Chapter Seventy-Seven

Matt was sitting awake, it was around 6am and he hadn’t sleep in almost 2 days... he was exhausted but he refused to close his eye’s until he saw with his own eye’s that Angela was okay. Matt sighed as he got up and stretched. Matt looked around at everyone... they all were sitting or lying across the couches and every one was asleep, from the confusion, exhaustion, and the long night they had all had.

Matt sighed again as he slipped from the room and looked down the hall. It was quiet, except for the soft continuous beeping of machines and monitors, and the occasional phone ringing or a nurse laughing cheerfully as she bustled about in the nurses station across the hall. Matt saw a doctor leaving one room and entering another... he hoped the doctor was going to see Angela soon or had already and he’d come with good news soon.

Matt sighed as he walked over to the nurse’s station and saw the nice nurse named Fran who had come to check on all of them around 4am, Matt had been the only one awake so he’d talked to her for a few minutes.

"Good morning Matt.... how was your night?" Fran asked as she began pouring him a cup of coffee.

Matt sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "Hell... complete hell!" Matt mumbled leaning against the counter. He yawned as Fran grinned and turned to add sugar to his coffee. Matt sighed looking down at himself, only now realizing that he must look ridiculous... he was still wearing his black hardy jeans and his black silk shirt which was half unbuttoned. Matt buttoned the other buttons and then smiled at Fran as she handed him the cup of fresh warm coffee.

"Thanks." Matt said softly smiling at Fran as he took a sip. She smiled and sat down and began flipping through some files. "So is it always this quiet around here?" Matt asked staring at her as he set his cup down on the counter and looked down at her.

Fran smiled as she glanced up at him, "It’s early, wait about 30 minutes and action will pick up... it always does!" Fran said smiling at Matt as the phone beside her rang. Matt grinned and whispered a thanks as he turned away and heard Fran answer the phone and then giggle.

Matt slipped back inside the private waiting room and sat down drinking the warm coffee. Matt was sitting silently when he saw Shannon who was lying across the couch on the wall opposite from him sit up.

"Hey." Shannon whispered staring at Matt.

Matt sighed, "Hey." Matt whispered sipping more coffee.

"Anything?" Shannon asked as he ran his fingers through his hair and pulled it back into a neat ponytail.

Matt frowned glancing out of the half open doorway into the hallway, shaking his head, "Not yet." Matt frowned. "I’m getting worried." Matt said softly as Shannon frowned.

"I know you are Matt.... don’t worry, I think she’ll be okay. Where’d you get the coffee from?" Shannon asked standing.

Matt sighed, "There’s a really nice nurse named Fran at the nurses station, ask her she’ll give you some." Matt said softly sitting back as Shannon patted his shoulder and slipped into the hallway.

Matt yawned rubbing his head as he watched Jay stir and saw Trish pick her head up from his shoulder and stretch. She stared at him and sighed, "Any word?" Trish asked yawning.

Matt frowned, "No not yet.... I wish someone would come..." Matt said softly sighing.

After a few minutes everyone slowly started to wake up, everyone’s first words were, have you heard anything, is Angela okay...? But Matt had to respond the same to all of the questions, no nothing... and he was getting really anxious to see a doctor and go to Angela. He sighed as Lita took his hand.

"I’m sure we’ll get word soon!" Lita said trying to think positive for everyone’s sake.

"Yeah." Matt said softly rubbing his head.

***

Matt had begun pacing slowly back & forth in the middle of the waiting room about 20 minutes later. He was nervous and anxious and he wanted to see a doctor. Matt was ready to go out and ask Fran where the doctor was when he turned around to see the door opening wider and a tall, thin, bald man with a long white doctors coat appeared.

Matt’s heart jumped into his throat and he took a breath staring at the man as he glanced around at everyone. "Are you all here for Angela Tarantino?" The man asked looking around.

"Yes... is she okay?" Matt asked walking to shake the doctors hand.

The doctor sighed, "First of all I’m Dr. Weinstein... I performed the surgery on Angela last night... so far everything is going just fine." Dr. Weinstein said as Matt sighed heavily and Lita reached up touching his arm. "Second.... whose Matt?" The doctor asked looking around at everyone.

"I am." Matt answered staring at the doctor.

The man smiled, "You were very popular in the recovery room late last night!" Dr. Weinstein said smiling at Matt, as for the first time in hours everyone laughed. "What are you to her?" Dr. Weistein asked smiling at Matt.

Matt grinned, "She’s my girlfriend..." Matt said softly as the doctor smiled.

"I see.. pretty rough night huh?" Dr. Weinstein asked grinning at Matt.

Matt shook his head, "You have no idea....." Matt mumbled as the doctor chuckled.

