Chapter 4: Reality Check

Trinity walked nervously down the brightly lit hallway, past a nursing station identified as Med/Surg East, glancing at the door numbers as she went. ‘507, 509, 511... ‘ she carried a fuzzy orange teddy-rex animal and a bouquet of bright flowers. She was sandwiched between Kevin to her right and Rachel to her left. There was a commotion coming from #513.

“I don’t care about the standings,” an angry female voice yelled. “I gotta get out of here Larry! I can’t afford...” “No! Please! I don’t want anything for pain! Please just go away!” A young nurse wearing cream-colored scrubs exited the room with a frown. “And don’t go trying to charge no $300 for two Tylenol I never fucking took!” the voice yelled after her. “I gotta go, Savy is waking up ... Please get me out of here!”

Trinity glanced at Kevin and Rachel with her eyebrows arched and then stepped hesitantly into the open doorway. She saw the red-haired Lacey ‘Loco’ Walker sitting up in a hospital bed wearing a tank top. She had a dressing covering the left side of her face, held by a wrapped bandage around her head. Her left eye was swollen and bruised, she squinted out of it as she leaned over and gently patted a bundle sleeping between her legs atop the covers. There was an IV in her right arm. There were two other people in the room, one a younger version of the fighter herself, and the other a gruff-looking old woman who looked as if she had never smiled once in her life. She once had red hair but it had faded to gray. She was the first to notice the new visitors and cleared her throat.

Lacey looked up and took in the two finely dressed people to either side of Trinity, wearing warm but expensively cut clothes. Then she looked at Trinity standing between them and her unswollen eye narrowed. “What are you doing here?” she snarled quietly. “Come to gloat and rub it in?”

Trinity stood frozen in uncertainty until she felt Kevin’s soft hand touch her shoulder. She started and then shook her head vigorously. “No! ... I’m not,” she stopped and blew air through her pursed lips. She licked them nervously and then stepped forward. “I’m sorry. I came to check up on you and to say ... um, I’m sorry?” she cursed inwardly at her inability to talk clearly.

“What are you sorry for? You won ... it was a fair fight.”

“That’s not...” Trinity stammered again. She thrust out the stuffed animal. “Here. For you.” She set the flowers on the girl’s bedside table.

Lacey reached up and took the toy while staring at the other girl in disbelief. “You brought me a fucking toy ... what the hell is this anyway?” She regarded the colorful dinosaur.

“I’m not sure,” Trinity replied weakly. She started bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet and then stopped when she heard Rachel clear her throat behind her. She slumped her shoulders and clenched her jaw for a second. “Look, I’m really sorry about how all this went down. I never wanted to hurt you, or anybody. And I just wanted to come by and say how sorry I am.” She blinked several times as the other girl regarded her silently. “Are you doing, okay?” she added sincerely.

“No, I’m not doing okay!” the redhead snapped back. “Do I fucking look okay?” she cried, waving at the bandage on her head and then the room in general. “I lost the fight, got admitted for a goddamned concussion, and lost my fucking job!” The baby in the bed started fussing and the older woman came over to pick her up. Tears leaked from Lacey’s eyes as she sniffed. “How am I supposed to buy food and diapers with a measly $500 check just for showing up and getting my ass kicked?” She took a breath and gritted her teeth in frustration. “I’m a single mom without a job now! How am I supposed to pay for a fucking hospital bill?”

Trinity’s resolve and composure sank as she listened to the words of her former opponent and she turned to look back at Rachel and Kevin with sad desperation in her eyes. Kevin nodded back to her reassuringly and both of them turned to leave the room. She took a deep breath and turned back to the injured girl. “Look, I’m really sorry about all this. I never...”

“I’m not blaming you!” the other girl grumbled. “It’s not your fault. You won a good fight.” She looked back up at the girl with green/pink braids. “You beat my ass fair and square. I was stupid to try that second kick. Dammit!” she cursed. “Larry always tried to get me to stop doing that...”

“Hey, I don’t think for a millisecond that you are stupid!” Trinity shot back. “You are an awesome fighter! And I want you to know how much I have looked up to you. I would love to...” she paused as the other girl turned to regard her intently. “I know it’s way too soon, but ... do you think we could be friends?” she asked with a strained smile. “I don’t even want the money from the fight. It’s all yours. I don’t need it. But I really really want to leave here knowing that you will be okay and that you can maybe even forgive me...?” She was bouncing nervously again as she implored.

“Look! No hard feelings, okay? I told you I don’t blame you ... Serenity?” she replied.

“Trinity ... you can call me Trin.” She quickly stuck her hand out eager to start over.

Her former opponent hesitantly reached over to accept the gesture. “And what do you mean you don’t want the money? That’s over two grand you won last night.”

