"I think he's coming around," the soupy voice said.
"Duffy-Duffy. He's blinking like he hears me," I recognized Trina's voice.
"Easy, kid, easy." That was Rudy.
I wasn't in a ring. I was in a hospital bed and my head really fuckin' hurt. I had one of those rubber ID bracelets on that said
'D. Dombrowski', with a long number next to it. There was tape on the back of my head and I wore one of those silly dresses they give you when you're in the hospital. I had taken a shot to the head, but the last I remember, I was working with Tayshaun and he wasn't in any kind of shape.
"Phew…kid you had us scared," Rudy said. I looked at him and thought about speaking, but I still felt detached.
"Don't worry kid, they got you on some shit to make you comfortable. It's why you feel weird," Rudy said. Trina was crying. She still looked good, but she was crying.
"It's all my fault for getting him involved." A voice came from somewhere behind Rudy, but lower. Rudy half turned around. There was Karl in his Redskin's helmet still sitting in a wheel chair.
"Did they get you?" came out of my mouth. It came out slushy.
"Not this time, my friend. They got you instead. From the way it looks, I don't think they counted on you waking up at all."
"That's enough, Karl," Rudy said.
A male nurse, or at least an official looking male who wasn't a doctor, came in and asked everyone to leave except Rudy. Trina kissed me, sniffled, and scurried away.
"I ain't got nowhere to go. I'm staying," Karl said.
"Is he family?" The male nurse guy said. I looked quickly at Karl, who had a panicked expression on his face.
"Yeah, he can stay," I said.
I heard someone else crying, and looked toward the doorway to my room. It was Rene.
"I'm okay. I'm okay…take it easy," I said and smiled. My head really, really hurt.
She just stared at me and got really pale. The room got uncomfortably quiet.
Rene looked me up and down and then looked at Rudy and Karl.
"Can I be alone with Duffy for a minute?" She said without expression. Rudy nodded and he and Karl walked out.
"I'm okay, I'm okay. It's not-"
"Duff, the timing of this sucks but I have to tell you something. I can't live like this. I won't." She sniffled. I just looked at her.
"I'm moving on. I can't marry you. I just can't." I went to say something, but nothing came out.
"I'm sorry I had to say it to you like this, but I'm moving. I have to go in the morning. I'm sorry." She stopped crying. She wasn't looking at me, but she wasn't crying either.
"Good bye, Duff," She said and left. Just like that. Rudy came back into the room.
"What was that all about?"
I just shook my head. I was having problems thinking. Things didn't quite feel real.
"Look, Kid, I have to talk to you a bit," Rudy said. He touched my arm and my focus sort of returned.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"You got a concussion and it's nothing to fool around with this time."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Rudy looked down for a full a few seconds.
"That's not all Duff, they found damage."
"What do you mean 'damage?'"
"There were at least two other recent traumas to the head. There's a chance you might be in some trouble. Head injuries are nothing to mess with."
"Trouble?"
"In addition to headaches you might have problems with memory, short term and long term. There could be depression, post traumatic stress, your behavior could become unpredictable…but now as I think of it, I'm not sure how that would be any different than it usually is."
"Those are all 'coulds'".
"They're likely," Rudy said. He was sweating.
"For how long?" I said.
Rudy didn't say anything.
"C'mon, Rudy-how long?"
"It might not even happen…"
"Or…"
"It might be chronic…"
"Chronic-plain language, Rudy!"
"You might be fucked up forever," Rudy said.