Slaughterhouse

Botched

Carmen goes straight to the venue from the airport since the plane arrived so late. She finds her dressing room and shuts the door, pulling her gear from her duffle bag and changing into it. She's putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she hears a knock at the door.

"Come in." She says and turns in her chair.

Damian walks in and smiles at her. She smiles back.

"Hey. Just wanted to say you're going to do great out there. Just push everything out of your head and stay focused. Okay?" He says.

Carmen nods, "thanks Damian."

He smiles and leaves the room again and Carmen takes a deep breath before going out to gorilla. She has a match against Liv that she's supposed to win pretty easily.

When Carmen makes it to gorilla she stops short finding Rhea standing there in her own gear. Rhea looks over at her.

"What are you doing?" Carmen asks.

"They wanted me to go out with you. Support you at ringside." She replies.

"Great." Carmen mumbles and stands next to Rhea, looking forward.

Her music plays and the two walk out of gorilla. Carmen makes her entrance and Rhea accompanies her to the ring. Both putting on their best fake smiles. Though when Carmen looks at Rhea she's not so sure the smile is fake.

Liv is already in the ring, grinning ear to ear at Carmen. She jumps up and slides under the bottom rope, kicking up to her feet and facing Liv. Rhea walks around the ring, winking at the announcer Samantha before turning her attention back to Carmen.

The ref signals for the start of the match and the bell rings. Carmen smirks and lunges at Liv, going for a punch but she immediately drops back into a backbend, evading her. She stumbles forward into the corner of the ring and spins.

Liv is laughing and it pisses Carmen off. She runs at her again but stops in the middle of the ring when Liv takes off towards the ropes.

"Move Carmen!" Rhea shouts in warning.

Carmen looks over at her, having forgotten she was there, and hesitates. Before she knows it Liv has her legs around her neck and takes her down in a hurricanrana. She lands hard on her back, stunned.

Liv runs over to pin her and the ref slaps the floor of the ring.

1..2..

Carmen manages to kick out. She shakes her head and kicks up to her feet, immediately running at a gloating Liv, pushing her into the corner of the ring. She hits the turnbuckle head on and bounces back in shock. Carmen pushes her into it again and she falls.

"Pin her Carmen!!" Rhea shouts.

Carmen growls, forcing herself not to roll her eyes, and pulls Liv away from the ropes. She jumps up, going for the slaughterhouse instead, when Liv kicks her legs up and kicks Carmen's elbow and side.

She cries out, falling to the floor with a sharp pain coming from her side. There's a look of surprise on Liv's face for a split second before she moves to pin her again.

"Kick." She whispers, concern on her face.

The ref slaps the floor.

1..

Carmen is too stunned to move.

2..

"Carmen KICK!" She hears Rhea.

3..

The bell rings and Carmen just lost her match. Liv backs off of her, forcing herself to smile but keeps an eye on Carmen who stays lying there. The ref leans over Carmen, asking if she's okay, but is pulled away by Rhea.

"I've got you." She says and helps Carmen stand.

To keep their image in tact, Carmen lets Rhea wrap an arm around her waist for support as she helps her from the ring. Once they're back in gorilla though she shoves her arms away.

"Carmen.." Rhea says.

Carmen holds her side and limps to her dressing room. Her ribs ache with every step she takes. She sinks down onto the couch and a medic walks in to hand her a bag of ice for now. Gratefully accepting it, she looks up as Rhea walks in and the medic leaves.

Her face scrunches in anger and Rhea frowns.

"You should go to the hospital." She says.

"Don't do that." Carmen snaps.

"Don't do what?" Rhea asks.

"Pretend like you fucking care about me."

Rhea sighs and shifts her weight onto her hip.

"I do care, Carmen."

"Just not enough to tell me you have a boyfriend before sticking your fingers in me." Carmen bites.

"Carmen.." Rhea sighs, "please let me explain. It's really not what you think."

Carmen is seething. She glares at Rhea.

"Damian told me everything. All about you two. Why would you do this?" She asks.

Tears spill down Carmen's face. She cries from the pain in her side but also the pain in her chest. When Rhea opens her mouth to answer she cuts her off.

"I actually fucking liked you. God how stupid could I be?" She shakes her head.

"Carmen it's not like that I-"

"No! Just..Just leave."

Rhea steps forward, "No wait." She says.

"Get out of here Rhea! Leave!" Carmen screams.

Sighing, Rhea turns and walks out of the room, gently shutting the dressing room door behind her. Carmen grabs a pillow and holds it over her face, crying into it. She's letting out her frustrations, crying over the pain and crying over the botched match.

She's suddenly reminded why she doesn't date coworkers.