Page 34 of Sideline Sweetheart
“Nothing you could do or say would make me think less of you. Though I am glad to hear you haven’t dated a player.”
The sincerity of his words makes me smile. “Yeah, well, please don’t get hurt and make me reinstate the don’t date players rule.”
Bryce grins and I swear my heart stutters a little in my chest. “Not going to happen,” he says as he begins to jog backward. “Every catch today, is going to be for you.”
I laugh as I call after him. “Remember what I said.”
He gives me a salute and then turns to join the rest of the team.
Having won the coin toss, I watch from the sideline as our offense takes the field. Colorado Springs is primed and ready, and even though we have a couple first down conversions, the ball is turned over on downs.
The first quarter and most of the second are the same back and forth between the teams. True to his word, Bryce makes several catches and after each one he points the ball in my direction before tossing it to the referee.
I’m feeling confident in our team as the clock ticks down toward halftime. Other than a few cuts and scrapes they’ve made my job easy today. However, everything changes before the end of the second quarter. With our defense lined up against the Cougars offense the center snaps the ball and whilethe quarterback launches the ball down the field the offensive lineman guarding our defensive tackle shoves him into the path of one of the other offensive players who loses his balance stumbling backward and falling on Clayton Jacobson forcing his leg into an odd angle as he hits the ground.
Flags fly and whistles blow as play comes to a screeching halt and the stadium becomes eerily quiet as Todd and I race onto the field. Clayton writhes in pain as tears stream down his face. I kneel beside him on the ground, my hand grasping his facemask to keep his head still. “Doc,” he says, voice rough with emotion.
“I guess I don’t have to ask where it hurts, huh?” He gives a strangled laugh at my attempt at a joke. “I am going to ask you a few questions and I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?”
He blows out a breath. “Yeah, I can.”
“Good. Now, any pain in your neck or back?” He starts to shake his head, and I reprimand him as Coach Blakely joins us. “Don’t move, use your words.”
He takes a deep breath. “No, no pain there.”
“Thank God,” I hear coach mutter as he places his hand on Clayton’s chest.
“Okay, good. Now Todd is going to check the feeling in your arms and legs, you tell me if you feel it.” Todd runs an instrument over the exposed portion of both arms and legs and Clayton confirms feeling in his extremities. “Good,” I say as I glance up at Coach Blakley and then over at the sideline where the entire team is on their knees praying for their teammate. “Todd, can you let the paramedics know we need stretcher?”
“On it,” he says as he hops to his feet and signals for the paramedics to join us.
I glance up at coach before taking a breath and returning my attention to Clayton. “We’re going to need to get you on a stretcher and take you to the hospital. I’m not going to lie to you,it’s going to hurt like a bitch.” Both coach and Clayton chuckle a bit. “But we are going to get you something for pain as soon as we can.”
“Okay,” he says. “Thanks, Doc.”
As the paramedics lower the stretcher, I ask him one more question. “Do you have anyone here with you today?”
“My brother and his wife are in the family section.”
I glance up at the paramedics. “Which hospital are you taking him to?”
“Memorial has the best orthopedic department and can handle this type of injury.”
“Thanks,” I say before turning my attention to Todd. “I’m going to the hospital with him. Have one of the assistants let his brother know which hospital we’re going to so they can meet us there. “
“Coach,” Clayton says. “Tell ’em to win it for me.”
Coach Blakely squeezes his hand. “You got it.”
The paramedics carefully load him onto the stretcher as both teams surround him tapping his helmet and chest in support. Clayton lifts a hand to the crowd letting them know he’ll be okay, and the stadium is filled with applause. I climb into the back of the ambulance and take a seat as the paramedics load the stretcher inside. One remains in the back with us as the other moves to the cab and drives us out of the stadium to the hospital.
Things move quicklyonce we reach the hospital. The orthopedic team meets us on arrival and does their initialassessment ordering bloodwork, and an MRI to determine how extensive the damage to his leg is.
Thankfully, his brother Josiah and sister-in-law Avery arrive shortly after we do and are able to spend some time with him before he goes into surgery. We spend the next several hours together in the waiting to hear the outcome of the surgery. Josiah gives his family regular updates in between telling me stories of their childhood. Once the game ends, my phone immediately alerts me with a text from Bryce.
Any news?
Nothing yet, still in surgery. I saw the score. I’m sorry.
