-Kelley-
She came out of surgery an hour ago, and was still unconscious. A nose cannula was on her top lip, and her hair was hanging down her shoulders. Her left leg was in a wrap, and a metal brace went from her ankle all the way up to the top of her leg. On her legs, I could see her different types of tattoos. I could also see the ones peeking out of her medical gown, on her collar bone and arms. My favorite one was the one on her left forearm, and I remembered the first time she explained it to me.
~~~
I ran after Emily, as she sprinted around the pitch. Finally catching up to her, I wrapped my arms around her waist. She laughed out, as I pinched her side.
"Give me my phone." I said, as she laughed.
"O-okay." She said, handing me my phone. I smiled, and slowly spun her to face me. She smiled back, as I slowly kissed her. Pulling away from her, she jogged backwards on the pitch. I noticed one tattoo on her arm, and smiled.
"Emily, what's your tattoo mean?" I asked, pointing to it on her arm. It was two different pairs of handwriting, one said 'Dad, love you xoxox'. The other one said 'Love you always, Mom' with a heart.
"It was the last message my parents wrote to me." She said, smiling down at her tattoo. "The day before the crash. It was a Friday, and I was headed to school. The next day we went to see that soccer game. They wrote it on the same paper, and stuck it on the fridge. I found it, stuck it in my pocket, and headed to school." She said.
"I like it." I said, and she smiled.
"Yah, so do I." She said.
~~~
All of her tattoos were the same type of ink, black and thick. The only one that was different was the handprints on her shoulders, they were faint, almost like they were disappearing. I held her inked hand, rubbing my thumb over her finger. I smiled down on her, and then pulled my hand away from hers. Lifting her head up, I slipped her necklace around her neck. Clasping the ends, I laid the ring down on her chest. Intertwining our fingers, I felt her grasp my hand.
"Emily, hey?" I questioned, seeing her eyelids flutter. I saw her beautiful green eyes, as she smiled.
"Hey." She rasped.
"How are you?" I asked, rubbing the pad of my thumb over her cheek.
"I'm good." She said, and then yawned.
"Your surgery went good. The doctors say that everything went fine, and we can leave in a few days." I told her, and she smiled.
"How's Pinoe?" Em asked.
"She had surgery a few hours ago. She'll be okay, but she won't be back for the Olympics." I told her.
"Kiki." She said.
"Mila." I replied, and she smiled.
"I remember when you first called me that." She said.
"Yah, so do I."
"You were tired, and it was late. I remember you tried to say Emily, but for some reason Mila came out. I didn't understand it at first, but I do love when you call me that." She said.
"I love when you call me Kiki." I said, and she smiled.
"Mila and Kiki." She said.
"Mila and Kiki."
-Emily-
Two days later I was discharged from the hospital. My brace was heavy, and I had to use crutches. Luckily my brace was something I could take off, so I would be able to wear jeans or at least sweatpants. While everyone else on the team practiced, I would be doing physical therapy with Dawn.
Today we headed to the pitch, Kelley in her warm ups and me in jean shorts and a white tank top. All my tattoos were revealed. I crutched out onto the field, Kelley walking beside me.
"It's the O'Hara's!" Tobin yelled, as I smiled.
"How are you?" Alex asked.
"I'll be fine." I said, smiling at them.
"Emily, let's get going." Dawn said, as we she headed into the training room.
"I'll see you soon, we'll be in later to do speed training." Kelley said, as she pecked my lips.
"Bye Kiki." I said, and began crutching off.
"Bye Mila." She called after me, as I fallowed Dawn into the training room. Crutching in after Dawn, I saw her sitting on a bench. I went and sat beside her, as she smiled at me.
"So first I just want to talk to you about some things." She said, and I nodded.
"About what?" I asked.
"Training will be hard, and I won't let you quit. You're going to have to stick with it, and work hard. I'm not going to make you train as long as the other girls, because that would ultimately tear your muscle again. So when we finish, you'll be sent to do some interviews. Are you okay with that?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Yah, sounds good." I said, and she nodded.
"Alright, now go change." She said.
I got up and made my way to my locker, and grabbed some athletic shorts and a muscle tank top. Changing quickly, I crutched to the training area. Dawn was waiting by some weights.
"Come on Rush." She said, as I went and sat on a mat. She placed my crutches beside me, and helped me remove my brace.
Dawn made sure the wrap on my leg was tight, and then picked up some bands. She wrapped the bands around my legs, and placed five pounds weights under them. One was on my thigh, and another around my calf. Dawn made me lay on my back, and placed her hand in front of me.
"Okay Emily, bring your leg up and touch you toes to the palm of my hand." She said, and I nodded.
Picking my leg up, I instantly struggled to keep it in the air. Clenching my fists, I continued to raise my leg up. Touching my toes to Dawns Palm, she smiled. Slowly letting my leg drop, Dawn gently grabbed my ankle.
