One Fall

CHAPTER 13

  No one greeted Joey when he stepped through the curtain. The backstage area was empty.

  He needed water. Usually one of the trainers or a stagehand had a bottle of water for him when he came through the curtain. He turned left to go down the corridor to the locker rooms, where he remembered a fountain on the wall.

  Safire came out of the women’s locker room with wet hair, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

  “Did everyone go out to the parking lot?” Joey asked her.

  “Why would they? What’s going on?” she said.

  “Goliath got knocked out in our match. They put him in an ambulance and took him out.”

  “Really? What happened?” Her tone had gone from curious in the first question to accusing in the second.

  “I don’t know, I...it was...weird,” Joey was tired and didn’t care to explain.

  Safire walked past him, into the corridor that led to the parking lot. He followed her.

  As they reached the end of the hall, they encountered a herd of wrestlers, all of whom were coming in through the back door.

  “Is everything okay?” Safire asked Deep Six, the first of the pack.

  “I hope so,” he said. “What happened out there Joey?”

  “I don’t know,” Joey said. “He must have taken the bump wrong. He was out cold.”

  “Is he awake now?” Safire asked.

  “He’s conscious, but he’s really woozy,” said Deep Six. “He couldn’t even sit up. They’re taking him to a hospital just a few blocks down. I got directions from the driver, and a few of us are gonna head over there in a minute if you want to come.”

  Deep Six was now speaking only to Safire, as if Joey wasn’t there.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll grab my bag and meet you in the parking lot.”

  Duke appeared from behind Deep Six and stopped walking when he saw Joey.

  “Joey, hi. Let’s take a walk,” he said. Without waiting for Joey to respond, Duke put his arm on Joey’s shoulder and led him back down the corridor toward the locker rooms.

  “How are you doing?” Duke said.

  “I’m fine,” said Joey. “How’s Goliath?”

  “He was awake and coherent when they took him away. He’s in good hands.”

  Duke said nothing more as they continued walking. Joey knew he was being taken someplace private for a tongue-lashing.

  They stopped when they came to a corner, in front of a storage closet. Just behind them, wrestlers were walking in and out of the locker room as they got themselves dressed to leave. Joey wished he was getting dressed with them. He wanted to know what they were saying.

  “Listen, Joey. I don’t know what happened out there. No one will know until we’ve watched the tape and spoken to Goliath, but you were way out of line grabbing a microphone and calling for another referee.”

  Well maybe I’d have known better what to do if you’d given us any booking directions, Joey thought, but knew better than to say.

  “Some of the guys who were watching have their panties all in a tizzle now, and it’s going to be hard for me keep up your push,” said Duke. His face and voice reminded Joey of a soccer coach from childhood, who always finished his sharpest criticism with a fatherly slap on the ass.

  “I understand,” said Joey. His push was over. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe now he could start at the bottom and work his way up, like a normal rookie.

  “Anyway, as soon as we know if Goliath can perform next week, we’ll re-work the story and just make this a part of it. We’ll talk this week about where we’ll take the story from here.”

  “Okay,” Joey said, not exactly sure what Duke meant.

  “But until we know more about Goliath’s condition, we have to be careful. I’m thinking he’s okay, which is good for you, because maybe after another match next week, a better match, some of the guys around here will forget about what happened tonight.”

  “You’re thinking of running a re-match next week?” Joey asked. This didn’t make any sense.

  “Oh yeah. I think tonight’s match will make for a good story going into next week. It’ll make the stakes that much higher for when you eventually win the belt.”

  “I’m still winning the belt?” Joey said, and immediately wished he hadn’t. He couldn’t contain his surprise, and had spoken too loudly.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve kid,” said a deep, recognizable voice from down the hall. It was Jumbo. When Joey turned to look he saw an entire gang of wrestlers staring at him, all of whom had probably been eavesdropping.

