Hospital Stay

At a local hospital someplace is where we find “God’s Gift” Jeremiah Vastrix. He’s in a hospital gown on top of the covers, with the treaded hospital socks on. He’s stitched up in various places that we can see (and likely a few places that we can’t see as well). 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Drake Nygma. You think you know all about me. Do I need external validation, be it from women, other wrestlers, or the fans? I really kind of do. 

Jeremiah lets that confession sit in the air for a bit before continuing. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Can I help it that women with taste find me attractive? I normally gravitate myself toward such women who do find me such. Why bother with bitches who don’t like me? They are not going to lift up my life any, are they?

Jeremiah reaches to the bedside table where a porcelain mask sits.

Jeremiah Vastrix - It’s funny you should mention masks, Drake. I used to wear a literal mask to the ring to protect my face. The mask was broken so many times that it wasn’t really worth the effort. That and Jesse Styles using a stapler on my eye after breaking the mask. I got over my vanity real quick when awoken to the real world of violence. 

He throws the mask like a frisbee where it shatters against the wall by the television set that is mounted on the wall. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - We really tore the place up, didn’t we? I mean we also tore each other up in that match. I still can’t believe that you stabbed me in the gut. Well, I guess I can. Seems like a you thing to do. You claim to hate me. That I presumed your aspirations. You are leaving after our match. Once I defeat you in the ring, it will be your final defeat. Ever. Seems like me running you out of town, doesn’t it? Unless of course you were planning on retiring with both of the belts to force management to strip you of the titles and do a tournament. 

Jeremiah just shrugs with a smile. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I’d show you the stitches on my midsection, but that will just remind you where to attack when we get into the Satan’s Temple match coming up at Clash at the Beach. It will give you a target or three to hit to bust back open again so that I bleed to weaken me. You hate the CWF? That’s only because you know you wouldn’t be able to hack it there. You know that the drivel that you spout wouldn’t win any hearts and minds. Does it really matter in the end though? No, you’re here and not there. Why am I here? I couldn’t possibly want to stay in CWF and wrestle to win their World title now can I? People will talk. “There’s the guy who co-owns the CWF and rules over it as main champion!” Yeah, I don’t really want to deal with that kind of thing. I want to rule here. I went through the people to earn the show. I took down Adam Striker to win the title. When it came time for him to try to win the title back, he left town. Why is that I wonder?

Jeremiah winces as he moves on the bed and presses a button on his bedside control. The Call Nurse button. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Why, I think I even heard that Adam Striker left his own fed, Unique Pro Wrestling. Why is that I wonder? Actually, I don’t wonder, not really. I think I know. I won’t spout it here in case I’m wrong. And besides…it would be me sharing my “opinion” of the state of things. 

The nurse walks into the room, looking at Jeremiah curiously.

Nurse - Is something wrong?

Jeremiah points to the center of his gown where a redness has bloomed across his midsection.

Jeremiah Vastrix - I moved the wrong way…

Nurse - Oh shit! Let’s get that taken care of right away. Let’s get that gown off of you and see what we are dealing with.

Jeremiah takes the gown off and where Drake Nygma had stabbed him during their last match, the a stitch had broken. The nurse takes the discarded gown and presses the material against the wound to absorb the blood streaming from it. She grabs her phone and calls the nurses’ station for people to come down and help her get fresh stitches in the wound to close it up. 

Twenty minutes later, Jeremiah is in fresh bedding, fresh gown, and has been cleaned up/stitched up. He smiles.

Jeremiah Vastrix - I’m ready for round two, Drake. We gonna make Satan’s Temple the best match of the night as we tear the place and each other up once again. I’m going to leave with two championships. Can’t be lying to the fans now, can we?

Jeremiah reaches to the table by the bed again and grabs the AWS Pinnacle championship. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - This is going to be on the line as well as yours. You know I’m going to walk out with both titles. Yours and mine. These are the facts of the story as I’m spitting them out in an authentic sort of way. You know what I’m talking about. 

Jeremiah turns on the television and begins flipping through the channels, eventually landing on a Marvel movie. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - You know, when I was younger I wished that I could be the hero. The man who changed the Warhammer Corporation for the better. Took weapons dealing off the table and what not. That’s not going to happen soon, but I can be a hero for the people. Give them what they want to see on the air. Me kicking your ass in the temple. 
How do I know that the people are going to want to see me kick your ass and not the other way around? You see…I’m fuckin’ rich. I bought every single one of the Clash at the Beach tickets for my fans. Not for your fans. Everyone in there is going to be cheering MY NAME. Because they will know that I am the one responsible for bringing them into the game. They will know that I am the one kicking your ass in the temple. They will know that the championships will be around me. I uplift the standards of this company. Do you? 

Yeah, I figured that would be the answer. You don’t care what you do to the standards. I mean the average of the standards here couldn’t possibly help but to go up after you leave the ring forever. 

Or, you could be the hero to AWS and defeat me. It will be my final match here as I am banished from the federation. That will be my end of this battle. If you beat me, we will both leave and AWS can hold a tournament to replace the champions. 

Jeremiah goes quiet as another nurse walks into the rom. This one with a basin of warm water and a sponge. She smiles at him. 

Nurse - We have to do your sponge bath. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I thought I was clear to do showers?

Nurse - No. You got the stitches wet, which weakened them so that they will break. A sponge bath is more exact…and fun for me. 

Jeremiah just shrugs. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - You got it. 

He looks back to the camera with a wink. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Looks like I’m going to be busy for a bit. I need my external validation after all. See you soon, Drake.

Fade