Betting on the Zebra Chapter 3

For Disclaimer and other details please see Chapter 1.

CHAPTER 3

Running towards the two men in the centre of the ring Lenny reached up and tugged on the steel chair hoisted by ‘Chris Jericho’ that had been destined for his opponent’s cranium. Making it look as good as she could she gave it her all and finally managed to get the offending item out of his grasp. As soon as she did of course he spun around and was instantly in her face. (This job just gets wackier and wackier.) She thought to herself and then had to hold in a laugh as she took the verbal onslaught that the guy was currently unloading on her. Every moment or so she would try to interject with a word or two only for him to talk right over the top of her. It was easy for her to do her job when she was working with people as good as this.

“Just cut the crap Jericho!” She yelled loudly as she turned away and leaned over the side of the ring to toss the steel chair back to the outside. “Any minute now.” She muttered under her breath as she waited for Chris to hurl Flair at her and knock her onto her ass. She knew that she was as prepared as she would ever be. It really came to something when as part of her everyday job she was mentally trying to psych herself up to take a pounding. All she had to do was walk back from the ropes a little and they would be all set.

Or not. Suddenly she felt herself being hit full on with the very real weight of another person. The hit was perfect. She was smacked right across the back. But unfortunately she was still too close to the ropes. Feeling herself hit them with Flair right behind her all of the air was driven out of her lungs instantly. Then the next thing she was aware of she was flying right through the top and second rope down to the floor. Where she had just placed that stupid fucking steel chair. But she didn’t even have a chance to throw her hands out to protect herself. That was kind of frowned upon anyway. Whenever the refs were hit they were told to go down like a ton of bricks. Looked like this time it was going to be a little more real. That was the last thing thought that passed through her head before it was connecting harshly with the steel chair and the rest of her body followed through and slumped to the floor.

-o0o-

“Ouch.” Kevin winced then laughed. “That was definitely neither a pretty nor graceful exit.” He looked at Paul who was also watching the monitor with interest. “You have to hand it to this chick. When she does something she really doesn’t hold back. She really sells everything and gives it her all.”

Looking up Paul just grinned. “Kinda makes a guy wonder where else she might not hold back.” He said and laughed. “So have you given my little proposal any more thought?” He asked because he was pretty sure that Kevin had been thinking about this already.

“I have.” Kevin said and rolled his eyes at Paul’s ever widening grin. “And I have to say that I’m more than intrigued but …”

Shaking his head Paul cut into his friend’s words. “There’s always a but with you isn’t there Kev?” He intoned.

“I want to know what happens when you lose and I win.” Kevin said with only the slightest of smug expressions. “Because you know that’s what’s going to happen.”

Paul snorted out a laugh. “Yeah just keep telling yourself that Nash and maybe you might start to believe it.” He said and left an appropriately dramatic pause. “Well the winner gets the sheer joy of seeing the loser being totally humiliated ... is that good enough for you?”

“Continue.” Kevin said with a nod of his head. “I need to know everything before I make any ... rash decisions.”

“Well what I was thinking of was perhaps ... something a little sartorial.” Paul said and couldn’t stop the grin that crossed his features once more. They hadn’t done something this dumb in a long time. Could he help it if he was finding out that he had missed it? “The loser has to wear women’s underwear in the locker room in full view of a large portion of the roster. Oh and you have to make it look like you do it every day.” He added not able to resist.

Not able to believe what he was hearing Kevin laughed out loud ... very loud. “Don’t give me that crap Levesque. You’ll be the one who is strolling around in the silk … not me.” He paused and thought about what Paul had just said then found his eyes drifting to the monitor once more. It wasn’t that he doubted himself at all. No he was sure that he could do it – more than sure in fact. If he turned on the charm there was no doubt in his mind that Lenny would be falling all over herself to get with him. But did he really want to do this? He grinned widely. Yeah he really did. It would be like old times. “Better start practicing putting on your bra Pauline.” He said sarcastically.

“Really?” Paul asked and then realised how surprised his voice sounded. “And as for the bra ... well we’ll just see about that won’t we.”

“When do we start?” Kevin asked and without taking his eyes off the monitor and felt himself start to frown. It looked like the match was winding down but Lenny still wasn’t back in the ring. Damn but she was cutting it fine.

Shrugging Paul thought for a moment then realised that now was as good a time as any. “How about right now?” He asked. “And how long do you want to give this?” He laughed when Kevin shot him a look. “I would say that two ... no, maybe three weeks should be plenty of time.”

“Whatever.” Kevin muttered. “What the hell is going on out there?” He asked.

