Post by Tombstone on May 14, 2012 0:10:23 GMT -5
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
The doors to the emergency room slam open, two EMTs quickly pushing a gurney which has Ashley Stone on it, securely strapped down. Not far behind, another EMT pushes Chris Stone in a wheelchair. His left leg is propped up, the pant leg cut up to his thigh, his knee swollen and already showing signs of bruising. His eyes are locked on his wife, who is being pushed through another set of double doors, the EMTs yelling out her suspected injuries. Stone's wheelchair stops at the counter next to the double doors Ashley just went through. The EMT hands some papers over the counter to a woman. She begins looking over the papers as Stone shifts in his seat, his face pale.
"Hey! What the hell! Take me back there!"
The EMT looks at Stone, a concerned look on his face as he nods.
"You'll be back there shortly. But we need to go over what happened again. This is very crucial in helping her. I'll make this as fast as possible. Then we'll get you back there and get some x-rays on your leg."
"Fuck my leg, man! I want to be with my wife! Take me back there right now!"
The woman, about in her 40's, with black hair pulled tightly in a bun stands up behind the counter, holding a hand in the air.
"You'll be back there soon enough, sir. She's being taken care of as we speak. But we need information from you first."
Stone slams a fist on the arm of the wheelchair, his face turning bright red.
"Are you people dense?!? Take me to her now dammit!"
He breathes heavily, his eyes watered up, tears gently balancing on his eyelids. The woman continues talking in a low tone, picking up a clipboard and pen.
"Sir, I understand that you are upset right now. I feel for you. But please, for the sake of your wife, give us the information we need, OK? Starting with her name."
Stone groans, pushing himself out of his chair. The EMT grabs him by the shoulders, sitting him back down.
"SIR! I already told you in the ambulance that your leg is definitely broken. Please stay seated."
The woman walks around the counter, kneeling down next to Stone's chair. She places a hand on his, trying to calm him down.
"Sir, time is getting away from us. Do you understand me? If her neck is indeed broken, she's going to need surgery. Which means we need to know certain things. Can you help me with that?"
Stone opens his mouth, but no words come out. His eyes dart around, his entire body shaking. He finally gives a soft nod, his lips trembling.
"Yeah, yeah I can help."
The woman smiles, squeezing his hand. She raises up the clipboard, looking over the papers the EMT gave her again.
"Good. Now... Her name's Ashley Stone, correct?"
"Yes."
"OK, good. And you are Chris Stone?"
"Yes."
"OK. Is Ashley allergic to any medications that you know of?"
Stone wracks his mind, searching for the answer. Unable to think of anything, he shakes his head. The woman nods in return, checking a box on her paper.
"Has she had any neck injuries in the past?"
Stone's eyes close for a moment. Flashes of Ashley being hung from the rafters, courtesy of Lee Abraham, go through his mind. The rope breaking, Ashley tumbling through the air, crashing through numerous tables. A sight he would never forget. Much like the one tonight. And both times... he was helpless.
"Y-yeah."
The woman looks at him, placing her hand back on his.
"What kind of injury?"
Stone shakes his head, getting flustered. His mind kept leaping to Ashley. He could feel her through the double doors. So close, yet so far.
"Uh... Um... She... It was a sprain. Almost broken."
"A sprain? How did that happen?"
Stone droops his head, clinching the armrests tightly.
"Somebody hung her trying to get to me..."
The woman looks up at the EMT, a puzzled look on her face. She looks back at Stone, getting back on track.
"Why would somebody hang her to get to you?"
Stone starts getting frustrated. He knew the questions would just lead to more questions. He didn't have time for this. He needed to see Ashley.
"Because I used to work in a fucked up place, OK? That's what people there do. And before you ask where I worked, it was CPW, Chaotic Pro Wrestling."
"You're a wrestler?"
"Was a wrestler. I retired. Look, I thought you said we were short on time."
"You're right, I apologize. I just need to know how she got this injury and both of your insurance providers and then we'll send you back there."
Stone's head droops again, burying his face in his palms. He looks back up, his lips barely moving.
"It happened in CPW... A guy put a chair around her neck and... and..."
Hyde leaps off the top rope. His mind's eye watches it in slow motion. His feet stomping on the chair. The chair closing up, crushing Ashley's neck. Ashley's body bouncing once... and then nothing.
The woman shakes her head, trying to add things up.
"I thought you said you were retired?"
"I AM GODDAMMIT!"
The woman jumps from the sudden increase in volume from him. He bites his lip, throwing his head back in the chair and looking at the ceiling. He takes a few deep breaths, shaking his head.
"Look, that area of my life is a complicated one. One I'm trying to leave behind. Certain people don't want to see me do that. Is that clear enough."
The woman nods, writing some notes down.
"Understood, Mr. Stone. And the insurance provider?"
"Don't have one."
A dead silence seems to fill the room. He swore he could hear a water cooler dripping somewhere in the distance. The woman sets the clipboard down, placing both hands on his.
"Mr. Stone, I... the medical bills that will come of this will be---"
He pulls a hand up, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Money never has and never will be an issue with me. I just want her taken care of, OK?"
The woman nods, picking up her clipboard and standing up.
"That's all I wanted to hear. I'll follow you back there and ask you questions about yourself while you get x-rays done."
Stone slams a fist on the armrest again, not even bothering to look up at her, speaking through gritted teeth.
"I don't want x-rays. I want to see my wife..."
