Evening the Score // Book One

Chapter 19

All Elena could see was the flourescent lights on the ceiling of the hospital hallway as she was wheeled out of the ambulance. The sounds of the stadium as she left echoed in her ears. Andrea apologizing over and over. The team Trainer Paul repeatedly asking her what hurt.

And the tear, the loudest sound of them all, was the tear in her knee when Andrea and the opposing player took her down.

Elena had yet to speak any words, just whimpers and cries while she held her breath through the excruciating pain all up and down her leg. Elena had been lucky throughout her career to have never sustained an injury that sidelined her for longer than a week. But the moment she felt and heard the tear she knew this was serious.

She could hear Andrea talking in her ear, telling her to breath deep, help was coming. But all Elena could focus on was how badly her knee hurt.

And now the bright hospital lights and the stark white walls were a grim reminder of what had just happened on that field.

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All Harry could focus on was the dim lights of the London skyline as he stared out the window of the plane he'd just boarded. Jeff hadn't argued with him about cancelling the rest of the trip, it was clear the tone in Harry's voice meant not to squabble about this.

Gemma did her best to try and calm his nerves, though there was little she could do or say. She knew the flight would be excruciating for him on every level. Harry might as well have been on the moon.

Now, staring down at his silent phone he never wanted to see a text from Elena more than he did at that moment.

The normal relief he felt when the flight attendant would start the usual safety spiel was absent this time.

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Chrissy arrived at the hospital while Elena was still in surgery. Which mean Elena went into surgery alone. Her parents were flying in from Florida and her brother was doing maneuvers with his unit, but Elena was flying solo when she was wheeled into that operating room.

When Chrissy rounded the corner into the waiting room, her eyes fell on Andrea immediately. Andrea looked quite like someone had shot her dog. Her face was red and puffy with tears that continually streamed down her skin. She was upset, that much was evident.

She stood up the moment she saw Chrissy,

"I think I hurt her...I think I hurt her really bad, Chris. Oh my God..." She whispered while her arms folded over her stomach.

Chrissy hugged Andrea tight,

"What happened?" She asked as she pulled away.

Andrea reached her hand out as if the field were in front of her,

"Th-the ball...I was trying to help her. The other player came at her at top speed...I was out of position, I never should've been up there." She spoke so quickly it was hard for Chrissy to follow her.

"Excuse me..." Andrea and Chrissy both turned in the direction of the voice that spoke in a British accent they'd heard many times before only this time it was female. She was blonde, about average height and the spitting image of her brother. She smiled warmly, just like he did and offered her hand to Chrissy, "I'm Gemma Styles...Harry's sister. I was at the game today."

Chrissy shook her hand,

"Chrissy, I'm Elena's best friend. This is Andrea Chacon."

Gemma gave Andrea a reassuring smile,