FWB Friends With Baseball

Gold.

Jailyn~

Glancing up at the screen, I can't help but shake my head, disappointed I can't be on the field right now. This fucking sucks. Everyone's near certainty that it's my Achillies is that much worse because of how much we don't know yet. There's no way of knowing how bad the damage is until I get an MRI, and I'm not going to be able to get one until I'm back home. Who even knows if it's something that's going to be able to be repaired. Let alone something I can get back to full strength at the level that I am now. The unknown right now of what could be a career-ending injury is the worst part of it all.

Wincing as the immobilizer is placed, our trainer comments, "I know, once they get your last drug test cleared, we'll be able to get you something." 

"It's fine," I comment, very obviously not as fine as I'd like to have come off as. This fucking sucks.

A couple of knocks on the open door pull our attention. Jeannie is standing there, a small smile on her face as she holds a podium outfit in hand. "You feeling up to accepting a medal in about an inning?" Letting a breath out of my nose, I can't help but smile, looking at her as she tosses me the white jacket and pants. "No one was about to let our MVP miss out on this. Carly is already planning on carrying your ass out."

"Of course she is," I reply, laughing as I shake my head.

With some assistance getting the pants on over my boot, I change into the tank-top and jacket. The disbelief of my injury is overshadowed by the excitement of wearing this. At the absolute least, I'm getting a silver medal today. Glancing up at the four-oh lead we have, going into the sixth, there's a different outcome that seems far more likely.

Once I'm ready, our trainer helps me off the table and holds their arm around my waist as I hold mine over their shoulder. I've gotta hop back out to the field somehow. Even without the encouragement from Jeannie, there's no chance in hell that I'd miss this.

When I get back out, it's the top of the seventh with one out. Taking my place next to Ken on the top step, "Glad you made it back out, kid."

"Are you kidding?" I ask, "I'd be back out here even if they had to chop my foot off."

Ken chuckles as we both go back to watching the game as it unfolds. Monica walks the next batter bringing us back to the top of their order. This could get hairy, but Monica is gonna hold it down. Her first pitch down is a strike, "Atta way Moni!" I scream out, getting a glace from her as she gets the ball back. She shoots me a smile before getting back into the game. The next glance I catch is Carly's, the two of us exchange grins before she gets into the ready position as Monica gets strike two on their one spot batter. "There you go, let's get one more! You've got it, Moni!"

Leaning up against the fence, my excitement is evident by my casual bouncing her in the dugout on my good foot. Monica throws the next pitch, and the crack of the bat sounds as there's a liner to Elena at second. "Turn it two, turn it two!" I scream out while Carly is covering second. Carly catches Elena's flip and sends a bullet back to first base. With the play, pandemonium ensues. "Oh my god!" I scream, throwing my arms around Ken. "We fucking did it!"

Ken laughs, hugging me back a moment before I catch Carly dodging some of our teammates as she runs over to me. Hopping over to the gap in the dugout fence, I meet Carly as she picks me up,  both of us in fits of laughter. "We just won a fucking gold medal," Carly says, her voice shaking as she's crying.

"We did it, bitch," I reply, hugging her just as tight.

Carly lets me go before crouching in front of me. "Hop on. We're celebrating on the field." Laughing, I hold onto her shoulders, jumping on her back off of my good foot as she catches my legs and brings us to the field. When we reach the group, Carly lets me down, wrapping her arm around my waist to help support me. Maddy is very close by in doing the same as we're all cheering and screaming with each other. For the first time in sixteen years, Team USA has an Olympic Softball Gold Medal.