I didn’t think I’d ever end up working as a waitress for a diner but I can’t blame anyone but myself. I had a promising nursing career laid out in front of me but due to my foolishness and among other reasons, that was long gone. So now I work here at a diner about forty miles away from Las Vegas. That’s life and I had to make the best of it. I fucked up so badly that I was living out of a motel that was across the street from where I worked. It was better than living out on the streets, so I couldn’t complain too much, yet I felt stuck in life. I didn’t know where to go or what path to take.
Maybe I’d be stuck at this job forever, maybe not. I could use some luck right about now, that was for sure.
It was around midnight when the cook said he was going to take his lunch. Which meant if we had any customers, I’d only be able to serve them coffee and pie but people normally didn’t come in at this hour. So to kill time, I began to clean, which didn’t last long. I always kept this place spick and span. My cook would be gone for forty five minutes. So with nothing else to do. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at one of the booths. I was glad the boss let people smoke inside, it was cold outside and I didn’t bring my coat.
As soon as I lit up my cigarette, a man in a suit walked into the diner. I sighed under my breath and walked over to the counter. That’s when I saw the man up close. He looked like he had been rolling in the dirt, his suit. Which I can only guess wasn’t cheap, was covered head to toe in dirt. Then I noticed the side of his head was bleeding or had been. My eyes widened at the sight. I didn’t have any words for him. He seemed to be calm. He gave off a slick gambler vibe. I don’t know what happen but he must have lost something. Before I could say anything, he spoke up.
“Hello there, miss. I was wondering if I could get a glass of water. I’m rather thirsty. I’ve had a long night.”
“Ya, sure honey.” I said and poured him a glass of ice cold water. I handed it to him and downed it like he hadn’t drank water in years. He sighed deeply in relief.
“Thank you so much. I feel better already.” He flashed me a charming smile. I couldn’t help but to smile back at him.
“So slick. You look like you got into a fight with a lawnmower and lost.” I said jokingly, he chuckled.
“No, more like I got shot in the head and buried alive out in the desert.” He said, I didn’t have a reply to that, not for a few moments.
“I...I see and how are you still alive? You’re not some ghost that came here to haunt this place are you? That’s the last thing I need.”
“What? Oh no no. It was pure luck that I'm alive. The guy show me with my own fucking derringer. If he knew better. That’s not the gun you shoot someone in the head with. Doesn’t do enough damage. So the bullet just grazed me in the side of the head.”
“What’s your name slick?”
“Mine?” He asked me with a smile.
“Felix, Felix Jones. Nice to meet you, umm.”
“Beatrix, Beatrix Shaw.” Felix reached out his hand to shake and I did the same.
“Well Beatrix. Thanks for the water but I gotta get back to Vegas and get patched up. I have a long ass walk ahead of me.”
“What? You’re going to walk all the way there? I don’t think that’s a good idea. You may feel fine now but you could pass out. A head wound should never be taken lightly. I can fix you up, I have a med kit in the back. Then you can call a friend to come get you.”[/color]
Felix had already stood up but sat back down and nodded.
“Well, you’re not wrong. It’s not a good idea to walk that far but I don’t have my cell or money to get a cab. I can count cards but not remember my friend’s cell number.” He chuckled.
“I’ll be back, just sit right there at the bar and relax, grab some more water if you want, we’ll figure what to do after I’m done with ya.”
I walked to the back room and searched for the medical supplies. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Felix was shot in the head and was still alive. When I was a nurse, I’ve seen all sorts of injuries but when it came to head damage, that was always taken seriously, not that other injuries weren’t but if someone came in with something wrong with the head. It became top priority. Felix shouldn’t have been able to walk out from the desert and into the diner. He truely was lucky if that was the case. Luckily the person who shot him didn’t check to see if they had gotten the job done.
I found the med kit and made my way back to Felix, who was sitting there looking down at his cup of water but looked up at me when I came back. I set the medical supplies down and sat next to Felix to inspect the damage. I made sure to put on gloves before looking over where the bullet had grazed him.
“Hmm. I’m guessing whoever shot you, didn’t do so point blank, there isn’t any burn mark from the gun but if they had done so. You wouldn’t be here right now and the fact they used a low caliber gun helped too. Not to talk shit on the fact you were almost killed but who ever shot you must have never killed anyone in their life.”
Felix laughed out loud which caused me to jump a bit, I wasn’t expecting that.
“You’re right, they never have. The person who shot me is a friend or should I say former friend.”
“I’m going to need to clean the wound and then I’ll wrap your head up. It’s going to sting, so be baby about it, okay?” I said in a teasing tone, Felix gave me a thumbs up as I started to clean the side of his head. I’d have shaved the hair but I didn’t have clippers.
“Say, Beatrix. Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, go for it.” I said as I started to clean away the dry blood.
“Why are you working in this diner. It’s clear that you have had some medical training. A nurse maybe?”
I stopped for a moment and sighed before I want back to work.
“Yes, I used to be a nurse but I got into trouble and fucked that career away. So now I’m here and trying to get my life back on track.”
“Ah. Well you’re not bad at it. You shouldn’t give up on being a nurse.”
“I wish I could, but I’m banned from ever being a nurse again. I got hooked on pain pills and started to sell them on the side to make some cash. I’m clean now but I can never be a nurse again but I have no one to blame but myself.”
“We all make mistakes, I’m not saint myself. I’ve done some dumb shit in my life, most recent, getting shot in the head.”
I chuckled lightly as I finished up patching him up and made sure his medical wrap around his head was on tight but not too much. Felix smiled and stood up.
“Thanks Beatrix. I need a cigarette now. May I bum one off of you?”
“Of course, just let me clean up real quick. I could go for one myself, then we’ll figure out how to get you home.”
“Great.”
“Hell in the Cell, holy fuck. I’ve never been in one before but I’m always down to try new things, not only is the match crazy but I get to face Ned Kaye and The Wizard for a second time and it's top off with the Hart title on the line. I have to say I'm pretty damn hyped for this match. I get to take away Ned's beloved Hart title. You're God damn right. That's what is going to happen. Ned, how long did it take you to claim a title win? You've been here since March of 2019, yet you never won a belt til the last pay-per-view and you beat a weak has been. You know what I did when I came to the XWF? I went and won the Xtreme title, not once but twice. I'm already better than you."
"That's just fact my friend. You're not going to walk out of Warfare with that Hart belt. I'm the one who will be. I do enjoy gold over my shoulder and I have that Hart strap in my sights. You can fight with everything you got but it's just not going to be enough. I don't know what else to tell you sport. You're just going to have to deal with it. Now just because I'm going to beat you into a bloody mess, doesn't mean I don't like you or respect you. I do. You're very skilled in the ring and I enjoy your matches but be that as it may. I won't hold back."
"To hold back wouldn't be right. I want you to fight for it, I want you to see that after everything you throw at me, it won't be enough and that's okay. You may not be walking out of the match with the title but at least you'll be alive once I'm done with you. I won't kill you, unless I have to, if that's what it takes to take you down. I have no problem with that my friend. Not one damn bit. Hash maybe, but that's life. I'm that roadblock that you didn't see coming or didn't think was a threat and in the end, you'll see you've fucked up. It will be lesson you won't forget. Life isn't fair and you've ran outta luck because now you have to face me in the ring and see that you're nowhere near my level. Cruel but you'll get over it and move on. Trust me on that one."