Trinity snorted dismissively. “I didn’t fight for the money, Lace,” she replied testing to see if she could nickname her new friend. “Seriously, I wanted to take on Guttierez someday. But I had to work my way up in the standings first.”

“I don’t get it. Why would you want to go against her? Chicka, that bitch is crazy! I have fought her and count myself lucky to have walked away. You are good ... very good, but she is way out of your league. She shouldn’t even be in Amateur class. But I don’t make the rules.”

“Well, I hope someone takes her down,” Trinity sighed wistfully. “It won’t be me.”

Lacey sat up straighter and frowned. “Wait, what? What do you mean it won’t be you? You’re quitting?” she asked firmly.

Trinity shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t have a choice,” she replied wistfully. “My mom pretty much put her foot down after last night, and I don’t blame her.” She looked sheepish and sad. “Look, I knew I could get hurt and that was Mom’s big thing. I didn’t care. I don’t mind getting beat up. God knows the guys I train with are worse than all of you combined.” She suddenly dropped to a squat and held the bed rail with both her hands so she had to look up at the other girl. “But I never in a million years thought I would hurt someone else. This is the last thing I ever wanted.” She indicated the hospital bed with her nod.

Lacey looked down at her with shocked disbelief. “Trinity,” she said incredulously. “Are you stupid or something?” She disregarded the warning hiss from her mother on the other side of the room. “MMA is a gladiator sport. People get hurt all the time. That’s the fucking point! Why would you train so hard to compete and then just fucking walk away after you realize that it ain’t Call of Duty no more?” She snorted with disgust. “Sounds chicken shit to me.”

Trinity felt her cheeks burning with shame but she shook it off. “You don’t know my mom,” she grumbled under her breath.

“So, you’re gonna just walk away because your mom told you to?”

“She will if she knows what’s good for her,” Rachel said from the doorway. She stepped over to the bed and nodded to the other woman holding the baby.

“Who are you?” Lacey asked the short Asian lady who carried herself with quiet strength and confidence, despite the bulging belly that tented her winter coat. “I recognize you from somewhere...”

Trinity stood tall and wrapped her arm warmly around the shorter woman’s shoulders. “This is my Mom Rachel Sinclair,” she introduced proudly.

Lacey turned to look back at the taller of the two. “Mom? I thought your last name was Davis or something.”

“It is,” Trinity smiled. “I took my dad’s last name.”

Lacey glanced over at the handsome man who accompanied them into the room, yet stood back against the wall smiling at her softly. “So ... that isn’t your dad?”

Trinity giggled. “That’s my Uncle Kevin, and he is way more than a dad to me.” She smiled brightly at the confused girl. “It’s complicated.”

“I’ve seen you on TV or something haven’t I?” Lacey asked, frowning at the Vietnamese woman.

“Yes, dear you probably have,” Rachel replied in her thick West Texas drawl. “I am the acting State Lieutenant Governor.” She removed her white felt gloves and held her tiny hand forth.

It was a bombshell moment as the patient, her mother, and younger sister all gasped in shock. Lacey tentatively reached out to take the offered hand and blinked at the firm grip.

“So, you’re adopted? Or something?” she asked glancing at Trinity.

The other girl nodded. “Yup. Some real Cinderella shit too. Found homeless and hungry, being pimped out by a loser boyfriend for drugs...” She hesitated as a dark expression clouded the other girl’s face. Lacey pulled her hand back angrily.

“And now you’re just some rich bitch with a chip on her shoulder who feels like she has to prove herself in the octagon!” she snapped. “‘I don’t fight for the money’,” she mimicked.

“Lacey!” her mother gasped. “Watch your tongue!”

“It’s quite alright Ms...?” Rachel turned to regard the stricken woman with a pleasant smile.

“Walker, ma’am,” the woman replied nervously. “I’m Dorothy Walker, Lacey’s mother ... you can call me Dotty.” She turned to the younger girl beside her. “This is Lacey’s sister Desiree.”

Trinity and Rachel both gasped and glanced at each other with surprise. Then Trinity giggled while Kevin chuckled from the doorway.

The other three women regarded them bewildered. Rachel stepped over to the woman to shake her hand. “It’s a sincere pleasure, Ms. Walker, you can call me Rachel,” she said, then glanced warmly at the sleeping bundle in her arms. “May I see your baby?” she asked the bedridden girl who nodded with uncertainty. Dotty held out the baby and Rachel took the bundle expertly, her eyes lighting up as a bright splash of bright red curls peeked out of the blanket. She cooed excitedly. “Oh my gosh! Would you look at that hair?” she exclaimed. “What a beautiful baby girl!”

“Thank you,” Lacey replied with a hesitant smile. “Her name is Savannah.” She looked back at Trinity who was standing poised on her tiptoes staring down at the sleeping face with a dreamy smile. “What is so funny about Dizzy?” she asked causing more giggling and chuckles from her visitors.

