Jack's Personal Observation:

So...yeah...I'm alive...

To say that the next few hours were a stressful time after the catastrophe that had taken place at the NXT North American Championship match would be an understatement. I don't remember much of what happened beyond my fall...hell, I didn't even know how long I was out until I saw Lexi and Angel.

Let's go back to the start - or at least what I remember as 'the start' if anything: I remember going into NXT TakeOver: Toronto as North American Champion, and going into the Fatal 4-Way Match itself, as well as taking a number of nasty bumps that initially I shook off, or tried to ignore...and then...it all went blank after I reached the top rope near what I assumed was the end of the match.

I don't know how long I was out for, but I found myself waking up in a hospital bed with the sun shining in my face, and feeling a noticeable numbness in my left arm, as well as severe headaches and neck pains, among other things. I could also somehow tell that I was wearing a neck brace at the moment as I looked around the room.

It was also whilst looking around the room that I noticed that, sitting in the room, was Alexa, Caitlin, Barbara and Angel - the latter of which of which was sitting on Alexa's lap, laying her head on her in a scene that looked like a mother holding her daughter - and all of them were asleep, and looking like they weren't having a great time sleeping either.

"You're finally awake then...Took you long enough..." I heard from the side of me near the window. And I immediately recognised the voice and the accent without even needing to see who it is. A gruff and deep Australian accent. And I knew that the accent itself belonged to someone who could more than live up to any threats and promises he could make.

I slowly glanced over as best as I could - which sadly wasn't much - though I needn't have bothered, as the owner of the voice soon walked from the area he was standing at into my line of sight...And oh boy, was I in for an earful now....Because the owner of the voice, was none other than "The King of Destruction" himself, Destroyer.

[Note: Yes, I'm bringing in my "Iconic Bond" OC, Destroyer, into this chapter]

Both myself and Destroyer - whose real name was Michael Walker, or Michael Martin (not that he likes being called either to be honest) - have fought each other many times over the years for various promotions. New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, ICW, hell even at a charity wrestling show at one-or-two indie promotions when we were still a little young in our careers.

We were also pretty good friends as well. Not the best of friends admittedly, but we respect each other and still consider each other friends, even if Destroyer himself will probably deny it even if he was asked. 

Only problem? He was a hard ass when he wanted to get his point across. To the point where he can come off as a jackass, but one whose heart is in the right place. That's got to count for something...right...?

I glanced up at my Australian friend, and tried to think of something to say to this hard-ass...of course, my brain was still not fully on yet from...jeez, how long was I out for?

"You were out for about a month, give-or-take a day or two. No surprise after what happened in that match..." I heard Michael speak, almost as if he had heard me mentally asking myself how long I'd been out. That was another good and bad trait of him: he often could read your mind and thoughts, and knows what you're going to say or think before you can vocalise it. Well...most times anyway.

I glanced over at the others, which Michael seemed to pick up rather quickly. He briefly glanced over at the others as well with his arms crossed across his chest as he spoke. "They've been here every chance they got. Your girlfriend, Alexa, was given time off the road to be with you...well...with the exception of some shows like Raw."

I would have nodded a bit, but I doubt I could even pull that off right now. But I was still, needless to say, surprised that I'd been out for so long, and yet even despite that...Alexa stuck by my side, work notwithstanding...

A month might not seem that long to a lot of people - especially in the case of wrestling at times - but don't be fooled: it is a painfully long time no matter how much thought you put into it. And I wouldn't have been mad at all had Alexa moved on at that time...most of my non-wrestling friends besides Angelique certainly did before Lexi...

"She...she spent most of her time with me...?" I verbally thought aloud, not having meant to but it just came out, and Destroyer rolled his eyes at me saying that.

"Of course she did, dummy. She loves ya. She barely leaves your side." He gave a bit of a coy smirk as he looked back at me, which I caught, and proceeded to tease me a bit verbally. "If she's more than willing to stick here and wait for you to wake up for a month, and balance that with work, then you've got yourself a keeper there Jackie boy..."

Oh how I hate that nickname.....

Before we could say anything else to each other though, we both heard the topic of this discussion herself begin to groan a bit tiredly as she was beginning to stir in the chair she was in, stretching out a bit to get her sleepy body into gear and carefully brushing the sleep from her eyes as she did so.

And when her eyes had fully adjusted, and she got a proper glance in my direction...well...let's just put it this way: she could have damn near squeezed the life out of me and winded me at the same time with the running hug she gave me upon realising I was now awake, and after the initial shock - followed by the tears threatening to escape her eyes and roll down her beautiful face - which, understandably, hit her hard.

She was plastering my face with kisses and clung to me as tears escaped and fell down her face and onto me before she buried her face into my shoulder, her voice shaky when she was finally able to find words to say.

