They come in dreams

Part 25

When we wake up Meghan and our host parents bring us breakfast in bed.

"How are you doing?" Kim asks tenderly.

"I'm okay. I'm so sorry for waking you all up last night."

"Please don't be we understand its completely out of your control. We just want you to be okay," Jeff says quickly and there are strong nods of agreement from Kim and Kling. "You two eat your breakfast and let us know if you need anything else. After we eat our breakfast Morgan gets up.

"Alright Dani we gotta go to practice." I get up to follow her and sway when I stand up. "Woah you okay?"

"Yeah, I say shakily. I might have gotten dehydrated again I'm pretty dizzy and weak."

"Alright tell you what I'm gonna bring you a big water bottle. You're gonna get back in bed and drink it. Then this afternoon you and I are gonna go shoot around for a while." I nod tiredly and crawl back into the bed. Morgan brings me a few snacks and a bunch of water before heading to practice. I sip at the water and not wanting to fall back asleep I turn on Netflix and try to stay awake. I loose the battle and find my eyes closing after not very long. I slip into another nightmare and with nobody to try to wake me up I am stuck in the nightmare for what feels like a lifetime. I am finally awoke with a thud as I thrash my way off the bed. I am stunned and the wind has been knocked out of me. I don't think there is anything more terrifying than waking up from a nightmare with the wind knocked out of you. Its the confirmation my mind needs that I am in fact dying. I reach wildly for my phone on the night stand. Gasping for air I click on Tiernas contact and press call. Its about 9am where she is so maybe she won't be at practice yet.

"Morning Dani," her voice sounds on the other side of the phone and it does immediately start to calm me down. I still haven't caught my breath so all she can here is my panting. "Oh shit okay, Dani where's Morgan?"

"She's, she's at practice," I manage to gasp out.

"Okay baby you're gonna be okay. Take deep breath alright just keep breathing and listening to me." I do what she says and she spend the next 10 minutes telling me about her plans for the week, reminding me to keep breathing, and reassuring me. I calm down, Tierna has worked her magic again. "Alright how are you feeling?" Tierna finally asks.

"Better, a lot better, thank you."

"What happened?"

"Morgan went to practice and I stayed behind because I wasn't feeling good after last night. Then I accidentally fell asleep and had a nightmare. I didn't wake up until I fell off the bed. Which also knocked the wind out of me."

"Shit that's so scary." She pauses for a second. "Do you want me to see if the therapist can do phone visits? She might be able to help."

"Yeah sure, and I think for now I'm gonna take the sleeping pills everynight. It might not be ideal but you should have seen Morgans face. Plus I woke up the whole house."

"That makes sense. I'm glad you called me."

"I'm glad you answered. I'll let you go I know you have practice." We say our goodbyes and hang up. I know it will be at least a hour before Morgan gets back so I flip open my computer and attempt to do some school work. I end up staring at the screen my brain unable to reach the level of processing necessary to do work. Eventually Morgan comes back.

"What are you up to?" She tries to get in next to me.

"Ew get your sweaty butt off the bed," she groans going to shower. I feel a pang in my chest, the same interaction I had with Maia, one of the last ones. When Morgan gets back from her shower she looks at my schoolwork.

"That looks horrendous," she groans.

"Yeah and I'm so behind, I probably will need to repeat most of the year."

"At your high school?"

"I don't know where. I can't go back there."

"Have you thought about finishing high school online?"

"Where would I live?"

"Well until the world cup you can live with Tierna and I whenever you aren't in camp. Then after camp, you're old enough to play in Europe."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Also what makes you so sure I'm playing in the world cup?" I say skeptically.

"Were you not there at you're debut?" She ask incredulously. I laugh but bury my head in my blankets.

"That all sounds like so much workkkk," I groan.

"Give me your computer and 20 minutes." I hand it over and watch over her shoulder. She looks up online high school diplomas. Finds a program that only takes 2 years to complete sophomore to senior year. She applies for me the program says it will review my application within a month. Then she opens up a website called player portal I didn't even know existed. She makes me a profile and sets it to searching for a club in late 2015. "Wow look at that only took 15," she checks her watch. "I got your back Dani." She sounds like Maia again.

Morgan keeps her promise of making me go play soccer later and it makes me feel better. I go from my comatose state to soccer Dani. Morgan does not protest to me taking me Sleeping medication tonight. While staying with Morgan our routine doesn't change a lot, practice in the morning, movie nights or other team bonding things with the dash. During the afternoon though Morgan helps me research the European teams, online high school, and other things she thinks are relevant. I start phone therapy every other day and Tierna and I call the other days. I stay with Morgan for over 2 more weeks before Tierna wins with her begging and I agree to come stay with her for the week and a half before camp.

"Wow hoes before beaus," Morgan say when I tell her.

"You got me for like 3 weeks Mo, plus I'll see you at camp again in a week and a half." She groans but tells me she and Kling can drive me to the airport after practice tomorrow.

"Ew I'm supposed to be reunited with my girlfriend without showering?"

"Not my fault you booked the 1 pm flight," Morgan shrugs. She isn't wrong.

"I'll text and call, remember its literally only a week," I remind Morgan as she pouts at the security line.

"Okay text me when you get to Tiernas." She gives me a tight hug. "Love you little kicker," Morgan says. I grimace. "Not a fan of the new nickname?" She asks incredulously. I laugh and wave her off.

"Love you Mo." Its not the nickname. Its the history it has, everyone who's ever called me kicker is dead.