Chapter 16

MASON

The second I hit the ground, I feel like I can’t breathe for a moment. I gasp, finally filling my lungs with air.

Then, the pain in my shoulder starts. “Fuck,” I mutter, clutching my right shoulder with my left hand, trying to alleviate the pain, but it doesn’t subside. Instead, it just makes my arm tingle.

“Cooper, are you all right?” Stan asks, his face appearing in front of mine.

“Something popped,” I say, groaning in pain. I’ve been slammed before, but never this hard.

“Fucking hell. Coach!” Stan yells before he disappears. I try to sit up, but the pain shoots through my shoulder all the way to my fingertips.

“Where does it hurt?” Coach Moore asks as a crowd starts to gather around me.

“My shoulder,” I groan.

“Stan said you heard something pop?” an older man asks me.

“Yes, and it’s tingling,” I reply, clenching my hand into a fist to try to get it to stop.

“Your neck?” he asks, wiggling his fingers against my neck.

“It’s fine,” I answer, trying to sit up again. I don’t know who, but a couple of people help me sit up. I try to take my helmet off with just my left hand because my right arm is useless, but I can’t do it and grow frustrated.

“I got it,” Liam says before his hands rip it off for me, and I mean rip. I swear that boy doesn’t know what gentle means.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” the old man asks, giving Liam a dirty look.

“Just my fucking shoulder,” I snap. How many times do I have to fucking say it?

He nods before gesturing to someone to the side of me, and the next thing I know, I’m being pulled to my feet.

“What happened?” I ask when I realize it was Liam and Stan.

“You just focus on getting checked out,” Stan states in a monotone. His eyes are narrowed, and he looks like he wants to kill someone. He’s actually one person I wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of.

I sit on the bench, letting the old man check my shoulder as Coach paces back and forth in front of me. Liam and Stan are whispering to each other intensely.

“Ah, fuck!” I exclaim when the old man lifts my arm up slightly.

“He’s out,” he states, standing up straight.

“What? I’m not out. Give me a couple of Tylenol, and I’ll be fine.” I shake my head, jumping to my feet. No fucking way am I out. Especially when I see Oliver fucking Kingsley start to put on his helmet. Hell would have to freeze over before I let that son of a bitch take my spot.

“You’re out.” Coach sighs, taking off his cap.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters, looking up at the sky.

“Fuck!” I yell before storming off toward the locker room. How the fuck did this happen? Why can nothing ever just go right? I’m fucking pissed. I punch a locker with my left hand as I walk past.

“Calm down, son,” the old man says from behind me.

“It’s fucking bullshit,” I exclaim, wanting to punch another locker.

“I know.” He nods sympathetically.

“Take a seat; I’ve got to examine you,” he says kindly and calmly. Normally, that would make me even madder, but there’s something about this man that actually calms me.

“Is your family here?” he asks as he helps me get out of my gear.

“Only my girlfriend,” I answer.

“You want someone to go get her?” he asks, pushing down on my shoulder and making me flinch in pain.

“Can you not?” I groan, trying to pull my arm away from him.

“Can you shrug for me?” he asks.

I do as I’m told. My left shoulder goes all the way up, but my right barely moves. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping that all this will go away. I know something bad has happened; I just don’t want to believe it.

“You’re going to need to go to the hospital and get an X-ray.”

I shake my head, trying to wake up from this bad dream.

“It could be something minor,” he tries to reassure me. I really hope it is something minor. If I can’t play anymore, it means I’ll lose my scholarship, and I won’t be able to go to school. I’ll end up just like my mother.

I can feel my whole body become tense. My left fist clenches, wanting to punch something again.

“Mason.” Lily’s soft voice prompts me to open my eyes. She’s standing next to the old man and one of the assistant coaches.

“Princess.” I sigh, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me. I’ve promised her the world, and now there’s a chance I won’t be able to deliver.

“I’ll get Dad to take us to the hospital,” she says quietly, slipping off my letterman jacket and the zip-up of mine she still has on.

“I would ask if you’re okay, but I think I know the answer,” she says, helping me into the sweater.

“I’m okay,” I lie, flinching as she slides the fabric over my shoulder.

