USWNT - One Shots

O'Solo - Don't Leave Me

*I apologize in advance for this*

Hope and Kelley has been married for almost 2 years, both veteran stars on the USWNT. Hope is ready for retirement after their next friendly, as the two wants to start a family together.

Setting: Seconds after Kelley gets the worst news of her life.

**

Kelley dropped the phone from her hand. She couldn't believe the words the woman on the other end was saying. After 'accident' and 'severe damage', the rest of the words blurred together, before the phone smashed against the hard wooden floor.
Kelley was in shock for what felt like minutes passing, but in reality she reacted seconds later. She grabbed the car keys from the counter on the way out the front door, not caring to remember to lock up after. As she jumped in the car, her thoughts clouded. She knew she shouldn't be driving in this state, but all she had in mind was getting to Hope in time.

Kelley rushed throw the hospital doors, jogging as fast as her shaken legs could carry her. She was still unable to process where she was heading or what she was doing, just letting her instincts guide her in the direction of the front desk. She managed to get a few words out,
"I'm here for O'Hara-Solo." She spoke, voice trembling under her breath. The receptionist asked if she was immediate family, and Kelley was able to nod while mumbling out 'wife'. She quickly lost concentration on the conversation after that, as reality started to hit her.
The nurse pointed towards the waiting room, but Kelley couldn't sit down. A doctor came up to her moments later, forcing Kelley to focus.
"There was a collision between Mrs. O'Hara-Solo's car and a truck. The damage to your wife's car was tremendous, there wasn't much we could do during the operation." The doctor's words all mixed together into a blur in Kelley's mind. "Is she-" Kelley needed to know, but was too afraid to ask the question.
"She's in a coma, not able to breath by herself. Organs have started to fail on her, and I think you should prepare to say your goodbyes." He spoke with sorrowful words, causing Kelley to feel her heart sink in her chest.
"Can I see her?" Four words left her mouth, as she wasn't able to process the advice. The doctor nodded, and guided Kelley throw corridors. "Is there anyone else you'd want me to call for this?" He spoke up, as he stopped in front of a door. Kelley took a deep breath.
It has always been just the two of them. The great power couple beating all odds to be together, ups and downs all worth it in the end.
"Carli." Her wife's best friend's name fell from her lips. "You need to call Carli Lloyd." Kelley said again, before entering the room.

The white in the room stood out, almost blending Kelley as she took her first step in. Walls, floor, curtains, all in white. Her eyes then wandered to the bed, all the machines and tubes surrounding the now seemingly small body on the bed.
For the first time in her life, Kelley felt the fierce goalkeeper being helpless. She looked small and broken, covered in bruises and cuts.
The sight was completely devastating to watch and Kelley wasn't sure what to do next. Her wife, the love of her life was lying there so vulnerable and she knew all to well that the great Hope Solo would never want anyone to see her like this. She always wants to be seen as the badass woman that she pretends to be, though Kelley had broken that years ago.
Hope, the most loving and genuine person she knew, just had a hard time letting people in. Kelley never gave her a choice, and for that Hope was always grateful.

Kelley swallowed hard as she approached the bed, the beeping sound causing her to panic more inside each time. The memories they shared together over the years came rushing through her clouded mind, as she stopped next to the bed. It wasn't more than a few steps to get there, but Kelley felt she had taken forever to get over to the side of the bed.
She reached for Hope's hand, feeling it was still warm and familiar. The touch of her wife, even through the tube on her finger, brought oceans of emotions to Kelley.
It reminded her of the times Hope's touch made everything better, how she made the best and worst moments in Kelley's life worth remembering.
Like that time in the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Kelley fouled near the penalty area, causing a dangerous free kick. She felt she had let the whole team down, beating herself up, when right before the whistle Hope had ran over to Kelley, way off her line, and hugged her. The older goalkeeper had held on so tight that Kelley felt the hug alone could put her back together. It spoke more than a thousand words, and after Hope saved the ball, Kelley scored on the counterattack.
Or the time they had been at their last day of a national camp, and the whole team went out to dinner. Hope had been able to sneak Kelley away from the rest on the walk home, taking her to the beach to watch the sunset. As they had goofed around and eventually ended up both soaking wet in the water, Hope had mumbled the words that would forever remain with Kelley as the favorite ones to leave Hope's lips. Two small words slipping in the heat of the moment, but meaning so much more.
"Marry me." Hope had smiled, sounding more calm than ever. Kelley had looked confused, needing the older woman to repeat herself in order for her to understand.
Hope always makes the best out of every moment, living life to the fullest. She's often misunderstood as rebellious, but she's just spontaneous and so passionate about everything she does.

Kelley needed that in her life, and she refused to believe that the fighter she was now facing would just give up like this. Hope Solo wasn't one to quit. The beeping sound in the room remained constant.
"You're not leaving me." Kelley begun to whisper towards the lifeless body on the bed. The body with the face and hands of her wife, but somehow didn't seem as familiar. The ocean-blue eyes and the warm smile, the fierce look of concentration, all these things were lacking. She wasn't even breathing on her own.
"Hope," Kelley's voice broke under her breath, as she was now feeling a tear fall from her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
"You're the one that always wipe away my tears, you're making me do that myself now?" Kelley spoke again, trying to make the crying stop. When she realized she wasn't in control, she simply let them fall from her eyes.
"I told you just last night that I'm so proud of you for all you've accomplished, but also who you've become as a person. That I can't wait to start a family with you, and how right I think the decision of retirement is for us. We're at the peak of our adventure together, Hope. You can't walk away now. The best part is yet to come, I wanna grow old with you." Kelley was sobbing into her words at this point, letting her head fall down on the bed. She had bent down next to it, still holding on to Hope's hand with all she had in her.

The beeping sound dropped, in unison with Kelley's heartbeat. She thought for a second she maybe touched something she shouldn't be near, or that it was in her imagination, but before she could react more to the situation the room was occupied with doctors. A man pushed Kelley away from the bed, before a nurse took a hold on her shoulders and pulled her further back from the bed.
"You can't be in here." Kelley heard some words in the back of her mind, but her focus was solely on her wife getting cleared and shocked on the bed. Doctors were yelling orders, as well as concerns for who she was.
"We cannot let Hope Solo die on our watch, the woman is a legend." One said, sounding overly nervous. Kelley was frozen in her spot, seeing the monitor still show nothing but a flat line.
"Someone get her out of here." Another doctor pointed towards Kelley, yelling frustrated towards the nurses. Kelley had to be physically removed from the room, not leaving on her own terms. After getting out, she felt the panic.
Her breath was rapid and unsteady, she had to hold herself up against the wall. A couple nurses helped her stand up, but Kelley pushed them away.

"Time of death 4:23pm." Kelley heard the words from inside the door moments after, now collapsing to the floor.
"Kelley." A familiar, though severely weakened, voice spoke up between all the blur and Kelley looked up to see Carli bending down in front of her. The former national team captain didn't need anyone to tell her what had happened, Kelley's face said it all.
She didn't say anything, just opened her arms and let the younger woman break down in her arms. They both had no idea in that moment how to go on without their best friend.