Chapter 4
"Hey, sweet angel." Shawn said from the doorway of the bedroom, a smile entranced on his face.
The girl continued coughing, as if she couldn't hear him, but when she stopped she looked over at the two men in the doorway and slightly tried to get up, her blue eyes wide.
Triple H made his way into the room, Shawn following. The girl tried to sit up, but she only managed to sit up a little and she didn't seem to mind the washcloth that was on her forehead. Shawn saw the look in the girl's eyes, and his heart grew heavy.
"No. It's okay, angel. We won't hurt you." He said, trying to sooth his voice after all of his crying.
"Don't worry." Triple H said, walking over to the couch.
The girl tried to sit up completely, her eyes wider. Triple H stopped walking and realized he was a few feet from the girl. Shawn came up behind Hunter and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You want to talk to her or do you want me to?" Shawn whispered in his friend's ear.
"I don't know. She seems scared." Triple H said, looking back at the girl, who didn't move but her eyes told the story.
After a few moments, Shawn walked over to the couch, getting closer to the girl, who kept trying to sit up more, but she was too scared to do so. Shawn managed to lean down next to the couch and look at the girl. When Shawn tried to say something, the girl acted as if she wanted to.
Shawn finally decided to speak. "Hey, pretty one. Are you okay?"
The girl kept looking at him, her head sitting straight on her shoulders to the point the washcloth on her forehead came down and crashed into her chest. She opened her mouth, but closed it immediately, looking back at Triple H, who smiled when he saw the pretty girl before him.
"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Shawn asked, confused.
The girl kept looking at Triple H, then she looked back at Shawn. She leaned back on the couch and acted as though she wanted to leave. Wanted to get away. Shawn turned his head to look at Triple H and Triple H walked over to the couch. The girl crouched back on the couch some more.
Triple H looked at the girl as he stood behind Shawn, Shawn standing up and still looking at the girl.
"Listen, Kid, were not going to hurt you. The least we can do is talk to you." Triple H said.
The girl kept her eyes on the two men, darting to one then the other. She kept her posture stiff, and she had a look of worry on her face that worried both of the two men in front of her. Shawn looked at Triple H, who kept his head straight and looked at the girl.
"Aren't you going to say something?" Triple H asked, his arms crossing his chest.
The girl kept looking at the two friends, her eyes worried as her face was. She looked different than what was when they first found her.
"What's your name?" Triple H asked, looking a little concerned.
The girl just looked at the two, then she let her head fall a little to where she was looking at the washcloth on her chest. She picked it up and looked at it, her eyes wide, as if she was studying it. Shawn chuckled at the girl and looked at his friend, whose question still remained unanswered.
"She's quite a listener." Shawn teased.
"Yeah, right," Triple H walked over to the couch to where the girl gasped when his body was blocking her view of anything else in front of her. "What's your name, kid?"
Shawn noticed the look of worry getting deeper in the girl's eyes, them moving up and down, as if studying Triple H's figure and trying not to look him in the eyes too much.
"Hunter," Shawn said, walking towards the couch where his friend was. "Maybe we should make her comfortable before she gets too scared."
Triple H looked at him. "Yeah, she's scared all right. But why isn't she talking? All I asked was a simple question."
Shawn placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Let's just help her for now, then she'll talk when she's ready. I let my kids do that when their scared or angry. Don't you?"
"No, I just take control. That's what I'm supposed to do."
"Well, it's alright to take control, but you'll push someone over the limit if you're not careful."
"Shawn, don't go preacher on-"
"I'm not going preacher! I'm trying to be your friend is all!"
"Oh, sure. Your like Vince only you're much younger and less aggressive!"
Suddenly, the girl laughed. Shawn and Triple H looked at her at the same time. She cowered back, the stares were that fast. Shawn let a smile come to his face as Hunter kept trying to think of ways not to argue with Shawn, but most of all trying not to argue with a teenage girl such as the one on the couch.
"Well, she thinks our conversations are funny." Shawn said, trying to touch the girl's hand, but she yanked it back.
Triple H kept looking at the girl. "Yeah...lets just hope she'll start talking before we pack up and leave. We'll get her to the police station soon enough."
Shawn's heart became heavy again. He looked at the girl with worry, and worry was entranced on her face as well. She must have been scared more than anything when Hunter said that.
