Backstage at Estadio Azteca
Mexico City, Mexico
Sunday July 23, 2023
The news of Shawn Summers forfeiting the TV Title and walking away from the FWA hadn’t broken yet. In fact, Summers was still lying in the ring, being attended to by the on-site medical staff. As Tommy made his way back through the curtain at the top of the ramp, he could still hear the clanging of steel chairs, reliving the moment that he and the returning Chris Crowe took Summers out. He had no idea how far out they had taken Summers. No one did.
Surrounded by Randi, Chris Crowe, and Rocco, Tommy stepped into the backstage gorilla position with the X-Title over his shoulder. While he was thrilled by the fact that he had finally captured another FWA Championship, that was secondary to the fact that he had finally slayed his dragon. The hell that Shawn Summers had put him and everyone he cared about through over the last several months was over. Tommy had put everything on the line when he agreed to put the naming rights to his child, who was due anytime, on the line, and it paid off. The Cowboy had bet on himself, and he won.
“Where we going? We have got to go celebrate.”
“You’re gonna go get checked out before you celebrate anything.”
Randi was right. There was still blood coming from Tommy’s head, and he was pretty sure that he had some broken ribs. It was hard to focus on the pain he was feeling, but there was no doubt that a trip to the backstage doctor was necessary. As the four of them made their way down the hallway, Tommy was greeted by FWA staffers, and even some other wrestlers who wanted to congratulate him. He hadn’t swept all three stages in his 3 Stages of Hell match, but he had taken one of Summers’ titles, and had protected the future of his child.
This wasn’t the first time that Tommy had been to see Dr. Hazelett after a match, but it may have been the most he had ever needed him. The doctor took one look at the gash on Tommy’s forehead and told the nurse to grab a suture kit. Tommy hadn’t seen her before, and judging by the look on Rocco’s face, he didn’t know her either. That was strange since Rocco knew everything that went on in FWA. She turned around long enough for Tommy to see the words “Nurse De Santos” stitched into her scrub top.
“Where you wanna head to, partner? My treat.”
“Your treat? What do you plan on payin’ with? Your good looks?”
“Fine, then it’s your treat.”
Tommy chuckled as the doctor shot a numbing agent into the gash on his forehead.
“Shit, I don’t know where anything is down here. Get online and try to find somewhere we can go.”
As the doctor placed the sixth of the ten stitches that Tommy’s head wound required, the nurse spoke up.
“Casa de la Brujas is wonderful. You should go check it out.”
“That sounds fine. What does that mean, ‘Case de la Brujas?’”
“It means ‘House of the Witches.’ Fun bar, good drinks. You should go there.”
Crowe was completely on board, and Tommy was open to just about anything.
“I think I’m gonna head back to the hotel. My ankles are swollen, my feet are killing me, and I barely slept last night. But you go out with Chris. Have a good time.”
“You sure?”
“Yea, but don’t be picking up any of those witches.”
“Nothing to worry about, babe.”
“I think I’ll head back with Randi. You boys know I’m a little too old for partying. If Randi needs anything, I’ll be in the next room.”
With a forehead full of stitches and a bandage wrapped around his ribs, Tommy made his way back down the hallway to his locker room. He gave Randi a kiss, pulled Rocco in for a hug, and sent them on their way. What no one in the Bedlam party knew was that Nurse De Santos had also made her way out of the exam room. She made her way out the rear exit of the building and made her way toward Casa de la Brujas. If Tommy and Chris were going to celebrate, she was going to get there first.
“I won’t be out too long. I’m beat, my head’s pounding, and I’d like to get back to Texas pretty early tomorrow.”
“Enjoy yourself. You’ve earned it,” Randi said with a wink.
After Tommy had washed the sweat and dried blood from his body, he gingerly changed into his jeans, a t-shirt, a cowboy hat, and his boots. He was already feeling the physical effects of his match with Summers. He was sure that the mental scars would last even longer, but he would worry about all of that starting tomorrow. That night was about celebrating. Celebrating a title win, the end of the Shawn Summers feud, and the return of Chris Crowe.
