Post by Nick Knight on Mar 30, 2022 2:16:27 GMT
Nick Knight sits shivering on the cool floor letting the shower flow over his head. The water swirled pink around the drain as the blood was washed from his head. An ice cold beer was sitting next to him, but he could not bring himself to open it. That would admit that he had lost the match and that his one and only chance was over. Opening that beer means that he had failed him family.
“Fuck!” The aluminum can collides with the wall sending beer shooting in every direction. Angry tears stream down his cheeks as he tries to stand, but finds that he just doesn’t have the energy.
“You alright?” Knight looks over to see Penny standing in the dressing room door. He can’t find the words to answer her and he really wished she would leave him alone. “Nicky, are you alright?”
“How can you ask me that,” he whispers.
“She can you ask you that, because she loves you.” Cin walked into the dressing room right behind Penny. “God, you look like shit.”
“You’re not really helping sweety,” Penny says to the younger woman. “Let’s get him up and dried off so a trainer can get in here and look him over.”
“I’m happy down here,” he snaps. “Just get me another beer.”
“Stop acting like a spoiled child Nicholas James Knight!” Penny walks over and turns off the water. “Get your ass up so we can get someone in here to check you over. That gash in your head is nasty and might need a couple of stitches and you probably have a concussion.”
“Seriously, I’m fine.”
She offered him her hand, which he reluctantly took. “No you’re not, which is why I sent JC to get a trainer before I came in here. They’ll probably be here any second, so you might want to put on some pants.”
“It’s nothing they haven’t seen before.”
“Nicky stop being an ass and put on these shorts.” Cin tossed him a pair of purple Nike running shorts and helped him slip them on as the door opens. “See, just in time.”
“Knock, knock,” the trainer says as she walks into the room. “Damn Nick, your face looks like it’s been through a wood chipper.”
“My face always looks like this Jenn, but would you please look me over to make my family happy.”
Jenn pulls on a pair of gloves and begins to examining the face of ‘The Hollywood Butcher.’ “You’re going to need a couple of stitches over your eye and it’s probably going to swell shut for a couple of days. How’re your ribs from all of the body shots you ate?”
“They fucking hurt, but it doesn’t feel like anything is broken. I’m just going to have to deal with the tenderness for a while.” The trainer pulls a pen light out of her pocket and shines it into Nick’s eyes. Knight winces and damn near punches the young woman in the face. “What the fuck?”
“I wanted to see how you would react, because I knew you’d try to cheat the examination,” She answered. “You aren’t the only tough guy I have to deal with every day. I’m pretty sure you have a concussion, but I’m going to find Dr. Chen to do a full examination on you.”
“Oh goody. I can hardly wait.”
“How many concussions does this make,” Penny asks as soon as the trainer was out of earshot.
“Diagnosed or total?”
“Total I guess.”
“I have no clue, because I spent most of my career without insurance. I never went to the doctor unless I was dying. I’d guess it’s getting to be half a dozen diagnosed, but it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” His answer obviously pissed her off. “CTE is real and you’re an ideal candidate for it after so many concussions.”
“It doesn’t matter because I’m done. This was my one shot at winning the big one and I failed, so I’m going to retire and spend way more time at home.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Cin snaps. “You lost one match and you’re just going to take your ball and go home?”
“Yes I am. I’ve given enough of my blood, sweat, and tears to this business. I think it’s time that I move on to doing something else with my life.”
“Whatever.” She stomps out of the room leaving him alone with Penny and JC.
“What will you do if you’re not a wrestler,” JC asks.
“I have a couple of job opportunities if I’m interested, or I could run the academy full time.”
“I think you should take some time to decided what you really want to do,” Penny says. “Tonight has been way to emotional for you to make a level headed decision.”
“I don’t think I’m going to change my mind.”
“Just give it some time.” Penny gives him a kiss on the forehead. “Get your clothes on so we can beat the traffic out of here.”
“Fuck!” The aluminum can collides with the wall sending beer shooting in every direction. Angry tears stream down his cheeks as he tries to stand, but finds that he just doesn’t have the energy.
“You alright?” Knight looks over to see Penny standing in the dressing room door. He can’t find the words to answer her and he really wished she would leave him alone. “Nicky, are you alright?”
“How can you ask me that,” he whispers.
“She can you ask you that, because she loves you.” Cin walked into the dressing room right behind Penny. “God, you look like shit.”
“You’re not really helping sweety,” Penny says to the younger woman. “Let’s get him up and dried off so a trainer can get in here and look him over.”
“I’m happy down here,” he snaps. “Just get me another beer.”
“Stop acting like a spoiled child Nicholas James Knight!” Penny walks over and turns off the water. “Get your ass up so we can get someone in here to check you over. That gash in your head is nasty and might need a couple of stitches and you probably have a concussion.”
“Seriously, I’m fine.”
She offered him her hand, which he reluctantly took. “No you’re not, which is why I sent JC to get a trainer before I came in here. They’ll probably be here any second, so you might want to put on some pants.”
“It’s nothing they haven’t seen before.”
“Nicky stop being an ass and put on these shorts.” Cin tossed him a pair of purple Nike running shorts and helped him slip them on as the door opens. “See, just in time.”
“Knock, knock,” the trainer says as she walks into the room. “Damn Nick, your face looks like it’s been through a wood chipper.”
“My face always looks like this Jenn, but would you please look me over to make my family happy.”
Jenn pulls on a pair of gloves and begins to examining the face of ‘The Hollywood Butcher.’ “You’re going to need a couple of stitches over your eye and it’s probably going to swell shut for a couple of days. How’re your ribs from all of the body shots you ate?”
“They fucking hurt, but it doesn’t feel like anything is broken. I’m just going to have to deal with the tenderness for a while.” The trainer pulls a pen light out of her pocket and shines it into Nick’s eyes. Knight winces and damn near punches the young woman in the face. “What the fuck?”
“I wanted to see how you would react, because I knew you’d try to cheat the examination,” She answered. “You aren’t the only tough guy I have to deal with every day. I’m pretty sure you have a concussion, but I’m going to find Dr. Chen to do a full examination on you.”
“Oh goody. I can hardly wait.”
“How many concussions does this make,” Penny asks as soon as the trainer was out of earshot.
“Diagnosed or total?”
“Total I guess.”
“I have no clue, because I spent most of my career without insurance. I never went to the doctor unless I was dying. I’d guess it’s getting to be half a dozen diagnosed, but it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” His answer obviously pissed her off. “CTE is real and you’re an ideal candidate for it after so many concussions.”
“It doesn’t matter because I’m done. This was my one shot at winning the big one and I failed, so I’m going to retire and spend way more time at home.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Cin snaps. “You lost one match and you’re just going to take your ball and go home?”
“Yes I am. I’ve given enough of my blood, sweat, and tears to this business. I think it’s time that I move on to doing something else with my life.”
“Whatever.” She stomps out of the room leaving him alone with Penny and JC.
“What will you do if you’re not a wrestler,” JC asks.
“I have a couple of job opportunities if I’m interested, or I could run the academy full time.”
“I think you should take some time to decided what you really want to do,” Penny says. “Tonight has been way to emotional for you to make a level headed decision.”
“I don’t think I’m going to change my mind.”
“Just give it some time.” Penny gives him a kiss on the forehead. “Get your clothes on so we can beat the traffic out of here.”