Tarnished Armor

This is Spinal Tap (Chapter Thirty Seven)

I showed up to the office with Colby that following Monday. He's held me closer now, touched me more and kissed me more often since I broke down last week. May nineteenth...the day that will live with me. I walked up to reception.

"Hi, how can I help you?" The receptionist asked.

'I'm Lindsay Sutton-Lopez. I'm here for a lumbar puncture."

Colby stood next to me. He could see the fear in my eyes. The receptionist,  a woman my age named Kayla, smiled.

"Is he your husband?" She asked.

"Yeah, he is."

She smiled.

"He's cute."

I laughed. He smiled at the receptionist.

"Your husband made my day. Keep him."

"I plan on it."

"I know he is."

"The nurse will come out for you in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

Colby held my hand as we sat on a couch. I couldn't for the life of me stop panicking in my head.

"Stop thinking, Baby doll. It'll be okay."

The music in the waiting room was Christina Perri.

"I can turn it on; be a good machine. I can hold the weight of worlds, if that's what you need. Be your everything..."

I looked into Colby's eyes.

"I love her voice."

"Do you know who that is?"

"Christina Perri. She sang at our wedding."

The nurse came out as the song ended.

"Lindsay?"

"I'm here."

"Come with me. Doctor Bradley told Doctor Sayan you're not taking anything and the blood work came back from your other tests..."

She rambled on as I had a death grip on Colby's hand. I'm glad I married a wrestler. They're used to painful. I sat on the exam table as Doctor Sayan, a woman, came into the room.

"Hello, I'm Kyoko Sayan. You must be Lindsay."

"Yes, I am and that's my husband."

"Pleasure to meet you. I apologize for the circumstances, however."

She was amazingly cheerful.

"I am going to tell you that you may experience a headache after this procedure, Missus Lopez."

"I've had one and I understand. My husband does as well."

"I need for you to put on this gown and lay on your right side on the table. Would you like your husband to stay here with you?"

"Yes."

"I'll leave you change and I'll be back shortly."

 the doctor left and Colby helped me dress in the hospital gown. I wanted it over and done. The doctor came back into the room with an assistant.

"Are you ready, Lindsay?"

I nodded affirmatively as Colby held my hand.

"You're going to feel something cold."

She explained as she wiped my back on the spot where she was going to puncture. I took the deepest breath I could. He held my hand. The instrumentals were enough to drive me crazy. I started crying. Colby, at a loss for words, started to sing to me.

"I'll never be your mother's favorite. Your daddy can't even look me in the eye. Ooh, if I was in their shoes, I'd be doing the same thing. Sayin' there goes my little girl walkin' with that troublesome guy."

I blinked away tears. I held his hand tight. I felt the needle shoot the anesthetic. I closed my eyes and he held his grip tighter. The anesthetic needle hurts worst. I hate it each time they do this to me. I just kept still. After a few minutes, I felt the needle go in for the sample. I hate that part worse. I opened my eyes to see Colby gone from my sight but his hand still in mine. I felt his lips on my head.

"Por favor muñeca no llores." [Please baby doll, don't cry] He said.

"It hurts."

"It will. I'm here with you."

I started to let the tears fall. I was scared beyond belief. I waited for the doctor to finish and she bandaged the hole.

"You did well, Missus Lopez. Your husband is a tremendous man. I see he loves you. Go home and rest. I will be in touch with Doctor Bradley about the results."

I got up off the table slowly with the nurse and Colby holding my arms. The nurse left the room and Colby helped me get dressed. I smiled at him as he buttoned the few buttons on my shirt.

"Thank you, Love." I said.

He made me smile. I sat on the table and looked into his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like this, Querida?" He asked.

"You really are my hero."

I felt a certain amount of  calm but it could have been the anesthesia they used. I felt Colby wrap his arms around me and walk me to the door. I felt weak and that's when he decided to throw caution to the wind and carry me to a bench outside the hospital door.

"I'm getting the car, Love."

He dashed for the car and in a few minutes he returned to me. He got me inside, fastening my seatbelt.

"Are you hungry, Love?" he asked.

"No. I just want a bed or couch and my fluffy blanket."

He chuckled at the blanket. My purple fluffy blanket was a joke between us. When I was in my seventh month of pregnancy, he bought me that blanket and with it he wrote a note.

"LINDSAY, TO KEEP YOU WARM WHEN I CAN'T. -CJ."

He always could make me smile. On our way to the hotel, I looked at him.

"I got a message from Paul."

"What was it?" He asked.

"He wanted my opinion on something."

"What did he want?"

"What I thought of the Shield ending."

He looked at me.

"What did you tell him?"

"I said I didn't know. I love Jon and Joe. I didn't want it to end."

"What did he say?"

"He proposed something to me. He said 'If Colby agreed to it, you would be his valet and you'd get more screen time with him. You'd be out of the office setting. You'd be able to wear better things and it would showcase you being something I personally haven't seen in either of you.' I asked him what that was. He said 'I've seen Rollins as a heel. I've never seen you as one and honestly I think you'd do well with him guiding you."

"Are you up for it?"

"You're my husband and honestly, the sweet thing isn't really working for me anymore. Besides there aren't any real friends of mine in the locker room anymore."

Colby smiled at me.

"Your thinking is brilliant. One of a million reason why I love you, Bug."

When we got to the hotel, I got out of the car and threw up in the lot.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so. I just think it's everything happening right now."

"I'll get you inside."

He handed me a tissue from his pocket and walked me inside the hotel.