A/N: Apologies to everyone who tried to read EuM chapter 102 this morning. I went to a WWE event yesterday and afterwards, tried to work through sleepiness to finish the chapter but saved the file wrong so it only uploaded half of the chapter. Here's the entire thing:

Since Alberto fired Ricardo, the former ring announcer had left most of Alberto's responsibilities to Alberto. Had thought he could handle them on his own, especially once everything fell apart with WWE and AAA stepped up to help him legally and in other ways. It seems fine... until Ricardo is walking towards his room after a lengthy training session to find Alberto squinting at his calendar, mumbling distressedly. He stops short and approaches him. "Is something wrong, El Patron?"

"I can't..." He frowns and looks at Ricardo. "What day is it?"

Warning bells sound in Ricardo's brain, but he swallows and tries not to freak out. "It's Sunday, El Patron. What's wrong?" But when he gets within reading distance of the calendar, he knows immediately. There is an event written on it in Alberto's careful print, to start in half an hour. He pales, reading the words on it. Definitely not enough time to catch a flight to Texas for Alberto to make it. "Uh oh. Here, we'll get their number and contact them, it'll be ok, El Patron."

He's just turned to get the phone, look up the arena and get a phone number, when Alberto reaches out and grips his arm. His hold feels wrong and Ricardo's just turned to look at him again when he steps forward and shakes his head, pale. "Mi amigo-" he's just managed to say when his knees give out and he slumps towards the floor.

"Whoa, whoa-" Ricardo moves fast, catching him under the arms and bracing his fall. Cradling him against his shoulder as they drop to the floor, he looks up, then around desperately. He'd dropped his phone in his haste to catch Alberto and it had skittered under the dresser, so he turns to plan B. "SOFIA!" He listens as the housekeeper drops what she's doing and runs towards the bedroom. "Call 911, Alberto passed out." He stares into his former employer's pale face, gingerly tapping his cheek. "C'mon, El Patron, open your eyes..."

He can hear Sofia's shaking voice on the phone with the emergency operator, but he doesn't allow it to take his focus off of the motionless man in his arms. "Alberto, I swear... this is not how we're going to spend our first year anniversary of freedom, si? Wake up. Come on." He rests his cheek against Alberto's forehead and listens to his breathing, wondering what went wrong. Alberto had seemed ok, maybe a little tired, but still him. The usual smug but caring man that he's been since their friendship renewed last year. He sighs and rests a hand on Alberto's shoulder, rocking him back and forth slowly.

"Ricardo," he breathes out after a moment and the ring announcer's eyes shoot open as he takes in Alberto's glassy gaze. "Ricardo...?"

"Right here, El Patron, I'm right here," he tells him. When Alberto tries to get his feet under him once more, to stand up, Ricardo presses a hand on his shoulder. "No, no, don't move. You passed out, El Patron." He holds onto him tighter, relieved somewhat that Alberto is still weak, groggy. It means that Ricardo can keep him from hurting himself worse. "Sofia is calling for an ambulance."

This seems to revive Alberto and he struggles, trying to push away from Ricardo. "No, no, I don't need an ambulance- I'm fine, I just lost my balance-"

"You were unresponsive for at least five minutes," Ricardo tells him, keeping him in place against his chest. This at least seems to stop him short and he looks up at Ricardo with a frown. "You're getting checked out by a doctor, I don't even care. Yell at me, hit me, whatever you want, but you're not going anywhere."

"I wouldn't do that," Alberto mumbles, looking ashamed. He at least stops fighting and rests against Ricardo's chest, breathing in deeply as the ring announcer brushes his fingers through his hair. "Lo siento. I didn't realize... I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine, just stay here and I'll forgive you," Ricardo murmurs. They remain like that, listening to each other breathing, when finally the sirens of the ambulance arrive. Sofia guides them back and Ricardo relinquishes hold of Alberto to one of the EMTs. "He passed out while we were talking," he explains, drying his clammy hands on his pants as he moves to join Sofia, wrapping an arm around the distressed woman's shoulders. "He came to after a few minutes, but he still seems sleepy and a little out of it."

The EMT nods. "Sir?" he asks, flashing a light in Alberto's eyes. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," he says tiredly. He answers the EMT's questions sufficiently about his name, the date, who the president is, and the man who had first spoke to him steps back to address Ricardo and Sofia.

