CROSSING LINES

CHAPTER 3

Chloe felt her body growing lighter as she walked toward Jobe in the parking lot. The adrenaline from the game was finally wearing off, leaving her feeling drained and slightly dizzy. Jobe smiled and waved her over, but just as she was about to reach him, her vision blurred, and the ground seemed to tilt beneath her. Everything went black.

"Chloe!" Jobe shouted, his smile vanishing in an instant as he sprinted toward her. He reached her just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. "Chloe, wake up!" he called, gently tapping her cheek. Panic set in when she didn't respond. Without a second thought, he scooped her up and carried her to his car, his heart racing.

He laid her carefully across the back seat, buckled her in, and sped toward the nearest hospital. As he drove, he kept glancing back at her pale face, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Hold on, Chloe. Please hold on," he murmured, pressing the accelerator harder.

At the Hospital...

Jobe burst through the emergency room doors, carrying Chloe in his arms. "Help! I need help here!" he shouted, his voice urgent.

Two nurses rushed over with a gurney. "What happened?" one of them asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Jobe quickly explained, "She had a nosebleed earlier during a football match, but now she fainted. I think she's lost a lot of blood."

The nurses nodded and swiftly transferred Chloe onto the gurney, wheeling her away toward the ER. Jobe tried to follow, but a nurse held him back. "Stay here. We'll take care of her."

He nodded, swallowing hard, and watched as Chloe disappeared behind the double doors. He began pacing the hallway, anxiety tightening his chest. A doctor approached him, a serious expression on his face.

"Are you family?" the doctor asked.

Jobe hesitated. "Uh, no... but I'm her boyfriend," he blurted out, desperate to stay informed.

The doctor nodded, accepting the explanation. "Alright, I'll need you to sign a few consent forms."

As Jobe scribbled his name on the papers, his hands shook. When the doctor left, he pulled out his phone and called Denise, Jude, and Mark, his voice tense as he relayed the news.

Denise's voice cracked with worry. "What do you mean she fainted? Is she going to be okay?"

Jobe tried to stay calm. "I don't know, Denise. They're running tests right now. I'll keep you updated."

Jude, on the other hand, was frantic. "Why the hell did she faint? Did they say anything yet?"

"No, Jude," Jobe answered, his voice strained. "They just took her in. I told them I was her boyfriend to stay close, so I could know what's going on."

Mark spoke up, his tone was stern but worried. "Stay with her, Jobe. Keep us posted."

Jobe nodded, even though they couldn't see him. "I will, I promise."

A few minutes later, Jude arrived at the hospital, but as he approached the reception, he was stopped by a nurse. "You can't go in; only family is allowed."

Frustrated, Jude called Jobe. "I'm here, but they won't let me in," he said, his voice tight with worry. "I already called Kylian. He should be on his way."

Kylian's POV...

Kylian had been relaxing at home when his phone buzzed. He picked it up, and his heart sank as he read the message from Jude: Chloe's in the hospital. She fainted after the match. Get here ASAP.