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*RAW Houseshow, August 29, 2004*
He ran toward his opponent, attempting to nail the other man with a Spear - but as the spot called for, he missed. As his opponent leapt out of the way, he just barely missed crashing into the turnbuckles. Nice save - he saw it coming.
Adam eyed his friend as he knew the spot was coming. Chris was about to toss him out of the ring, onto the arena floor. They would battle out there for awhile and then take it back to the squared circle.
The exact moment came, and the tall blond man felt his opponent grab a handful of his red tights, throwing him over the top rope. He went sailing to the arena floor, only to experience the worst pain he could ever imagine - in just about the *worst* place.
"Hey, what's the matter?" he heard Jericho ask as he went out after him. The taller man was just laying there, grimacing - and beginning to writhe a bit as well.
"Something's... wrong," the Canadian answered, his voice slightly strained. The pain was coming from his lower abdomen or groin area, and he knew something had gotten put out of whack.
Chris blinked, alarmed. How were they going to finish this match? Often, with an injury, it was possible to do so, but that depended on the situation.
"No problem," Jericho said, leaning over and smacking his friend in the head - he wanted to make it look like this was part of the match. "We'll go back in there and I'll cover you."
Adam tried to push himself up to stand. Instead, he grimaced as the pain shot through him, cutting still deeper, it seemed. He knew he was going to require assistance.
"No dice."
"Crap," Chris muttered. "Fine - you'll take a countout. I'll tell the ref."
"Okay."
Jericho proceeded back into the ring, and he taunted the other man verbally as he paraded from one end of the ring to the other. He made direct eye contact with the referee, and, as the man approached him, he explained the situation at hand as discreetly as he could manage without making the crowd suspicious. The ref got him loud and clear, and as he turned his attention back to the fallen man on the arena floor, he counted to ten.
*
"Did you hear what happened?" Trish asked excitedly as she stepped back into the women's locker room. Her eyes were on Amy only, and the pregnant redhead shrugged.
"What are you talking about?"
"I just saw Chris and Adam," the blonde diva explained, trying to be gentle about it, "out in the hall, back from their match. Amy, Adam must have gotten really hurt out there..."
Amy's eyes widened, but her face was full of questions. Before she could ask anything, her friend continued.
"... He was leaning on Chris and limping. Chris seemed to be leading him to the trainer's room."
Across the locker room, although her back was turned toward the other two women, Torrie Wilson froze as she overheard Trish's words. Her gut clenched, and she felt positively sick, though not because Adam Copeland had gotten injured. In a haste, she reached into her purse for her cell phione and made a mad dash for the door, leaving the room.
*
"Matt, didn't you *hear* what I just said?" Torrie asked as she paced back and forth. She'd found a deserted room in the arena and had gone in to make the phone call to her boyfriend in private. Her heart was hammering so hard and fast, pulse racing equally so that she feared she might actually collapse. She couldn't recall ever being *this* upset.
"Yeah, I heard you," came the reply. "I think you're making too much of this, Tor."
"'*Too much* of this?!'" she asked incredulously. "Matt, you whored me out to that gross guy - a *stranger* - for nothing!"
"Hey, I didn't 'whore you out!'" Matt exclaimed on the other end. "You didn't *have* to do it, and you know that! And no big deal," he said evenly.
Torrie shook her head.
"'No big-'"
"Look," the man said, interrupting her, "there's still unfinished business yet. There's so much more Snitsky can do for us. So, he doesn't have to take out Adam for the time being, since karma did him in tonight. But think about it, babe."
The platinum blonde was silent as she pressed her lips together. She was practically shaking. She couldn't believe what he'd said. Hell - she couldn't believe she'd actually had sex with that Snitsky guy, and all for *nothing*!
"Matt, I hate this!" she cried. "I know it's only four days out of the week, but I *miss* you those four days!"
"I know, I know," he said. "Don't worry. We'll see each other in two more days."
"Well," Torrie said, biting her lip briefly. "I do hope you're right that there's more than he can do. But Matt, you owe me *big*!"
"I promise," came the response. "I promise, I'll deliver."
This time, a genuine smile came to the tall platinum blonde's face.