." Tom ruffled Jeff's hair, pulling him in closer for another kiss. "I really missed you."
"I can tell." Jeff had felt something hard poking his stomach while they kissed.
"Stupid nurse won't let me outta bed." Tom sulked "She says Imma hurt myself and hafta come back."
"That sucks." Jeff answered "You've been walking the halls every day since your surgery and now they have a fuckin' problem with it. Ya want me to bitch her out?"
"Nah, I'll just have to work harder when I get home." Tom smiled "You stayin' for a while or do you hafta go?"
"I was gonna see Matty and Randy, but other than that... Tommy!"
Tom's hand had crept up Jeff's leg and was now squeezing the bulge in his jeans.
"You remember what you said to me that day in the psych ward?" Tom grinned
"Uh... yeah?"
"Well, I'm not wearing anything under my gown either."
Without no hesitation whatsoever, Jeff climbed into bed with Tom.
"What if we're seen? Whadda we do then?"
"I don't know and I am so horny right now that I don't even care." Tom stated "Now shush and kiss me."
...
"Randy, you've gotta eat something... please?" Matt begged
Randy eyed the plate of food, but shook his head. "I ain't hungry." He said through clenched teeth.
"You've been sayin' that for two days. You know that if you don't eat, they're gonna feed you through a tube." The downward spiral Randy had been slowly slipping into had gotten progressively worse since another incident with the Cowboy. The younger Orton had received a letter from his father and, hoping it was an apology, Randy had anxiously read it. It was anything but that. Orton senior had literally torn his son to shreds yet again and since then, Randy hadn't said but ten words to anyone, refused to eat, and slept only when the medications took over. The spark that Matt had fallen in love with was being extinguished and it was crushing both of them.
"You were supposed to be coming home with me today." Matt sighed "Now, they're not gonna let you leave until to agree to talk to their shrink."
Randy turned over, facing away from Matt. What Orton really wanted was to be left alone so he could deal with these things in his own way.
"Keep this up and you'll drive everyone away who still loves you... even me."
He didn't want to lose Matt, that was for certain, but if Matt knew how much Randy was really hurting, he'd leave anyway. It wasn't just the kidnapping, or the rape, or even the Cowboy that was bothering him. There was something else, but Randy couldn't explain it to himself, much less anybody else.
"Just go." Randy whispered "Please Matt, let me handle this on my own."
Matt didn't believe that Randy could handle this by himself any more than Jeff could do his own taxes. "Fine. But if I go, I can't promise that I'll be back."
"Do what you hafta do."
"If that's how you want it to be, then okay." Matt responded, even though he knew he'd be back. He couldn't stay away from Randy, no matter how much it seemed that Orton didn't want him around. "Tom's checking out today. Maybe I'll go see how he's doing. I'm sure he'd welcome a friend."
Randy grunted, not even bothering to look at Matt as he left.
In the corridor, Matt leaned his forehead against a wall, pounding it with his fist several times. "Randy, don't shut me out." He whispered "Please."
...
"What the fuck do you two think you're doing? And here, of all places?"
"Since as of this morning, the head honcho on this floor has a problem with me walking for exercise, I had to find some other way." Tom coughed discreetly. "You can get off me now."
Jeff giggled.
"But here, man? What if it wasn't me that busted in? At least I'm used to seeing the two of you fuck." Matt had gone upstairs, hoping to find Jeff and Tom in a position to talk. The position he found them in had very little to do with talking.
"Like you and Randy have never done it in public?" Jeff joked "Pleeeease."
Matt's face clouded. "Not that it's any of your fuckin' business little bro, but Randy and I haven't done it yet. Period." And if he doesn't stop acting like he has, then we never will.
Jeff started to pout. He always hated it when Matty yelled at him. Usually this got an apology from Matt, but not this time.
"And stop acting like a baby!" Matt yelled "Fuck, I really don't need this right now!" Tossing his arms up in the air, Matt stormed out of the room.
"Matty, wait... Imma didn't mean it." Jeff bounced off the bed and started to follow Matt.
"Jeffro, I wouldn't." Tom cautioned, gingerly swinging his legs over the side and slowly standing up.