“If I’m buying, you’re driving.”
Tommy and Crowe hopped into Chris’ car and set out for Casa de la Brujas, House of the Witches. What they didn’t know, was that that the witches were waiting for them
Woo-Hoo Witchy Woman
See how high she flies
Woo-hoo Witchy Woman
She got that moon in her eyes
“They should be here any minute. I made sure of it.”
Kleio de Santos was prepping things in the VIP Lounge downstairs at Casa de la Brujas. She was sure that Bedlam and Crowe were going to show up based on her recommendation when she was working as the FWA nurse. She was always one step ahead, and had a track record of using her sorcery to put herself in the right spot at the right time.
“Why are you so hung up on getting Tommy Bedlam and Chris Crowe here tonight?” Blair Ravenwood was wiping down some glasses behind the bar.
“Because you girls are going to face them on the next Fallout.”
“What do you mean? The cards haven’t even been announced.” Celestia Ravenwood, Blair’s sister and one of fellow Trios Champions, checked her hair in the large mirror behind the bar.
“God, has Trixie rubbed off on you that much? We’re fucking witches. We have powers. I promise, sometime later tonight, it will be announced that you girls are going to fight Bedlam and Crowe. It appears that Deathswitch Initiative has been reborn, and you’re their first challengers.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“You’re going to destroy them before they make it to the next show.
“Destroy them?”
“Yes. I’d prefer we kill them, but if that doesn’t work, I want you to destroy them from the inside out. They both like to drink, so it shouldn’t be too hard to slip them some sort of potion. If that doesn’t take them out, it should at least make them pliable enough for you to take advantage of them. Wreck their minds, destroy their souls, do whatever you have to do. Their men, they’ll fall for virtually anything that you two throw at them. Once you have them, use their desires, their fears, their pasts, their insecurities, and anything else you can summon from the other side to break them.”
Blair and Celestia were dressed in upscale black uniforms which were cut in all the right spots and hugged their curves perfectly. Kleio hadn’t left anything to chance. If Deathswtich was going to make a comeback, they were going to have to survive The Coven. Her girls were dressed to kill, and we’re ready to do just that.
Raven hair and ruby lips
Sparks fly from her fingertips
Echoed voices in the night
She’s a restless spirit on an endless flight
The bar looked like every other one on the bustling streets of Mexico City. There was nothing particularly special about it, but both Tommy and Crowe felt an inexplicable draw to go inside. Was it because of the suggestion from the phantom nurse they had never seen before and would likely never see again? Or was it something deeper? Neither of them had any answers, but they weren’t truly looking for any, either. The two old friends were back together, Tommy was the X Champion, and the sky was the limit.
Crowe and Tommy walked into the crowded bar, and were both immediately taken by the beauty of the bartenders. Tommy was hopelessly, irretrievably in love with Randi, but there was no denying that the women staffing Case de la Brujas were gorgeous. Crowe, the untethered, free spirit that he was, had no desire to hold back how much he was enjoying the sights.
The smell of smoke hung heavy over the bar, as the neon lights gave off a deep, blood-red glow through the haze. Tommy and Crowe were just about to give up on finding a seat when they heard a voice behind them. It sounded vaguely familiar, but neither man could place it.
“Welcome to Casa de la Brujas. I’m sorry, but haven’t I seen you gentleman on TV?”
The voice sounded a lot like the nurse, but Tommy quickly brushed it off. The bar was crowded, noisy, and he likely had a concussion. He still hadn’t grown accustomed to being recognized in public, but “The Showman” was quickly getting back into the swing of things.
“Only if you’re a wrestling fan, senorita. My good friend here is the newly crowned FWA X-Champ, and we just crushed that bastard Shawn Summers’ head between a couple chairs. We’re here to celebrate!”
