Matilda's Imagines

We'll catch you. Every time.

Being 18, a junior physio, and surrounded by world-class athletes made Y/n feel like she was always two steps behind. Add narcolepsy to the mix, and some days felt impossible. Unpredictable sleep attacks, cataplexy when her emotions spiked too high, and a constant mental fog made everything harder.

But the Matildas didn't just tolerate her.

They wrapped her in bubble wrap and called it love.

⸻

Morning Routine (With Backup)

Y/n was already halfway through her usual tasks when Katrina "Mini" Gorry found her standing completely still in the middle of the locker room, her hands full of tape and scissors.

"Y/n?"

No response.

Mini walked closer and gently took the supplies from her hands. Y/n's eyes were open, but glazed—lost in a microsleep.

Mini sighed and softly touched her shoulder. "Sweetheart, time to wake up."

Y/n blinked herself back to reality, swaying a little. "Oh. Uh... how long?"

"Not long. Two minutes, maybe," Mini said gently. "Come sit. You need a snack and something cold."

Y/n sighed. "I didn't even feel it coming."

"I know," Mini said, guiding her to the bench like she'd done a dozen times. "That's why we're here. You don't have to catch yourself alone."

Kyra Cooney-Cross burst in, hair a mess, boot in hand. "Did our narcoleptic gremlin fall asleep standing again?"

"Absolutely not a gremlin," Y/n said with a pout.

"Could've fooled me," Kyra grinned, dropping a protein bar into her lap. "You want me to tape your name to your snacks again?"

"Maybe," Y/n mumbled, already tearing into it.

⸻

Training Field Incident

Y/n was on the edge of the field during warmups, watching Caitlin Foord stretch when she laughed—loud, bright, and genuine. The moment was perfect.

Until her knees buckled.

Caitlin noticed immediately. "Y/n!"

Kyra sprinted over, catching her just before she hit the grass. Her body had gone loose, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"It's cataplexy," Caitlin said, crouching next to her. "She laughed too hard again."

"Typical," Kyra muttered, brushing hair away from Y/n's face. "Even your sense of humor's trying to take you out."

A minute later, Y/n groaned, eyes fluttering open. "Please tell me I didn't go down again."

"You did," Macca—Mackenzie Arnold—called as she jogged over with an umbrella for shade. "Gracefully, though. Like a sleepy ballerina."

"I need to stop finding things funny," Y/n mumbled.

"Impossible," Caitlin grinned. "You're too easily entertained."

Mini arrived, kneeling beside her and checking her pulse, cool and in control as always. "You okay?"

"Just tired. It was a short one."

Mini sighed but smiled. "That's why you've got a team. Let's go rest for a bit, yeah?"

⸻

Later in the Day: Nap Watch

Y/n had a system: scheduled naps in the recovery room with a weighted blanket, eye mask, and noise-canceling headphones.

But it didn't always go as planned.

That afternoon, Kyra found her fast asleep on the physio table, one shoe still half on, an ice pack sliding off a player's ankle nearby.

Kyra grinned, took a photo for future blackmail, and then gently lifted Y/n's legs onto the table. "Sleepyhead forgot to finish the job again," she muttered fondly.

Katrina showed up a moment later. "Where is—ah."

She paused, taking in the scene: Kyra covering Y/n with a hoodie, Caitlin returning the ice pack, and Alana waiting nearby with Y/n's meds.

"She's lucky she's got us," Mini said quietly, brushing a hand through Y/n's hair.

"She's got more than luck," Macca said. "She's got love."

⸻

That Night: Hotel Crash

They were halfway through a movie in the hotel common room when Y/n's head dropped onto Caitlin's shoulder mid-conversation.

No warning. Just out like a light.

Caitlin smiled and paused the movie. "Down again."

"Microsleep?" Alana asked.

"Yeah," Caitlin whispered. "She was trying to stay up for this."

Macca got up quietly and brought over a blanket, tucking it around her. "She's gonna hate missing the ending."

"Then we'll watch it again," Mini said, voice quiet as she sat next to Y/n and gently pulled her into her lap. "She misses enough. She won't miss this."

⸻

Y/n's Notebook

Back in her room, long after she was safely tucked in by Mini, Y/n flipped through her notebook before sleep.

On one page, she'd scribbled:
• Take meds
• Nap when scheduled
• Don't fight cataplexy—laugh, then rest

Underneath, someone had added in Kyra's handwriting:
"Fall asleep as much as you want. We'll catch you. Every time."

Y/n smiled sleepily, eyes already closing again.