Quitters Never Win!

After the bloody and brutal match that was the I Quit match between Adrian Kytes and Taylor Parker, the crowd had been left with quite a thrilling match and stunning, controversial match between the two. Lukretia Von Creuzfeldt, who had been watching most of the match from her VIP box. About midway through, she made a phone call and left her booth. She continued to watch the match from a hand held devise and the various monitors scattered through out the backstage area of the massive facility.

She made her way to the edge of the backstage, right near the curtains where she was greeted by her personal Doctor and fellow AFW employee, Chesna Matuschanskavasky. Lukretia turned as the medical staff was carting off Adrian.

"Vat do you think?" Lukretia said to the Doctor who wore an apathetic face and looked like she would prefer to be anywhere else.

"About what?"

"About ze match, Herr Doctor."

"I don't care...and don't call me mister."

Lukretia rolled her eyes just as the staff busted through the curtain with Adrian on the stretcher. She followed them quietly all the way until they got her situated in a hospital bed. Lukretia then sooed the way the staff and Chesna went to work. Cleanign the wounds, bandaging and generally fixing up Adrian with her expert abilities.

"Can you vake her?" Lukretia said finally.

"I guess..." Chesna said and then trotted off to get the necessary medicine.


***


Meanwhile, Akashi had been watching the whole match. She was sweating almost as much as the two warriors in the ring. She was nervous and half the time forced herself to turn away. The way that Taylor and Adrian brutalized each other was almost too much to bear. It didn't take more than Taylor saying she quit' to get her to dart off in search of her friend.

The bigger girl never was very speedy, but she booked it as hard as she could, charging down the hallways, her wooden sandals clacking loudly as she thundered down the hall, pushing people out of the way, barely turning to mutter an apology. She was no stranger to the medical facilities and bee lined for them. When she got to the front office, she screamed like she had just been stabbed.

"TAYLOR! NOW! WHERE!?"

She startled the nurse on duty who cautiously pointed in the proper direction. Akashi then ran screaming Taylor's name and peaking into each room.

"TAYLOR!? TAYLOR!? TAAAAAYLOOOOOR!?"

When she finally got into the room that Taylor was in, her eyes widened she practically dove at the girl, barely registering she was injured and going immediately for a big time glomp followed by a tight crushing hug.

Taylor sat upright on a medical bed while a nurse dabbed at her various cuts and abrasions and disinfected them. She flinched a little when she got to the messy cuts on her leg, it took the nurse a while to clean up the blood there, but really the she could do with her cotton ball was nothing compared to what Adrian had done to her in the match.

She wore a constant scowl. The match had given her plenty to think about. It seemed like everything gave her a lot to think about. Did other people have this much trouble keeping their lives together? Taylor always felt like she was on the verge of coming apart at the seems or turning into a raving sociopath. Like Adrian did.

Adrian had to be around here somewhere. Probably for a lot longer than Taylor would be, assuming there was nothing major wrong with her arm. As her mind drifted off to thoughts about Adrian and their complicated hate-hate relatioship, she was interrupted by a familiar voice. A loud one.

"What! I'm in here! Shut up!" Taylor called out irritably. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Akashi, it hadn't even really occurred to her that she'd show up, it was just... she had a lot on her mind, and Akashi wasn't one for subtlety and space and stuff.

She opened her mouth to say something as Akashi stepped into view, but her eyes widened as Akashi didn't break her stride.

"Ah, AH! AGH! DAMMIT, 'Kashi, my-- AAGH!" Taylor writhed in pain in Akashi's embrace. Her arm was hurting more and more as time went on, as the adrenaline wore off and the swelling set in. She gave Akashi a shove. "Hey, yeah, you came, I'm... Okay. Thanks... I'm glad you're here. I think. I dunno, I'm kinda... preoccupied, or some--OW!" She was cut off by the nurse scrubbing at a spot on one of the cuts on her thigh.

"Wouldn't be Friction without me getting my ass kicked, right? And another loss for my record, hoo-freaking-ray. I'm stoked. Man, it was so much easier when I just wanted to beat Adrian to death. After doing it, though... I dunno. I think I'm losing my mind. I just... I... how can you hate someone after you've seen them like that? All... ya know, beaten down and helpless and... I don't know. Broken? I can't do it. So what do I do now?"