“Ah, yes! That must be it! Professional wrestling is so very popular here. I didn’t get to attend the show, I had to work. Tommy Bedlam and Chris Crowe, right? It’s so nice to have you here in our little establishment. Hopefully you can find a potion that quenches your thirsts. It’s a bit crowded out here. Could I interest you in going to our VIP Lounge?”
Before waiting for their answer, the woman turned around, motioned for both men to follow her, and as though they were in a trance, they went.
“Chris, why do you think she said she hoped we’d find a potion? Who the fuck calls drinks a potion?”
“Tommy, we’re in a fucking witch-themed bar, dude. I’m sure it’s all just part of the gimmick. Loosen up, Champ. Tonight’s a party.”
Kleio led Tommy and Chris through a side door and down a steep flight of stairs. The exposed brick on the walls didn’t match the motif upstairs. A row of small, dim, swinging lights barely provided enough illumination for them to see their way down the steps.
As they reached the bottom of the steps, Kleio pulled on a large wooden door that appeared to weigh more than her. The scene on the other side of the door made Tommy and Chris think that they were stepping into another world.
While the party continued to rage upstairs, the eerie silence of this VIP Lounge was almost overwhelming. Tommy and Crowe, overwhelmed by a sense of curiosity and the desire to celebrate their reunion and Tommy’s recent title win, stepped inside. They quickly regretted their decision.
She held me spellbound in the night
Dancing shadows and fireflight
Crazy laughter in another room
And she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon
The low-hanging, swinging, dim lights that barely provided enough illumination to guide them down the steps were replaced by lavish fixtures that gave off a bright purple glow. The creaky wooden stairs were replaced by a thick, lush carpet that wreaked of opulence. The upstairs bar looked nice enough, but this VIP Lounge? This was the kind of place where rock stars and movie stars partied. And for a night, it was going to be the host of a party for Tommy Bedlam and Chris Crowe.
The extravagance of the room quickly wore off, as both Tommy and Chris realized that they were the only two people there. In a place as large as Mexico City, it seemed unlikely that there were no other VIPs. When Tommy turned around to ask Kleo where everyone else was, she was gone. Chris grabbed the door, which appeared to be made of steel from the inside, and realized that it was locked.
“Quit fucking around Crowe. Let’s get out of here and go somewhere else.”
“Who’s fucking around? This motherfucker is locked.”
The two men shared a long gaze. Tommy’s mind immediately went to Randi and his unborn child. She was due any day, which was largely why he wanted to get back to Texas early the next day.
As Crowe and Bedlam turned from the door to try to find another exit, they were startled by two gorgeous bartenders. Apparently they weren’t the only people in the VIP Lounge, they were just the only two guests.
“Hello, gentlemen. We’ve been waiting for you.”
The gorgeous blonde waitress had eyes that shot straight through Tommy. It was almost like she was looking into his soul.
“Waiting…for us?”
Another breath-taking blonde popped up behind the first. She shot the first girl a glare that spoke volumes. She had said too much. They looked vaguely familiar, but for some reason, Tommy simply couldn’t place them. Under any other circumstances, he would’ve known exactly who they were, but it was as though some sort of spell had been placed on him.
“Yes. Kleio, the manager, radioed down and let us know that she was bringing Tommy Bedlam and Chris Crowe down. We’re both huge wrestling fans, so we wanted to make sure that everything was ready for you. We’ve been waiting ever since she told us you were looking for a seat upstairs.”
“Why don’t you guys grab a seat and look over the drink menu?”
The first waitress, the tall, breathtaking blonde with the soul-piercing eyes, handed Tommy a small black card with a list of speciality drinks. The names were bizarre. “The Cowboy Casanova,” “The Show Stopper,” “Old Friends and New Enemies” and “Spellbound.”
“I’ll have a Jack and Coke.”
“Make that two.”