"Don't ever scare me like that again...please! I thought I'd lost you...was going to lose you...and the thought of not seeing you wake up again scared me more than anything..." 

Hearing Alexa say that broke me even more, and I held her as best as I could, and barely able to say in a near-inaudible whisper "I'm sorry....I...didn't mean to scare you....I didn't mean to scare anyone..."

Before I got a response from Alexa: I was tackled into a hug - a little recklessly admittedly, but still very much something I appreciated - by both of my sisters, both of whom spoke at about 100 miles an hour incoherently whilst tears were going down their faces, similar to Lexi.

As this was going on, I noticed out of the corner of my eyes that Michael showed a rare small smile before he left the room - well, rare smile in the case of his circle of friends.

And then.......

"Daddy...?"

Hearing that caused my sisters and Alexa to release their very tight hugs from me, and I saw my daughter Angel standing with a surprised look on her face - eyes filled with tears herself, and I honestly don't blame her - and she soon ran in my direction and climbed onto the bed, hugging the life out of me as well!

I wrapped my right arm around her as I cuddled my little girl close to her dad, neither of us wanting to let go of the other quite yet. 

"I'm okay, Angel...I'm okay..." I was saying that mostly for her benefit, and to give her hope that her big idiot of a dad will be and is okay. She's a kid after all. She needs to believe that I'll be okay. Sure, there's a chance she knows I'm lying, but...but would you do any differently for the sake of cheering up your kid, however slightly? Even if you may be lying through your teeth to yourself?

Angel just continued to hug me as tightly as she could without further hurting me, though I could sense that she was at least smiling, even despite burying her tear-stained face into my shirt. Fathers instinct, I suppose you could say. I even briefly glanced over at Michael and saw him giving a brief 'I told you so' kind of smirk, but also one that showed he could relate - even though Michael is a god father and not a dad yet.

It turns out that the damage I suffered in the match was...quite severe...as I would find out later that day when the doctors came to see me. 

I apparently sustained a severe concussion on the fall that knocked me out - one that was thankfully wasn't life-threatening, but was enough to put me in a coma for the length of time that Michael told me I was out for - and I also had minor nerve damage as well, especially to my left hand, arm and leg.

If I was someone who didn't take that seriously, I would probably respond to that like a potential idiot and say or think "Great...now I can't write" since I'm left handed...but unfortunately for me, I was taking it seriously, and the implications of how serious this was and how much it terrified me, alongside Alexa, Angel, Cait and Barbara...

I wasn't so much concerned and terrified about the fact that I was going to be in a wheelchair for, if not until I can get back to walking again with the right kind of therapy and mental willpower, then probably for the rest of my life...I was more terrified of the fact that I might not be able to provide for my family, or do something that was pretty much the only thing I was ever decent at doing...

Yes, I was scared of being in a wheelchair, I was scared that there was a chance I could be in one for life if things don't go as doctors or everyone else hopes - of course I am, who wouldn't be? - but honestly...as much as all of that terrified me...the thought of not being able to help, protect, or provide from my family...that absolutely terrifies me, beyond all comprehension right now...

If there was one thing that came out of this, it's that - according to Lexi - a swarm of support, prayers and best wishes had been sent mine, Lexi's, and my families way in the wake of the...accident...including in the locker rooms of NXT, Raw and Smackdown, as well as from one-or-two people in NXT UK currently.

Knowing that people where throwing their support at me and my family for a rather scary situation - even those who didn't know me - it was...it was humbling...and I knew that I the only way I'll be able to pay them back for that is to try my best to fight to near-100% again. 

It's going to be tough, that much I know...but I have to try for the sake of my family. I just hope that things work out...Only time will tell....

Author's Side-Note: So...yeah...I'd say that "I'm sorry" for not updating in who knows how long - which I am, don't get me wrong - , however I feel like you've all gotten fed-up with every time I've done so by now. There has been a reason why I've not been updating in a while, besides the fact that I'm slow to update in general, or anything else I have story wise either.

Lately, I've been more busy than ever since 2019 with an online job course I've been on since March that has really taken up most of my attention. Added to the fact that I've been going through a number of personal problems and in-and-out with mental issues over the last few months and I've been struggling to come up with anything new for stories until recently, and...well, I felt I had to step away from writing stories until I was mentally ready to write again.

Now, I'm not 100% again - and I probably won't be - but I will do my best to update my stories whenever I can. I do have chapters planned out, and in-between working on this chapter I've been working on future chapters as well as other books, though I won't claim that they are completely ready to publish yet.

I am going on a family holiday on the 14th for a couple of weeks, but I don't know if there's internet connection there. So if I can work there, then I will when I can, otherwise I will probably be working on other projects.

I hope everyone is doing well, I hope you are staying safe, and I hope you all have an amazing day!