DWTS 100 Prompt Challenge!

Ribs

// Bringing back an old oneshot into publishing because I relate to this one as of tonight, so enjoy! 😘 //

"It'll be okay. Everything will be okay." James said aloud, raising the volume of his voice with each statement.

Sharna sat beside him, nervously biting her lip. Her mind was spinning.

There was no way in heck that this was going to be okay. She thought.

"No, James!" Sharna exclaimed. "This isn't going to be okay! Nothing about this is okay!" A few more tears slipped down her cheeks and her breathing had morphed into hyperventilating.

"Sharna, I know it hurts to breathe, but you have to." He knelt down to her level.

Sharna had just incorrectly executed a lift and according to paramedics, had bruised two ribs and a sprained left ankle.

"Sharna!" Val walked to where she was. "You told me you weren't hurt!"

"And I-I'm not. I'll dance." She looked up at Val. "It'll be fine." Her breathing patterns had evened out significantly as the seconds passed.

"Nope, Burgess, it won't be fine." Richard, one of the paramedics said, ruining their conversation.

"What do you mean it won't be fine? It has to be fine." Panic washed over the Australian rounded behind herself to look at Richard.

"Babe," Val began, calming her down  already. "You have bruised ribs and a  sprain, of course you can't perform tonight."

"Yeah, but you also can't teach someone two whole dances by tonight!" She turned back to Richard. "I have to dance tonight!"

He sighed and looked up at Val, then back at Sharna. "Sharna, you realize the risk you have in dancing under this condition?"

"Yeah, and I'll risk it."

"Sharna!" Val exclaimed.

"It semis, and I'm dancing with James."

"Let her do it." James spoke up.

"James! She is your partner, do you want her in the finals?!" Val looked back at James, and was pretty close to slapping him across the face.

"Fine, don't dance, Sharna. The man has a point." James said.

"Hinch, you--"

"No, you're not dancing. We all agree." Richard said.

"But I don't agree!" Sharna exclaimed loudly, but then was shushed by some producers.

"Okay, Sharna, if you dance, you'll make everything worse. So, okay, can you please not dance...for me?"

"Fine. I'll do it for you. Go get Hayley."