Hailey’s eyes watered, and Grant knew the decision to stay or go was weighing heavily on her. Without meaning to, she reached for his hand again.
“Go, Hailey,” he nodded solemnly.
“Hailey, get over here!” Paul barked.
“Seriously, Hails,” Joe John added, “you’re a part of this team… how ‘bout actin’ like it?”
Hailey squeezed Grant’s hand, and, for a moment, he thought she might stay, but, as she turned and jogged to join Paul’s entourage, the disappointment shone on his face.
The game was overly aggressive from the start; fouls went unrefereed, and the shouting from the sidelines only encouraged and amplified the intensity on the court. Grant was up by four when a loose ball resulted in exactly what the cheering section had feared from the outset.
Both boys gave chase, tugging, pushing, pulling, and throwing elbows as they chased the ball across the court. Then, in what seemed like slow motion to the kids watching from the sidelines, both boys lurched toward the ball, their bodies colliding and propelling them into the set of metal bleachers that sat just along the asphalt court.
There were screams from the sideline as Paul and Grant both lay motionless beside the bleachers. The small crowd hurried across the court in a panic, and, as Misty and the team swarmed Paul, Hailey knelt beside Grant.
Grant was lying on his side, his eyes closed, his body limp as Hailey rubbed his arm. “Please, Grant,” she begged. “Please…say something. Are you okay?”
“Paul?” Misty cried. “Paul, wake up!”
The girls looked up at the exact same moment and caught each other’s fear filled eyes.
“What do we do?” Misty asked.
“I don’t know,” Hailey panicked.
“They just knocked theirselves out,” Joe John said confidently. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“What if they’re not!” Hailey shouted.
“Somebody run get Doc Mason!” Misty cried.
“Grant smacked his head pretty good; I saw it,” Billy Wayne gulped.
“Look,” one of the boys pointed. “There’s Coach Nelson! We’re gonna be in so much trouble.”
Hailey looked up to see her father’s truck pulling into the school parking lot, and she felt nervous and relieved all at once.
“Coach!” the crowd shouted as they waved him toward them.
Jack jogged over, his heart racing at the sight of two boys lying amongst the others.
Just then, Paul opened his eyes and glanced up at Misty.
“Paul, you okay, Son?” Jack asked as he helped Paul sit up. “What in the world happened here?”
Paul moved his neck around and rubbed the side of his face before nodding. “I’m okay, Coach.”
Misty threw her arms around her boyfriend. “You scared me to death!” she cried.
Paul glanced over toward Grant, and his eyes widened. “Is he okay?” he gulped.
“Grant!” Hailey begged, her lips close to his ear. “Grant, can you hear me?”
Jack knelt beside his daughter and cautiously rested his hand on Grant’s shoulder.
“Daddy, why isn’t he waking up?” Hailey bawled.
“He took a pretty good shot to the back of his head, Coach,” Billy Wayne said, his mounting concern evident in his voice.
Hailey gently stroked the side of Grant’s face. “Please, God…he has to be okay,” she cried.
Jack squeezed Grant’s shoulder. “Come-on, Kid,” he said, trying to remain calm. “Come-on, Grant…open those eyes up for us.”
“Coach, do we need a doctor? Should I go get my dad?” Paul gulped.
“Come-on, Grant,” Hailey sobbed. His hand was limp on the ground, but she reached for it and held it in hers.
Slowly Grant opened his eyes and glanced up at Hailey’s tear stained face. “Hailey?” he said groggily.
Jack helped Grant sit up. “Take it slow. Are you okay?” he asked. “Are you dizzy at all?”
“I’m fine,” Grant mumbled.
“Oh, Grant,” Hailey sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest, “I’ve never been so scared…ever!” She gently stroked the back of Grant’s hair, and he winced. “We’ll go inside and get some ice for that,” Hailey offered.
“I could use some ice too, Hails,” Paul said.
Hailey stood and looked down at Paul. “You can get your own ice,” she rolled her eyes. “If it hadn’t been for your jealously, none of this would have happened.”
