Suddenly there was consciousness, and he awakened trying to open his eyes with some difficulty and as he did…they took time to adjust from the blurred world around him and he remained rather disoriented. Sensing his movement he felt someone grip his hand tight, and their figure sprang up beside him and he could hear Matt’s voice.
(Matt): Jer? Jer, baby?
There was a bit of movement as Matt leaned over him pressing the button for assistance. He grabbed his hand again and kissed it profusely. His throat was dry and it took a moment for it to salivate enough for him to speak.
(Jeremy): Wh…what…
(Matt): Shhhhhh… don’t try an speak. You’re in the hospital, but you’re gonna be alright. You’re gonna be…
Matt’s voice cracked a bit, his head dropped across Jeremy’s side as he held his hand to his face.
(Matt): Jesus Jer…
He didn’t know where he was, or what happened…all he knew was that Matt was in distress. He raised his arm up and put it on the clearing blur of Matt’s head.
(Jeremy): Babe, no…don’t…don’t cry.
There were tears in Matt’s eyes, but he held them there. Gritted past his own grief and sucked them up just as the nurse came in.
(Nurse): Well Mr. Branson, you’re awake…good…I’ll let Dr. Arabi know. Let’s sit you up a bit, excuse me sir.
She brushed past Matt who was forced to let go of Jeremy’s hand and she moved in close to Matt, raising the head of his bed a bit, checked his vitals and IV drips, nodding and then turned and smiled to Matt.
(Nurse): The doctor will be in shortly, okay?
Matt just nodded, and by now Jeremy’s vision was cleared up. He looked at Matt whose eyes were dark with bags, he looked a little sickly and pale. He sat up further in bed and was just about to speak with Matt when the doctor came in with a smile, looking at a chart in his hands.
(Dr. Arabi): Good Afternoon Mr. Branson, I’m Dr. Arabi the attending Neurologist. Your with is here at University of Maryland Medical Center and have been in a medically induced coma for the past 5 days.
Jeremy’s eyes go to Matt who is now pacing the floor at the foot of the bed.
(Dr. Arabi): I understand you may be a bit disoriented at the moment, but don’t rush it. You received a head injury at your wrestling show and I’ll let your partner fill you in on those details. You had some pretty aggressive brain swelling, but luckily no internal bleeding, after your CT we decided to place you in a medically induced coma in an effort to provide the least invasive treatment and allow your body to heal a but on its own. With the rest and some medication your swelling has subsided tremendously as we ceased inducement late last night so you could transition into a normal cycle. Now that you’re awake, we’ll give you a little time to rest and chat here, but we do want to put another order in for another CT and we’ll see where you’re at after that, sounds good?
Jeremy just nodded, and the doctor smiled nodding to both him, then to Matt as he turned to leave. Jeremy had black eyes, the bruising around his orbital socket was purple and now that he was beginning to recover his faculties all the sensations of his body began to kick on and his head throbbed with a dull pain as Matt turned to him, gripping the edge of the bed’s bar restraint.
(Matt): It’s my fault, it’s my fault…
(Jeremy): Matt…relax, just tell me what happened.
Over the next minutes Matt recounted the closing moments of Jeremy’s match with Maniac from his own involvement all the way to Erica, the aftermath with EMT’s and everything in-between. Jeremy asked to see it, but Matt didn’t want to upset him further and said he could look at the replay of the ppv later.
(Jeremy): What’s important right now is that I’m ok, you heard him…the doctor said so.
(Matt): That’s not what he said Jer, he said he wants another scan, so he does.
(Jeremy): It’s fine, I’ll be…
His voice cracked a bit and he grabbed at his throat. Matt darted over to the night stand and grabbed a bottle of water, cracked the top and handed it to him. Jeremy chugged the whole thing and handed him back the bottle. Matt leaned in to kiss him but Jeremy put his hand up to stop him.
(Jeremy): Babe no, I’m gross…I haven’t brushed my fuking teeth in week.
(Matt): 5 Days, and I don’t care, so I don’t.
Matt leaned in and kissed him, it was gentle and it was definitely nice, and Jeremy wanted it more than he’d admit to. Matt sat back down in the chair beside the bed, pulling it in close.
