My Sweetheart (Alan Bosley x OC)

31

Everything felt like a dream, a nightmare, and out-of-body experience, as Alan, Coach and I rushed into the hospital, where the football team sat solemnly. Ever since Coach had woken us up and told us the news, I couldn't help but cry.

Jean was sat in a corner beside Emma, so I followed Coach over, enveloping them both in a comforting hug. I was unsure what to say, so I stayed silent. After releasing them, I waked back over to the door, where I'd left Alan. I sat down on his lap, beside Blue, who sat in the chair next to us, as there were no seats left. My eyes were red and puffy, and I could feel tears threatening to form in my eyes.

"Have you heard anything, Blue? Is he gonna be okay?" I asked, choking down a sob.

"We ain't heard nothin', baby. He's gonna be okay, he's still asleep." Blue said, tears brimming his eyes also.

I held Blue's hand in mine, resting my head against Alan's, who had barely said a word since we'd been told.

Gerry had been hit by a truck, and he was seriously injured. The nurse hadn't told us what injuries he had yet, but they were bad. Real bad.

I looked up as the door opened, and in walked Julius. I looked up at him, smiling sadly. I hesitated for a moment, but rose from Alan's lap, pulling Julius into a hug. Tears welled in my eyes, and I noticed that Julius had already began to cry, so I let go, and the two of us cried silently into each other's arms, until Coach Boone walked over.

"How you doin'?" He asked, putting a hand on each of our shoulders.

"How is he? Is he gonna be okay?" I asked, tasting the saltiness of my tears as they dripped into my mouth.

"He ain't all right? He all right?" Julius asked, an arm still around me.

"He's, uh.." Coach trailed off, unsure whether it was his place to tell us.

"Coach." I said, watching him expectantly, "You gotta tell us, is he okay?"

"How is he doing?" Julius asked, when Coach stayed silent.

Coach shook his head, squeezing our arms comfortingly, "Not too good. Not too good."

"How well is he doing? How bad is it?" Julius repeated, not satisfied with his answer.

Boone bowed his head, "He's paralysed from the waist down."

I felt my heart plummet, and smash into a million pieces. Gerry was paralysed?! All of a sudden I couldn't breathe, the only thing I could hear was the thundering of my heart, beating rapidly in my chest. It felts as though I was trapped in a bubble, floating higher and higher into the atmosphere, unable to breath, unable to scream and cry for help. How could this happen to him? Gerry didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve any of it. I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, I could barely see Coach, who stood in front of me.

Suddenly, as if snapping back into reality, I pulled myself out of his grasp, and stumbled back to Alan, throwing myself in his arms. I curled into him, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. A river of tears flowed down my face, soaking his shirt. My body racked with sobs, that I fought to keep silent.

How could this happen? How could Gerry's life be put on hold like this? All of his dreams were now impossible. He was such a talented player, and now, he would never be able to play again.

Blue tried to talk to me, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I stayed sat in Alan's lap, hiding myself until we were allowed to go in and see Gerry. Even then, I had to be coerced by Jean to get out of Alan's arms. Part of me felt guilty for reacting this way, as if I were taking this situation and making it all about me. But in that moment, I didn't care. Gerry would never, ever play football again. Ever.