Page 11 of Zone Protection

“Okay, well if you want me to get you some water or anything, just let me know.” She squeezes my hand and lets go to take her turn.

We don’t use golf carts for our tournaments, so I have no place to sit and get out of the sun for a few minutes. I do grab a water from my bag and then lean against it, which is bent on its stand. The last thing I see is Mia taking her swing.

When I come to, my coach and Mia are on the ground next to me.

“What happened?”

“Em, OMG, I took my swing, and then I heard a thump behind me. For a minute, I thought I’d hit something, which made no sense because there was nothing behind me, but anyway … I turned around, and you were on the ground!” Her eyes are wild, and she’s moving her hands around while she speaks.

My coach gets on her walkie-talkie.

“Miranda, can you please meet us at the sixth hole? EmmaTucker just passed out.” She releases the walkie-talkie and leans over me. “Are you okay, Emma? Did you bump your head or anything when you fell?”

There’s no pain, so I shake my head.

“Good, good. Okay, let’s get you some ice packs and see if we can get you cooled down. You probably just passed out from the heat. It’s a hot one out here today.” She looks back at the official at this hole. “I’m going to go tell him what’s going on. Mia, pack up your bag and make your way to the seventh hole.”

“Yes, Coach.” Mia nods, then looks back down at me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t like leaving you here.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m sure Coach is right, and it’s just the heat.” As I say it, my stomach rolls. I sit up quickly and lean to the side just in time for vomit to come flying out of my mouth. Like, seriously, projectile type of vomiting.

“HOLY SHIT! Coach! She’s throwing up now!” Mia yells over to the coach.

I’m still leaning over because I don’t think I’m done puking yet. Then my ponytail falls over my shoulder just as I start to heave again. Mia takes it in her hand and holds it back from falling.

“Oh God, Em. I think I’m gonna puke. Girl, that stinks, and you know I’m a sympathetic puker!” Mia says with a gag.

I see Coach rush back over to me—well, I see her shoes. “Okay, I think we need to call it a day for you, Emma. I’m going to get Miranda to call for a cart to come get you. We’ll have you monitored in the clubhouse while we finish playing. I want you to stay off your feet and drink some electrolytes. If you think you can eat some crackers or something, try that too.”

Not able to speak, I nod.

Mia releases my ponytail when I sit back up. “Babe, I’m sorry, but I have to go. Are you going to be okay?” She brushes some loose hair from my face.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go. I’ll see you at the clubhouse. Don’tforget about the sharp dip in that hill on the eighth hole; you can’t see it from the green.”

“I’m on it! See you in a bit. Huggies!” She blows me a kiss as she grabs her bag and starts walking.

Miranda, our team trainer, comes driving up in a golf cart right next to me. “Emma, how are you feeling?” She exits the cart and walks over to me. “Yuck,” she whispers.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Couldn’t get to a garbage can,” I say sarcastically.

She just laughs. “Okay, let’s get you up and back down the hill.”

From my position on the ground, I turn to my side and push off the ground with my hands. When I stand, a wave of nausea and dizziness hits me again, and Miranda must see it on my face because she grabs my arm to steady me.

“Whoa, you okay? Do you think you can walk a few feet to the cart?”

I nod and try to stand still for a minute. I’m racking my brain, trying to figure out who has been sick lately. None of my roommates have had any viruses, and all of my classes have been full, so I don’t think anything is going around.

Miranda helps me get to the seat, and once I’m sitting, she rounds the cart and walks over to my golf bag and sets it in the back of the cart.

“Do you need some water to rinse out your mouth?”

“That would be great. I think my water must have fallen when I fell. Do you see it on the ground anywhere?”

She looks around the grass and shakes her head. Leaning down, she looks under the cart and says, “Found it.”

When she stands, she hands me the water, then takes her seat behind the wheel.

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