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{I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree
(That's where you'll find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears...}
Her eyes fluttered open as she slowly roused back to consciousness. She was in a darkened room, and she was in pain... Her body was wracked by it.
Disoriented and terrified, Lita bolted up into a sitting position, suddenly realizing she was in a bed. But where was she? What were the strange sounds she heard all around her?
She had no answers to the questions swirling through her head - and she began to scream and thrash around in her fright...
*
"Oh, God..." Trish breathed, her brown eyes wide as several nurses and orderlies zoomed past her in the waiting room.
Edge raised his head from its previously down position, eyeing the group cautiously.
"What's going on?" He glanced at his watch, noting that it was nearly four-thirty in the morning. He and Trish had fallen asleep out here once visiting hours had ended. And where was Jericho? He'd never returned to the hospital as he'd promised.
"I-I don't know," the little blonde answered fearfully. "But they're heading in the direction of Lita's room..."
"They are?" Now, Edge was fully awake, and he bolted to his feet in an instant. Alarm filled him at the thought that something more had happened to the redhead, but at the same time, he realized that she must have finally awakened - or, rather, regained consciousness.
Trish, although groggy, stood up as well. Without a word to her friend, she wended her way to the nurse's station.
"Excuse me - can you tell me what's going on?"
"A patient is having a rough time, from what we understand," the woman replied. "She also ripped the IV out of her arm in her hysteria."
The Canadian diva turned to meet Edge's fearful green eyes.
"That definitely sounds like it could be Lita," he spoke. He guessed she most likely regained consciousness and went ballistic upon recalling what had been done to her the previous night. Hell, he would probably go crazy if he were in her shoes!
"Oh, God..."
Without any regard to what the doctors and other medical personnel would require of him, Edge fled down the hall and after them to Lita's room. Trish, who didn't want to be left alone, rushed after him.
The scene nearly broke the tall blond man's heart...
The distraught redhead had indeed yanked the IV out of her arm in her evident fright. Now, her hair and eyes wild, sobs shaking her body, she huddled in one corner of the room. Edge noted the blood on her right arm, where the IV had been connected. He winced, hoping the needle hadn't been broken off, half of it still in her arm.
The cries that emitted from Lita were almost animal-like mewls and wails alternately, and they were too much for Trish to bear. The little blonde added her own sobs to those of her best friend.
Two orderlies moved furtively to the battered diva, one of them holding a syringe in his right hand. Edge noticed, and something about the impending situation struck him as being very wrong.
While one of the men in white hoisted Lita up to her feet - not in the most gentle fashion, either - the blond man stepped closer.
"What are you doing?!" he demanded.
"We have orders to get her back into bed and give her a sedative."
"Well, don't... You're being too rough. And I may not be a doctor, but I know she doesn't need a sedative - she just came out of unconsciousness," Edge said firmly, his green eyes hard as he stared angrily at the man who'd spoken to him.
"We have our orders, sir..."
"Well, now I'm giving you orders... That woman is a dear friend of mine, and you're only going to hurt her, not help her. I suggest you back off - unless you want me to kick both your asses." Edge clenched his hands into fists as he glared menacingly fromone orderly to the other. He suddenly felt Trish's small hand grab one of his arms as she stood, nearly hidden, behind him.
"Make that the two of us - because if you touch her, I'll help him
kick your asses," a new voice spoke, and they all turned to see Chris Jericho standing
in the doorway of the room.