"The whole time she was in the recovery room she kept saying your name over and over and I kept telling here you were here someplace... but she was just mumbling unconsciously, she couldn’t hear me." Dr. Weinstein said staring at Matt.

Matt smiled & stared at him. "How is she now?" Matt asked anxiously.

Dr. Weinstein sighed, "She’s still a bit low on how much blood she should have... the surgery went well however. She does have a sprained ankle which should be just fine in a few weeks, and a broken rib, which is bandaged so it won’t shift around... that will take about a month or so to heal. Other then that there’s just a lot of black & blue’s and scratches... she’s very lucky. I think she’s going to be just fine... last night was the critical point... I figured if she could live through the night then she would be fine, and I just left her a few minutes ago and she had just woken up from being unconscious since last night... its the first time in hours she was able to hear or talk to understand me. It’ll be a while, but I think she’ll be just fine! I do want to keep her for a few days just to make sure everything goes well." Dr. Weinstein said smiling at Matt and then glancing around at everyone.

Matt felt this incredible weight lifted from him.... he sighed so very relieved. Angela was gonna be okay.. everything was gonna be okay.... he would be able to see her again... to talk to her... to tell her how much he loved her, and hold her and to be with her for always... to marry her.......!

Matt rubbed his head smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. Lita had hugged Jeff again and begun to cry all over again and Matt felt close to tears himself as he sighed again aloud and stared at the doctor.

"Can I see her?" Matt asked staring at Dr. Weinstein.

Dr. Weinstein smiled, "You can, but I’d like to talk to you for a few moments if no one minds." Dr. Weinstein said glancing around at everyone and then smiled at Matt as Matt followed him into the wall and started walking with him slowly.

Half way down the hallway Dr. Weinstein stopped and turned to Matt. "I wanted to ask if you had any questions... you being her boyfriend and all I’m sure your the closest to her....?" Dr. Weinstein asked staring at Matt.

Matt sighed taking a deep breath.... "Actually I do....umm this is gonna sound a little crazy but I’m kinda curious..." Matt said softly as Dr. Weinstein raised his eye brows curiously.

"Yes?" He asked watching Matt.

"Well see doctor.... Angela... well....when she was little her stepfather he... well he raped her......" Matt said pausing. "He and this other guy are who I’m, well were all suspecting did this to her.... was she raped? Did you test for it or do you know?" Matt asked biting his lip as he stared at Dr. Weinstein.

"In cases like this we do test.... Matt are you going to be okay with all of this? It’s a lot to swallow down?" Dr. Weinstein asked cautiously. Matt took a breath and shook his head, "Was she raped?" Matt asked staring at him.

Dr. Weinstein stared at Matt, and frowned, "Yes.... she was." He said softly as Matt closed his eye’s and shook his head, feeling like he was going to throw up. "We can get to working that problem out when it comes, Angela was very lucky last night.... she’s alive....its obvious you both care about each other. We’ll worry about the rape situation when we get there... why don’t you go see her.. just keep quiet and don’t stay to long... she was asking for you when I saw her earlier anyways.!" Dr. Weisnstein said patting Matt’s arm.

Matt sighed, "Okay." Matt whispered softly rubbing his head.

"If you go straight down this hall and take a left her rooms the last one on the end. I’ll be back to check on all of you around noon." Dr. Weinstein said smiling at Matt. Matt stood rubbing his head as Dr. Weinstein stopped walking and looked back at Matt, "A nurse comes in every 15 minutes to check Angela’s blood level, just smile and ignore her... its just procedure." Dr. Weisnstein added.

Matt smiled, "Thank you doctor." Matt said softly feeling awful all over again. Dr. Weinstein smiled as he hurried off.

Raped.... how sick were the bastards? If Matt ever got his hands on Jack and Ray they’d spend the rest of eternity in a tiny box... he’d kill them both! Matt wearily went back to tell everyone he was going to go see Angela.

Lita smiled up at him... "She’s okay?" She asked wiping her eye’s on her sleeve.

Matt smiled, "Yeah, so far she’s okay." Matt said softly as everyone looked more relieved.

"Good." Lita said sighing.

"I’m gonna go see her... if my father or Colleen calls, just tell them the news, and say I went to see Angela okay?" Matt asked glancing around at everyone.

"Yeah." Jeff answered smiling at Matt.

"I’m gonna call Vince and let everyone else know how she’s doing." Shannon said staring at Matt.

Matt grinned, "I’ll tell her your all here.. and your all glad she’s okay. I’ll be back later." Matt said softly smiling at everyone.

"Matt!" Lita called as he looked back into the room at her.

"What?" Matt asked pulling his hair into a ponytail.

"Tell her..... I’m sorry." Lita said softly staring at Matt as a tear rolled from her eye’s.