Triple H walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his bag from off the floor. He fumbled through it while hearing Shawn talking in the living room.
"Don't worry, pretty angel. It'll be okay. You just stay here." Shawn was saying.
Triple H heard Shawn's footsteps come into the room just as he grabbed the neatly folded paper again and looked at it a second. "Well, we better get going."
Then, he noticed the look in Shawn's eyes. The worry shown on his face.
"What?" Triple H asked.
Shawn looked back at the girl, who looked at the two men in the other room from the couch, and turned back around to face his friend. "She needs us, Hunter. We can't send her to the police knowing she'll be scared. She'll probably think that we've abandoned her. Besides, she probably had been. You never know. I think that if we-"
"She'll get all the help she needs when the police take her."
Triple H looked at Shawn, whose hands started to shake at the words that hung in the air.
"Shawn," Triple H said slowly. "She'll be okay no matter what happens."
"How would you know? Your not her, and you don't know what she's been through."
"Then ask her, Shawn! She's not talking to me anyway! She'll talk to you since your the one being the favorite around here."
"Who ever implied that?! No one had to ever imply that! I just care for her is all!"
"If you care so much then you should just go check on her right now!"
Silence and tension filled the room. Shawn took a deep breath, not wanting to fight, but everything built up inside the two friends was coming out in a blaze of fury, as if nothing could ease their minds, and the girl listening to all of this must have been more afraid than to start with.
"Maybe I will." Shawn said, glaring at his friend before turning his back to him.
He walked into the living room and looked at the girl, her eyes and face full of worry. He noticed a tear on her face, and he gently wiped it away after she flinched back, but allowed Shawn to do so. She grabbed his hand and rubbed it a little, as if she could feel what Shawn was feeling.
"Sorry you had to here that," Shawn said, placing his other hand on the girl's hand. "Maybe you wont have to worry so much when we get this cleared up. Until then...do you need anything?"
The girl kept looking down at his hand on top of her's and didn't do anything else. She didn't even smile. Her blue eyes were misted with tears.
"Come on, pretty one, it's okay," Shawn said, wiping more tears with his free hand. "Are you hungry? Do you need some water?"
Shawn thought he saw the girl's head move, but when he looked down after his questions went unanswered, the girl's arms clung to him and her head rested on his shoulder. She was soft at the touch, and Shawn smiled when he found his way around the girl's tough grip.
"Your a good girl. You know that?"
In the bedroom, Triple H looked on as the girl was hugging Shawn to the point it looked as though she wanted to squeeze him, but didn't need to. He sighed, realizing the fight he had with Shawn was pointless. He wanted to say how he felt, and he took it out on his only friend. Well, maybe not his only friend, but the closest friend he ever had. He just wished he didn't have to be so hard on the subject of the girl.
An hour later, Shawn and Triple H were getting their bags over their shoulders as the girl looked on from the couch. She had managed to sit up and drink some water before managing to eat a little bit of an apple Shawn had gotten for her downstairs, but not before he ran into some fans and signed autographs for them and took pictures with them. They even said they were going to the next show in Mississippi, where Shawn and Hunter were going. Shawn managed to get back upstairs after talking to the fans and gave the apple to the girl. Triple H hadn't talked to him since the fight.
Shawn also managed to look at the girl and fumble through his bag before he could find a t-shirt with a big "DX" symbol on the front. He even managed to find some pants that looked as if they would fit the girl.
Triple H noticed this. He thought it would be a good time to break the silence. "Shawn, you can't fit those."
"I know. I just decided to give the girl some clean clothes. Maybe she'll be able to walk so she can get in the shower real quick."
"You're serious? The police can handle that, Shawn."
"Let's not start this again, Hunter," Shawn said, the cloths in his hands as he walked towards the door. "Besides, I'm the favorite, remember?"
Triple H gave Shawn a look and roughly walked past Shawn and sat down on the edge of the couch where the girl wasn't in the way. Shawn immediately walked into the room and walked up to the girl, trying to hold in his anger, more so trying not to show it.
"Angel," He said. "Do you think you can walk? I think it would be nice to get out of those things and in these. I picked them out myself."
The girl looked at the clothes in Shawn's hands and quickly grabbed them, studying them as she held the t-shirt up into the light. A bright smile came to her face as she nodded.