The other waitress, the shorter of the two, gave Tommy and Crowe a wink, and made her way behind the bar. While she mixed the drinks, her companion, who had introduced herself only as “B,” sat down at one of the sleek looking, modern couches that covered the perimeter of the room. She crossed her long legs, and motioned for Chris and Tommy to grab a seat.
Reluctantly, they sat down across a small table from her.
“Have you guys ever had your fortunes told?”
“I got my start wrestling for a carnival company. I’ve seen all the fortune telling I need to see for a lifetime.”
“Oh, dear. I’m not talking about silly little carnival games. We offer a much more…comprehensive reading to our VIP clients. Are you interested, Tommy?”
He wasn’t remotely interested in having his fortune told. He didn’t believe in this sort of bullshit, but something wasn’t right. The locked door, the VIP Lounge that looked nothing like the upstairs, and this odd feeling of having lost control had left Tommy feeling incredibly agreeable.
The other waitress, who B had referred to as Celeste, made her way from behind the bar, and sat the two drinks down in front of Tommy and Chris. They looked like Jack and Coke, they even smelled like Bedlam’s favorite drink. But as soon as the first sip hit his tongue, Tommy knew that something was amiss. The liquid was ice cold, but it burnt his lips, as it slid down his tongue. Crowe immediately noticed the same thing. The two old friends had drank together plenty of times, and neither of them had ever felt a buzz from a single drink. This was no buzz; this was poison.
The room began to spin, and for a moment, it felt as though everything was slowing down. Tommy struggled to hold his eyes open. Was it the head trauma from the match, or had he been poisoned? His breathing felt labored, but he fought to keep his eyes open. Crowe was still sitting there to his right, but Tommy struggled to get any words out.
“I think you’re open to a reading now, Tommy.”
B reached behind her back and pulled out a stack of tarot cards. Tommy had never believed in any of this stuff before, but he was in even less of a position to put up a fight than he was a few moments ago.
“Oh, The Lovers. You have someone in your life who means a great deal to you. A beautiful soul who came to you at the very moment that you needed her the most, no?”
Tommy nodded. Of course she knew that. If the pair of waitresses were truly FWA fans, Randi had been with Tommy on-screen for the last several months.
“You have secrets that you’re keeping from her, though. Secrets that have the power to destroy your relationship.”
That was all certainly true. Randi knew about what had happened with Bobby Ray, but she still had no clue about Tommy’s deal with the devil himself. B reached down for the second card, never taking her eyes off of Tommy.
“My, my. I see that you have taken the steps to pursue the finer things in life. Fame, fortune, accolades, titles that people place on you. I believe you had always sworn that you would never be moved by those things, but here you are, chasing the very things that you once claimed didn’t matter.”
How did she know about the deal?! Tommy’s mind began to race, or at least it tried to. The concoction that he had taken a single drink of continued to render him feeling like his mind was moving at a snail’s pace.
Tommy managed to look over at Crowe, trying to see if his partner had picked up on what she was saying, but Crowe appeared to still be trying to shake off the effects of whatever they had drank. Crowe wasn’t paying attention to anything going on with Tommy. His eyes were locked into a scene that was unfolding in Celeste’s crystal ball.
Tommy could see enough of the crystal ball to realize that Celeste had somehow drummed of images from Crowe’s past. He could see a younger Crowe fighting for the Carnivale Championship Wrestling World Championship. Then, Tommy saw a bright flash in the crystal ball, as the image inside became a young Chris Crowe, falling to the ground, screaming and holding his leg. For a moment, the sounds of Crowe’s screams from the past drowned out the music that filled the VIP Lounge.
“Christopher, I see a rollercoaster. Every time your life has a high point, it’s followed by a dramatic fall. You were once considered a wrestling prodigy, then you suffered a horrendous injury. You found your way to FWA, you even formed an alliance with some very dangerous, very talented performers, but it all crumbled, and has passed through your hands like sand through an hourglass.”