"We're going to take him in, just to run some tests, see what caused him to pass out. He seems stable though, so don't worry." Ricardo and Sofia nod in concert. "Either of you want to come with? We can only fit one of you, though."

It's an easy enough question to answer. "Sofia should go," Ricardo says, not wanting the shaking woman to worry about driving. "I'll follow behind in my car." The EMT nods, stepping aside to alert the ER, and Ricardo kneels down where they're preparing to put Alberto on a stretcher. "El Patron, did you hear any of that?" he asks, resting a hand on the side of Alberto's face. The older man merely blinks and Ricardo forces a strangled kind of smile. "Sofia's going to go with you in the ambulance, and I'm going to be right behind you in the car, ok? You're going to be just fine." He leans over and lightly kisses Alberto on the forehead before getting back to his feet to allow the EMTs room to work.

The drive to the hospital, in late evening traffic, is horrible and Ricardo bites his lip as he stares at the back of the ambulance, wondering how Alberto and Sofia are doing inside. The sirens aren't on, and he thinks it's a good sign but he can't help how tense he feels right now. He's still not sure what happened, why Alberto seemed fine this morning, just to... He closes his eyes, not wanting to relive the moment but aware that it's going to be haunting him for quite some time.

The hospital is packed, busy. Sofia and Ricardo stand in the small room that Alberto is being examined in, blood taken, IVs administered. They hold onto each other, their main relief being that he's awake and responsive, losing some of that groggy confusion as more time goes by. Finally a doctor approaches them. "We're running tests, but it appears he's suffering from exhaustion. We'll know more once the tests come back. Have you noticed anything off about him lately?

The two exchange glances, Ricardo slowly shaking his head. "No," he says doubtfully, feeling guilty about all of the time he spends out, at the dojo. What if I missed something huge? Some sign that this was coming...? But Sofia is usually at the house, and she shakes her head too, so he feels a little better, although that niggling doubt remains with him.

The doctor nods before speaking to the nurses for a moment, then leaving the room. After Alberto is settled and comfortable, the nurses leave and Ricardo takes a deep breath, approaching the bed. He lifts Alberto's hand and squeezes it, smiling sadly down at him. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Si, I think so," he mumbles. "I'm still tired, but... si..." Sofia joins them, taking Alberto's other hand and he smiles up at her wearily. "Lo siento, Sofia, I didn't mean to scare you. Or you," he adds, turning to look at Ricardo.

"Don't worry about it," the ring announcer tells him. "It's going to be ok." They lapse into silence, waiting, thinking. Finally the doctor comes back within the hour and they all look up at him.

"His blood tests are back," he says, settling in a rolling chair and facing them. "Everything seems normal, except that he's acutely dehydrated. So we're going to keep him for awhile and let these IVs run their course. Mr. Del Rio, you're exhausted, and you need to take better care of yourself. This was your body's way of telling you that. Rest, drink plenty of water or sports drinks, anything to replenish your body's electrolytes."

Alberto makes a face, but Ricardo answers for him. "We'll make sure he does, doctor. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'd suggest setting up a follow appointment with your doctor in the next week or so. But otherwise, you should be fine." He taps his knuckles against the papers before getting up. "A nurse will be in soon to add another IV. Once that's empty, you can leave."

"Thank you," Alberto says grudgingly, clearly not happy with having to lay here and wait. But it's clearly what he needs as his eyes slip shut a few minutes after the doctor leaves, his body giving in to the much needed sleep it clearly needs. Sofia sighs and smooths the sheets out over him before they sit back to wait, both checking on the IV now and again as it slowly drains.

It's been empty for close to half an hour, Ricardo and Sofia quietly agreeing to just let him sleep, when a nurse enters. Quiets as soon as she realizes Alberto is asleep, but takes the IV out as gently as possible, which still wakes him up. Ricardo soothes him with a hand on his arm as the nurse finishes bandaging his hand up and turns back to him. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your release papers."

"Thank you," Ricardo murmurs as she leaves. He exchanges glances with Alberto and shakes his head. "You're going home, and right to bed, El Patron. And don't argue with me."

