Matilda's Imagines

Crutches ...

It was an intense match against a fierce opponent, and the crowd roared as the Matildas fought tooth and nail to keep their lead. Y/n was playing her heart out, her energy buzzing as she darted across the field. Her ADHD often made it hard to focus, but on the pitch, everything clicked. Her team was her anchor, and soccer was her solace.

But then it happened.

She went in for a challenge, her eyes locked on the ball, when an opposing player's foot caught her ankle awkwardly. The force sent her sprawling to the ground, pain shooting up her leg. The whistle blew, and Y/n clutched her ankle, trying not to cry as a wave of nausea rolled over her.

"Y/n!" Kyra's voice cut through the noise as she sprinted over. Mini wasn't far behind, her face etched with worry.

"Don't move," Mini instructed, crouching down beside her.

"I'm fine," Y/n said through gritted teeth, her voice trembling.

Mini gave her a look that silenced any argument. "You're not fine. Let's get you checked out."

The medical team carefully carried Y/n off the field, and her teammates hovered nearby, their worry palpable.

The diagnosis was a sprained ankle and a small hairline fracture. Y/n would be on crutches for the next eight weeks, and while the injury wasn't severe, the news hit her hard.

"I can't play for eight weeks?" she groaned, slumping against the couch in the team's lounge.

"Nope," Mini said firmly, handing her an ice pack. "And you're going to rest. Doctor's orders."

Y/n groaned again, flopping dramatically. "I'm going to lose my mind."

"Oh, we're well aware," Kyra teased, plopping down next to her. "You, on crutches, with all that energy? This is gonna be interesting."

Macca smirked. "Anyone want to start a betting pool on how long it takes her to break something else?"

"Not funny!" Y/n protested, though she couldn't help but laugh.

The first week was rough. Y/n struggled to sit still, her ADHD making it impossible to focus on books or TV for more than a few minutes. She was constantly fidgeting, bouncing the tip of one crutch against the floor until Mini confiscated it.

"Y/n," Mini said one afternoon, her tone equal parts amused and exasperated, "you have to slow down. You're going to trip over your crutches if you keep swinging them around like that."

"I'm bored!" Y/n whined, flopping onto the couch dramatically.

"Well, find something to do that doesn't involve injuring yourself further," Mini replied, ruffling her hair.

It didn't take long for the inevitable chaos to unfold.

During a team dinner, Y/n tried to carry her plate of food while balancing on her crutches, only to lose her grip and send spaghetti flying across the room.

"Okay, no more carrying plates," Alana declared, handing Y/n a napkin as the team laughed.

Another time, Y/n attempted to race Kyra down the hallway on her crutches. She tripped halfway through, sending both of them crashing into a laundry cart.

Mini found them tangled in a pile of towels, her hands on her hips. "You're lucky you didn't break anything else."

"It was Kyra's fault!" Y/n protested.

Kyra snorted. "Yeah, sure. Blame me."

Despite the chaos, the team rallied around Y/n, making sure she felt supported. Caitlin helped her with stretches to keep her muscles from getting too stiff, while Alana brought her snacks during downtime.

Mini, true to her role as the team's mom, made sure Y/n was following the doctor's orders, even when Y/n pushed back.

"You're not invincible, Y/n," Mini said one evening when Y/n tried to skip icing her ankle. "If you don't take care of yourself now, it's going to take even longer to heal."

Y/n sighed but nodded, settling back with the ice pack. "Thanks, Mini."

"Anytime, kiddo."

By the end of the eight weeks, Y/n was more than ready to ditch the crutches. But as frustrating as the experience had been, it also reminded her how much her team cared about her.

"You survived," Kyra teased as Y/n took her first unassisted steps at practice.

"Barely," Y/n shot back with a grin.

"And we survived you on crutches," Macca added, earning a laugh from the group.

Mini watched from the sidelines, a small smile on her face. Despite the chaos, Y/n had handled her injury with more resilience than she gave herself credit for.

"Back to work, everyone," Mini called, clapping her hands. "And Y/n, no more racing down hallways. Got it?"

Y/n grinned. "Got it."

But they all knew it was only a matter of time before her boundless energy led to another adventure—or disaster. And honestly? They wouldn't have it any other way.