Victory and defeat.

Lawan looks around furtively as we passing into the backstage are but being just a local show, we are not stopped from going where ever we want. Lawan in her youth having not learnt that if you look like your meant to be somewhere, no one will stop you. We make our way through the communal areas where the undercard fighters all had to get ready together. Almost all the fights having finished it’s becoming more devoid of people. We continue on until we come to the area where fighters on the main card have their own individual dressing rooms.

We pass a door with Kelly’s name on it and hear swearing and crashing coming from inside. The blonde fight not happy with her loss. Three more doors down we come to Natty’s room which is much quieter by comparison. I knock on the door and am greeted by my instructor Renato when it opens.

“So good to see you!” he says as we are shown inside Natty’s dressing room. Renato scooping me up into a big hug, he mood joyful at his friend's victory tonight.

Laughing at his affection, Renato then turns his attention to Lawan standing shyly behind me. “And who is this pretty lady eh?” he asks.

Drawing Lawan forward I introduce her as a very good friend of mine come to see her first-ever MMA show.

“You come with a good guy. He smash me all the time at training!” Renato kids before getting me in a playful headlock.

Lawan laughing at see us messing around.

When Renato lets me go, (I couldn’t escape if I tried), I ask how Natty is. Renato praises her and tells us she is in the other room getting seen to by the doctor. Renato in the mood for celebrating hands us and the other coaches in the room a round of beers from a cooler. We drink as the doctor soon come out of the adjoining area with Natty, talks briefly with Renato and then bids us farewell to go and see the next fighter hurt tonight.

The team has a quick huddle before breaking up to prepare for what they need to do next. Renato helps Natty to cut the wrappings from her hands as we move over to talk.

“Congratulations on the win,” I say to Natty when she smiles at our arrival.

“Thank you. She was very tough. Hit hard,” Natty says indicating the split skin and swelling under her eye.

“Looks nasty,” I tell her and she nods, “what did the doctor say?”

“Ahh, he say I have to go to the hospital and get stitches. This is not good. I want to go out and celebrate, not sit in a waiting room all day,” Natty says forlornly, her Brazilian accent showing through strongly when she speaks.

I introduce Natty to Lawan then before pulling out my phone, thinking I may be able to come up with something to help her. I send off a private message to Piya asking if Candace is back from Sydney yet and if she would be working tonight.

“You were amazing!” Lawan says, gushing as if she has just met her idol.

“Thank you. It’s a lot of work but worth it for a night like this,” Natty says graciously.

Lawan then asks, “can you really beat up Roo?”

Natty laughs, picking up on the undercurrent in Lawan’s question. “Your boyfriend is very strong but..” drawing Lawan even closer, “I make him tap like girl.”

Lawan lets out a snort she laughs so hard at that.

Knowing I’m being talked about I come back to the conversation before it gets out of hand.

“What are you two whispering?” I ask.

“She said she can kick your arse,” Lawan tells me, bragging about her new hero’s skill.

“Well that parts true enough,” I smile at.

With me back Lawan feels she has to let Natty know the truth about her and I not dating. “He’s not actually my boyfriend too. Roo is dating my sister actually.”

“Aww you two would make such a cute little couple,” Natty says as Lawan’s cheeks flush pink at her saying.

Getting a message back from Piya, I quickly read it. Piya first demands to know what’s happened and if everyone is ok. I assure her Lawan and I are fine and there’s nothing to worry about, then explain that my fighter friend has to go to the hospital to get stitches and if Candace would be able to skip us past the waiting line. Piya’s tells me she will sort it out and to give her a call later when everything is fine.

“Speaking of Piya, I’ve organised for you to be seen at a hospital our friend works at. You won't have to wait and will get seen right away.”

Natty is delighted at that and Renato and the other coaches slap me on the back for having the connection. They insist that Lawan and I join them in Renato’s car for the trip to the Emergency department. Renato is driving with Natty in the front leaving me and the other two cornermen plus Lawan to occupy the back seat. Lawan quickly offers to sit on my lap as we all pile in. I lean back against the car door to give the other guys as much room as possible while Lawan sits across my lap, her slender fit legs facing the window.