Ayla 2 [A WWE Multiverse]

Chapter 61 - The Partner In Crime

Stephanie woke up startled when she heard a commotion. Her eyes snapped open when she saw Hunter attempting to pull out his IV out of his arm, knocking the tray at the side table. 

"Hunter, what are you doing?" Stephanie got up immediately. 

"I need to find Ayla" Was all he said. 

"Hunter, relax. Don't pull that out" Stephanie tried her best to prevent Hunter from pulling out the IV.

"I can't, Steph. Ayla needs me" Hunter said, fighting her hand away.

"What's going on?" Shawn rushed the door open when he heard the commotion from outside. 

"Hunter, stop that. You're hurting yourself" Shawn quickly rushed towards Hunter's side and wacked Hunter's hands off the IV.

"I need to go, Shawn. I need to find her" Hunter rambled. 

"I know, I know. And we will. We all will. But for now, you need to calm down and sit on that bed" Shawn said, sitting Hunter back on the bed. 

"But Ayla is-"

"Hunter, relax. Please, calm down, Hunt." Shawn wrapped his arms around Hunter, soothing him. He sat beside Hunter on the bed, his hands rubbing his back, trying to calm him down. 

"I need to find her, Shawn. I need to see her" Hunter broke into a sob. 

"You will, Hunt. You sure will. But I need you to calm down now. Just relax, buddy" Shawn whispered in the end, his heart broke upon hearing his best friend's sobs. It was rare that his friend ever cries like that unless it really hurt him. Hunter was always the strong one in the group and to see him cry and look so lifeless just breaks Shawn's heart. 

He couldn't stand it anymore when Stephanie called him earlier and told that Hunter was admitted in the hospital since he fainted from not eating for almost a week. He knew Hunter was worried of Ayla, but he didn't think that he would go on not eating for days as well. It almost felt like it was a lesson for Hunter to go through what Ayla had gone through earlier this year. But he didn't want to put it that way though. 

Stephanie couldn't help but tear up as well, looking at her husband looking so weak and broken. Of course, she was angry at him too. But her heart ached as she looked at how he has been for this past week. A living corpse. That's what he'd been for all these days. Especially at his age, it worried her more about his health. 

Stephanie took a step nearer and placed her hands over Hunter's shoulders, joining in to sooth her husband. As much as she might be angry towards him, her love for him would never change. Not one bit. Looking at how guilty and regretful he'd been, she knew that he'd learned his lesson.

"It's alright, babe" Stephanie soothed, speaking to him for the first time in this whole week. 

"I failed her, Shawn" Hunter said through his cries, his tears soaking Shawn's shirt as he cried on his shoulders.

"It's alright, Hunter. It's all gonna be alright" Shawn whispered, his hands not giving up the caresses on Hunter's back. 

**********************************

Ayla woke up with a sudden jolt, heaving and panting. She just had the worse dream of Hunter being sick and was yelling for her. Her heart pounded as she looked around in the dark. She switched on the table lamp, let out a heavy sigh when she found herself in Bret's guestroom.

She rubbed her face, taking a moment to breathe, reminding herself that it was all just a dream. She didn't know why but she felt like something was wrong. Her gut feeling told that something was up.