Clarity ~ m.c.

•Chapter 44•

***Michael's POV***

It's been amazing watching Lauren living her dream. You can tell she's having the time of her life and I'm insanely proud of her. Like she won a freaking gold medal! That's huge! I'm in love with an Olympic champion, that's enough said.

"What is she doing today?" I curiously asked as we sat in Lauren's living room again like we've been doing for the past week and half now.

"It's all individual events now; she's qualified for uneven bars and floor." Andrew told me. "So this is the Uneven bar event finals." He added. We watched the mix of gymnasts from different countries be presented in from of the judges, Dominique was also in the final.

The gymnasts did a quick practice on the bars giving time for the presenters, like always, to talk about each gymnast. Lauren was 6th in the starting list, while Dominique was 8th, so she was one of the last three to practice.

We didn't think of much of what was to happen as we watched Lauren do her run down on the bars. It was just another warm up before the event, nothing ever happens during this time; that was until it was too late causing us all to become jaw dropped and gasp in fear and horror.

***Lauren's POV***

I qualified for the uneven bars and floor finals which I was very excited about. It was another event final like any other. It was just another warm up before the event like all the others in all the other qualifications and finals. I was 6th in the starting lineup, meaning I get to go sixth in the warm up.

Making it up on the bar like any other time, transitioning through the low and high bars was second nature just like the routine I was doing. What wasn't normal was how overly wet the previous gymnast sprayed the bar with water in attempt to make the bar stickier with the mixture of the chalk and water. Plus not having a full grip on the high bar didn't help and my hands slipped off the bar as I feel to the cushioned, but firm mat below me.

What happened doesn't happen like all other times. It wasn't planned and I legitimately thought I was going to die. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me. I couldn't breathe and the returning pain in my chest reappeared and it felt like I was being stabbed in the chest again, the same pain from my resent beating from my dad. I knew my ribs weren't fully healed, but now there was no question they could have been re-fractured from the impact of hitting the mat. All around me gasps and screams erupted as I lay on the mat, curling up in agonizing pain.

"Lauren!" I could hear Brendan yell for me, but I could tell Dominique was the first to reach me since she was standing next to me on the stage before I started my warm up. I could hear multiple voices coming from all around me, but my eyes were scrunched up tight from the pain.

"Lauren where's the pain?" I could hear Brendan asked me.

"My chest." I gasped.

"Alright we need to get her off the mat." I heard a second voice next to me that I didn't recognize.

"Lauren can you stand?" Brendan asked.

"No." I winced in pain as they attempted to sit my up.

"We'll have to pick her up then." That second voice said as I felt multiple hands reach under me.

"Lauren I'm right here." I heard Dominique talking to me. "They're going to lift you now, just squeeze my hand alright." She said and I probably was going to break her hand from how hard I was gripping it.

I was lifted off the mat and even if they were trying to be as careful as possible, with every step they took it sent waves of discomfort through my body. They set me down and when I finally brought myself to open my eyes I was off the platform and was brought to the side of where all the chairs for the athletes to sit were. Brendan was feeling around where my fractured ribs were causing me to yelp in agony.