As she unloaded on Akashi, the dampness crept back into the corners of her eyes again. She didn't feel like crying, she was just always very emotional and always on the brink of control. Well, maybe she felt like crying a little. She looked at Akashi and suddenly her eyebrows knit up and her face tightened, the dampness in her eyes turned into tears that welled up under each deep blue eye.

Akashi felt Taylor's resistances and heard the yelps of pain but she felt like she couldn't let go. She just wanted to hold Taylor tightly and keep her close, tell her everything was all right and how glad she was to see her in one piece. It was strange, really. Of course Akashi and Taylor were friends, she was calling them that before Taylor even acknowledged that they were. And Akashi knew they had moved past that point. They'd have bonded well enough and were close but suddenly for the first time as she felt Taylor , Akashi suddenly realized just how deeply she cared for Taylor. They weren't just friends or partners or buddies. Somehow, someway, Taylor had come into her life and crawled deep into her heart.

Even though Akashi had a habit of making friends, sometimes whether she wanted to or not, she also wasn't as close with her friends as she believed she was. She considered them good friends, but if pressed for an answer, who could she claim was her best friend? Her nakama? Other than Mina, who was absolutely her world, there was no one who came to mind. Sarah Gatt? That was ridiculous. Rika? No. Katsumi? Maaaaybe, but her feelings towards her fellow sumo was complicated.

But suddenly as she was finally pushed off of Taylor, she thought that it was Taylor. Certainly and without a second thought. Akashi sat next to Taylor and took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Taylor-chan." She said quietly, smiling as Taylor suddenly burst into tears. "You... ah... " Akashi looked down for a moment. "When two people put their bodies on the line like that, somethign happens. What came before goes and what comes next is something new. The two of you now have a bond that you can't just get rid of." Akashi lifted up her free hand, her pinky finger extended. "The thread of fate ties you together now. The best you can do is try and turn it into something good. Something better than it had been. Otherwise, it's only going to get worse.It will fester and... well... maybe next time you'll be lucky to evenbe able to walk under your own power.

Akashi sighed. "Taylor-chan." She said still smiling. "However the situation came about, you fought hard and... you did the right thing. Don't ever have regrets about it, ok?" Akashi didn't know if she was saying the right things, but she tried her best.

Taylor sat quietly and listened to Akashi while she fought to keep herself under control. The last thing she wanted to do was lose it. It was good to have Akashi there, though... who knows what she'd be doing without her. Probably going insane like Adrian.

She wiped the tears out of her eyes with her fingers and was finished with them, and she rested her head on Akashi's shoulder while she thought about what Akashi said. "I... I believe you, 'Kashi, but I don't get it at all. I fought my ass off, and I lost because of it, and... It's so confusing. I guess me and Adrian never had anything beyond the, eh... misunderstanding... Well, no, beyond me acting like a total ass to her for no reason. But then her trying to kill me, you were there, I mean come on, that's not normal."

She paused and looked up at Akashi, thinking about her bizarre friendship with Sarah Gatt. Who knew what went on between the two of them. "Or maybe it is. I... can't keep fighting her like this for no good reason. I can't keep hating her, even though she totally deserves it, I'm just tired of it. I can't ignore her, now. No way. But I can't just apologize and make nice and stuff, like you do, because that might be even worse than getting beat the frick up in the match just now. Gawd."

She'd have to face Adrian at some point, she knew that, just when and how were somewhat up in the air for her.

"Thanks for coming, Akashi. You always come."

Back in the locker area Natalia had seen most of the match at intervals. She strolled anxiously around the changing room turning on and off the TV set that was hanging in one of the corners. Seeing this level of violence brought Natalia some very bad memories; seeing one of her very few friends fighting like that and getting beat like that was more than The Dream could stomach. She had been there and done that, and she didn't wanted to ever repeat those experiences ever again, but seeing Taylor and her friend destroy each other like that made her feel almost as if it was her own flesh.

When Adrian was finally beat, laying down with Taylor standing above her like read for an execution, Natalia's heart stopped. But then Taylor did something that the blue-eyed cutie would have never expected...and quitted. Natalia breathed a quiet sign of relief and placed her hand in her chest to feel her hearth beating again. Her stomach was in knots, and although she knew Adrian's body would heal with time, it was the emotional damage what truly worried her.