"Alright, then," Triple H said, getting off the couch. "You need me to help her into the bathroom."
Shawn looked at him. "Let's see if she can walk first."
The girl looked at Shawn and smiled a little, trying to get her feet on the floor as Shawn held her by the hand. She began to sit up as her grip on Shawn's hand became stronger. She managed to stand on her feet and lean on Shawn for balance. Shawn looked at Triple H, who was smiling. Something Shawn least expected.
"All right, angel, you ready?" Shawn asked, smiling.
"Are you ready?" Triple H teased, that boom in his voice as when they were in front of an audience.
The girl laughed at Hunter's voice, then, slowly, let go of Shawn's hand. She managed to keep her balance a second until she started to fall. Shawn caught her immediately, letting out a groan from the way she collapsed into his arms.
"Okay," Shawn staggered back on to his feet. "Let's try that again."
The girl smiled again, as if she wasn't going to give up. She was managing to hold the clothes in her hands tightly as she managed to let go of Shawn's hand again. This time, she managed to stay there for a few more seconds before collapsing again in Shawn's arms.
"Need a hand?" Triple H asked, walking over to Shawn.
"No, I'm good. We're all good." Shawn said, staggering, realizing his back muscles were beginning to hurt.
"Shawn, you need to rest a minute. I'll take care of the girl."
Shawn managed to keep his hand on the girl's hand while looking at Hunter, who looked confident in the girl. Shawn nodded, not letting his back injuries from back in the day get the best of him, and handed the girl over to Triple H. The girl, at first, didn't touch Triple H's hand, but only collapsed onto his chest. Triple H grabbed her hand and looked at her.
"Are you ready?" He asked, the same boom in his voice.
The girl laughed, then nodded as she smiled at the other man. She let go of Triple H's hand and saw that she was standing on her own. Not staggering. Not falling. She was standing there.
"Good job, angel." Shawn said.
"Very good," Triple H said. "Now, can you walk?"
The girl took a step forward, then another. She was walking normally. This came as a shock to the two friends.
"Wow, she's a fast learner." Triple H said as he saw the girl walk into the bathroom. He closed the door with a smile.
He walked over to the couch where Shawn was sitting, his face with agony more than pleasure.
"You okay, buddy?" Triple H asked.
Shawn looked up, rubbing his back in the process. "My old bones again. This time it's my back."
Triple H sat down next to his friend. He smiled as Shawn smiled at him. Their tensions seemed to have died down.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Triple H said, a hand on his friend's back, letting Shawn's hand fall to his side.
"I'm sorry, too." Shawn said, his back muscles aching so bad he could have screamed. But he didn't want to.
"That girl sure does know how to put a smile on someone's face." Triple H said.
"Did she put one on yours, Hunter?" Shawn teased.
"Yep. She sure did. But...I still think that-"
"Hunter, dont."
"Shawn-"
"Look...the girl is in our hands. God has taken care of her. Yes, she does have scars on her and, yes, she does have bruises and won't talk. But trust me, she will talk when she gets ready."
Triple H thought a moment. "Maybe those cops wont help her...then again they might."
"So, we're just going to give her up? After all of this?"
"Well, I think it's a good idea to know who she is so we can take her to the police."
"So, when she's done showering she'll start talking? Is that what your saying, Hunter?"
"Shawn, I don't want to start another argument. Let's just help the girl and get out of here. The show starts tomorrow and I don't want to be late for practice."
Shawn looked down at the carpet, that was a mixture of brown and white, and sighed. "I think she needs someone."
In the bathroom, the girl turned off the nossel to the shower and quickly grabbed the only towel she managed to find on the counter. She dried off and put her new clothes on, thinking of how happy she was knowing she was with someone who cared. Someone who loved her. Someone like those two men. Not like-
She stopped thinking about it and looked at the clothes she had on. The blue jeans fit just right, and were a good mix from the color of the shirt. The shirt was black and had some letters on the front that said: "DX: Are You Ready?" The back had nothing on it, but the shirt was good nonetheless.
She shook her head, trying to get out of her trance. She touched her face, and saw the blemishes. Her smile faded. She wasn't in the best mood, but her mood was gone. She now couldn't face the two men looking at what she thought was a clown. A freak. That's what she thought of herself.
