Something to Believe In

CH 4: Sleep It Off

  There's no way I'm leaving Michelle alone in her room with Layla. I'm not sharing this trip, luckily, and there's a second queen bed in the room. I make Layla get Michelle into a clean ring shirt, then I put her into the spare bed. Layla sees herself out after Michelle's in the bed. I throw on a shirt and some sweats, fall onto my own bed, exhausted, and hope that I'll be able to sleep through til morning.

In retrospect, I should have realized how it would look to Michelle in the morning when she woke, hung over, in a strange bed, wearing my shirt. "Oh my God," she moans. I'm instantly awake because, let's face it, someone who shouldn't be is in my room.

"Michelle?"

She blinks blearily at me as I sit up. "Punk?"

"You look like hell."

"Gee, thanks." She closes her eyes. "Where are we?"

"Vegas."

"Ungh." She pulls in a shallow breath. "I don't remember anything, and it hurts to try."

"Serves you right," I say, and she opens one eye.

"Smug is not a good look on you."

"Yes, it is," I say, grinning.

"Ugh. Well, not from here, it isn't. Can you tell me what happened and why I'm..." She pauses, lifts the blanket, then pulls her gaze back up to me, "dressed in my underwear and one of your shirts. Oh my God!" She winces at the sound of her own voice. I don't blame her; the shriek also makes me wince. "Did we... do something last night?"

"If you want to call you throwing up all over me 'doing something', then yes. Otherwise, no. I had Layla help you into that shirt and then I put you into bed."

"Oh. Um. So my clothes are..."

"Soaking, although you'd be better off burning them. That was foul, McCool."

"I'll take your word for it. I don't think I've ever been that drunk in all my life." She falls back on the bed, eyes closed. "I feel like a truck is running over my head. Remind me never to do that again."

"Gladly."

"Forgot who I was talking to," she mutters. "Uh, what day is it?"

"Tuesday. We've got a taping tonight."

"Oh my God," she moans. "I'd have to get better to die."

"I suggest you work on that, then." I drop the spare room key on the bedside table, which makes her moan in pain. "Sleep it off, sunshine. Try not to throw up on anything that needs to be laundered. I'll hang out the do not disturb sign and let you be."

"You're leaving me alone in your room?"

"Yeah. You need sleep, and I need to go to the gym." I grab the "Do Not Disturb" sign and head for the door. "Just get some rest, okay? Don't throw any wild parties and for pity's sake, stay out of the minibar."

She tries to glare at me, but she ends up pulling the pillow over her head. I pause, then turn back to the windows and pull the heavy inner drapes shut. "Thanks," comes out from under the pillow in a muffled voice.

"Sure." I head for the door again, and make my way out... after checking to be sure I have my key, that is. Wouldn't do to lock myself out of my room. I hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign and head down the hall. As much as she probably deserves to have the maid bother her, I've decided to be nice for once and give her a break.

At least the hotel has its own gym. It's not nearly as good as the one I would normally go to, but I don't want to leave the hotel. Besides, I'm feeling a little sore where the guy in the bar sucker punched me in the back. I'll have to have that checked out before the show, be sure there's no bruising. I hop onto a stair machine in the mini-gym. There's a lady shooting me dirty looks, like she thinks a homeless man has wandered into the gym. Must be time to trim the beard again. I'm tempted to tell her that it's a religious thing, but I don't.

I work out for a little more than an hour. I really need to go up and shower, and then I can come down and have lunch. Hopefully, Michelle is sleeping it off and won't notice me sneaking back in to shower and change. I ride the elevator up to the tenth floor, humming as I dig out my room key. I'm completely oblivious when I open the room door and step into a chaotic scene. Michelle is sitting up on the bed, completely miserable. That much I see when I open the door. "Michelle?"

"I'm sorry," she says.

Before I can ask why she's sorry, the other person in the room turns away from the window. Gallows stares at me, and I can't do anything but stare back, all words forgotten for the moment.