Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 3:21 AM EST



I'd just finished a..... rendezvous.... on the roof of the hospital here in Boston with Caitlyn. The Nurse covering the nightshift of the Intensive Care Unit when I received a page from Dr. Nguyen. Why they still use pagers, I don't know. It's much easier to call a guy on the phone or hell, even send a text message.


So I head down to Jacob's floor. As I progress back down the stairs and through the halls and down the elevator and down some more halls with Caitlyn hot on my heels, the only thing that was on my mind was that Jacob must have woken up.


Okay, so that wasn't the only thing on my mind. Caitlyn was sweet. The sweetest you'd ever taste, as a matter of fact. She'd been on "break" now for like two hours and odds are if she got caught, she'd likely get fired. I guess it was time to head down anyway.


I reach Jacobs room and I'm equally horrified and angered at what I see.


My sworn enemy.


Jonathan.


Sitting in Jacobs room.


I enter the room slowly, not once taking my eyes off of Jonathan. Dr. Nguyen is checking Jakes vitals.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "You paged me, doc?"



Like I said, I'm not taking my eyes off of him.



DR. NGUYEN: "Oh, yes! I just wanted to know if you were enjoying your night with my daughter?"



I didn't see that coming. She's definitely a white girl. He's definitely very much Asian. This of course, forces me to look back at her. It's the first time I noticed it, but her lipstick is smeared all over her face.


I must've looked at her with a funny look or something because she looked at me with a confused look. So, I just brush my hand across my mouth and she begins fixing herself.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Daughter? What do you mean daughter?"

NURSE CAITLYN: "Yes, Dr. Nguyen is my father. I was adopted as an infant."



I'm not sure if I'm more or less confused now.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Dr. Nguyen, we weren't..."



Ahhh! The little Asian bastard cut me off. God! I hate that!



DR. NGUYEN: "You weren't what? Frolicking around on the roof top? Mr. Duke, she is a grown woman. She can make her own choices.

"Although, my dear, I'd suggest you keep that sort of behavior away from the hospital. You don't want to ruin Daddy's reputation, do you?"

NURSE CAITLYN: "I know, Daddy. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."



All I can do now is look back and forth as they bicker back and forth. Still somewhat shocked at the revelation. So shocked that I nearly forgot my arch-nemesis sits directly behind me.



DR. NGUYEN: "In my day, little girl, you'd be branded with a scarlet letter, your own reputation, ruined!"



In my day? He acts like he's in his 80's. Actually, now that I think about it, he probably is. If not, then rapidly closing in on it.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Wait! What the hell is he doing here?"



I'm pointing at Jonathan. Dr. Nguyen looks over at him.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I told you not to allow anyone in here without my express permission!"

DR. NGUYEN: "He's your brother. I assumed it was okay. Should I get security?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "No. No, give us a few minutes alone. I'll handle it."

DR. NGUYEN: "I must say, for three brothers, none of you look like the other."



Caitlyn and Dr. Nguyen exit the room leaving me alone with Jonathan. I take a seat next to him.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "What the hell are you doing here?"

JONATHAN: "The man is my employee. Also my friend. I find it hard to believe you'd think you'd not see my smiling face."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I don't care whether he's your friend, employee or what! You need to get the hell out of here before I remove you myself!"

JONATHAN: "That girl. She's a pretty one. Much prettier then that Linn Kwann."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Not here, not now, Jonathan!"

JONATHAN: "What ever happened to Linn, anyhow?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "She left."

JONATHAN: "No doubt your little escapade with Sarah Saint James a couple of months ago contributed to that."



You know? I forgot about that.



JONATHAN: "Then you caught her on top of your friend, John Madison."



He really is causing an itch to my trigger finger.



JONATHAN: "A bullet in her head. Right?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Jon, this is not the time for this."

JONATHAN: "What do you think your new lady-friend might think if she were to find out about your brutality toward women? Do you think she'd flip her hair and not think a thing?

"She might be blond, but I highly doubt she lacks brains."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "You need to get the hell out of here."

JONATHAN: "Or?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I will remove you by force."

JONATHAN: "Relax, Duke. I'm leaving. I only wanted to check on him."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "When he comes out of this..."

JONATHAN: "If."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "When he comes out of this, Jon. I'm going to take him back to the Compound."

JONATHAN: "Keep him captive? My men may go if they choose. After all, this is not their war."