"There ya go." She said, resting my leg down on the mat. "Alright, again." She said, as I laughed. Raising my leg up, I pushed myself a little harder.
---
Dawn and I continued to do this for hours, and only this. My leg had grown weak thirty minutes ago, and my muscles were killing me. The rest of the team was coming in soon, but I couldn't keep going.
"Come on Emily, you got it." She said, as I shook my head.
"No, no I-." I said, as Dawn placed her hand under my calf.
"One more, lift your leg Emily." She said, as I bit my bottom lip. I tried lifting it higher, but I couldn't.
"No, Dawn. Don't-don't make me." I said, as I shook my head.
"Emily, come on. You can do this, you can lift you leg one more time. I know you can. Put up that fight." She said, looking me square in the eyes. "Lift." She said, as I cried out. Lifting my leg up, I bit my lip.
As my leg shook, I touched my toes to Dawns palm. As soon as my toes touched her hand, I dropped my leg. Dawn caught my ankle, and slowly dropped it to the mat. After Dawn rested my leg on the mat, I could still feel it shaking. Bringing my hands to my face, I tried brushing away my tears. Dawn sat down beside me, rubbing my shoulder. Crying into the palms of my hands, I felt my leg go weak. Dawn removed the weights from my legs, and helped me sit up.
"Come on Em, let's get you up." She said, taking my hands. Shaking my head, Dawn pulled me to my feet. She took one of my arms, and placed it around her shoulders. Dawn helped me to a tub, where she then helped me in. She then started filling the tub with cold water, and added ice.
"Is it bad that I can't feel my leg?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"No, it's normal. That'll be normal for awhile." Dawn said, as the water came up to my waist. She turned the water off, as I grabbed my phone. "Sit in here for awhile, I'll be back soon." She said. I noticed that the team was in the room over, doing speed testing. They then made there way over into the weight room. Kelley walked over to me, kneeling down next to the tub.
"You okay Mila?" She asked, running her fingers over a tattoo on my collar bone.
"Yah, I'm okay." I said, as she looked over at me.
"Okay. I've gotta go, but I'll see you soon." She said, placing a small kiss on my lips.
"Bye Kiki." I said, pecking her lips again.
"Bye Mila." She mumbled against my lips, kissing me one more time. I smiled, as she walked over to a weight station. Sighing out, I unlocked my phone.
Going to Instagram, I found a picture of me and Kelley on Christmas. It was me and her on the couch, her sitting on my lap. I had my head nuzzled into her neck, as she had a cheeky smile on her face. Writing a small caption, I posted the picture. Setting my phone down, I grasped the side of the tub.
Trying to lift myself out, I felt my legs going numb. Looking around, most of the team was in a different room. I continued to try and pull myself out of the tub, but I couldn't feel my legs. I sat in the tub to long, my legs are numb.
"Shit." I mumbled. Ash walked in the room, looking for something. "Ash! Ash I need help!" I yelled, as she looked up at me. She ran to my side, and placed on of her arms under my legs. Ash lifted me out of the tub, and carried me to a mat.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Dawn told me to take an ice bath, and that she'd be back. I knew I needed to get out, but couldn't. My legs are numb." I said, grabbing a towel. Rubbing it up and down my legs, I pulled at the wrap on my leg. Tearing it from my skin, I revealed the large stitching on my leg.
"I'll go get Dawn." Ash said, and I nodded. She ran off, as I tried to warm my legs. Dawn and Ash soon returned.
"Emily, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was so long." Dawn said, kneeling down beside me.
"It's okay, it's no big deal." I said. Looking down at my leg, I sighed out. A large line of stitching ran from the top of my leg, to the middle of my shin.
"Here, let me wrap your leg." Dawn said, and I nodded. She began to do the tight wrapping around my leg, covering up my stitches and tattoos. Once she was finished, Ash helped me to my feet. "Keep your body movin' it'll warm you up faster." Dawn said, and I nodded.
"Ya good?" Ash asked me.
"Yah, I'm good." I said, tying my hair up into a bun. "Go on, get back to training." She smiled, and then ran off. I crutched over to a weight station, and grabbed a band and weight. Clipping the twenty pound weight to the band, I then clipped the band around my upper abdomen. Placing my crutches on either side of the weight station, I grabbed onto the pull up bar. Lifting myself up, I felt my abdomen muscles clenching. Continuing to do pull ups, I sighed out.
This is what I would be doing for awhile now, leg lifts and pull ups. But I was okay with that, because I knew with every leg lift and pull up I did it would make me stronger. And the stronger I got the closer I got to being ready for Rio.
So I would do leg lifts and pull ups for as long as I had to, as long as it meant getting better. I would do it because it was a fight. It might have been one hell of a fight, and I might already be struggling, but I was going to win this fight.
Why?
Because giving up wasn't in my vocabulary.