Buried Alive - Chapter 1
One year later.
Debra McMicheal walked into the arena with a pensive look on her face. Why didn't I take the two weeks off like Owen and Jeff suggested, she wondered. It was coming upon a year since Stone Cold Steve Austin's death. A year since her world changed.
Oh come on, she thought, it wasn't like you two were getting married. You barely dated a month before he died!
Debra shook her head. It was an argument she'd had many times since that bitter December night one year ago. She and Steve had gone out one month prior, right before Survivor Series, to mark the separate ends of their respective marriages. Although they barely knew each other, both had felt some type of connection between each other, one they'd been both interested in exploring better.
And then fate stepped in, mused Debra bitterly. She could still feel the pain of her heart being torn to pieces a year later. She thought back to when the WWF roster was informed that Steve was dead.
One year earlier
Debra was in the lockeroom, trying to compose herself after nearly falling apart while the EMTs were working to save Steve's life. Jeff Jarrett into the room.
"Come on Deb, get yourself together now," said the Tennessee native. "What if he's dead Jeff? What if they couldn't save him?" she asked with a shattered look mixed in with the tears.
Jeff Jarrett sighed and held Debra in his arms. It was no secret in the WWF lockeroom that Jeff Jarrett and Stone Cold Steve Austin did not get along. In fact they hated each other. Jarrett got on Debra's case a lot for getting involved with Austin after he found out they'd started dating. Now though, he looked into her eyes and his heart broke. He'd definitely seen a change in her the last month. She looked happier, more alive then she'd ever been with Steve "Mongol" McMicheal, her ex - husband.
Jackass better make it or I'll go to Hell and kick his ass for doing this to her, Jarrett thought as he slowly rocked Debra gently.
"All right, listen," Jeff said, looking her directly into her eyes, "Austin's a survivor, if anybody can make it and come through unscathed, he would be that person. Don't give up hope all right."
"All right," she said, nodding.
"Okay, come on, let's see if Owen has any news," Jarrett said leading Debra out of the lockeroom into the hallway, where most of the wrestlers were waiting to hear word on Austin's fate.
Why now, Debra thought, did this have to happen now. Especially after last night. The night before, she and Steve gave in to their desires and made love. It was the most sensuous night Debra had ever known, far surpassing the nights she'd spent with her ex.
Jeff and Debra walked over to where Owen Hart was, talking to Mick Foley and Kane. "Hey Owen, any news?" Jeff asked.
No, not yet. Vince and Shane are holed in the office waiting for news," replied the blond Canadian.
"Bastards," muttered Debra.
"Hey, hey, come on now, no matter what we all think about Vince, there was no way he could've known that Taker would take it to that extreme," asserted Jeff.
There was a mummered acceptance among the small group. Kane stepped towards Debra and held his vocalizer to his throat. "I'm sorry Debra," came the mechanized tone.
Debra looked at him in confusion.
Mick Foley answered: "Me and Kane were in Steve's lockeroom during the striptease match. Kinda had to restrain him from going after Micheals when you were stripping."
"Oh, um, thank you," Debra stammered a little stunned. "I'll explain later," Jeff said in response to Owen Hart's confused expression.
Owen nodded, then added softly, "Steve Austin whipped by a woman, now that I'd pay to see."
Suddenly the hallway hushed as the door to Vince's office opened. Everybody knew it was bad news the moment they saw Vince's face. His eyes were red and he looked older then anybody had ever seen him.
"The - the hospital ca - called a f - few minutes ago," Vince began, haltingly, " the - they said that the - there was no - nothing they could do. Steve was pro - pronounced de - dead on arrival a - at the hospital," he finished.
There was a shocked silence from the crowd of wrestlers present. Suddenly, Mick Foley, one of the few people Steve called a friend, flew at Vince McMahon.
"YOU BASTARD YOU KILLED HIM!!!!" Foley screamed reaching for Vince's throat.
It took a lot of wrestlers including Triple H and Jarrett to pry Mick from Vince.
"Come on Mick, let's get back to the hotel," Jarrett suggested leading Foley away from the scene he created.
Jeff looked around for Debra, but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Where'd she go?" Jarrett asked.
"She bolted," Owen said quietly, "Kane went after her."
"Shit!" was all Jarrett could say.
Kane stalked around the arena, looking for Debra McMicheal. Although he'd had very little experience with other people's grief, he knew instinctively that Debra shouldn't be alone at the moment.
As expected he found Debra by the grave rocking back and forth on her heels. Police had declared the site a crime scene, and barred the WWF from dismantling the site.
Kane went slowly to Debra and knelt next to her. He awkwardly put his hand on her shaking shoulder.
Debra turned around and faced Kane. She either didn't know it was him or she didn't care. She buried her head into his chest.
"Oh God, Why? Why did this happen?" she cried, muffled by Kane's chest. Kane didn't know what to do. He had never had to comfort somebody before. Before joining the WWF, his only influence was Paul Bearer, and Bearer never really showed Kane anything but anger and fear. It was only upon coming into contact with the other WWF superstars that he learned that there was more than anger and fear.
Kane decided to do what he'd seen Vince McMahon do once while comforting his daughter Stephanie: He awkwardly enveloped Debra in his arms and swayed her gently, letting her release her grief in tears.
Present day
If it weren't for Kane that night I don't know what I would've done. Debra thought as she made her way to the lockeroom.
The last year had been tough; but with the help of Kane, Owen, Jeff and Mick, she'd pulled through it. Now, tonight, marked the anniversary of Steve's death and next week was the December pay - per - view, aptly renamed Armageddon. Jeff and Owen suggested that she take some time off from the Federation during that period, but Debra wanted to pull through and face it, if only because Steve would've wanted her to.
"Hey boys," Debra said coming into Jeff and Owen's lockeroom.
Jeff walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Jeff asked with a look of concern on his face.
"I'm sure," She replied, slapping him lightly on the cheek.
"All right then, lets get ready, we got a tag match against the Outlaws tonight," Jeff said grabbing his gear to get dressed.
Debra sat down with a sigh. She thought about how things changed since that night. It seemed to her that there had been a spark that died when Steve died. It was as if there had been a sparkle that the blue eyes of the Rattlesnake seemed to infect the Federation with that just wasn't present anymore. Even Vince lost a spark with this tragedy. Combined with the situation with Shane, Debra shook her head. That situation was too depressing to think about.
Plus with the body stolen and never found, there wasn't really a sense of finality to everything. Although nobody wanted to really speculate on the body's final fate, Debra somehow knew it was the Undertaker behind the theft.
Adding one last slap in the face of everybody's pain.
"Hey Deb, change of plans. Steph wants us out in the ring," Owen said breaking her out of her thoughts.
"All right, I'll be there in a minute," she said rummaging for her makeup bag.
Suddenly, she was struck with a shiver of dreadful anticipation. Something was about to happen. Something big with huge complications for all.