Chapter 2
The girl, laying there on the couch of the hotel room, seemingly lifeless yet she was still breathing, but battered and beaten. She didn't move, but her stomach muscles were moving. A hint of life.
That's all Shawn needed to see as he wiped the girl's face off with a wet washcloth. He eased the cloth down her face so he wouldn't get her scares and bruises to hurt. He also tried not to touch the bandage that was on her face that was starting to peel. Shawn felt tears when he finally managed the get all the dirt and blood off her forehead and cheeks, seeing the girl's face. She was pretty, yet she was a teenager with some blemishes here and there. Shawn didn't mind them. He didn't care much about looks of others. He just wanted to help.
Triple H was on the other side of the room, partially standing between the living room and the bedroom door, looking at the two people, his best friend and the girl, inches from him. He looked at the watch on his wrist that he pulled from his bag. 1:32 A.M.
How they got into the hotel was no surprise to them:
Triple H pulled into the driveway of the first hotel in sight. He quickly shot a glance at the mirror, looking directly into the eyes of Shawn, those blue eyes had seemingly become full of guilt and sorrow. He looked at the girl while still focusing on the other cars parked in the spaces on each side. The girl remained in the same position, barely hanging on to life as it were. He felt a spark of anger. He wanted answers. Just to turn the car around and beg that those thugs give him the answers he deserves.
Shawn could see the anger in his best friend's eyes, and he quickly looked at the girl, moaning as she was when they first saw her. He kept rubbing her wrist, which seemed to have gained a little strength then what had been a dangling wrist before. He smiled, knowing the girl was going to be okay. He knew it, but something wanted him to think otherwise. He wiped a tear from his eye and quickly set his sights back on Hunter.
"We need to get her help, Hunter." Shawn said, his voice raspy from not talking for an hour.
Triple H pulled into an empty parking spot and quickly let the car die down, getting the keys out of the slot. His eyes were starting to shut a little, but managed to keep his tired body awake.
"Sure...let's...um...get her inside." He said, rubbing his eyes, looking back at Shawn.
Shawn sat up straighter than what had been. His tears no longer flowed. "They'll think something bad might have happened to her and blame it on us. Wouldn't they?"
"We'll tell them what happened and call the police. Come on, Shawn, I don't want to sit here any longer."
"And I don't want to leave her alone with strangers, Hunter."
"I thought you wanted help for her."
"I do...but what would those people think if we are seen dragging a beaten girl into a hotel and it's only us with here. They'll think the wrong things, Hunter. We can't bring that on us."
Triple H thought a second, his mind trying to outrun the feelings of sleep and rest. "Let's just go to a police station. They'll take care of her."
Triple H almost got the car fired up again when he felt Shawn's hand on his shoulder, rough, yet tired.
"We're in the middle of nowhere," Shawn said, then pointed to the map on the dashboard. "And that map only shows streets and signs. No buildings. We'd be lost if we tried to go any further. Now, we have to help her. And even if we did drive off and we did happen to find a police station...it could be too late by then."
Triple H peered at Shawn, tilting his head slightly, too tired to argue anymore. He wanted to sleep, but helping the girl was what mattered now. He shut off the car and quickly unbuckled the seatbelt, opening the car door, Shawn's hand slipping from his shoulder in a flash. He shut the door and walked over to the right side of the back door and opened it. He could now see Shawn holding the girl a little in his arms, as if they both had the same idea.
"You hold the girl and I'll get the bags out of the trunk. Don't show the girl's face, and try to hide some of the tears in her clothes. We'll make it look like she's asleep."
Shawn got out of the car and into the darkness, but the light from the car's ceiling gave a faint light to see the girl. He gently touched the girl's forearm and managed to get his other arm under her legs. He pulled her towards his body and easily reached under her arms and gently pulled her out of the car, herself groaning in Shawn's strong but getting weak arms as he staggered backwards. Triple H managed to use the other key on the chain to unlock the trunk. He grabbed Shawn's bag first and then his, putting both on either shoulder. Only one bag for each wrestler, with their clothes for the arena, normal clothes, and a few necessary objects, was all that was needed. He shut the trunk with a thud, anger still inside of him every time the battered and beaten girl was moaning in Shawn's arms after what seemed like silence. Triple H walked over to the left side door and shut it with a thud while Shawn backed away, ready to walk into the doors of the hotel with his friend and the girl in his arms. Triple H fixed the girl's shirt by moving the torn pieces above her stomach, which was still moving. He also moved the girl's head a little, able to not notice her face while it was buried in Shawn's chest, but found a way for her also to breathe the air around her. Her hair was limp on her face and on Shawn's forearms.
The two best friends gave each other nervous glances as they approached the doors, and Shawn quickly whispered to the girl, "Sweet angel, can you try not to groan too much? We don't want them to think the wrong things. Don't worry, sweet one, you'll be okay...pretty angel."
Triple H opened the only door and held it open. Shawn made his way through, tilting his body a little for the girl not to get injured on the door hinges that stuck out like needles. Triple H quickly got into the lobby with Shawn, who looked down at the girl, keeping an eye on her face and clothes. He could tell she was safe...for now.
They managed to get to the front counter were a man, in his late sixties with a green uniform on, was almost asleep against the counter.