"But Matty..." Jeff pointed at the door to make his point.
"Matty's been put through a lot more that he should have. Obviously the two of us are not what he needs right now."
"Obviously." Jeff sulked
"This time, let's do the right thing. Let's leave him to deal with this himself."
"But..."
"I know what you're gonna say. Remember what happened the last time Matt was having relationship troubles. Having his two brothers butt in almost tore the three of us apart." Tom stretched out his leg, wincing when he felt something pop.
"So what do we do now?"
"You are going to pass me my clothes and then go buy some Skittles or something to keep you outta trouble for a bit."
"Yay! Skittles! I love you!" Jeff pounced on Tom, smothering his face with kisses.
"Enough. You're worse than Lucas!" Tom half-heartedly shielded himself from Jeff's barrage. "And while you're out there, maybe you can find out when I'm being discharged."
"Okay." Jeff removed his body from Tom's but didn't do much more than that. "Well?" he asked
"Well what?"
"Imma need money." Jeff announced
"I shoulda figured." Tom rolled his eyes. "I'm going to start putting you on an allowance."
"Yay!" Jeff repeated
"Ten bucks a week." Tom stated
"Aww... that's only..." Jeff counted on his fingers. "this many bags of Skittles." He held up seven.
"That's one a day. That's more sugar than you need, really."
Jeff stood there while Tom tossed his gown off. "Money?" He asked
"Did you bring my wallet?" Tom asked "If you didn't, then you'll be outta luck on that."
"Wasn't it in your pants?" Jeff demanded, getting a little impatient. He wanted his Skittles and he wanted them now.
"They brought me here in my ring gear." Tom replied "Did you collect my civvies from the arena?"
"Yeah... I threw them into your travel bag." Jeff retorted
"Then my wallet should be in there."
Jeff bounced over to the closet and soon returned with the canvas bag Tom carried everywhere. He dropped it onto the bed and began to rummage through it. "Here it is!" He exclaimed triumphantly
"Hey! Don't be such a nosy Ned!" Tom held out his hand when Jeff started looking through it.
Jeff pouted again, but gave Tom back his wallet. There were some things in it he didn't want anyone, even his husband, to see.
"Here. I don't have a ten, so hopefully you can get change somewhere."
"Imma be right back." Jeff threw open the door and ran head-first into the attending doctor.
"How are you today Jeff?" Everyone on the floor knew Jeff by sight.
"I got an owie!" He exclaimed, holding onto his head. "You ran into me!"
"I was here first." The doctor humored Jeff and took a quick look at his head. "Take two aspirin and have your brother kiss it all better."
Tom smirked. At his own insistence, their marital status was not mentioned. He had enough of people judging him for choosing to spend the rest of his life with his brother, he didn't need his insurance premiums going up as well.
"Are you coming to set me loose?" Tom asked
"I just wanted to go over your after-care first."
"Jeff, why don't you grab your Skittles and I'll meet you out front." Tom waved Jeff aside.
"Yay! Skittles!" Jeff danced away.
"Was he dropped on his head as a child?"
"Couldn't tell ya. He's only been in my life for less than a year." Tom responded "He just loves life."
"He loves you, that's for sure. It must run in the family. I'm also treating Matt's boyfriend."
"Anyway, doc, can we get on with it." Tom finished dressing while the doctor spoke.
"Sure. Here's the time-line Youngblood has set for you. For the next month, you are to be on crutches. I know you've been walking the halls for a little each day and that's fine. Just don't overdo it. He's scheduled a series of visits for follow-up care and if everything heals properly, you can wean yourself off the aids in three months."
"But my wrestling career is still over, right?" Tom asked
"Yes, and this is directly from his mouth. I am no expert in sports medicine..."
"If you were, would you agree?" The urge to get Mark back into the ring was rapidly consuming his waking hours, and some of his sleeping ones as well.
"I think it's best to err on the side of caution. If he thinks it is best if you don't return to the ring, then who am I to give you false hope."
Tom mentally noted to get a second opinion.
"Other than that, take the pain pills as prescribed. We'll reevaluate you monthly and maybe, in six months time, you'll be able to return to a normal life."