She saw the scars on her arms and hands, even little scars stood out on her neck as well. Bruises were on the side of her right cheek and under her left eye. She kept frowning when she saw them. Now, she thought she was a huge mess. A freak.
That's what those two men probably thought of me, She thought. Just like all those who look at me.
She stepped past her old, ragged, and dirty and bloodstained clothes and picked them up. After all, she heard one of the men say they were headed to Mississippi. A place she had never seen. How much she longed to see this new place. A place where she could explore new wonders. She longed to see new things, no matter how much she wanted to stay home.
But she doesn't have a home anymore.
Shawn and Triple H waited for the girl, and the tension that left for those minutes before heated again, and it seemed forever would have to beat them to get anywhere this time.
Shawn lowered his head as he waited, wanting nothing more to do than help the girl. He succeed with Hunter a couple of times, but now it seemed as though the two friends could never forgive themselves for their actions.
Triple H couldn't understand why Shawn couldn't follow through with his plan. When they found the girl, they planned to have taken her to the police, but it seemed it was more of his idea than Shawn's. Shawn was so tender-hearted, at least what Hunter thought, that he couldn't see through with the plans that were in store.
Then, the girl came out of the bathroom and looked at the two men in front of her, waiting, watching, possibly planning to laugh or giggle at her. Instead, they smiled simotanisily and looked at her.
Shawn spoke up, standing straight, his back aching less than what had been. "You look better now. Come on, pretty one, let's get going."
As Shawn looked at Hunter, the girl caught sight of the way the other man was looking at the man standing up. He looked sort of surprised, but his expressions were more angry than anything. His muscles were huge compared to the size of the other man's muscles, yet he looked tough, too.
Triple H got off the couch and grabbed his bag's lace, keeping the bag from falling as Shawn kept his from falling.
"Did you get everything?" Triple H asked.
"Yes, Hunter. I got everything." Shawn said, the girl looking at him.
The girl noticed the washcloth on the side of the couch and picked it up, seeing the blood and dirt that was entwined with the cold and damp feelings. She knew she had a fever, but why was there so much blood and dirt there too?
Shawn noticed the girl's actions. "You think we should double check the room?"
Triple H sighed. "Yeah, let's do that. And the bathroom, too."
Shawn and Triple H walked into the bedroom as the girl followed them. Shawn checked under the bed, his muscles aching from the impact, and he gave a thumbs up to his friend.
"All clear." He said.
Triple H checked the table with the non-interesting magazines and quickly gave a smile to his friend.
"We're good here."
Triple H set his bag down on the bed and opened it. He looked for anything missing, and everything was there. He realized he and Shawn hadn't showered since they found the thugs, but it was already too late since they needed to leave now.
"I'm good. You?"
"You know I check my bag every time I put my stuff back in it."
"So...your good?"
"Yes, Hunter."
Shawn made way past the girl, with a smile, and he walked into the bathroom, Triple H followed him as the girl got out of his way. She saw the two men look around the counters and look in the cabinets. It was awkward to see such things as this. She had never seen anyone do this before.
She felt something on the palm of her hand and saw the washcloth was still there. She looked at it a second, seeing everything that was on there and feeling the cold touch, and, walking over to the bed, she saw the bag that one of the men had left open. She decided to look inside.
A neatly folded paper was on top of the neatly folded clothes. She grabbed the paper and held it in her other hand as she lowered the washcloth into the bag with her other hand. She pushed it down past the clothes and towards the bottom of the bag. She let it go and put the paper back on the bag.
She left the room and saw the two men finishing up their looking in the bathroom. She noticed one of the men, the nice one, was holding her old and torn clothes. He put them in his bag that was laying on the counter.
"All right, we're clear." Triple H said.
"Yeah. Oh, I'll get the girl's shoes from the livingroom."
Shawn walked in the livingroom and got the shoes that was on the side of the couch. He handed them over to the girl.
"Put these back on." Shawn said.
The girl took them and walked over to the couch, placing her right shoe on her right foot, then her left shoe on her left foot. She tied the laces and immediately got up as she saw the nice man in front of her.
"All right, let's go." Triple H called from the bedroom as he zipped up his bag and placed it over his shoulder.
Shawn and the girl walked over to Triple H, then, they left the hotel room.