“You’re lying,” she calls me out immediately, slowly and gently zipping up the sweater.

“Princess…” I stand up.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she says, placing her hand on my cheek.

I rest my face against her hand, closing my eyes for a moment. As much as I want her with me, I don’t know if she wants to be at the hospital today of all days.

“You don’t have to come,” I tell her, opening my eyes.

“It’s only fair. You spent last Thanksgiving in the hospital with me, so I can spend it with you this year,” she half-smiles. “As long as you promise that next year we won’t be at the hospital,” she adds.

“Deal.” I smile down at her.

***

For some reason, I thought I’d be in and out of the hospital. But no. It’s been hours, and Lily and I are still sitting in the ED waiting room. I’m bored out of my mind.

Murray left to get us some food half an hour ago and still isn’t back, and Lily looks like she’s about to fall asleep. Liam called me after the game to let me know we lost.

Kingsley messed up so many times that he swears the coach nearly busted a vein yelling at him. He also said that Stan says hi and will call me tomorrow, which I found strange. I like Stan and get along with him, but we’ve never talked on the phone before.

“Are you sore?” Lily asks me out of the blue. I’m in excruciating pain; the drugs they gave me are wearing off.

“A bit,” I try to play it off.

“I’ll be back.” She frowns, jumping to her feet and heading straight to the triage desk. I watch as her frown deepens, and she says something to the woman who rolls her eyes.

Lily’s head cocks to the side, and it looks like she snaps at the woman before stomping back toward me.

“She’s a fucking bitch,” she blurts, folding her arms across her chest. “Do you know what she said? She said there are other sick people, and I need to learn patience!” She throws one arm up in the air before handing me a tiny cup with two pills inside, which I gratefully toss back, not bothering with water.

“Can you believe that?” she exclaims, shaking her head.

“I can.” I laugh.

“Where’s my dad as well? He promised food hours ago,” she huffs, making me laugh again.

Her leg is bouncing up and down as she chews on her nails, something I’ve never seen her do before.

“You’re so hangry,” I tell her, earning a glare. “I’m just speaking the truth,” I say, holding up my left hand.

She sticks her tongue out at me.

We wait another fifteen minutes before Murray finally walks back in, holding a handful of brown paper bags.

“What took you so long?” Lily asks, snatching two bags out of his hands and passing me one, which I happily accept.

“Sorry. I had a phone call,” he replies, looking at his feet as he sits down next to Lily.

I begin stuffing my face with a turkey sandwich.

“I got turkey since it’s Thanksgiving,” he half-smiles, handing me another bag since I’m almost finished with the first sandwich.

“Mason Cooper,” someone calls my name.

“Do you want me to come?” Lily asks as I stand up, trying to swallow the food in my very full mouth.

I nod. I hate hospitals, and I feel like with her next to me, it’ll be a little more bearable.

“I’ll wait here,” Murray calls out as Lily and I follow the nurse who called for me.

I had expected things to move quickly once I was called in, but no such luck. The nurse slings my arm and gives me more drugs to help with the pain.

Then, I’m left sitting on a bed for another hour.

“You should get your dad to go home,” I suggest, checking the time and seeing it’s past midnight. “We can just get an Uber later.”

I yawn and glance over at Lily, who has fallen asleep in the chair.

I smile as I watch her sleep. Where is this doctor? I want to know what’s wrong with me. I want to go home, and most importantly, I want to know when I can play football again.

I need to hear them tell me I’ll be fine and back on the field in no time. I can’t lose football.

Finally, a doctor comes in and introduces himself, his voice so loud that it wakes Lily.

“I’m going to send you for an X-ray and an MRI so we can get a clear picture of what exactly is going on,” he tells me after examining my shoulder.

“Can I still play football?” I ask as he helps me back into the sling.

“I can’t say until after the X-ray and MRI,” he replies.

Disappointment washes over me again.

“How long is it going to be?” I ask, frustration creeping back in. I’m sick of the hospital. I want to go home.

The doctor glances between me and Lily several times before giving me a sympathetic look.

“I’ll move you up the list,” he says sadly before walking out of the room.

My gut tells me he knows what’s going to be wrong, and it’s not good.