I don't want a normal life. I want to get back in that ring. Tom tried to make it seem like he accepted the prognosis, but all he could think of was how badly he wanted to get Mark in the ring. When that happened, and the word 'if' was not in this equation, Mark was gonna feel the same pain Tom had felt, accident or not.
"Anything else I should worry about?"
"I shouldn't have to tell you to keep the brace on at all times, except for when showering. If you notice any excessive swelling or discoloration, have it checked out immediately. If you'll just sign here, you can be out of here right away. I'll send for an orderly to wheel you down to the pharmacy for your prescription and your crutches."
Tom signed his release forms.
"Here's your prescription. An orderly will be right with you."
Tom finished dressing while he waited. It took a while to get his one sock and shoe on, the same problem he had the last time he fucked up his knee.
"Uh, Mister Hardy? Are you decent?"
The voice sounded familiar, but Tom shrugged. "Yeah."
The orderly in question looked a lot like Matt. In fact, it was Matt.
"Since when do you work here?" Tom laughed
"Since I found out they're releasing you. I offered to take you down myself." He looked considerably calmer than he had only a few minutes earlier.
Quickly throwing everything into his bag, Tom hopped over to the chair.
"Lemme help you." Matt grabbed Tom's arm and eased him into the seat.
"Thanks." He breathed loudly.
"Where's Jeff?" Matt quickly realized that he wasn't in the room.
"I sent him to get Skittles and the car. He's probably waiting for me."
Matt wheeled his brother to the pharmacy and got his drugs and his crutches for him.
"Matt, you really don't have to do all this. I'm not dead yet." When he saw that Matt was even willing to put down the rental on the crutches, Tom had to step in.
"You can pay me later. Jeff's probably gonna break ya with his Skittle expenses."
Jeff was waiting outside, and he was munching on Skittles.
"Look who I found." Matt sang out.
"Tommy... I was wond'rin' what had happened to ya." The red package soon disappeared into the pocket of his jeans.
"Doctor talks too much." Tom mock-grumbled.
"We go home now?" Jeff asked
"Finally. You're driving for the next while, so whenever you are ready."
Matt stood there, feeling totally alone for the first time since he and Randy had gotten together.
"You wanna come back to the hotel for dinner?" Jeff offered "Or are you staying here with Randy?"
"I thought he was getting outta here today as well." Tom worked his way into the car.
"There's been a setback." Matt tossed Tom's crutches across the back seat.
"A setback?" Tom furrowed his brow. "Nothing too serious, I hope."
Matt shrugged. "Just Randy bein' Randy." If only it was that easy.
"Well, are you comin' or not?" Jeff demanded, quite anxious to get moving.
"Jeffro! I know it's not every day I let you drive my Viper, but that's no excuse to be rude to your brother." Tom barked
"Sorry." Jeff slunk down into the driver's seat.
"You don't have to stick up for me, it's okay." Matt responded "And, I'd love to have dinner with the two of you. Can you give me two minutes to tell Randy that I'll be back in the morning?"
"Take your time." Tom quickly answered before Jeff could get a word out. "We'll be right here."
Matt raced back inside.
"Tommers, why do ya keep treating me like a baby?" Jeff asked
Memo to self, curb temper. "Jeff, I'm sorry." Tom apologized Memo again... stop apologizing so damn much! "Matt is going through as hard as time as we are and I guess I'm just empathizing a little more with him right now. It's nothing personal."
"I am thirty-one..."
"We had this conversation once before, did we not? I seem to recall you crying for your Bunny before it was all over, but I will try to be less of an asshole toward you from now on. Besides, you're just too cute for me to stay angry at for long." He leaned over and kissed Jeff deeply.
"Now where is Matt?" Once they broke their smooch, Jeff stared at the entrance. "Imma gettin' hungry."
"Patience, man. Relax, eat your Skittles, and he'll be out here before you know it."
...
"I'm goin' to dinner with Jeff and Tom. I'll be back either later tonight or first-thing in the mornin'."
"Fine." Randy said, refusing to even look at Matt.