Chris Crowe was growing more and more uneasy. This wasn’t the first time he had found himself in a situation like this, and the wheels in his mind were already in motion, determining the best way to get himself and Tommy out of this.
“You made your way up the ranks of FWA, even when your unholy alliance fell apart, but then, you came crashing back down to earth. Now, now you’re waking up in a run down trailer surrounded by women who you’d be ashamed for anyone to know you’ve been with. The rollercoaster was at yet another low point, at least until earlier tonight, wasn’t it, Christopher?”
This certainly wasn’t another example of the carny fortune telling that Crowe had spent years around. The medium who sat across the table could truly see the details of Christopher’s life that he was sure no one outside of himself and Harry knew about. He had always prided himself on not letting people get to him mentally, not letting people break his psyche, but the wiccan waitress whose eyes looked directly into his own was getting to him.
“Tonight should have been another example of an unparalleled high, but no. Things are going to get bad for you again, Christopher Crowe. And this time, there is no coming back from it. Your rollercoaster hasn’t just found its final lowpoint. It’s gone off the rails, and tonight is the night that everything ends for the very last time.”
The emphasis that she put on those last three words were all that Crowe needed to hear. The girl who had looked like a gorgeous bartender all of an hour ago suddenly looked like something out of a horror movie. As her hands slowly glided around the glass orb that she had set on the table between her and Crowe, her skin took on a translucent shade of white, almost exposing her bones. The glimmer in her eye that Crowe, a man who was always looking for his next dose of female companionship, had noticed had been replaced by an evil, a flame of hatred that burnt so wildly that it was palpable. Gone was the cute smile from a bartender who had planned on getting a good tip. It had been replaced by a sinister smirk that sent chills up and down The Showman’s spine.
Crowe’s eyes remained transfixed on the crystal ball, almost as if he had been hypnotized. He saw himself standing in the middle of the ring with the North American Championship high above his head, and he sat in stunned silence as the ring slowly engulfed into flames, the gold of the title melting and pouring from his hands until he was drawn deeper and deeper into the flames.
“You have one more card Tommy. I want you to pick a card from the deck this time.”
Tommy’s arms felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. He was struggling to form a coherent thought, but instinctively, he reached for the deck of cards in her hands. It appeared as though one was glowing, an ominous purple glow coming from a card near the middle of the deck. Tommy reached in, grabbed the card, and flipped it over onto its back in the middle of the table.
“Oh my. The death card. Tommy, it appears that death and destruction follow you everywhere you go.”
Once again, she was right. Tommy had been well-acquainted with death dating back to his childhood. His grandparents had died when he was young, the death of one of his uncles had led to his dropping out of school to go work on the ranch. The events surrounding his uncle Jimmy’s death led to him meeting Randi. Then, there was Bobby Ray.
“So much death and destruction. Death has caused you to grieve, but it’s also caused you to feel incredibly powerful, hasn’t it? And now, death, the cold, heartless beast that he is, is coming for you, Tommy Bedlam.”
The skeleton on the death card’s head slowly protruded from the card, slowly slithering toward Tommy as if it was attached to a large serpent. The lights in the once lavish VIP Lounge flickered wildly as Tommy felt the hot breath of this other-worldly beast against his face. The sulfuric smell of the beast’s breath turned his stomach. All the while, the same flames that Chris Crowe was watching devour himself at the height of his FWA success were inching their way out of the crystal ball, slowly engulfing the side of the couch on which he sat.
Blair and C, the waitress witches, had taken two large steps backward from the scene that they had caused. They stood there, their eyes lifted up toward the sky, their hands raised, palms up, as they summoned spirits from the other realm who were there solely to destroy their upcoming opponents.
As the skeletal beast, who had fully slithered from the card that Tommy had flipped from the deck, slowly wrapped its cold, lifeless, boney fingers around his throat, Tommy was still too incapacitated, either by the poisonous drink he had taken earlier or by the fear of this demonic creature. It was then that he was snapped out of his near catatonic state by a large crash.