The words had no sooner left his lips than several officials hurried past. One of them Earl Hebner. He was yelling fit to be tied. “Get another ref out there now!” Earl called to the others. “I’m going down there to see to Lenny, get some of the medical team down there as quickly as you can.”

“Hell I don’t remember them having such an intricate finish set up for this match.” Paul said with a frown as he turned his attention back to the monitor beside him.

Shaking his head Kevin looked a little closer the next time the camera was on the fallen young woman. He was noticing that they were cutting to her less and less now. Someone in the production truck must have been told something. “They didn’t.” He said in a sure sounding voice. “While Lenny was out Chris was supposed to pull some illegal shit on Flair then Flair was going to make a comeback of sorts ... that is until Jerky low-blowed him and then covered him for the pin just in time for Lenny to miraculously come to and do the count. Something’s gone wrong.” He added and began to move closer to the curtain where he suddenly noticed quite a few people standing around staring at the monitor that was set up there for people to make their entrances.

“Looks like you were right Kev.” Paul said softly as he looked around at the people gathered there then turned his attention back to the TV. “She isn’t moving.”

Turning towards the two large men who had just appeared beside her Stacy smiled slightly and shrugged. “She wasn’t supposed to go through the ropes.” She said quickly and then saw their look. “I was there when she was discussing what was going to happen with Chris and Ric.” She explained.

“I just bet you were.” Paul snorted out and then laughed. He laughed even more when Stacy drew him a filthy look and flounced off. “I bet being smashed face down on that steel chair can’t be comfortable either but she isn’t budging a millimetre.” So they watched and waited.

-o0o-

Another referee slid into the ring effortlessly and the match continued as if this had been the plan for it all along. It seemed seamless and the fans weren’t overly concerned. They saw refs taking a pounding week in and week out and knew that it was all a part of the whole show. This time of course it was a little more real but they weren’t to know that. They were only reacting as the WWE had conditioned them to.

Moving around the outside of the ring with surprising speed Earl quickly crouched next to Lenny’s still fallen body. He got as low as he could and made sure his mouth was close to her ear. “Lenny, are you ok?” He asked and waited. There was no answer. “Lenny ... can you hear me kid?” He asked once more but again there was no reply. He sat back on his heels slightly and checked her as much as he could. Damn. She really seemed to have been knocked out completely. He knew that she had taken much of the fall on her head, face and neck. He wished that he could turn her over to make sure that she was really ok for himself but he knew that was an incredibly foolish and dangerous idea.

Quickly he backed over to one of the production assistants that was out by the ring. “Tell them that we’re going to need a back board and a gurney. She’s completely out of it. I’m not having anyone move her till the medical team is here.” He said and then moved back to Lenny’s side. Nodding his head the assistant instantly relayed that information to the team in the back.

-o0o-

The second that the match was over the medics were racing down to the ring and taking the matter into their hands. It was a relatively easy operation. With Lenny being so deep in the land of unconsciousness they were able to move her onto the backboard and then the gurney with the minimum of fuss. It wasn’t until they had turned her over that the blood on her face became apparent. She had sliced her head open when it hit the rim of the steel chair. And though they couldn’t be sure it looked like a nice nosebleed that she had going on there too. Not wasting anymore time they moved quickly with her into the back leaving cameramen to jump out of their way and try to get a good shot that would possibly be used later in the show or next week.

“Shit! Is she ok?” Chris asked worried as he hurried over there as soon as they appeared through the curtain. I’m not sure what happened ... I think maybe the timing was fucked up. Shit! He repeated again as he finally got his first glimpse of her since she had fallen so unceremoniously out of the ring.

“She’ll probably be fine Chris.” Earl said with a smile that was trying it’s best to stay in place on his face while he reassured the young man walking along side them. “We’re sending her along to hospital just as a precaution but as soon as she wakes up I’m pretty sure that she’ll have nothing more to show for this than a headache and some stitches.”

Nodding without taking his eyes off of the woman on the stretcher Chris began to walk towards the locker room. If he hurried he could be showered and dressed in fifteen minutes, then he could head over to the hospital. Find out what was going on for himself because he knew that they wouldn’t tell him here, they would shield him as much as possible. Although he knew that it wasn’t really his fault. More just a case of bad timing by all involved he still couldn’t help the guilty feeling that was spreading through his chest.

-o0o-

“Ok, so maybe we can’t start to work on her tonight.” Paul said with a smile even as he felt the worry rush through him as they wheeled Lenny past he and Kevin.

Kevin shot him a disgusted look. “Well way to be with the worry there Levesque.” He said and moved closer to the curtain. “C’mon, we’re up after the commercial break.” He said as if he wasn’t that bothered himself. But in the back of his mind he had just made a decision. He smiled and then began to push everything else out of his mind and psych himself up for his match.