Page 97 of Always on My Mind

She barely heard the frantic cries for a medic from her teammates over the sound of her blood pounding in her ears. She wanted to chop her ankle off. Surely that would be less painful than the hammering ache.

Slowly, she forced her eyes open and looked at her foot. The angle it was in made her stomach turn. Bile rose up in her throat. She knew she was going to vomit seconds before it happened. She turned on her side and let her dinner come back up and drop to the grass.

Her throat burned, but it was nothing compared to her ankle. She had never been in so much pain in all her life. She could hear shouting all around her. Where was the stretcher? The medical staff?

As if summoned by her thoughts of them, they were suddenly around her. A pair of gloved hands picked up her leg, sending a fresh stab of fire through her.

“Fuck!” she screamed. “Fuck, that hurts!”

“We’ve got to get it in a splint, Jamie,” Ruby said gently. “Grit your teeth or something, this won’t feel nice.”

She also offered her hand, which Jamie took. Eyes stinging, she braced herself. She swallowed another scream as they handled her leg, but she couldn’t watch it. She laid back and covered her eyes with her arm.

“Jamie!” Zahra’s panicked voice called.

Jamie peeked at her from behind her elbow. Zahra took her free hand. “Do you want anyone to come with you to hospital?” She glanced at Ruby. “That is where she’s going, right?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Ruby said.

“You all have to finish the match,” Jamie said. “I can’t ask you to—”

“Do you want someone with you?” Zahra repeated, firmer this time.

The only person Jamie wanted at her side when she was that frightened was Tessa. She let her gaze slide to the touchline. Tessa’s hand covered her mouth. Jamie didn’t try to catch her eye. She knew what the answer would be.

Zahra, however, caught the look.

“I’ll ask her,” she said, and was off before Jamie could protest.

To Jamie’s shock, Tessa followed Zahra out onto the pitch. Jamie was in too much pain to feel awkward. She only reached for Tessa’s hand, and to her relief, Tessa took it.

“Is it broken?” Tessa asked, glancing between the physios.

“We won’t know for sure until there’s an x-ray, but, in my professional opinion, yes, it’s broken,” Ruby said. “All an x-ray will tell you is where the break is.”

Tessa scowled. “That bitch deserved that red card. And if there were any justice, she’d get worse.”

Tessa’s quick defense of her made Jamie’s chest warm. Which was in contrast to the rest of her body which had gone cold and clammy.

Broken.

The word hit Jamie like a second tackle. A broken bone meant the end of her season. If it was bad enough, it could mean the end of her career. Even if she did play again, she might never be the same. Her father was going to lose his mind.

She couldn’t think about him right now. All she wanted was to get to the hospital and get some fucking pain medication because if she didn’t get something soon, she would gnaw off her own leg. She squeezed Tessa’s hand while they got her onto the bright orange stretcher. She continued to hold Tessa’s hand as they walked her off the pitch. She waved to the fans with her free hand, and they clapped for her. She would have been touched if she could have processed anything beyond the ache.

Once they were in the back of the ambulance van and headed to A&E, Tessa pulled out her phone.

“Texting Nelle?” Jamie asked.

She hoped some conversation might be a good distraction.

“No, I’m texting my ma,” Tessa said. “I’m telling her where to meet us.”

“Your mother is here?”

“Aye, she came back with me to visit. Thought I could use the support since I was only drinking heavily and sleeping after. . . you know.”

“Yeah. I know.”

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