“Really thought I was done breaking crystal balls over peoples’ heads after the last time.”
Chris Crowe had grabbed the crystal ball that had depicted the ebbs and flows of his own life and smashed it over the head of the beast. A mixture of crystal and bone flew through the air, falling onto the plush, purple carpet. The beast let out a guttural screech as it whipped through the air like a balloon that had been deflated. A heavy black fog settled in over the room as lightning flashed across the room. As a clack of thunder rang out over the cackling sound of the witches, the skeletal figure was taken up into the ominous black clouds that hung over the room, presumably being welcomed back into whatever sort of demonic otherworld from which is had come.
B and Celest, who both Tommy and Chris now recognized as Blair and Celestia Ravenwood, two-thirds of the FWA Trios Champions, both lunged across the room, levitating and driving both men into the wall behind them.
Crowe and The Cowboy crashed into the wall with enough force to leave human-sized dents in the drywall. Tommy felt a familiar throb in his head. The injuries that he had suffered earlier in the night at the hands of Shawn Summers were still very fresh. His head was throbbing so badly that it blurred his vision. Undoubtedly concussed, Tommy dragged himself from the rubble of the destroyed wall with the help of his friend, who had extended a hand toward him.
“Looks like we’re doing this again partner.”
“Flip the switch, Crowe. Flip. The. Switch.”
As Celestia and Blaire continued to stare upwards, calling for whatever sort of supernatural power that they believed necessary to help them kill the returning Deathswitch, Tommy and Crowe both ran across the room.
As Tommy lifted up his size-13 boot, planting it squarely into Celestia’s jaw, Chris Crowe leapt into the air and delivered a crushing knee to Blair’s mouth. Both women fell backwards, rolling into the front of the bar.
Tommy picked Blair up from the ground, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her down the bar headlong, breaking a series of glasses and bottles along the way. All the while, Chris had his hands firmly planted around Celestia’s throat pounding her head against the large door that had locked behind them when they were ushered downstairs. Chris and Tommy picked up their nearly-lifeless opponents, and smashed their heads together, sending them to the ground in an unholy heap.
The Cowboy and Crowe knew that this was no time to allow them to regroup, so they seized the opportunity and dove onto their fallen foes. With a bevy of rights and lefts, Tommy and Chris delivered blow after blow to the heads, bodies, and whatever parts of the pair of sister witches that they could hit.
The sounds coming from the women were not human. With the landing of every shot, demonic groans came out of the pair. Neither Tommy nor Chris had ever heard anything like it.
A deep, evil voice came from the black fog that continued to hang over the room.
“In the name of the god of the netherworld, sisters of the night, ARISE!”
As Tommy and Chris continued to swing wildly at The Coven, it suddenly became apparent that their punches and kicks were accomplishing nothing. The sisters seemed to be unphased by the blood that they were losing. As droplets continued to spatter over the front of the bar, each of them, endued by a strength that was not their own, raised up slowly, grabbing Tommy and Chris by the throats.
Celestia lifted Tommy into the air, as Blair did the same thing to Chris. Each man’s struggle to break their grips was futile. As the pair of witches carried Tommy and Chris across the room by their throats, the ground began to shake and rumble. Suddenly, as though Casa de la Brujas had been constructed on a fault line, the floor split in half. The fires of hell nipped at the heels of Tommy and Chris, sending painstaking burning sensations up their legs. The witches were clearly unphased as they began to chant some sort of incantation in perfect unison.
“Doomed by the power of the witch
The reformed members of Deathswitch
Stories they never got to tell
As their souls go straight to hell”
In a moment of sheer desperation, Chris reached down and managed to grab a piece of the shattered crystal ball that had embedded itself in the back of the couches where he had been sitting just moments earlier. The piece of crystal was almost too hot to hold, searing a jagged line in Chris’ palm.
