Page 41 of Spark
The whistle sounds for the second half. I get another kiss and another order to "Be safe" from Finlay. Tossing him a smile over my shoulder that he barely returns, I join my teammates and play begins.
The second half is full of more good-natured trash talk. Both teams make substitutions to allow the new players a chance to learn and play. Cam scores a try by bulldozing Greer and Kade, and the under-thirties respond with a try of their own to narrow the gap.
Play is going back and forth and then Owen calls, “Teo.”
I catch the ball and speed up. Coming across the pitch from my right side, Aspen races toward me. My heartbeat increases. I pump my legs faster, muscles burning as I run. I glance at him, then at Cam attempting to get open, gauging the best time to release the ball.
A massive force slams into my left side. Air leaves my lungs as my body falls to the right. I lose the ball. Aspen’s shoulder crashes into the right side of my ribs and my legs leave the ground. My torso flips back to the left like a rag doll. My head snaps forward then back. Clouds and blue sky race above me. I’m falling backward, without arms or legs or anything to break my fall. Panic ices through my veins. I don’t have the protection of a helmet or pads around me.
I slam into the ground, pain explodes in my head and back. Everything turns black.
"Teo?"
So much pain. I open my eyes. Cam is on his knees at my side and Owen is crouched on the other. Ranging over me, forehead creased, Cam grasps my right hand. "You okay, bud?"
Pain radiates from my skull. White lights dot my vision. Each inhale hurts. For a moment, I don’t know where I am. But the smell of grass and sweat orients me. So does the pain. So much pain. My knee is both throbbing and numb at the same time. "I don’t think so."
Owen touches my shoulder. I’ve never been more happy to have a physical therapist on the team. He’s the closest thing we have to a doctor and I trust him completely. "What hurts, Teo?"
"My knee." I turn my head toward him but the pain in my neck increases. "And neck. And head."
Cam releases my hand with a soft pat. "He might have a concussion."
Owen’s brows pull together. He’s in full assessment mode. "Anything else? Tell me. Even if it seems insignificant."
Closing my eyes, I take stock of my body. "My ears are ringing. My back hurts. My head really hurts. My neck too, when I move it. I’m a little nauseous."
"Can you wiggle your fingers and toes?"
I flex my fingers and toes. Blades of grass tickle my right hand and I can feel my toes moving inside my cleats. But the left hand… I frown and try wiggling again. "Toes are good. My right hand is fine. My left hand is numb."
He lifts my hand. "Can you feel me?"
"A little." Fear shoots through my spine. "Numbness isn’t good."
"It can mean a lot of things, Teo." His voice is comforting, but the concern in his eyes worries me. He touches my forearm. "Can you feel that?"
"Yes. My arm hurts, but yes." That’s got to be good. And I’m in pain in so many other places, which I guess is good too. Pain means I can feel every other body part.
The quiet on the pitch infiltrates my thoughts. Play doesn’t stop for a tackled player. The game keeps going. "We stopped playing?"
The concern on Owen’s face deepens. "Once we saw you weren’t moving. The guys on the sidelines started screaming at us. Didn’t you hear that?"
"No." I’ve never blacked out from a tackle before. But then again, I’ve also never slammed my head on the ground like that before either.
Panting, expression splintered and disk-like eyes unblinking, Finlay drops to his knees next to Cam and places his hand on my calf. "Mateo?"
"Finlay." The pain in my neck and my knee and head are throbbing at different intervals. His name is all I want to say. I wish it, along with his presence, could be enough to heal me.
Cam angles his head toward his brother’s and murmurs something I can’t hear. I’m assuming he’s relaying my injuries because Finlay’s eyes widen, and the stricken look overtakes his features.
"Call an ambulance." Finlay snaps out the order. He shoves Cam’s shoulder and bellows, "Call a fucking ambulance."
"On it." Cam lurches to his feet and races away. As he runs, he yells for Hercules to get his phone.
I don’t want that terror on Finlay’s face, and I for sure don’t want an ambulance. Wincing against the pain, I lift my shoulders off the ground and attempt to push myself to sit, but Owen’s hand on my shoulder eases me down. He shakes his head. "I don’t want you to stand or sit yet, Teo. Stay still. Finlay’s right, we need to get you to the hospital."
Finlay inches up my side and claims Cam’s vacated spot. His fingers gently frame my face. He’s looking down at me, face ashen, and those beautiful hazel eyes filled with fear. "Don’t move, okay?"
