Mollie was having the time of her life at the Charity Match.
First of all, after JJ was fouled and did one of his long, excessive rolls, Simon held up his hands as JJ moved to a sitting position.
Everyone quietened, as if they thought he'd try to shout something.
Then, suddenly, a single person came running out of the tunnel, carrying a red first aid box. The crowd saw the brown hair flying after them, the adidas red windbreaker she always wore, and went wild. The cameras for the large tv's zoomed in to make sure there was no doubt it was Mollie.
Lau smiled to herself from her seat in the YouTube Allstars box.
Mollie knelt down next to JJ, helped pull him to his feet, and ran back off again. The crowd, if possible, roared louder.
All this cheering, all this applause, for her.
She couldn't quite believe it.
★
Of course, Mollie had to do more than just pretend to help people. On the sideline, when Tobi was subbed off, she was taking a look at his ankle because it was aching a bit; and she was right there for Gib's black eye to help him.
More than the others, who seemed to take so long dawdling over to Joel that she beat them running from the dugouts.
She popped his shoulder back in, as well, in the quiet of the changing room.
Mollie started to bandage his shoulder up. "You know I'd say that you can't play, but you're going to go back on no matter what I say, so please, be careful."
Joel nodded, sending her a small smile. He didn't really know the girl but trusted her advice, and the fact that she was a reliable on side physiotherapist, despite how she was dressed.
It wasn't just her gentle hands and her expertise eye. It wasn't just her good training. She was more than a robot – she was someone who understood what it felt like to sit on the sidelines and watch when you want to do anything but. She was someone who seemed to know her patients, and connect with them.
Maybe this was all because she knew them personally, though.
"Thank you." He said, trying to put how grateful he was into his voice.
She heard it, and she understood. She smiled widely, showing teeth, and stood up.
Mollie gave a small grunt of pain and leant against Joel a bit. She held her knee.
"Are you okay??" He asked her urgently.
"Of course," Mollie reassured, not wanting to tell someone she didn't really know as well as the others that her knee had been sending sharp jolts at her all day. Ever since last night when she'd broken the heel of her shoe.
She didn't want anything to get in the way of today. So Mollie smiled and continued walking back towards the pitch, beckoning Joel to follow so as to not miss out on any more of the chaos.
And maybe that's why she understood: because she related to it on a personal level and didn't want injuries to get in her way again.
Even if it was affecting her as well.
★
@smol:
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