  “Easy big guy, it’s been a long night,” Duke said to Jumbo, who was now approaching them. Behind Jumbo the entire locker room was watching the burgeoning conversation. Joey could sense their eagerness. Jumbo was going to speak for all of them.

  “I can’t believe this kid is wondering about whether or not he’ll get the strap after he laid out his partner and left him in the cold,” Jumbo said.

  “What are you talking about ‘left him in the cold’?” said Joey.

  “I’m talking about you sucking out Goliath’s heat, kid. I’m talking about you standing on his chest out there like a god-damned prima donna while he’s out cold because you fucked up a kick. Now you’re wondering if you’ll get the strap. Jesus Christ you’ve got a lot to learn.”

  “That’s enough Rob, go home and get some rest,” Duke said in a volume that communicated to everyone present, not just Jumbo.

  Jumbo stood and glared at Joey for a long second before letting out a sassy click of his tongue and turning to leave. The other wrestlers dispersed, except for one.

  Joey wished Duke hadn’t stepped in – he didn’t get a chance to respond. Now it was too late. Now the whole locker room probably thought it was his kick that knocked out Goliath. He needed to tell them that the super kick went off perfectly, that he had done it a hundred times before, and tonight felt no different. Just light contact with the cheek, perfectly safe, he would have known had he messed up. Goliath took the bump wrong. It happens. He let his head snap into the mat when he fell. Didn’t he? Didn’t they see that? What had they seen? The superkick had turned Joey sideways and he hadn’t seen anything. Maybe he had missed the kick. Maybe he had missed the kick and the TV audience could tell. Come to think of it, he had no idea what Clive and Johnny were saying to the audience at home. Maybe tomorrow the whole wrestling world would think, would know, that Joey had botched a kick and injured his colleague.

  “I’d like to get dressed and get over to see Goliath as soon as possible,” Joey said. He looked down the hall at Jade, the only straggler from the group of eavesdroppers. She approached Joey and Duke.

  “I’ve got a quick meeting right now,” said Duke. He lowered his voice as if to purposefully exclude Jade from the conversation. “Why don’t we get together in an hour and head over there?”

  Joey thought about the other wrestlers already at the hospital, about what they might be saying. He needed to be there. He needed to ask Goliath himself. But if he waited for Duke, who appeared to be his only protection from the raging locker room...

  “Actually, if it’s okay with you Duke,” said Jade, “I’m headed over there right now and I’ll just take Joey with me.”

  No, thought Joey. He had this sudden urge to cling to Duke, like a little boy to his father.

  Duke’s expression went blank. “Okay,” he said. “Joey, you do whatever you need to do.”

  “We’ll see you later Duke,” said Jade.

  “Alright,” he said. “Good night.”

  The deal was done. Apparently, Joey was going to the hospital now, without Duke’s protection, to be thrown to the lions, and he was sure to drag Jade down with him.

  As Duke walked away, Jade put her arm on Joey’s back.

  “You okay?” she said.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” said Joey. “Listen, you don’t have to go with me. I don’t know if it’s goo
d for you to be with me right now. I’m thinking that I’m not going to be very popular around here tonight.”

  “You’ll be fine. And if you’re not, who cares? I’m not very popular around here as it is.”

  Joey stopped walking and turned to look at Jade. He wanted to hug her and cry. Minutes ago everyone else backstage had been ready to lynch him. Were it not for Duke’s presence, who knows what would have happened? And when the angry veterans dispersed in anger, no doubt to go off and badmouth Joey together, Jade had stayed behind. She was ready to march off with him, the two of them against the world, and that was fine with Joey. It was better than fine. Everyone else could have the approval of the boys backstage and the cheering of the fans. He could have Jade.

  But it wasn’t fair to her.

  “Thanks so much--”

  “Don’t mention it, Joey. Why don’t we get dressed and we’ll go. I’ll meet you out here in a few minutes. You look drained. Can I get you a bottle of water?”

  Joey smiled.

  “Yes, I’d like that.”