Can't promise you the world, but... (A Rohit-Shreyas Fanfiction)

Chapter 6

Present

9th March 2023

"Shreyas, can I borrow your--" Rahul burst into Shreyas' room on the morning of the 4th Test and stopped. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," said Shreyas quickly.

"What is that for?" demanded Rahul, striding up to force open Shreyas' hands. "I didn't know you were taking injections."

"That was the purpose," said Shreyas. "Nobody else knows, so hold your tongue, will you?"

"What is wrong with you? I mean--what is this for?"

"Just that irritating back spasm keeps returning. It's so annoying, I can't keep missing matches for it--"

"Did Nitin sir say you could play on analgesics?" Rahul asked suspiciously.

"No, but I got these from my physio at the NCA." Shreyas conveniently avoided mentioning that his physio at the NCA had given him those injections when he'd been at the NCA, not when he was supposed to be playing.

Rahul frowned at him for a bit, but after 5 rest days since the last Test, Shreyas looked quite healthy and the mention of the physio seemed to have convinced Rahul.

"I think you should mention it to Rohit or Virat, though," he said dubiously.

"I don't want Virat bhaiya to go overprotective," said Shreyas significantly. "He'll make me feel like an invalid."

"Yes, he will," admitted Rahul. "But tell Rohit, then, he doesn't--"

"We have to leave for the stadium in a couple of minutes anyway," broke in Shreyas. "I don't want to make a fuss right now. What did you come to borrow, by the way?"

Rahul couldn't help but give in to the rather forceful topic change.

__________________

Shreyas had not foreseen that his back might've got twenty times worse in the past five days. He'd thought he'd given it enough rest, it would be okay...

But the first two sessions on the field that was pure torture. India was bowling, and the sun was blazing overhead. Each time the pacers had a spell, Shreyas stood at the slips, with his back half-bent and groaning inside his head. He waited for Ash and Jaddu to come on so he could go on the circle for a bit, but Rohit decided on a silly point and Shubman wouldn't budge from the outfield, so Rohit turned to Shreyas, and paused.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You look kind of peaky, Shreyas."

"Do I? I don't feel at all peaky."

Shreyas didn't dare look at Rohit bhaiya directly in the eye when he nodded and went to take his position.

__________________

It took all of Shreyas' willpower to return to the field after lunch. His back must have used up all his willpower by the time tea came around. 

Four days to go even after he made it alive through the last session today. Unless they won by four days. Or three.

Two days were left at the very least after the coming session.

Shreyas slipped off to the dressing room to take another shot of painkillers. He hadn't noticed Rahul following him till his voice came, laced with suspicion.

"Are you supposed to take them twice the same day?  Did your physio say so?"

"No, I suppose," said Shreyas, tiredly. "I'm improvising a bit."

"Shreyas," said Rahul. "You can barely walk."

"No, I can definitely walk, I can field, too."

"What are you doing? You're clearly not fit to play--don't take the damn injection, do you think it's magic or something?"

Shreyas took it anyway.

"Fine, if you won't listen to me, I'll tell Virat--" Rahul turned to storm out and came face to face with Kuldeep. "Kul, look what the idiot's doing. Keep him here till I call Virat."

"What are you doing?" Kuldeep asked Shreyas, who sighed deeply as Rahul disappeared down the stairs.

Of course, Shreyas was not allowed to return to the field. Virat bhaiya was horrified at what Rahul had told him--exaggerating it tenfold, Shreyas could bet--and he declared they'd play a substitute and Shreyas was to return to the hotel with Nitin sir for scans.

Mostly, Shreyas was annoyed at Rahul for ruining his chance to play the final Test, but an honest part of him was glad, too, not just because he could finally let himself stop the torture, but also because Rahul had gone for Virat bhaiya and not Rohit bhaiya.

___________________

By the time the team returned to the hotel after the day's play, the scans had been done, and Nitin sir was awaiting the results.

Shreyas knew it wouldn't be anything good, at any rate.

Rohit bhaiya came to his room first, straight from the bus, apparently, because he'd forgotten to put his kitbag down in the reception.

"Have you lost the remaining braincell, too, Yas?" he said crossly. "Even if you want to play the hero, telling Nitin sir was the least you should've done."

"I should have said earlier," said Shreyas stiffly. "I'm sorry you have to play with ten players."

Rohit bhaiya brushed that off with a roll of his eyes.

"Like that's the issue here." He finally remembered he didn't need to lug the kitbag everywhere he went, and lowered it down to the floor and went over to Shreyas. "Where does it hurt? D'you think it's the same problem from January?"

"I think so."

Rohit bhaiya sat down beside him and rubbed his back gently. Shreyas stayed still, head bowed.

"Don't worry," said Rohit bhaiya, and continued, like he was reading Shreyas' mind, or at least a part of it, "Nothing's incurable. We got past your shoulder injury, we'll get past this, too."

We. We.

"Missing one Test isn't the end of the world, Yas, stop looking like it is. And it's good the World Cup is late this year..."

Just look at the hypocrite, Shreyas thought nastily. Imagine how I'd have fallen for this hypocrisy a few months back!

"Yeah," he said.

"Moreover, count yourself lucky," said Rohit bhaiya.

"Why?"

"That me and Virat are keeping the telling off for later. What were you thinking, playing on injections without consulting anyone?"

"My physio at the NCA..."

"Yeah, I hear you fooled Rahul with that story. Well, I talked to your physio at the NCA and it turns out you last spoke to him when you were at the NCA, so don't give me that nonsense." Rohit bhaiya's voice softened almost immediately. "But as I said, we're keeping the telling-off for later. Once you're better, Yas."

More of their teammates came in; Shreyas wondered if Rohit bhaiya had boarded the first bus all by himself. He might have, and he didn't seem to register he'd spent nine hours on the field and needed to freshen up or eat; he kept sitting with his arm around Shreyas till the results of the scans came.