"Randy, please... if this is about your Dad, we can work this out." Matt walked around the bed and knelt beside Randy, forcing him to look at him.
"My dad has disowned me... think what he'll do to you if you get involved." Randy answered
"I don't care. I love you... you are the only one I care about like that right now. I want you to know that I am there for you always, okay." Matt moved to kiss Randy on the forehead, hoping that he didn't reject his affections like he'd done before. To his relief, Randy allowed the contact.
"You're are going to be okay by yourself for a bit?" All Randy had to do was say no and Matt would've immediately brushed off Jeff and Tom, still waiting patiently for him.
"Go. You've been here almost as much as I have." Randy waved him away. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you, Legend-killer." Matt kissed Randy again, this time on the mouth, and again Randy didn't cringe or pull away, although he did not return the sentiment. "Whatever it is we'll work through it. I promise."
...
Pulling into the parking lot of their hotel, Jeff and Tom were surprised to see a familiar face leaning against a wall, casually smoking a cigarette.
"Is that...?"
"I think so." Jeff parked the car nearby. Matt got out first, then helped Tom out.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna show up ever again." Tom leaned on the car, taking a moment to get his crutches under him.
"Sorry for goin' incognito, but until the shit storm dissipated, it was probably the best thing for me to do."
"I assume that means you have something to report?" Tom raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, but I'd rather not do it out here." Eric surveyed the parking area, as if he expected someone to jump out and attack. "Your room?"
"I guess it'll be dinner for four." Jeff shrugged "I's gonna call the restaurant and make it a table for four." Jeff skipped on ahead. "I'll see you upstairs."
"At the rate he moves, he's gonna change our reservation, be back upstairs, and raiding the mini-fridge before we even get up there." Personally, Tom thought he could make it at least as far as the elevator faster under his own power, but Matt had a determined look about him. One that said that if Tom tried to not use the crutches, he was going to have a serious problem and that problem was named Matthew Moore Hardy.
Tom was half-right. Jeff had managed to get their dinner plans changed and was waiting in the room for them, but he hadn't gotten a drink yet. Perhaps he wanted to hear what Eric had to say before he got shit-faced.
"I'll cut to the chase... there's good news and bad news."
"I hate it when there's a choice." Tom gingerly lay across the bed, stretching out his leg as much as he dared. "How 'bout the good news first."
"Uh, let me give ya the bad news first." Eric stated "Despite the overwhelming evidence, it looks like unless Matt's boyfriend decides to talk, that Evan and Jack will be back to making your lives a living hell very soon."
"Fuck that! I'll fuckin' kill them myself if they try anything!" Matt screamed
"It's okay, Matty." Jeff rubbed his brother's back for comfort.
"What's the good news, then?" Tom rolled onto his side and gazed upon Eric. "There better be some and don't tell me you saved money on your car insurance."
"Oh, there is, I think. That creepy lookin' guy with no eyebrows... what's his name again?"
"Kane." The other three replied all together.
"Well, from what I heard, they tried to skip out before the police could talk to them. Kane and the other guy dragged them both down to the ring, tied them to the ring ropes, and started beating on them." Eric stated "Unfortunately, some idiot thought it was part of the show and ordered the zebras to break it up before they could do a lot of damage."
"I still don't get why they'd tempt fate again. They got lucky the first time." Tom rolled onto his stomach and grimaced. "That wasn't good."
"The really scary thing is that they might get lucky again." Matt sighed "Randy's just been so distant since the attacks. He won't talk to me about it, he won't even talk to the hospital people so he they'll discharge him."
"But you know about the sexual assault, right?" Tom asked
"Yeah and Randy knows that I know." Matt answered
"I'm sure when the time is right, you'll be the first one he goes to." Jeff hugged Matt once more.
"Anything else?" Tom looked back at Eric, who seemed to be a little distracted by Matt and Jeff's display of emotion. He cleared his throat noisily, which seemed to un-distract Eric. So far, Eric hadn't told him anything that he didn't already know.
"Sorry I don't have anything better to tell you, but I can't get close to either of them right now. I don't even fuckin' know if they're in custody or not. Hopefully they are, but the way this has been going, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting."
If they only knew...