Matt frowned, and he took a step back into the room and hugged Lita gently. "Sorry for what?" Matt asked looking at Lita.

Lita sighed, "For not protecting her..... for lying to her.... for not being there." Lita whispered as a tear fell from her eye’s.

Matt sighed, "If I can forgive... you know Angela will... don’t worry Lita she’s not gonna be mad at you.... your her friend, you were their for her whether you think so or not!" Matt said softly hugging Lita tightly.

Matt wiped his own eye’s after realising tears had come again. He sighed glancing around the room, "I better go to her...." Matt said softly shrugging as he smiled at everyone and disappeared into the hallway slowly making his way down the hallway toward Angela’s room.... Matt was nervious and excited to see her... she was okay... hope was still strong!

*

Matt walked slowly glancing into the open hospital rooms, where sick patients lay quietly, resting. Matt got a weird sick kind of feeling.... the same feeling he always got when he was at a hospital... it was an unsettling and uncomfortable feeling. Matt took a few deep breaths as he neared the end of the hall coming to the last room, the door was closed but Matt could still hear the steady beeping of monitors. Matt braced himself for the worst and reached for the door knob feeling, hopeful, weak and someway scarred. What would she look like... would she be awake to see him. Matt closed his eye’s just praying silently for Angela to just be okay and to stay that way.

Matt sighed opening his eye’s and gathering his strength as he turned the doorknob and stepped inside the room staring down as he shut the door and leaned against it staring up at Angela for the first time.......

Matt stared at her..... Angela lay with her eye’s closed, blue rings around both of her eye’s. Matt took a breath, looking at all the wires, cords, and machines attached to Angela. She had on a hospital gown and she was sitting up a bit, she looked exhausted, and an IV was stuck in her right hand and she had so many black and blues, and scratches. Matt saw her right sprained ankle resting on top of a pillow with a bandage wrapped around it. He sighed wondering if she had a big bandage around her chest where her broken rib was.

Matt sighed running his fingers through his hair, he wanted to cry just looking at her in obvious pain, it hurt him so bad to see Angela... someone he loved so much hurting this way. He closed his eye’s taking a deep breath as he silently made his way to the left side of her bed. Matt watched her chest moving steadily as she breathed in a relaxed sleep. That made him feel a bit better. Matt pulled a chair over and sat down staring at her for a long time.

Matt swallowed finally and reached over and gently brushed his finger tips over Angela’s cold hand. Matt slowly slipped his fingers around Angela’s tiny hand and held it softly touching her smooth cool skin.

Matt closed his eye’s and wiped his eye’s with his other hand. Matt felt like shit.. he was exhausted... but nothing was better then knowing Angela was going to be okay. He loved her so much.

Matt stared up at her and felt his heart jump excitedly as Angela slowly opened her swollen beautiful green eye’s and looked at him. Matt stood from the chair and looked down at her, he smiled... seeing her eye’s was the best sight in the whole wide world, swollen or not... they were open and that was such a great sight!

"Angie?" Matt whispered staring down at her as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Angela looked at him for a moment and took a breath, in a raspy whisper Angela spoke at long last...... "Matt your here....." Angela said staring at him surprised by the tears, and happy. She wasn’t alone any more.

Matt smiled, "Of course I’m here baby." Matt whispered kissing her hand softly.

"I guess I’m gonna miss the photo shot huh?" Angela asked closing her eye’s sighing as Matt laughed smiling at her.

"I don’t think Vince will protest." Matt said softly smiling at her, as a tear feel from his eye’s.

Angela squeezed his hand gently and stared at him, "Stop Matt." Angela whispered as Matt shook his head and wiped his eye’s on his sleeve.

"I was so afraid... I was afraid for us both... I thought I’d lost you Ang." Matt whispered staring at Angela as she bit her bottom lip gently.

Angela sighed, "I don’t wanna cry Matt..... your not gonna lose me...... never, I’m not going anywhere, whether you like it or not... your stuck with me!" Angela whispered as Matt chuckled.

"I’m not complaining." Matt whispered as Angela giggled making Matt’s worries begin to melt away. Matt sat holding her hand for a long time as Angela stared at him and then closed her eye’s slowly drifting back to sleep.

***

Matt was still staring at her a while later when a young nurse came in and smiled at him, he smiled back and watched her reach up for a pouch full of red blood that was dripping into a tube, leading into the IV in Angela’s arm.

"Still low." She whispered smiling at Matt. Matt sighed grinning. "Can I get you anything?" She asked whispering as she smiled at him.

Matt shrugged. The nurse smiled and glanced back at Angela who was still asleep, she sighed and turned disappearing as she quietly closed the door.

*

Matt was still holding Angela’s hand his head resting on the edge of the bed and he was staring at the floor listening to the steady beeping, when he heard Angela’s raspy whisper and he looked up to met her green eye’s.

