Saving U(S)

Chapter Nine

The USWNT was having trouble sleeping.

Kelley sat on the edge in of the bed in the hotel room staring blankly at the wall.

It was well past midnight, but she couldn't fall asleep. Not now, and probably not ever. At least, until Hope came back.

She felt numb. She knew she was angry, and sad, and all that, but somehow, she couldn't feel it. Was that okay?

Since Kelley had broken the other room's door, she was rooming with Moe, who was fast asleep in her own bed, snoring softly. Jealousy pricked at the edge of Kelley's mind as she noticed how peaceful Moe looked.

Sigh.

Kelley pushed herself off the bed, walked to the window and stared out at the busy streets below. By now, they should've been in Hawaii, surfing the waves and collecting shells on the beach, but no. They were still here, in gray and dreary Houston, Texas.

Absentmindedly, Kelley began to hum Echo, by Jason Walker.

I'm out on the edge, and I'm screaming my name
Like a fool at the top of my lungs.
Sometimes when I close my eyes, I pretend I'm alright
But it's never enough...
'Cause my echo, echo
Is the only voice coming back
Shadow, shadow
Is the only friend that I have...

Kelley wiped away a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.

Feeling nothing is horrible, she thought to herself. Feeling is part of being human...

Kelley didn't know it, but Moe was actually wide awake, too.

Moe was no doubt the smallest and youngest player on the team. At 5ft 7, she wasn't short, but weighed a lot less than most soccer players, at only 123. Body insecurities were starting to get to her as she was frustrated that weight training wasn't exactly helping.

In another room, Ashlyn Harris was staring out the window from the bed, her back to her girlfriend. She didn't really want to admit that she was scared; she was supposed to be tough and, at times, a bit insensitive. But all that was going on around her- Tobin being kidnapped, Hope being transferred to a mental hospital, and  Christen on the verge of death- was driving her to the point of fear. She was supposed to be the strong, brave keeper, the one to carry the world on her shoulders.

But as she lay silently in the bed, the thought of what was happening to Tobin and Alex was starting to get to her. Ashlyn was scared the same thing might happen to Ali.

Ali was also awake, but not worrying. She thought of how strong Christen and Julie were- how Christen was there for Julie in her agony, and how Julie was there for Christen in what might be her last days. The two girls were so young and had gone through so much together, strengthening their bond. It was truly inspiring.

In another part of the hotel, Alex was completely conscious, Servando's arm draped across her side. She was so torn between him and Tobin. Yes, he was her husband, and she, no doubt, loved him to hell's end, but Tobin was so much more to her. She was her best friend, and she loved her like no other.

Life just won't make it easy, Alex thought, sadly.

Julie had stayed with Christen in her hospital room, the striker's arms wrapped around her waist. The two women were both still awake, staring into each other's eyes, but not saying a word. They knew if they did, they'd probably break down in tears.

Tobin, too, found it hard to sleep, laying on her bunk in her cell. Her wounds didn't hurt as bad now, but they were untreated and would most likely get infected.

She wished so badly to be free of this torture, to be back in Alex's arms where she belonged.

Tobin closed her eyes, but sleep would not come, no matter how hard she tried.

"God," she whispered, eyes moist with tears. "Please... Please help me..."

Every USWNT player lay awake, unable to sleep, except for one.

The doctors and psychiatrists observed Hope as she kicked and screamed in her sleep, trying to figure out what could be going on inside the goalkeeper's head. They had never seen anything like this, and we're trying everything they could to cure the demons in her head, but in the end, they realized that they were helpless. Hope would need to defeat her demons all by herself.