The Hudson Boys

C H A P T E R 2 6

C H A P T E R 2 6

The night of Ryan's first football game of the season rolls around. He has been pumped all day, he and Lee have been running plays in the backyard all afternoon. The sun had been shining brightly until half an hour before kick-off when it began to drizzle. MK and I wrap our coats closer around ourselves and huddled together in the front row of the grandstands attempting to fight off hypothermia.

"Do you think they'll cancel the game?" She asks nervously watching the boys warm up on the already slick grass.

"They don't think it's that bad," I reply burying my chin in my scarf. The wind whips around my face, the light rain turning into bullets on contact with my already cold skin.

"My fingers are turning blue. That can't be a good sign."

"MK you wearing gloves? You can't even see your fingers." I laugh, rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness.

"Well, if I could I bet they would be." She mumbles but turns he attention back to the field.

Ten minutes later the whistle is blown signaling kickoff. Fordman is playing off against one of the lower-graded teams but if Ryan and the boys do well in this match then they could get put into a higher division for the rest of the season.

"They're going okay," MK announces just before halftime.

The rain had only gotten heavier and the wind had picked up a bit but the boys had played on setting the score at 19-16 to the Fordman Rangers. As if this town isn't already cowboy central, the name of their local football team confirms all suspicions about their eligibility for the 'hillbilly' title.

Thankfully, the stereotypical team name doesn't affect their ability to play the game as by the middle of the second half the score has risen 25-18 to the Rangers.

Then disaster strikes and I've never seen MK move so fast. One of our players passed the ball to Noah who sprints down the field as quickly as he can despite the sinking mud gathering on the field. One of the bigger guys from the opposition comes running at him from across the field only to realize too late that if he doesn't slow down, Noah is going to take a pummeling.

The other kid tries to pull on the brakes but his feet skid in the wet mud sending him flying towards Noah, who still hasn't seen him coming. From there it is slow-motion reflexes, flailing of arms, and then a loud thud that breaks the silence as the pair hit the ground. A tangle of limbs and MK screaming Noah's name in a frantic panic.

She is over the fence and running across the wet field before I can do anything other than follow her. Ryan and the coach reach him at the same time as I do but MK is already at Noah's side, his lulled head in her lap, the other player standing by her side rambling on about how sorry he is and how he tried to stop as he clutches his arm to his chest. But MK isn't listening. She is staring down at Noah's half-closed eyes whispering to him in a quick and frantic voice. Her fingers frantically brush the mud off his face.

"Noah, come on. Say something. Please." She mumbles over and over, like a stuck record. Noah groans as the sideline paramedics arrive and try to lift him onto a stretcher.

Somewhere in the distance, a whistle blows as they call the game to an early finish. Too little, too late.

The paramedics try asking her to move away but she refuses to leave his side even when they say that they have to get him into the ambulance. All this time the rain continues to soak through our clothes leaving both Ryan shivers next to me in his wet uniform.

"We'll meet you there," I reassure her as she follows them to the emergency vehicle. She nods quickly in response, her mind elsewhere.

"Come on." I tug at Ryan's sleeve, who seems to be just as in shock as MK. We eventually reach the truck and I take the keys from Ryan's fisted hands, signaling for him to give me directions to the hospital as I start the old engine.

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Ten minutes later we find MK pacing the halls of Fordman's Public Hospital. The accident and emergency ward is painted a musty pale yellow, accented with hard plastic grey chairs. However, my friend has no use for these as she stalks sporadically up and down the linoleum floor, her hands running through her pale hair.

The moment she spots us she runs straight towards me, barreling into my arms. The moment my arms close around her back she takes a deep breath and then lets out a sigh so deep you would swear the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"They won't tell me anything." She sobs pointing towards the closed doors as she continues, her face buried in my shoulder as her tears wet the collar of my sweatshirt. "They took him in there and said to wait in the waiting room until further notice. Like hell am I gonna wait in the waiting room."

"He'll be fine," I whisper, smoothing her bleached blond hair which lays unevenly on her shoulders.

Ryan helps me direct her towards the plastic seats near the emergency room entrance and the three of us sit side by side in relatively composed silence. All of us just as worried as each other, waiting for further notice.

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A/N.

So, do you think he's gonna be okay?

MK's reaction. How many of you were expecting that? Do you think it will change things between her and Noah?

As always,

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Meegs.