"You will, Mr. Stone. She's being taken care of right now and I'll keep you up to date on everything that happens with her myself. But we need to take care of you too."
She nods at the EMT and turns, opening the double doors. The wheelchair starts moving, going down a long corridor. Stone shoves his face in his hands. Why did he let her come along? Why didn't he put his foot down? He knew something bad was going to happen.
He should have known it would happen to her.
"Hey! What the hell! Take me back there!"
The EMT looks at Stone, a concerned look on his face as he nods.
"You'll be back there shortly. But we need to go over what happened again. This is very crucial in helping her. I'll make this as fast as possible. Then we'll get you back there and get some x-rays on your leg."
"Fuck my leg, man! I want to be with my wife! Take me back there right now!"
The woman, about in her 40's, with black hair pulled tightly in a bun stands up behind the counter, holding a hand in the air.
"You'll be back there soon enough, sir. She's being taken care of as we speak. But we need information from you first."
Stone slams a fist on the arm of the wheelchair, his face turning bright red.
"Are you people dense?!? Take me to her now dammit!"
He breathes heavily, his eyes watered up, tears gently balancing on his eyelids. The woman continues talking in a low tone, picking up a clipboard and pen.
"Sir, I understand that you are upset right now. I feel for you. But please, for the sake of your wife, give us the information we need, OK? Starting with her name."
Stone groans, pushing himself out of his chair. The EMT grabs him by the shoulders, sitting him back down.
"SIR! I already told you in the ambulance that your leg is definitely broken. Please stay seated."
The woman walks around the counter, kneeling down next to Stone's chair. She places a hand on his, trying to calm him down.
"Sir, time is getting away from us. Do you understand me? If her neck is indeed broken, she's going to need surgery. Which means we need to know certain things. Can you help me with that?"
Stone opens his mouth, but no words come out. His eyes dart around, his entire body shaking. He finally gives a soft nod, his lips trembling.
"Yeah, yeah I can help."
The woman smiles, squeezing his hand. She raises up the clipboard, looking over the papers the EMT gave her again.
"Good. Now... Her name's Ashley Stone, correct?"
"Yes."
"OK, good. And you are Chris Stone?"
"Yes."
"OK. Is Ashley allergic to any medications that you know of?"
Stone wracks his mind, searching for the answer. Unable to think of anything, he shakes his head. The woman nods in return, checking a box on her paper.
"Has she had any neck injuries in the past?"
Stone's eyes close for a moment. Flashes of Ashley being hung from the rafters, courtesy of Lee Abraham, go through his mind. The rope breaking, Ashley tumbling through the air, crashing through numerous tables. A sight he would never forget. Much like the one tonight. And both times... he was helpless.
"Y-yeah."
The woman looks at him, placing her hand back on his.
"What kind of injury?"
Stone shakes his head, getting flustered. His mind kept leaping to Ashley. He could feel her through the double doors. So close, yet so far.
"Uh... Um... She... It was a sprain. Almost broken."
"A sprain? How did that happen?"
Stone droops his head, clinching the armrests tightly.
"Somebody hung her trying to get to me..."
The woman looks up at the EMT, a puzzled look on her face. She looks back at Stone, getting back on track.
"Why would somebody hang her to get to you?"
Stone starts getting frustrated. He knew the questions would just lead to more questions. He didn't have time for this. He needed to see Ashley.
"Because I used to work in a fucked up place, OK? That's what people there do. And before you ask where I worked, it was CPW, Chaotic Pro Wrestling."
"You're a wrestler?"
"Was a wrestler. I retired. Look, I thought you said we were short on time."
"You're right, I apologize. I just need to know how she got this injury and both of your insurance providers and then we'll send you back there."
Stone's head droops again, burying his face in his palms. He looks back up, his lips barely moving.
"It happened in CPW... A guy put a chair around her neck and... and..."
Hyde leaps off the top rope. His mind's eye watches it in slow motion. His feet stomping on the chair. The chair closing up, crushing Ashley's neck. Ashley's body bouncing once... and then nothing.
The woman shakes her head, trying to add things up.
"I thought you said you were retired?"
"I AM GODDAMMIT!"
The woman jumps from the sudden increase in volume from him. He bites his lip, throwing his head back in the chair and looking at the ceiling. He takes a few deep breaths, shaking his head.
"Look, that area of my life is a complicated one. One I'm trying to leave behind. Certain people don't want to see me do that. Is that clear enough."
The woman nods, writing some notes down.
"Understood, Mr. Stone. And the insurance provider?"
"Don't have one."
A dead silence seems to fill the room. He swore he could hear a water cooler dripping somewhere in the distance. The woman sets the clipboard down, placing both hands on his.
"Mr. Stone, I... the medical bills that will come of this will be---"
He pulls a hand up, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Money never has and never will be an issue with me. I just want her taken care of, OK?"
The woman nods, picking up her clipboard and standing up.
"That's all I wanted to hear. I'll follow you back there and ask you questions about yourself while you get x-rays done."
Stone slams a fist on the armrest again, not even bothering to look up at her, speaking through gritted teeth.
"I don't want x-rays. I want to see my wife..."
"You will, Mr. Stone. She's being taken care of right now and I'll keep you up to date on everything that happens with her myself. But we need to take care of you too."
She nods at the EMT and turns, opening the double doors. The wheelchair starts moving, going down a long corridor. Stone shoves his face in his hands. Why did he let her come along? Why didn't he put his foot down? He knew something bad was going to happen.
He should have known it would happen to her.