Meanwhile, Tommy managed to find a jagged piece of the skeletal skull that had tried to kill him before this supernatural brawl broke out. Unlike the crystal, it was so cold that it was hard to handle. Armed with weapons that had been provided from their recently-ended near-death experiences, Tommy and Chris slashed wildly at the witches who held them precariously over the flames that were growing hotter and higher by the seconds.
Just as Chris managed to slash Blair’s throat, Tommy plunged the long, cold, piece of skull into Celestia’s stomach. With a screech that sounded as though it was part human and part demon, Tommy and Chris were flung into the air, landing just on the edge of the fiery pit.
The witches charged in once more, but they were wounded. Unfortunately, so were Tommy and Crowe. As the witches moved in, Tommy and Chris delivered simultaneous kicks to their midsections. Tommy grabbed Blair’s head and threw it under his arm, as Chris did the same to Celestia. They hooked the arms of the witches behind their flailing, damaged bodies as Chris delivered “The Closing Act,” and Tommy hit “The Bullseye.”
Between the heavy black cloud that hung ominously over the room and the fires of the underworld, there stood a tall wooden pillar that seemed to support the Casa de la Brujas.
Tommy dragged Blair towards it, affixing her body to the post by driving the jagged piece of skull through her stomach and into the pole. Chris managed to hold onto the blazing hot piece of crystal ball, as he jammed it through Celestia’s forehead, affixing her to the same post.
Both men scrambled backwards as the blood of the witches streamed down the post and into the seemingly bottomless pit of fire. A group of faceless demons appeared at the base of the makeshift sacrificial altar, ready to welcome the souls of the dead to their midst.
Tommy and Chris had no doubt that the demons were expecting a Showman and a Cowboy. Hopefully they would be satisfied with the souls of a pair of witches. As the flames moved up the pole, the black cloud appeared to move down it. As the screams of Blair and Celestia Ravenwood slowly faded into the nothingness of what awaited them below, the lights flickered once again, and…
Backstage at Estadio Azteca
Mexico City, Mexico
Sunday July 23, 2023
Tommy felt the cold tile against his back and as a throbbing sensation shot through his head. His midsection ached as he struggled to get a deep breath. A bright light shone into his eye, causing his pupil to dilate.
“Baby? Baby?!?! Oh my God, Tommy. You’re awake.”
“Hey, y’all back the fuck up and give him some room to breathe. Goddamn.”
“Shake! Hey, Meltzer. Get that fucking camera out of here. So help me God, I’ll make it impossible for you break another story as long as I fucking live, you piece of shit!”
Tommy managed to look around a bit and realized that he was surrounded by Randi, Chris Crowe, and Rocco Sullivan. As his eyes struggled to find their focus, he looked beyond them and realized that he was at the gorilla position just behind the curtain. He could still hear the crowd cheering from inside the arena. He heard someone on the production team barking orders.
“Go to the XYZ segment. NOW! NOW! NOW! Get it live. We’ve got a situation back here.”
Tommy struggled to sit up, but with help from Rocco and Chris Crowe, he managed to get up onto a knee as he inched his way closer to one of the nearby walls backstage at the arena. He looked down and realized that he was still holding onto the X Title that he had just won, his blood dripping onto it from the open wound in his forehead.
The doctor who was shining his light in Tommy’s eyes slowly stood up.
“I think he’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna need to get that gash in his head sowed up. Summers is in the exam room right now, so I’m just gonna have the nurse fix him up right here. I’ll check him out once we get Shawn out of the room and on his way to the hospital.”
“Thank you, Dr. Hazelett.”
“Hey baby, I’m a champion.”
Tommy managed to smile through the pain that was slowly overtaking his body. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. He was suddenly startled awake when he heard the voice of the nurse who was there to stitch up his forehead.
“Hello, Tommy. I’m Nurse De Santos. I’m going to take care of you.”
Fuck.