Triple H cleared his throat, followed by cupping a hand to his mouth. "Excuse me?"
The man awoke, but didn't seem to wake completely. "Y-Y-Yes?"
"We need a room, if you don't mind, sir." Triple H said, almost remembering how tired he was, uncupping his mouth.
Shawn tried to keep calm, but his hands were getting tight around the girl's body. She was about to moan, as it seemed, but stopped short of doing so. Shawn gave a sigh of relief as he loosened his grip, but wasn't going to let the girl drop out of his hands.
The man got off the counter and gave Triple H a key and a card. Triple H smiled and left the lobby without the intent of saying anything else.
Shawn looked at the man as he walked towards his friend. "Thank you."
There was no reply. The girl in Shawn's arms groaned a little as Shawn stepped lightly into the elevator with Triple H, still holding the bags on his shoulders. The doors of the elevator closed as soon as Triple H punched the number three on the wall with his index finger.
"It says: Third floor, room 23." Triple H said, looking at the card, tired from the long day.
"That man was nice, but didn't seem to be paying attention." Shawn said, holding the girl as she moaned again...this time very loud.
"Don't worry. We'll help you." Triple H said, touching the girl's visible shoulder.
"That's right, beautiful angel." Shawn said, hoping to shine some light on the matter as the elevator kept going up. It seemed like they were in the elevator for a long time, but it only would have been a minute.
"How long is this hotel?" Triple H asked, possibly to himself.
"Huge, I guess," Shawn said, his muscles aching. "My arms hurt. My old bones just aren't what they used to be."
"Hang in there, buddy," Triple H said, then looked at the girl. "And you too."
Finally, the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and Shawn, cradling the girl in his arms, got out first, then Triple H got out, the bags on his shoulders starting to cause aches and pains like that of the feeling in both of his legs. They managed to find the room, the hallway stretching down with many rooms on both sides, and Triple H opened the door.
The room was bigger than what could have been. Triple H walked into the bedroom on the left and set the bags down on the bed, not bothering to set them to the side. He laid down on the bed, but realized Shawn was still there in the living room. He opened his eyes and saw Shawn place the girl on the couch in the center of the living room.
Shawn had finally gotten the girl out of his arms, and quickly went into the bathroom that was on the right of him. He went inside and grabbed a washcloth from the rack hanging on the wall. He set it under the nossel in the sink, then turned it, letting the cold water splash against the washcloth. He was going to turn it off, but decided to set down the washcloth and cup his hands in front of him in the sink, water collecting and sliding out of his hands in an instant. He rubbed the water on his face, forgetting that he could have some bruising from the fight with the thugs earlier.
Triple H walked out of the bedroom after fumbling around in his own bag for a watch, and quickly found Shawn walking out of the bathroom with a washcloth. He walked over to the couch and applied the cloth to the girl's face.
What led them here was just chance. They happened to come across the thugs on the side of the road by chance, and they also happened to fight them by chance when really there was no choice in the matter. They happened to have seen the girl, and happened to help her when those people beating and hitting her on the road couldn't have cared less if she was dead or alive the next day.
Shawn felt his tears again as the girl's movements were slim to none. She was breathing, but it couldn't have been enough. He managed to get the dirt and blood off her face, but managed to ignore the scars that had been there for possibly hours and bruises that had formed on her face after the scuffle was over.
Triple H saw that the girl looked peaceful from the care that Shawn had tried to give. Maybe there was nothing anyone could do. She probably would need a hospital, but would it be too late by then? The question always was answered in silence. He noticed that Shawn was trying to clean the cuts and scars on the girl's arms and hands, but she groaned aloud and Shawn jerked back, easily worried.
Shawn let the cloth down on the floor after a few moments and quickly said a prayer to his maker. Asking God to help her, comfort her, protect her. He also prayed that the girl would be okay, but if she wasn't, then he would let God's will be done, for she knew that the girl was in God's hands. He happened to also pray for the thugs, and pray that their ways will be stopped for good after this night, and he prayed that the next monday they had to go out and wrestle, he and Hunter and all of the other wrestlers would be okay.
When Shawn finished his prayer, he lifted his head and saw the girl's blue eyes looking at him, partially opened, but able to see enough from the way she kept looking at Shawn. Shawn looked at Triple H, and he noticed the girl's eyes too. He walked over to Shawn and placed a hand on his back, looking at the girl as well. The girl's eyes closed with a groan, and she was appearing to be breathing better than what already had been.
Shawn smiled. Triple H smiled. It was one thing that Shawn and Triple H had both prayed for, either in prayer or not, that the girl would be okay.
"God's looking out for her now." Shawn said, standing up straight and looking at the girl.
"Yeah. I'm going to sleep. It's really late...actually it's morning. Good night." Triple H said, walking into the bedroom.
"Good morning." Shawn teased, causing his best friend to laugh.
Shawn grinned and looked at the girl again. She looked peaceful, but not so much any better than she already looked. Shawn asked God to help her again, then, slowly, he bent down and touched the girl's forehead, feeling her soft and somewhat bloodstained hair, and rubbed it a few moments.
"Good night, beautiful angel," Shawn whispered. "May God protect you."