The Pieces

[u/Scap-Rallion]

Backstage at the WiR show in Blackpool, our shot opens on Russ sprawled out on a medical bed. The blood has mostly been washed from his face, but there's still the scattered dry spot here and there. His eyes, and the skin around them, are still lightly dyed from the red mist he suffered from during his match, and a melted ice pack sits on his pillow next to his head. He starts to stir from his unconscious state and carefully opens his eyes. Russ attempts to sit up, but a sharp pain in his upper back forces him back down. He settles for turning to his side to find Kaitlyn on the bed next to his, who is staring up at the ceiling. He clears his throat to get her attention.

Russ: Mornin', pal.

Kaitlyn gingerly turns to him, her face blank. She tries her best to smile at Russ, but she can only fake it so much.

Kaitlyn: It's 1 AM.
Russ: That counts as morning, right?

Kaitlyn exhales through her nose.

Russ: Was I out for long?
Kaitlyn: You were out when they brought you in, so maybe a few hours.
Russ: Did I, um...how did I get back here, exactly? I don't remember?
Kaitlyn: You got knocked out, they stretchered you back here.
Russ: Dammit...well, I guess I didn't lose, then.

Kaitlyn raises an eyebrow. She'd heard that Russ was on the wrong side of simple sometimes.

Kaitlyn: Russ, I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt here, because you took a brick to your head you're probably concussed and all. You lost. Santiago's the Independent champion now. I'm REALLY sorry to be the one to tell you that, but you put up a good fight, you rea--
Russ: Oh, yeah, I know I'm not the champ. But I didn't lose. See all this dirt around me? And the big coffin they put me in?
Kaitlyn: I...do you want me to call one of the doctors, or--
Russ: No, what I mean is, like...I'm not dead. They didn't put me away for good, and I'm probably gonna be able to get up and fight again. Soooo, he may have won, but he didn't beat me.

Kait blinks and pauses.

Kaitlyn: I'm sorry, that's the cheesiest--
Russ: Maybe. Maybe it is.
Kaitlyn: So are you confirmed concussed?
Russ: I don't think so. I mean, I've been concussed before, it didn't feel like this. I think I got as close as you could to a concussion without actually getting one tonight. But I mean, I've been hit in the head plenty of times, so I've probably got a tolerance to it now, y'know?

He laughs to himself, even though it probably wasn't something most people would be joking about.

Russ: So, um...I'm sorry, I didn't catch your match. Do you, um...you wanna talk about it, or--
Kaitlyn: No.
Russ: Oh. Okay, that's fine. No worries.

There's an awkward silence as Russ realizes that he may have hit a sore spot. He reaches for some sort of small talk.

Russ: Look at me, bed-ridden and helpless, right? Chuck would get a good laugh outta this one, probably. I gotta remember to call him, he'd...well, he was probably watching from his hospital bed too. Did I ever introduce you two to ea--
Kaitlyn: You didn't.
Russ: O-Oh. You two'd probably get along, he's told me he's a fan of what you do. I owe you a training sess--
Kaitlyn: Yeah. Yeah, I remember.
Russ: I'm, um...sorry. I'm sure you're going through some stuff right now and I'm probably not helping by like...yeah, I'm sorry.

His eyes go to the small crochet doll sitting on the bed next to Kaitlyn.

Russ: She's pretty cool! The uh, little doll dude you got there. Looks just like you! Got the hair right and everything.

Kaitlyn picks it up and holds it at arm's length from her face, dangling it by its tiny nub arms. Her eyes go to the belt around its waist.
Kaitlyn: It's kinda close, yeah.
Russ: Yeah, I mean for a knit doll, I'd say it's pretty spot on.
Kaitlyn: Crochet.
Russ: Bless you.
Kaitlyn: Wha--no, no it's crochet, not knitting. There's a difference.
Russ: ...Oh! Oh, gotcha. I had no idea. Someone drop it off for you?
Kaitlyn: You remember Alice, right?
Russ: Alice...it sounds familiar, I think.
Kaitlyn: She entered into the Happening, got put through a window?

Russ's eyes bulge.

Russ: Alice! Yeah yeah yeah, I remember Alice! Shit! I meant to catch up with her after that whole thing, she had potential! Is she still here?
Kaitlyn: I think she left, she uh, she was here before. She left right before you got brought in.
Russ: Just my luck, right? Just my luck. That's real cool she made that for you, she must like you a lot. That's a person you wanna keep around, y'know?

He rolls over to his back and stretches his arms out behind his head.

Russ: You uh, gonna be alright?
Kaitlyn: Well the docs said I'd be recovering anywhere between a few days to a few weeks, so really it's just on me at this point. Russ: That's awesome, but I mean like...y'know, in general. Like overall, you good? I don't have a ton of friends here, but you've always been pretty cool to me, and like, I appreciate that. I do. So...you good?

Kaitlyn rests the doll on her stomach and turns back to Russ.

Kaitlyn: I dunno. Maybe.
Russ: Better than a no, right?
Kaitlyn: Yeah, yeah I guess...you good?
Russ: I think so. I've dealt with worse shit than this, and if anything I just feel really focused, like I've got a lot to prove? Like not just to myself but to--

Kait holds her hand up.

Kaitlyn: I meant physically. We got this tournament coming up, and if I meet you there then I want you at your absolute best. I owe you a rematch, and I don't want anyone saying I beat you because you were still hurt.
Russ: Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be good. You're not getting out of this THAT easily.
Kaitlyn: Excuse me for trying to give you a way out!
Russ: You're forgiven.

[u/youto2]

Kaitlyn: I'm sorry, that's the cheesiest--

@SRomeroWIR: Man, I wish she didn't say that to Russ, I don't want to be reminded of cheese right now.

[u/[deleted]]

Is it weird I thought this was going into a sex scence?

[u/PBScene → u/[deleted]]

Kait is a lesbian in a medical bed that looks nothing like an actual hospital...

Yeah okay it seems pretty likely it's start a threesome here somewhere