Into The Deep End - A Roman Reigns Story

35

Sampson paused. "I think I have an idea what it could be but I can't be sure until there's been a full diagnosis. Tell the EMTs to take him to St. Luke's Memorial. Doctor George Crestwood will be expecting you. I'm on my way. Try to keep Joe as calm as you can, alright?"

"Okay. Thanks Doctor."

"Please. Call me Michael. And no problem. Keep me updated."

With that, the call ended and Sasha reverted her attention to her boyfriend, sitting down next to him. She'd never seen him like this before. He didn't look good at all and it scared her. "He said to go to St. Luke's Memorial. He'll be there."

"It fuckin' hurts, Sash," Joe groaned, wincing.

"I know, I know," said Sasha, wiping the sweat from his brow. "They'll be here soon."

Thankfully, they arrived on time, and paramedics helped Joe out of Sasha's apartment and downstairs into the ambulance, with Sasha joining him inside.

——————

The ride to the hospital seemed to take forever. Doctor Crestwood, a man in his mid-forties with greying hair at the temples was waiting for them, as was Michael. Joe was whisked into a private room for a quick X-ray, and the results were stunning.

"You have an incarcerated hernia, Mr. Anoa'i."

"The hell does that mean?" asked Joe, slightly calmer now that he'd received some medicine to ease his pain.

Pointing at the X-ray, Doctor Crestwood explained. "See this loop of intestine over here, right here? It's not meant to be there. It's in your abdominal wall and cutting off the blood supply to your bladder and groin regions. That's why that area is so swollen and painful. Your bowel is being obstructed as well and that's what's causing your nausea and vomiting. The symptoms could appear over a long period of time, or it could happen overnight, as it's happened in your case. A common cause of hernia in athletes is excessive heavy weightlifting. I'm fully aware that your line of work requires you to be in the best physical shape possible, but you may have overexerted yourself in the process, leading to this." He tapped the X-ray again.

Sasha glanced at Joe, squeezing his hand comfortingly. "So what's the next step?" she asked Crestwood.

Michael picked up from where his colleague left off. "We can't leave this untreated any longer, Joe. The abdominal hernia is already strangulating your insides due to the loss of blood flow and twisted your intestine. You're in no condition to push on anyway as you're in so much pain already. Even then it could get much worse really quickly and lead to a fatal outcome."

Crestwood stepped away from the X-ray and looked Joe square in the eye. "In other words Mr. Anoa'i, we gotta operate," he concluded.

Sasha froze. "Operate? Like surgery?"

Crestwood nodded. "Yes ma'am. And right away."

Joe looked at Michael, Sasha, and then Crestwood. There was no doubting his answer. "Let's do it."

—————-

Half an hour later the Samoan was in a hospital gown and tucked in bed, minutes away from going under the knife. From her bed into a hospital bed all in a matter of hours. Sasha felt like she was on some sort of bullet train, it was all happening so fast.

Joe met his girlfriend's eyes and couldn't hide his amusement. "You look petrified, babe," he pointed out. "It can't be that bad. You've had surgery before."

"Only once, and I was unconscious the whole time. I don't remember a thing," Sasha reminded him, worry in her eyes as she placed a hand on his cheek. "But yes, I am terrified. They better not fuck this up."