Journey

47

Christen's POV

"Nalu stop it." I say after listening to my wife's service dog incessantly whining while looking at the door to the hospital waiting room.

After the USA training staff realized they couldn't help Jucinara at the stadium, the EMT people came onto the field and secured my wife on a spinal board.

While Jucinara was being secured, Kerr got a red, Talia got a yellow, and I got substituted so I could go with my wife, then I almost beat the fuck out of Kerr when we we're walking in the tunnel at the same time.

Luckily for Kerr, Cairo and Ash pulled me away then pushed me to the locker room.

Once in the locker room I got changed, grabbed my wife and I's stuff, grabbed Nalu, then Nalu and I got into the ambulance and rode with Nara to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital, Jucinara was put through some tests to see how bad the paralysis is and now she's in surgery so that the doctors can hopefully fix the paralysis.

"Come here." I say and pat the chair next to me.

Nalu huffs then she walks over to me and jumps into the chair next to me.

"I'm worried too." I say as Nalu rests her head on my lap.

Nalu softly whine then I stare off into space while stroking Nalu.

"She's in here." I hear someone say then I look up and see Jucinara's Parents, my Dad, and my sisters.

"Hey." I say as I look at my family.

"How is she?" Channing asks.

"She's in surgery." I say as everyone sits down with me then I explain everything.

"Stupid Australian." Jucinara's Dad says.

"She almost got her ass kicked in the tunnel." I say. "Cairo and Ash had to stop me."

"That's my girl." My Dad says.

"Do any of you have food?" I ask.

"The teams on the way and they're picking up food." Jucinara's Mom says.

"Cool." I say then the door to the waiting room opens and in comes Cairo carrying Talia.

"What the?" I ask.

"This is the only way she'd get on the bus." Cairo says as she carries Jucinara's best friend over to me then she sits Talia next to me.

Once Talia's next to me, Cairo bends down so they're eye to eye.

"No moving." Cairo says. "Or I will sic Amy, A. J., and Leah on you."

"Meanie." Talia mumbles then she leans into me.

"Did Freckles get in a fight?" I tease.

"I was trying to." Talia says. "But the meanies wouldn't let me."

"Poor Freckles." I tease then I look at the team. "Food?"

"Here you go." Alex says as she hands me the food the team brought for me.

"Thanks." I say then I eat my food.

While I eat my food, my sisters tell everyone about what's happening with Jucinara.

"I don't understand how the public don't know about what Sam did." Sam Mewis says.

"It's the same thing as with Raven." I say. "They public like them as footballers so they over look all the fucked up things they did."

Raven is beloved in Atlanta even though she raped my wife 100 times and abused her for over 2 years.

"I still wanna kill Raven." Talia mumbles as my wife's phone buzzes then I pick it up.

"Well at least something good happened today." I say.

"What?" Tyler asks.

"Jucinara and I's bid for the house was accepted." I say with a smile. "We move in after the season."

"Well that'll cheer her up."

"Where's your new house?" Ali asks as I finish my food.

"The Bird Streets area." I say then the door to the waiting room opens.

"Family of Jucinara Press?" Some lady says.

"Yes." I say as everyone stands up. "I'm her wife."

"Mrs. Press is out of surgery and is being moved to a private room." The nurse says. "Once she's settled the surgeon will be by to talk to you about everything then take a few of you to her."

I go to ask if my wife is okay, but the nurse is paged for a code blue so she sprints off.

"What's code Blue?" Sofia asks.

"Cardiac arrest." Cairo says as we all sit back down.

"What happened to the weirdo that was in your hotel room?" Abby asks.

"He had a schizophrenic break which is why he was in our hotel room and now he's in a mental hospital." I say as I leash up Nalu.

"Family of Mrs. Press?" Some dude says as he walks into the room.

"Yeah?" I say.

"My name's Dr. Donaldson." The dude says. "And I was Mrs. Press' surgeon."

"Is my wife okay?" I ask.

"She is." Dr. Donaldson says making all the tension in my body go away.

Dr. Donaldson then explains the surgery and a bunch of other medical stuff that I don't understand.

"So she'll be able to walk again?" I ask.

"She will be." Dr. Donaldson says. "But I'd suggest she doesn't play soccer for the next few months."

"Can I see her?" I ask.

Dr. Donaldson nods then he leads me, Nalu, and Jucinara's parents down to Jucinara's room.

The moment Nalu sees Jucinara, she breaks free from me and runs to my wife.

"Nalu." Jucinara squeals as the Border Collie jumps on her bed while myself and Jucinara's parents walk into the room. "Chrissy."

"Hi Baby." I say as then I walk to my wife and kiss her.

After I kiss my wife, I move to other side of the bed and sit next to her while Jucinara's parents greet their daughter.

"We'll go get Talia and your dinner." Jucinara's Dad says.

Jucinara and I nod then my in-laws leave.

"Why was I pushed?" My Wife asks. "I talk shit like that every game and nobody's ever reacted anywhere near that."

Recently every APL player, manager, and owner took part in an anonymous survey and Jucinara was voted one of the nicest players in the APL.

Most of our opponents think she's formidable and a brick wall on the pitch, but off it they think she's extremely nice and caring, which she is.

"I don't know Nara." I say. "I really don't know."