Page 124 of Home Run

“Mills, heartburn isn’t in your stomach. That’s indigestion.”

“Really? You think this is from three days of stadium food? Hot dogs and popcorn slowly killing me from the inside out. Could it be the baby protesting my lack of vegetables lately?”

“Doesn’t Tanner’s smoothie have vegetables in it?”

“Yes, but maybe it needs more to balance everything else out,” I reasoned. “That makes sense, right?”

“Sure,” Radley replied in a tone that didn’t have meconvinced. “Mills, are you sure you’re okay, you don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine. C’mon, Tanner’s batting next and we’re doing so well. All we have to do is beat the Yankees tonight.”

She grumbled something inaudible but turned back to the field, though I could tell her eyes were sliding in my direction every thirty seconds or so.

Tanner marched up to home plate, bat gripped firmly down by his side. Getting into position, he shifted his weight from left to right, lifted his bat, and waited for the ball.

I must have stood up too quickly, because suddenly the stadium was spinning. I barely registered the crowd cheering his hit, for my entire right side had exploded in pain. It was all I could do to grab Radley and stop myself from falling over.

“What happened?”

I tried to shake my head, but even that hurt. “I don’t feel so good.”

“Shit.” She turned to my mom. “Kirsty, Millie’s really sick.”

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” She pushed past Radley and pressed her hand to my forehead. The coolness of her palm made me realize how hot I was. “You’re super clammy.”

My grip got tighter. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Okay, let’s get you out of here.” Her eyes darted along the row, figuring out the best exit, “Boys…boys?You stay, when Pete and Shelley get back tell them we’ve taken Millie home. We can message Tanner.”

“Sure, sure, feel better.” They waved me off, their eyes never leaving the field where Tanner had reached third base, and Jupiter Reeves was walking up to the plate.

It kind of made me feel less bad about puking on them before I passed out.

After their cries of disgust, and my mom’s calls for a medic, the last thing I heard was Tanner’s voice shouting my name.

And then it all went blank.

TWENTY-SIX

TANNER

“Acute appendicitis,we’re lucky we caught it, could have been very dangerous.”

“Appendicitis?”

The doctor nodded, his eyes flicking between me and Millie’s mom.

“Yes, we’ve sedated her for now to bring her pain levels and heart rate down, and surgery is scheduled for first thing.”

Kirsty muttered something I didn’t catch, though it was likely along the lines of everything I was also thinking.

Like, how is my girlfriend about to go into surgery while pregnant with our baby?

And, what would I have done if I’d lost her?

It only made me feel marginally better that the doctor had assured us she would have always needed surgery to remove it, even if Millie had cut things a little fine.

I knew I should have made her go to the doctor when her pain started.God damn Shepherd and his stupid sequestering.

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