Natalia took a deep breath and then rushed to the infirmary, she knew that's were Adrian was headed and that she would surely be in need of a friend. Adrian's partner Rebecca had most likely not seen the match, or she would have already been in the ring beating Taylor too, and Natalia though that, at least for the time being, it would be better if the blonde amazon didn't found out.

Luckily the AFW had a quite impressive medical facility, mainly because, infortunately, it needed it. Natalia had little trouble asking for directions in the infirmary and without worrying if she was allowed or not, she entered Adrian's room to find only a nurse tending her poor wounded friend and...

"Lukretia?" Natalia asked raising an eyebrow, she didn't really expected to see the AFW manager here. Could it be that Lukretia was worried about Adrian's welfare? Somehow Natalia doubted it, although she liked the idea that Lukretia may have a warm spot for those hurt in the matches. Still Natalia didn't made much about it, she was more worried about her friend. "Is she ok?"

Chesna pulled up a needle and flicked it. She then gave a sigh and slid it into Adrian's arm. She pulled it out after injecting it and then set the needle down and pulled off a wash rag and began cleaning the blood that was off of Adrian's wounds.

"I hope you didn't inject her vith one of your concoctions. I vant her avake, not strung out like you."

Chesna sighed. "No... I need most of those to be able to get through this. It was mostly just electrolytes to get her energy back and get her blood flowing again. I wouldn't waste any of that on her anyway it's expensive."

"How very frugal, Herr Doctor."

Chesna paused and slipped her hand into her nurses outfit and pulled out a pill, and popping it into her mouth. "Don't call me Mister."

At that moment Natalia came rushing in. Lukretia raised an eyebrow and then pursed her lips.

"Oooh. How intriguing." Lukretia said and immediately moved over to Natalia. "You know frauline Kytes?" She said and turned back to look at Adrian. "She vill be fine. Herr Doctor is ze best zere is."

"She'll be awake soon." Chesna said as she pulled out another needle. "But she I'm about to administer an anesthesia so that when she wakes up she won't be in so much pain." She said as she poked Adrian again.

***

When Taylor leaned her shoulder against Akashi, the sumo wrapped her arm around Taylor's shoulder and pulled her in close, rubbing her arm and pulling her close.

"Taylor-chan..." Akashi said in a soothing, soft tone. "Maybe the record will say that you technically lost, but..." She paused,thinking heavily on her words. "You didn't lose." She smiled and nodded. "Taylor-chan, you put everything you had into that match and left everything out on the mat. And you didn't have to lose your integrity do to it. You didn't become like Adrian. You didn't lose your soul." Akashi sniffed a bit. "I.. uh... know you don't like me saying this but... I'm so proud of you Taylor-chan." She grinned at Taylor.

"It reminded me of my first match here in the league against Sarah. I... I almost stooped down to her level, I ... It was hard.. and I almost became a monster but that woman taught me something. She helped me see what was important to me."

Akashithen looked at Taylor with a slight frown. "It's difficult but... sometimes it's not easy making friends." Akashi chuckled softly. "Especially in a place like THIS. You're right tat you can't go back to before and apologize for any sleights you may have caused, perceived or real.And you also can't keep beating on each other. I guess... you'll just have to find some other way to figure things out with her." Akashi said in a cryptically mischievous voice.

Akashi smiled warmly and closed her eyes, taking in Taylor's words as she blushed, feeling her heart beat a little faster. "We're friends, Taylor-chan. That's what friends do. I know you'd do the same for me. Ahh..." Akashi then blushed deeper. "Taylor-chan..."She said suddenly. "Y-you're very important to me." Akashi then turned her head away and lowered it, embarrassed a bit by being so bold with her feelings.

Find other ways to work things out, huh?

"You mean do her, right?" Taylor asked with a sly smile.

And then the tears were back, welling up under her eyes but never falling down her cheeks. She looked at Akashi, who was uncharacteristically emotional, and her brow knit up again. "Oh, 'Kashi. I know. I'd have to be for you to go through all the trouble I've put you through. I don't know why, really, but... maybe it's the painkillers, but I just don't care. I'm just glad you're here. I've, uh..." This outpouring of honesty was unpracticed for Taylor. "I've never had a friend like you." She choked out.