“That is the name of Trinity’s baby sister,” Rachel explained, touching her bulging belly. “My first,” she added.

“Did you guys...” Trinity asked quietly glancing over to Kevin. He blinked and nodded reassuringly. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“Did what?” Lacey asked suspiciously.

Rachel turned to her. “You are going to relax here and not worry about paying a single penny towards your hospital bill young lady,” she replied with authority. “And you will take all the medicine your nurses offer.” She held up a hand when Dotty gasped and Lacey tried to decline. “We have taken care of it so you don’t have to worry. Just get better soon. It’s the very least we could do to make up for...” She leveled an expression towards Trinity that caused the girl to wilt before their eyes.

“Um..., gee I don’t know what to say,” Lacey replied suddenly as she looked away. Her eyes became reddened with emotion.

“Thank you would be a good start,” Ms. Walker growled.

Rachel stifled the response before she could say it. “No need. Like I said, Trinity is a smart girl but she does have a serious chip on her shoulder and she has a lot to learn about ... certain things.” Her voice carried an undertone that had her ‘daughter’ trembling in shame. She glanced back at the bedridden girl and smiled warmly as she set the sleeping baby back on the bed between her legs. “We just want to help.”

“Thank you,” the girl whispered back. “It does.” She glanced at the miserable girl beside her who was watching her face intently. “It really does help,” she added for Trinity’s benefit, relieved to see her brighten a little. “Look, I’m gonna be okay. Especially without this,” she indicated the room, “hanging over me. I got $500 to...”

“$2,500,” Trinity interrupted.

Lacey gaped back at her and regretted the tragic look in her eyes. “Thank you Trin,” she whispered again. She felt her spirits lift when she saw the other girl almost burst with the use of her nickname. “That will definitely help until I can get a new...”

“Where did you work at?” Rachel asked intently, cutting her off. “I’d like to know who would fire a person for getting injured off the job.”

“Brandon’s Steak House,” she replied sadly. “I was a server.”

“Brandon’s?” Kevin asked, speaking for the first time. “But they are one of the big sponsors...”

“Yeah,” Lacey muttered dejectedly, “And I am a loser. And I can’t do my job with my pretty face all bruised up,” she sniffed. “I even asked to work in the back until I heal up...”

“What the ... what?” Trinity asked glancing at Desiree mid-sentence. “Oh! I’m gonna go over there and...”

“No, you certainly will not!” Rachel replied sternly. “I’m going to.” Her expression looked calm and pristine but her eyes gave a hint to something else entirely.

Lacey looked at Trinity who pursed her lips and met her gaze. “Ruh roh Relroy,” she muttered under her breath.

Rachel turned to Kevin who remained by the door expectantly. “Babe, would you please call the Imperial and talk with Benny?” The two fighters watched curiously as both Rachel and Kevin pulled their phones out. “I’m going to make reservations for us at Brandon’s.”

“Dayum!” Trinity whispered next to the laid-up girl. “Shits about to get real ‘round heh,” she mimicked Rachel’s accent under her breath. Rachel spun around and glared at her.

“And you,” she said sternly causing Trinity to tense at the bedside. “Have a nice visit and behave yourself.” Her last two words carried some intense hidden meaning that only Trinity understood.

“Yes ma’am,” she replied respectfully.

Rachel turned up her charming radiance and beamed at the injured girl. “Lacey, it was wonderful meeting you dear, and your beautiful family.” She pulled an embossed card from her small clutch. “If you ever need anything you are to call me directly at this number.” She regarded her ward across the bed from her. “Or tell Trin, since you two are warming up to each other. Have a nice evening.” She pulled on her gloves and flicked on her phone as she stepped toward the door.

“Wait!”

Everyone froze as ‘Loco’ beseeched her departing visitors. Trinity regarded the girl beside her incredulously.

“Yes, dear?” Rachel asked turning back.

“You can’t make her quit!” she blurted out. “I mean. Trinity is in now. The League that is — and you have to let her continue.” Trinity stood stunned at the resolve in her new friend’s voice.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but that is simply out of the question,” Rachel replied grimly. Her expression was considerably cooler as she started to turn away.

“She has to fight Carmen though; don’t you see that?”

“I beg your pardon?” the Asian woman frowned back at her.

Lacey gulped nervously before continuing. “Look, Mrs. Sinclair. I know it sounds stupid and I’m sorry for pushing it — but think of the sport.”

For her part Rachel remained quietly attentive, waiting to hear the girl’s message.

“I mean love it or hate it; women are going to continue to compete in MMA fighting. It’s a sport and a lot of young people — young girls aspire to become a part of it. And it’s growing.” She reached over and touched Trinity’s shoulder. “Like it or not, your daughter is a role model now and other young women will be looking up to her as an example of what a tough woman is all about.”