"Yeah?" Matt asked smiling at her.

Angela sat up slowly a bit more and groaned, pulling her hand from his and holding her chest. "Ang you okay?" Matt asked worried, touching her arm as he stood.

"Yeah." Angela whispered after a moment, "I moved to fast." She whispered as she sat back and sifted into a comfortable position.

Matt sighed as he smiled up at her. "Everyone’s here... we’ve all been here since last night... I promised I’d tell you that they were all praying for you and that there here and they expect you to get better and come to the lodge again this year for Christmas!" Matt whispered as Angela grinned.

"I’m looking forward to it." Angela whispered as she smiled at Matt.

Matt smiled and stared at her for a long time, "Why didn’t you tell me Ang?" Matt whispered staring at her.

Angela sighed frowning, "Lita told you?" Angela asked softly disappointed.

"She thought I should know in case something.... happened to you...." Matt whispered softly as Angela frowned.

"I dunno." Angela said softly reaching for Matt’s hand. "I was worried you’d be weirded out or something, and then you might not like me.... I met you and I just wanted to have things be normal between us, and I didn’t want to run... I wanted to stop running when I met you Matt....." Angela whispered as a silent tear rolled down her cheek and Matt reached up very gently wiping it away with the tip of his thumb trying not to hurt her. "I thought if I told you about everything.... I dunno then things between us night be weird.... I wanted you to like me for me... and then well I mean I started falling for you and I was afraid because I’m so used to running from people..... trying not to trust anyone... not to let my guard down you know... and when I met you that just changed.... I’m so weak I allowed myself to give in.... to love you.... and I do, I love you so much Matt, and I didn’t want you to know all the bad things. Then it just got to a point where I began to feel like things between us were really good and I trust you.... more then anyone and I figured you should know the truth.... I had to tell you because you deserve the truth.... I just didn’t get the chance. But I was gonna.... honest, I was going to tell you last night after RAW... you know that. I was so sick of things in my life not being fair that I had to do something to change that.... " Angela whispered staring at Matt.

"Ang if I had known maybe I could have been there, maybe this would have never happened, I could have protected you.... I swear Ang if I ever get my hands on Jack and Ray I’ll kill them both with my bare hands for doing this to you! I could have been there when you needed me the most. I feel like I let you down.... I’d didn’t help you!" Matt whispered feeling so guilty and mixed up.

"Matt I don’t wanna talk about Jack or Ray... ever again, I just wanna erase them from my memory, from my life forever... I just wanna move on and be with you! Matt if anyone has helped me its you.... you helped me fix everything... you changed my whole life.... you loved me, you’ve done nothing but make me happy and be there for me when I needed you....." Angela started when Matt interrupted her.

"But last night I wasn’t there.... you needed me then and I wasn’t there for you!" Matt insisted staring at Angela as she reached to touch his cheek.

"You were in my heart... you’ve been with me this whole time... your always with me... Matt don’t you know that? Your my everything.... I love you.... I love you, I’m so sorry, I should have been honest with you right from the start, but I didn’t trust many people, let alone myself and I didn’t want to risk losing you to truth..... I couldn’t lose the best thing that ever happened to me...... I couldn’t lose you Matt......I don’t wanna lose you for anything....!" Angela whispered as a painful tear rolled down her cheek.

Matt sighed feeling so much better after hearing her say that. Matt stared at her, "Everything between us is going to be fair. Deal?" Matt asked smiling at her.

Angela smiled, "Deal." Angela whispered smiling.

Matt sighed staring at her, "I’m not going anywhere either baby..... Ang I’m afraid your just as stuck with me as I am with you!" Matt whispered softly smiling at her as she giggled softly.

"Matt I’m not complaining." Angela whispered as Matt chuckled, wiping away another tear from his face.

"Angie I love you so much." Matt whispered as Angela smiled and Matt leaned over closer as Angela weakly picked up her needle free arm and wrapped it around Matt’s neck as Matt leaned over and kissed her very softly worrying he’d hurt her.. something he never wanted to do.

"I love you too Matt!" Angela whispered against Matt’s lips as she felt her fairy tale dream come true!

She could move on now.... she could be with Matt, she could have her friends and the fans and she could live happily ever after with Matt.... nothing was ever going to get in the way of that and a vision of what life with Matt would be like flashed through her mind as she kissed Matt back gently completely and entirely in love with him.... happy to be in his arms, to feel his lips on hers and to know he was with her... like he would always be. Life was good... life was fair in the end no matter what.

Angela had Matt, Matt had Angela and that was all either would ever need. Life was good. All’s fair in love, maybe not in wrestling but, in life & in love.... everything was good. It’s fair!