Post by "The Fabulous One" Dan Fierce on Dec 4, 2016 10:40:29 GMT -5
Bridging Memories - Part Six
(Recap: Dan Fierce had decided to begin to see his couples' psychologist, Dr. Phillip M. Schulmann, in a one-on-one setting on a trial basis to address some of his inner demons that reared their ugly heads as an indirect consequence of the Orlando shooting. I encourage reading the body of roleplays for Manifest Destiny found here. pcw05.proboards.com/thread/10509/manifest-destiny-stories-last-hurrah
Also... POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains elusions to suicide. If this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable or could have a detrimental effect on you, then please do NOT read further.)
Dan finished his session with Dr. Schulmann explaining how the bright lights he was seeing once his beaten body had managed to crawl all the way to the rod ended up to be car headlights. He went on to divulge that it had turned into one of the best doses of good Karma in his life. It was the first day he met the couple who would eventually adopt him.
"I'd like to explore your memories from that point as well, if that would be okay," requested the shrink, noting that their session had come to its conclusion.
Dan was agreeable, thanked the psychologist for his time, made his next appointment, and left the professional building, producing his phone and turning it back on with a smile decorating his face. He'd gotten into the habit of turning it off upon the first request from the doctor. He knew that it would blow up as all of his notifications played "catch-up."
He sat in the driver's seat of his specially painted fuchsia Kia Soul, waiting with childlike anticipation to see all of the action he'd missed during his hour of unplugging. He knew Facebook and Twitter would be having fits. He was hopelessly addicted to social media. The notifications that caught his eye were the twelve missed calls and the four voice mails.
Checking his call log, he noticed that each was from Jade, one of his new group of students. She was a hard case on the exterior, but that was a tough nut that Dan had cracked many times before in his experience with previous students. Each and every time, they ended up being some of the best students in his self defense courses, as well as turning things around in their own lives.
Jade was still at the beginning stages of their time in each other's lives, but she was indeed cracking. She would usually call only when she needed something or was in some kind of trouble, but the connection was there, and Dan knew that was a start. On the rare occasion, she would touch base just to say hi, but this many calls from her in the span of an hour gave a sense of urgency.
Dan struggled to decide whether to bother listening to the voice mails, or just call her back outright. He opted to give the messages a listen to see if he could prepare himself for whatever he was getting into. He hit the dial option, listening to them in the order they were received.
"Sensei," Jade's voice cracked with emotion, "It's Jade. Give me a call. It's urgent."
"Okay," muttered Dan as he deleted the vague voicemail. He knew she was still a teenage girl, so anything could be "urgent" in her mind, but the sound of her voice gave him pause. He clicked on the next one.
"Sensei, this is Jade. Please, please call me. I... I need to tell you something."
Delete. Next.
"Sensei Fierce? Where are you? Please call. I need you."
Delete. With apprehension, he opened up the last one, which was far longer.
"SENSIE FIERCE! GOD DAMMIT! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? I have some horrible news. Please. I'm begging you. Call me NOW! I... I don't know what to do." A good portion of the length of this message was Jade sobbing uncontrollably in the background, peppered with the occasional heartbreaking plea, "Please. Call. Me."
He'd heard enough. He couldn't bear to listen to the remaining five minutes of the message. All of the good feelings he'd had upon emerging from his appointment had been shattered, his heart heavy from listening to one of his pupils in that emotional condition. His mind couldn't decide to rest on worry or anger, so it attempted both at precisely the same time.
His heart heavy from his own feelings of dread, he returned Jade's calls. Once she picked up, he had to hold the device away from his ears to avoid the eardrum shattering assault of expletives being hurled at him. He allowed her to get most of it out of her system. "Jade?"
More cursing.
"Jade honey?" Dan tried to soothe, "I need you to calm down."
Another volley of verbal abuse was hurled at him, setting his teeth on edge, but it was when she muttered the "F" word that he put an abrupt halt to it.
"JADE!" The octave in his voice seemed to be enough to silence her tirade, at least temporarily. He allowed the quiet steep for a few seconds before finally speaking in a much calmer tone. "Are you finished?"
She answered positively, but the emotion in her voice was palpable.
"I was in a doctor's appointment and had my phone off, girlie," he explained. "I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on." His story seemed to reassure her. "Take a deep breath," he paused to listen to her comply. "Now what's all of this about?"
"It's Jerry." She barely got the short sentence out before the floodgates opened again. Dan's heart sank even deeper. He knew where this conversation was heading even before she continued. "He hung himself. In his bedroom last night." She had uncontrollable bursts between sentences.
Had it not been for the shock of the truth, Dan may very well have immediately joined her in a chorus of cries. Instead, Dan spoke as serenely as he could muster. He knew if she was this wrecked over it, then he needed to be rock steady for her right now. They spoke in brief sentences for just a bit longer before Dan concluded, "I'll be right over."
The bright fuchsia Soul backed out of its spot, the personalized California plates that read "F4BUL0US 1" speeding off to the foster home that both Jade and Jerry had called home.
"Collision Course Five."
Dan smiled broadly in anticipation.
"I've finally made it. I've finally got my attempt at PCW's World Title. I've finally got a chance to climb to the top of the mountain. More importantly, I've finally got a shot at the man holding it; Murdoc.
"I can't say that I haven't been chomping at the bit for this, because I have been anxious to get my well manicured hands around your neck. You haven't done anything to earn my wrath, and to be perfectly honest, I have to say that is exactly why you have earned it. It feels like a level of disrespect.
"You said on Trauma 200 that you were going to walk out and not show your face in PCW's halls again. You did just exactly that. I can respect a man that keeps his word, to a point. What you didn't do is show just why you've earned that belt, Murdoc. You have this reputation for being an absolute monster, and yet you've crawled back to your cave and hibernated like a bear."
"No. That lends a wrong analogy," Dan's smile faded into seriousness. "I've poked that bear plenty of times and come out on top."
His smile returned "Get your minds out of the gutter."
"You're not a monster, Murdoc. You're not something to be feared. I've proven that time and again. I've stepped up to you. I've stood toe-to-toe and never backed down for an instant. I've stood in that ring with you and looked into your soul.
"You can play the hard-ass all you want. I've seen the truth in your eyes. You're a coward. Maybe not in the strictest sense, because you aren't afraid to duke it out, but you were afraid when you looked across the ring at someone who was not only willing to play your game, but had the ability to beat you at it.
"Look... I get it. You've waited for ten very long years to hold that belt. I understand. I can personally attest that I know exactly what those feelings are like. A World Title has eluded me my entire career. I'd get close, but eventually, fate never smiled on me. I can blame no one but myself for my shortcomings. I was taught better than that.
"Well, cuddle time with your little trinket is over, Murdoc. Now it's time to put up or shut up. Now it's time to prove you are worthy of holding that belt. That's if you even have the courage to even show up. I hope you do.
"I'm not going to lie. I'll take that belt from you no matter if you fail to show, half-ass it, or come at me with a full head of steam. I've got your number, and it's up at the Pay-per-view. What legacy you could have made for yourself, what little bit of impact you may have made as the main champion, will end on December 18th.
"On that day, your chance to be anything beyond a paper champion, to be a placeholder, ends with me. Either you get into that ring with the intentions to live up to your reputation, or I will put you out of your misery like a wounded animal. I'm putting every bit of my ability between those ropes. For your sake, you'd better, too, or you won't be walking out on your own. That's not just a promise. That's Fierce."