(Matt): What do you want to do?
(Jeremy): I don’t know, I can’t pretend I understand any of this shit. Maniac’s been in our face for a fuking year, but it wasn’t really him, and he’s supposed to have these identities, or personalities and I can see that, I accepted that…..but a demon? Matt, that’s just…it’s horror movie, Sci-Fi stuff, how are we supposed to wrap our heads around some bullshit like that? And now this “demon” is supposed to be in that fuking bitch Erica? Come on!
(Matt): I don’t understand it either, I’m not sure I even believe it, me’self. She’s a bloody nutter so she is…the bit with Hans and that. Oh speaking of…
Matt leans over opening the nightstand drawer and pulls out Jeremy’s cell phone and hands it to him.
(Matt): You’re Mum and Da phoned, you best call them seein’ as your awake an all now. Hans and Sean and Michelle, Wisdom, a bunch of folks have all checked in and I’ve been sending them updates.
Jeremy lays his phone on his lap and takes Matt hand, for the first time noticing his clothes in addition to his physical state.
(Jeremy): You’ve been here the whole time haven’t you? I know gift shop t-shirts when I see them. Babe, why didn’t you go to a hotel…get some rest?
(Matt): Don’t be daft, and leave you here by yourself? Naaaa! You came with me in the hospital I was same when I was down and out, and that was before we were together.
(Jeremy): Oh, I was just trying to score brownie points and get in your pants. Soon as no one was looking, I’d sneak peeks at your junk under the covers.
Matt smiled a bit as Jeremy tried to lighten the mood. He appreciated it, he knew what he was doing but he didn’t feel he deserved it. If he hadn’t been so hell bent on this feud with Maniac last year, neither of them would be on the radar of that craziness. His stomach was churning inside, if that bloody doctor came in and said anything about Jeremy not being able to wrestle again he’d lose his shit. He tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.
(Matt): As soon as we get you out of her, I’ll get ya whatever you want to eat.
(Jeremy): Right now I wanna eat your…
(Matt): Hey! Watch it mister.
(Jeremy): Had to try!
Jeremy sighs deeply and moments of silence pass between them, both a little lost on what to say next. Matt turns his chair so it’s side by side with Jeremy and he turns on the television in the room.
(Matt): I’ve got something that will tickle yer fancy, so it will.
(Jeremy): Oh?
(Matt): Aye, the main event. I missed it live me’self obviously but it was right banger. Butch is a bloody beast wait ‘til you see him. He…
(Jeremy): Babe…don’t tell me!
Jeremy manages a smile looking at Matt. This was a common ground they could agree on, and a reasonable distraction to answering the question of “What next?” Not only did they watch Butch’s match with Cody which was amazing, but at the time he was preparing for his own match and didn’t see Hans and Sensei so they watched that as well. It was superb, the absolute sophistication of Hans matches still kept him as a fan, and Sensei was incredible in his own right. To see him compete at this high level when they observe him so infrequently in the ring was awesome. They skipped his match with Maniac, and by the time the two matches were over the nurse was returning to the room to take Jeremy for another CT scan. Remarking on bringing in some lunch for him after as they wheeled him out. For the moment things were as they were, Jeremy couldn’t wait to get out and get on the road home and Matt…this situation had awakened something inside him. His Dragon who had slumbered since last year. He pulled out his phone and as he dialed a number the name Matthew Kiriyama (Sensie) came up on the screen. The call went to voicemail…
(Matt): Thought I’d start making calls…Jer’s awake. Sensei…
Matt sighs deeply…and pauses for a few moments, deeply considering the words forming in his mouth, daring to even speak them.
(Matt): Sensei I can’t do it…I won’t accept it…Jeremy, no one has to know right now but there has to be a way. I don’t care what the doctors said, so I don’t. Two months, Six months, a year…I will wrestle again, will you help me?
Matt ends the call and pockets his phone as he looks back at the empty space where Jeremy’s bed was, and decided that he’d wait until later to tell Jeremy Maniac had been in the same hospital days ago, grateful none of the other staff had brought it up as the scene fades to black.
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