Jonathan pats me on my shoulder as he walks by. I hate that son of a bitch. He is right about one thing. It really isn't their war.


As he reaches the doorway he stops.



JONATHAN: "If he does come out of this..."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "He will. He's a fighter."

JONATHAN: "Anyhow, if he does, can you at least inform me?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'll inform you. Right before I put a bullet between your eyes."

JONATHAN: "Ha! We'll see about that, Duke! We'll see about that."



Jonathan walks out. I lay there against the back of the chair and stare at the ceiling. I must be tired because I think I'm now staring at the inside of my eyelids...

---

Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 7:00 AM EST



I lay there half asleep still staring at the ceiling. I hear something or someone calling my name. Except it sounds like... something I can't quite place. It's like when adults speak in the old Charlie Brown cartoons. It's like that sound, but with a distant echo.


I must be damn tired still. I can't decipher who is talking. Or where.


Finally, I'm brought totally out of my slumber by a jolt I felt in my left leg. I open my eyes and watch as Caitlyn sits next to me.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "How long was I out?"

NURSE CAITLYN: "I don't know. 2 and a half, maybe 3 hours."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Any change?"

NURSE CAITLYN: "Not that I've been made aware of."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'm not sure whether that's good or bad."

NURSE CAITLYN: "I'm off in an hour. Want to grab breakfast in the cafeteria?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Is it edible?"

NURSE CAITLYN: "Sure."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "No, I mean satisfying. I'm a rather large man. I need ample sustenance. Not low fat bullshit."

NURSE CAITLYN: "Oh it's not bad. Plus you can get as much as you want."



Somehow, I think the last thing she just said had a double meaning. Sexual connotations are not exactly easy for me to decipher. Too damn much on my mind all the time. Acually, I think it's high time for a vacation.



NURSE CAITLYN: "Well? We gonna grab breakfast?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Yeah, what the hell."

NURSE CAITLYN: "Ok, I have to go do my final rounds. I'll be back in a bit."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "See you then."



She exits the room. Not even five minutes later, her father, Dr. Nguyen enters the room to recheck Jacobs vitals.



DR. NGUYEN: "You know, Mr. Duke, a man of your immense size and your increasing age should not try and sleep that way. It's very bad for the arthritis. Especially a man in your profession."



What the hell did that mother fucker just say? Advancing age? Why does no one ever believe I'm 30?



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Profession? What profession is that, exactly?"

DR. NGUYEN: "Professional wrestling. I'm a big fan."



Great.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Great!"



Damn it, Sebastian! Quit thinking out loud!



DR. NGUYEN: "Relax. You're an asshole. I don't like assholes. KnightMask, Mr. Satellite, Crimson Cobra... Those guys I like. They're good men."



Dafuq?



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'm not a good man?"

DR. NGUYEN: "Well, I don't know what is truly in your heart. I can only judge by what I see on the television on Wednesday nights. Are you?"



Oh God damn it! I hate self reflection. It was a good question though.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Well, if you ask guys like Witasick or Satellite. They'd say no. If you ask a Shane or a Luca Arzegotti..."

DR. NGUYEN: "What would they say?"



Shit. They'd probably say no, too.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I don't know."

DR. NGUYEN: "Do you think you're a good man, Mr. Duke?"



I stare at him. Unable to answer. Of all the things I've done. Of all the questions I've answered. How did this one become the hardest one of all?


I mean, I think I'm a good man. Certainly my actions on television suggest differently. Do my actions on television compared to those away from the ring make me a bad man? The world of professional wrestling is a dog eat dog world. It's either eat, or be eaten.


I'll be damned if I'm going to be eaten.


Suddenly, the doc chimes in again. Thankfully, interrupting my thoughts.



DR. NGUYEN: "Uhhh, Mr. Duke?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "What's up doc?"



Yep. I just stole a Bugs Bunny line.



DR. NGUYEN: "I'm getting spikes in Jacobs brain waves."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "What's that mean?"

DR. NGUYEN: "It could be nothing. It could be something."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Doc, I kinda just woke up. Can you be a little more specific?"

DR. NGUYEN: "Well, it's one of two possibilities. One, he is either dreaming. Or..."



Don't you hate when people pause for effect? It's like talking to a shorter version of Mark Flynn. Actually, Dr. Nguyen might be taller.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Or?..... OR WHAT?"

DR. NGUYEN: "He might be waking up."



I stare at Dr. Nguyen. I could almost swear I felt a tear of joy roll down my face.