Page 119 of A Game as Old as Time

“He caught it, G! Look!”

JT was flying down the sideline with the ball still in hand. A massive group of his teammates were celebrating as he jumped into them.

“We scored?” Gunner tried to smile, but numbness had begun to take over the entire left side of his body.

“Yeah, G.” An anxious quiver entered Emilio’s voice. “We scored.”

“…Jefferson Taylor just ran right by the All-American safety Riley Davis, and now this is only a one-score game at 21-14! Who would have thought this possible after the domination of the first half by the Crusaders, but now the Pioneers are one defensive stop away from having a chance to tie this ball game!”

“I need you to sit still, Gunner.”

This is like a damn tradition now!

The trainer was working gingerly on the padding under his shoulder pads. Unfortunately for Gunner, he was so used to it at this point that he could almost move in rhythm with the man.

“I can’t. It feels…forget it!” The trainer’s eyes widened at his shout. “I won’t be able to throw if you add more padding. Just take it all off.”

Based on the trainer’s reaction, Gunner was not going to get his request.

“G, are you OK?” Ty jogged over to him.

No, I AM NOT OK!

Gunner let out an audible groan as the trainer moved his hands under the shoulder pads again.

“G?” Ty sat next to him on the bench and grabbed his hand. “Come on, man, take my hand.”

The tears were coming fast, and Gunner squeezed so hard that Ty winced.

“To hell with it!” Gunner shot his head up toward the sky. The knives poked all over his left side. “It’s not helping anyway! Take it all out so I can make the throws I need to!”

The trainer’s eyes were locked on him, processing what Gunner had just requested.

“G. You can’t do that, man. You know you can’t do that!” Andy was supporting him from his other side now.

Will someone just listen to me?!

Ty started to remove the brace that held the padding. And while his best friend’s eyes seemed to not agree, his actions did set the trainer in motion to assist as well.

“AG!” Gunner gritted his teeth, trying to get the words out between gasps of pain. “I need you to take my spot-on defense. I’m useless on that side of the ball now.”

Andy started shaking his head just as Emilio arrived.

“You can do this, AG!”

Oh shit!

A deep stab of pain caused Gunner to slam his feet against the underside of the bench.

“And…and Emilio!” He used everything he had left to grab the facemask of the muscular linebacker. “You get me that damn football back!”

His voice cracked, and a headache from the constant jolts of pain forced him to close his eyes.

Please.

Gunner tensed every muscle. He popped up from the bench and slapped Andy’s shoulder pads.

“Gunner---”

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