______________________________________________________
Dawn Marie initally just stood in her tracks and stared at Amy, blinking, as if she were a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car. Then, after a beat, she stepped forward, the tray of food she held in her hands shaking ever so slightly.
To Lita, it was pretty evident that the brunette had been caught off-guard. She cocked her head as she eyed her friend curiously.
"Hi, Lita..." Dawn finally spoke as she set the tray down on the little pull-out table attached to the side of Christian's bed. Despite the smile she now sported, her hands shook a bit, which told the redhead that she was nervous.
Lita wondered what in hell was going on. First, the previous night, Dawn Marie had been so damn nervous at the diner - to the point that she hadn't wanted to leave the kitchen. And now, she was here, by this guy Christian's bedside at the hospital. What in the world was this all about?
Her breath quickened as she suddenly made the connection - Edge... It had to be him. When Dawn had looked so scared at work last night, the tall blond man had been at the diner, sitting at a table. And Christian, she knew, had been attacked by Edge - whatever the reason.
As the brunette sat down on the other side of the bed, Lita decided not to beat around the bush.
"What's going on here?"
"What?" Dawn Marie looked up sharply at her friend's question, her eyes filled with alarm. She was obviously distracted and nervous - just as she'd been last night.
The redhead briefly glanced over at Christian, who eyed her curiously, his blue eyes shifting back to the other woman. Lita too shifted her gaze back to Dawn Marie.
"This..." she said, gesturing with her hands spread. "What is this all about? You - here?"
Dawn visibly swallowed, her brown, anxiety-filled eyes traveling back to the blond man in the bed.
"I-I'm visiting Christian..."
"I know that..." Lita said. "That much is obviously. I'm just surprised to see you here. And I don't understand what's going on..."
Before the brunette could respond, Christian reached over the side of the bed and took hold of one of her hands. The gesture was not lost on the redhead.
"I think I can answer one of your questions, Lita..." he began, and the redheaded woman arched a brow in surprise.
"Dawn Marie is here by my side...because she's my wife..."
Lita's eyes widened as she not only felt further surprise by the blond man's admission, but now she also felt fully shocked. She stared from one of them to the other, her mouth actually dropping open. She hated the way Dawn bowed her head, not as though in embarrassment - the brunette appeared more... Lita didn't understand why the words 'terror-filled' suddenly popped into her head.
She was even more curious now and wanted more than ever to know
what the heck was going on...