"I won't," Alberto sighs. He remembers all too well just how tenacious Ricardo could be from when he'd had a concussion and tried to do too much at once while still recovering. Finally the nurse returns, Alberto signs the papers, and they listen to her explain what to do for the next few days until his follow up with his doctor. He nods and obliges, blanching, when the nurse brings a wheelchair out. "Ay, I hate this part," he grunts, shuffling over and sitting down with an unhappy grimace as he's pushed out of the hospital. The only thing that seems to comfort him is having Ricardo on one side and Sofia on the other.

The drive is quiet, Sofia sitting in the back with Alberto as she keeps an eye on him. Once they arrive, Ricardo driving around the lengthy driveway and parking as close to the door as he can get, he gets out of the car and goes to Alberto's side, ignoring his huffs as he rests a hand on his back and follows him into the house, guiding him to his bedroom. "Lay down," he says quietly, tugging at the drapes to cover the window so no lights will disturb Alberto's rest.

He obliges, unsurprised when Sofia arrives a moment later with a glass of water, resting it on his bedside table. She leaves them alone afterwards, and Ricardo sits down on the bed next to Alberto. "You don't need to stay, Ricardo," Alberto says tersely. "I won't get out of bed and play on the floor like some obedient child or something."

Ricardo sighs and rolls over onto his side, wrapping an arm around Alberto and holding him tightly. "You scared me, and I'm not going anywhere," he mumbles into his shoulder. "Just sleep, Alberto. Please."

Alberto stops short, realizing that Ricardo is trembling. "Fine," he gives in. Stroking Ricardo's arm, he stares up at the ceiling. "I won't let this happen again, Ricardo. I promise." This seems to help the younger man to relax, aware how much promises mean to Alberto. "Buenos noches, mi amigo."

"Buenos noches," Ricardo murmurs back.

The next day starts early. The internet is abuzz with Alberto's no show, and Ricardo grits his teeth at some things being said, contacting the event coordinators to try to explain what happened. They don't seem impressed and he mostly understands, realizing that he should've called them, but Alberto's wellbeing meant more to him and he'd just forgotten. Sofia pats his arm sympathetically before serving him breakfast, having listened to some of the conversation while cooking.

Alberto joins them a few minutes later, blurry eyed and looking much better than he had the night before. "Did I hear you on the phone, mi amigo?" he asks after a few sips of coffee.

"...Si," Ricardo says sheepishly. "Sorry if I woke you up."

He shakes a hand dismissively. "Was it about the event last night?"

"Si. They're not happy with either of us right now, El Patron." Ricardo pokes at his eggs with a fork, sighing.

Alberto grimaces. "I suppose I'll write a check for the charity. It's the least I can do."

Ricardo nods, lost in thought. He'd already planned on skipping the dojo training sessions this week, leaving things to the other trainers there. Staying close to home and keeping an eye on Alberto seems like a good idea, especially to make sure that he gets plenty of rest and doesn't try to skip scheduling a follow up with his doctor. He knows deep in his bones that Alberto won't want to no-show two events in a week, which unfortunately means it'd take something drastic for him to miss the matches he has scheduled in the UK this coming weekend.

"I'll be fine," Alberto says, as if reading his mind. Ricardo looks up and Alberto smiles at him. "I made a promise to you, and I intend on keeping it, mi hermanito."

And he does; he takes it easy, going on slow walks around his grounds with Ricardo, takes naps in the hammock, and watches movies with both Sofia and Ricardo in the evening. His follow-up appointment is scheduled for Thursday, so they can find out if the doctor thinks it's ok for Alberto to go to UK or not, and Ricardo breathes a little easier. Even Total Divas isn't relevant to him this week, his mind still racing with everything that's been going on this week already.

Only Paige's presence half an hour into the show, snuggling up next to him and stroking his jaw makes him pay attention. "Is Alberto alright?" she asks, kissing his cheek as he nods. "That's good, love. I wanted to be here with you so badly when I heard what happened." She rests her head on his shoulder as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"He's going to be fine," Ricardo says, feeling strangely as if he's saying it just to convince himself. "He will."

"Of course he will, you'll make sure of it," she says softly, the two of them watching as the divas bicker over Eva Marie. "And I'll take care of you."

"Gracias," he whispers, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiles as they settle in, pretend to care about what's happening on the TV.