“Hey, wait!”
Camille Cosworth surges forward, rushing down the hallway to catch up with the paramedics that are wheeling the stretcher carrying Kanako Akiyama to an awaiting ambulance.
The Japanese grappler had suffered a gruesome freak accident injury during her ladder match with Trixie Decker, her right ankle snapping like a twig under the full force of her own weight coming down on Trixie when she performed her graceful yet brutal Run Her Through finishing maneuver. Paramedics were quick to immobilize her leg at ringside and stopped briefly after passing through the curtain to provide her with a local anesthetic, which quickly took its hold, putting a stop to her haunting screams. A pall had fallen over the backstage area as fellow wrestlers and personnel looked on in shocked worry for the respected reigning FAWN Rookie of the Year. It doesn’t take long for Camille to catch up with them to be beside one of her best friends.
“Ca-Camille?” Kanako calls out weakly, recognizing the voice.
“Yes, Kanako,” she replies, taking one of her hands and squeezes it, “I’m here.”
“I’m glad,” she says with a small smile, “is Yoona with you?”
“Um, well…” Cam stammers before breaking the news on her girlfriend and former EuroAsian champion, Yoona Park,, “Yoona didn’t actually come to the show tonight. She’s still pretty upset about losing the EA title the way she did. I mean, you know Yoona. That’s the cliff notes version, but without all the F-bombs, and there were a LOT of F-bombs.”
Kanako lets out a small chuckle and nods, “Yeah...Yeah, that sounds right. That’s too bad...I could really use her being here right now.” She then squeezes Cam’s hand and looks up at her, “Both of you.” The tender moment is then rudely interrupted by long-suffering junior referee Merle stumbling and crashing down the hallway.
“KANAKO!!” he cries out as he reaches the procession, “ARE YOU OKAY??!!”
“NO, she’s not okay!” Cam answers incredulously, “Her ANKLE’S BROKEN!! Does she LOOK okay?” She looks at him with an expression that conveys that she’s trying VERY hard to resist smacking him in the back of the head.
Kanako chuckles again. She and Merle had had a bit of a rocky start early on in Kanako’s FAWN career. But the two of them now enjoyed a friendly, if strictly professional, relationship, despite a rather vocal minority of FAWN’s fans shipping the two of them, championed by one Cassava Onika. “Thank you, Merle,” she finally says, “it’s sweet of you to be so concerned.”
“Guys?” one of the paramedics interjects, “We need to keep moving.” Cam and Kanako nod and they resume their trek through the bowels of FAWN Arena. As they pass through one hallway, an onlooker growls, “Karma, bitch.” Cam looks around to find Piper Sexton frowning, hands on her hips. Apparently, the Mean Girl had neither forgotten nor forgiven Kanako for what she did to her and her Sorority Sister several months ago.
“Ugh!” Cam pinches the bridge of her nose, repressing an exasperated sigh. “Look...Karma is paid in the NEXT lifetime, not THIS one!” she explains, “If you’re going to reference something, reference it CORRECTLY!” Piper simply rolls her eyes and walks away, seemingly deciding not to take things further without her backup around. Camille shakes her head and turns back to Kanako, who is giggling lightly.
“Since Yoona isn’t here to say it,” she says, “Cam...you are a huge fucking doofus.” Cam offers a little laugh, but she can feel the tears threatening to well up in her eyes, finding herself getting emotional over her friend’s predicament. They continue on, when a troubling thought dawns on Akiyama. “Trixie!” she yelps, propping herself as far as the restraints would allow, “Where is Trixie? Did she come to the back yet?”
Cosworth blinks, “Jinx? Uh...I think she was still in the ring when I left to find you.”
“Oh, god! She must feel awful!” she grasps Cam’s arm, forcing her to quicken her pace to match the gurney’s, “Camille, if you see her, you have to let her know that this isn’t her fault! I don’t blame her for what’s happened one bit, and neither should she!”
Camille nods, although Decker was the furthest thing from her mind until Kanako brought her up. “S-sure, Kanako. I’ll try.”
That seems to calm her down a little, as she nods and lays back down again. Shortly afterwards, they arrive at the loading dock, where the ambulance is waiting for them, doors open to load the Japanese beauty inside. “Stay with me?” she asks, looking up at her. Cam looks to the paramedics, one of whom shakes his head.
“I don’t think they’ll let me ride with you.” she answers, “But I’ll see you at the hospital as soon as they let you have visitors, okay?” Kanako nods and gives Cam a thumbs up as she’s loaded into the back of the ambulance. Cosworth clasps her hands in front of her, seeming to say a small prayer for her friend as the rear doors slam shut and the ambulance pulls away.