𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 • Paige Bueckers

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐬

"HEY NAILEA I know you're going to be discharged today so I just wanted to come in and do a couple of tests if you're okay with that?" The doctor asked the girl

"Yeah that's fine" she replied with a smile, she was just ready to get back home

After around 20 minutes everything had been going fine.

"Now Nailea could you just flex your leg for me please?" The doctor asked

Nailea complied as she sat up to do so

The doctor's brows furrowed however as he observed Nailea's discomfort while attempting to bend her leg. The task that should have been simple was proving to be impossible, and the pain that flashed across her face was telling. The slight ache she had confessed to was clearly more than just a minor inconvenience.

"This isn't good," the doctor mumbled, more to himself than to Nailea, as he elevated her leg and administered something into her IV line. Nailea watched him, her anxiety rising like the tide. She could read the concern in his eyes, and it mirrored the fear that started to grow in her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice a mix of worry and pain.

He didn't respond immediately, focusing instead on the task at hand. After a few minutes, as the medication began to work, the swelling started to subside, and so did the pain. The doctor finally met her gaze, his expression softened.

"Nailea, it looks like there was a hidden flare-up, probably a delayed reaction from the stress put on your leg during the game," he explained, his tone serious but calm. "It's nothing we can't manage, but I need to know—have you had any issues with medication in the past? Any history of drug reactions or abuse?"

The question hit Nailea like a physical blow, transporting her back to a darker time. She closed her eyes, and the memory enveloped her:

She was back in her old home, the air thick with the scent of anger and fear. Her parents' voices were a cacophony of rage, the words indistinguishable but the hostility painfully clear. The shattering of a plate pierced the night as her father's aim turned from her mother to her, the porcelain grazing her neck and leaving a stinging cut in its wake.

Her father's fury didn't subside with the broken dish; it only grew, directed now at Nailea for her intervention. The night spiraled into a whirlwind of shouting, each accusation more hurtful than the last.

In the solitude of her room, the pain became too much to bear. The pills—she remembered thinking—would silence the noise, numb the hurt. But as the drugs took hold, the escape she sought felt more like a prison.

That's when Caitlin found her, her eyes wide with terror and care. "Nailea, no, what have you done," Caitlin had cried, her voice breaking as she knelt beside her. With trembling hands, Caitlin had pulled Nailea over the toilet, as she urged the pills out of Nailea's system. The memory of Caitlin's desperation, her pleas for Nailea to stay with her, was a sharp contrast to the coldness of her father's anger.

Opening her eyes, Nailea was back in the hospital room, her past laid bare by the doctor's question. She exhaled a shaky breath and met the doctor's gaze. "Yes," she whispered, the admission a weight lifted and yet a new burden in itself.

The doctor nodded, understanding the gravity of her response. "We need to be careful with the medication then. We have nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can help with the swelling, but they come with their own risks—nausea, dizziness, an altered state of mind. It's important to only use them when necessary, and given your history, we'll need to hand the prescription to a guardian or relative."

Nailea nodded, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. The doctor's caution was a reminder of her vulnerability, but also of her strength—she had survived that night with Caitlin's help, and she would navigate this challenge too.

With instructions to return later with a guardian for the prescription, Nailea exited the hospital, she braced herself for the sight of her parents, their faces clouded with worry or, worse, locked in another of their never-ending arguments. But instead, there stood Paige, a beacon of calm amidst the chaos of her life. The sight of her was like a warm embrace, and Nailea found herself gravitating towards her, the hug they shared melting away some of the tension that had built up inside her.

The car ride was silent at first, Nailea's mind too full of thoughts to initiate conversation. She noticed that they were not heading towards school, but Paige's reassuring presence made her hold back her questions. When she finally did ask where they were going, Paige's cryptic reply only piqued her curiosity further.

The car came to a halt, and Paige's instructions to close her eyes had Nailea feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. The feeling of Paige's hand in hers was electric, sending a current through her that she couldn't quite understand. Nailea chuckled at the secrecy of it all, but her heart fluttered with excitement.

"Where are we going?" she asked, the smile evident in her voice.

"We're almost... there," Paige replied, her tone filled with an unspoken promise.

When Paige encouraged her to open her eyes, Nailea was greeted with a sight that took her breath away. They stood at the edge of a secluded beach, where the gentle waves whispered secrets to the shore. The sky was a canvas of soft pastel hues, painting the perfect backdrop to the tranquil scene. The breeze carried the salty tang of the ocean, and the sand beneath their feet was cool, untouched.

"Paige, this place looks beautiful," Nailea murmured, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Yeah, it does," Paige said, but her gaze was fixed on Nailea, a softness in her eyes that mirrored the serenity of the surroundings.

Nailea turned to look at Paige, and something shifted inside her. Paige's attention was like a warm ray of sunlight, breaking through the clouds of Nailea's troubled thoughts. The intensity of Paige's stare was both unnerving and exhilarating, and Nailea found herself lost in the depth of it.

"Why are we here?" Nailea finally asked, the question more a whisper against the symphony of the ocean.

Paige took a deep breath, her hand still holding Nailea's, a lifeline anchoring them together. "I thought you could use a break from everything. Just for a little while," she said, her voice carrying the weight of understanding. "And I wanted to give you something beautiful to focus on... something other than pain and stress."

Nailea's heart swelled, and she squeezed Paige's hand in gratitude. "Thank you," she said, the words inadequate to express the storm of emotions she felt.

They stood side by side, the outside world fading away until there was nothing but the sound of the waves, the call of seabirds, and the undeniable connection that pulsed between them. In this secluded corner of the world, Nailea found a sanctuary, a place where the memories of her past and the uncertainties of her future could not reach her. She was here, now, with Paige, and for the moment, that was more than enough.

AN:

JUST TO RANT LIKE HOW YALL FEEL ABOUT UCONN VS IOWA SEMI FINALS TDY CAUSE PERSONALLY, ONLY THING I GAINED WAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

(I love Iowa nd all but them refs r bs. Not saying Iowa played badly js saying The refs calls were stupid and the rode Iowa to the finals  period🤷🏽‍♀️)