She gave Akashi another hug, a few tears escaping and running to her chin while she fought to control her breathing and not let any tell-tale sobs out. As she let go, she stood up off the table and smiled at Akashi before her eyes wandered uncomfortably over the room.

"I think I'm done here... But..." She wasn't done. She couldn't bring herself to leave yet. She needed to know Adrian was okay. She looked to Akashi for help.

The world was a hateful and very blurry place for Adrian Kytes, slowly opening her eyes in an unknown location, something itching on her arm, she still couldn't move her right hand from the damage she dealt to it trying to hang onto the barbed wire while Taylor ripped it from her...

Taylor... the cosplayer's thoughts drifted to her rival, the scene of her looking down on her, the cosplayer powerless to do anything. And that laugh, that horrible horrible laugh played over and over in her head. It made her feel sick. So sick that she could puke, and with all the stuff injected in her, everything going on in her head, she did. On the outline that vaguely looked like a small nurse, before noticing the other two people looking directly at her

"L...leave me..." She groaned, trying to turn her head away but the drugs and medical restraints made it very difficult

While attending to Adrian's cuts and injuries, she felt the cosplayer begin to stir. Lukretia watched on with interested eyes but soon a weird look on her face. Before Chesna could do anything, she suddenly found herself being puked one.

She sighed and began undoing her shirt. She tossed it to the ground and cleaned off any of the puke that was on her. Other than a sigh, she barely broke stride and went back to work. In her days, she had worst kinds of bodily fluids on her and was thankful enough that was the worst of it. She reached into her pocket and popped another pill before starting to massage Adrian's arm and shoulders to help reduce the pain.

"Nien, nein." Lukretia said at Adrian's barely muttered words folding her arms up under her chest. "I vant to make sure you are alright. You did quite vell, I am surprised, frankly." Lukretia admitted. "Do you even remember anything?" She asked curiously.

***

Akashi's eyes widened at Taylor's words. "What!? N-no, that's not what I meant! I...I know you're not like me, ok!?" She really put her face close to Taylor's to try and make sure that Taylor knew that Akashi knew that Taylor wasn't a creepy pervert like her. Akashi then grinned and a hand slipped down to Taylor's thigh.

"But... it DOES work for me and.. you know, I could show you the ropes...' Akashi had a bright smile on her face and it was hard to tell if she was joking or serious. Probably a little bit of both. Akashi knew better than to flirt with Taylor but she also liked to tease Taylor. There was also Taylor being a sort of forbidden fruit that made Akashi get a little antsy in the pantsy a on occasion as well.

She pulled her hand off Taylor's thigh, hopefully before it got slapped away and looked at Taylor. She smiled warmly. Taylor-chan..." She almost whispered. "Thank you!" Akashi stood up and bowed. "Would you like to check up on her at least?" Akashi said, tilting her head curiously.

Nien? Someone was speaking German to her with a horrible accent and a feminine tone, that could only mean one thing and it was the last person she wanted to see her like this... well... she was in the top 5 of people she didn't want looking at her right now. The commissioner or General Manager or whatever title she was using was looking down at the cosplayer as she recovered on the hospital bed, having just puked on a nurse who was now a fair bit taller than she first thought. Why was she checking on her anyway? The last time she got hurt anywhere near this badly was right in the VIP room where she got attacked with a pair of box cutters by a crazy maid. Granted she wasn't out cold at any point and had lost a lot less blood and what pride she had was still intact there.

And what the hell did she mean by "Quite vell?"

"I..." She began as Lukretia asked her what she remembered. She remembered a lot more than she liked, wishing she could have been like one of those crazies who just forgets what happened to them when they stop going crazy after waking up, but no... she remembered too much of it, and wasn't about to let the German know that much, she doubted that she'd be one to sympathize. Even if she was here to make sure she was okay.

"I...lost..." She said sadly. It was in her mind something that would be considered big enough to give Lukretia something so it didn't look as though she had amnesia but nothing that she shouldn't already know.

Trying to look away, her eyes wandered to the third person of the group. Long straight black hair and dark blue eyes, looking at her with worried eyes. Only one person she knew met that description "...Nat?"