Rigid Crow

Dazed and Confused

"Sh-Shōyō?" Nishinoya asks, leaning over our teammate's rigid body. After what seems like forever, though it only could've been a few seconds, Hinata opens his eyes and slowly pushes himself to an upright position, his other hand rubbing the back of his head.
Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei run onto the court to where Hinata and Noya are sitting, while I'm still frozen in place. Ukai looks at a loss for words, and a bit dumbfounded. I can tell just by his expression that he has next to no medical experience. Takeda-sensei, on the other hand, crouches next to Hinata and begins to ask him questions.
"Hinata," he starts, "do you feel alright?"
Hinata looks around for a second, then comes to his senses. "...Yeah. I'm fine." He laughs awkwardly. I'd even go out on a limb and say he's slightly embarrassed. "I just fell, that's all. Happens all the time."
My worry goes away, as does Takeda-sensei's when he exhales in relief, though he doesn't let his guard down. "You did hit your head pretty hard, though," he tells Hinata in a serious tone. "It's proper regulation that we take you out for a little while, just to make sure you're okay."
"Uhwaaah?!" Hinata yelps, struggling to his feet. "I'm fine, really, Takeda-sensei!"
"I know, Hinata, but please. The quicker we take you out and make sure you're fine, the quicker we can put you back in," Takeda-sensei tells him sincerely.
"But the game will be over by then!" Hinata pouts.
"Go, Hinata," I tell him sternly. "You can cheer us on from the side. It's only four more points." I do my best to smile.
"That's creepy, Kageyama," Hinata says, still trying to pout, though I can see a smile creeping onto his face. He allows Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai to take him off the court. They substitute Tsukishima in his place.
     The game becomes very slow-moving. What I mean is, even though our receives and sets and attacks are fast, it seems to be taking forever for one team or the other to score a point. Our stamina is diminishing. We're worn out. But as I look at the faces of my teammates, through their sweat and tiredness, I see that their determination is still there. That alone gives me the determination I need to win this game.
     I let my next toss fly to the ace. Asahi's powerful swing breaks through a kink he's found in the iron wall. The ball slams into the ground with a satisfying thump. "YEAH!" Asahi yells in victory. The rest of us join in the victory call. I know it's only a point, but we're the first to twenty points. Our score is 20-18, and we are in this to win. We're going to continue in the tournament, no matter what happens in these next few points. I'll make sure this isn't Daichi's last game. I'll guarantee Asahi and Suga another chance to play again.
Date Tech's coach calls a time out. Our own coaches stand up from the bench as we group together on the sideline. "Don't let your guard down," Coach Ukai warns us. "We've got a great lead. Don't be willing to give it up."
"Yes!" we all shout in agreement.
"Good," Ukai responds. "Tsukishima, learn how to match their iron wall. You too, Tanaka. And Kageyama, stay on your toes. Don't forget your options. It's alright to set to back row hitters when we're in the correct rotations, especially in the situation we're in."
"Yes!" I shout in reply. The ref blows his whistle and just like that, the time out is over. We hustle back to our spots on the court; the ball is thrown to me, and I prepare to serve. The coach is just about to blow his whistle when I hear a commotion from my teammates that are off the court.
     I avert my thoughts from my serve to Hinata, who I see lose his balance and fall to the floor. "Hinata!" Yamaguchi shrieks, looking a little startled. "Are you alright?"
     Suga kneels next to Hinata, who looks pretty dazed. "Coach! Sensei!" Sugawara calls to Ukai and Takeda, who are already making their way to the worried huddle made up of my teammates. "Hinata, do you feel okay?" Suga asks our small player. Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita look at Hinata behind everyone else with a loss for words.
     Takeda kneels next to Suga and Hinata. The ref is watching the situation. I believe he's put our game on hold. Relying on that, I sprint over to where Hinata is sprawled.
     "Hinata, do you know where you are?" Takeda-sensei asks calmly, though I can see the worry in his eyes.
     "Playing volleyball," he laughs sheepishly. "Obviously."
     "But do you know where we're playing? Or what team we're up against? Don't look at their jerseys," Takeda tells Hinata.
     Hinata looks confused. He scrunches up his eyes in deep thought. He then opens them, looking slightly panicked. "I-I can't remember."
     "Does anything hurt, Hinata? Do you feel sick?"
     "No."
     "Does your neck hurt?"
     Hinata doesn't answer. Takeda asks again, more frantically, "Hinata! Does it hurt at all?"
     "...a little. But don't worry, I'm fine! I think I just pulled it a bit, that's all," Hinata tries to assure us.
     "Hinata, can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" Takeda-sensei holds two fingers up in front of Hinata.
     Hinata looks at Takeda with a weird expression on his face. "Takeda-sensei, that's not fair!" he exclaims. "You're moving your hand!"
     My chest begins to feel tight. Takeda-sensei's hand is completely still. "Answer my question, Hinata," Takeda urges.
     "Okay..." He studies the fingers closely. "Four?"
    Four? Something's wrong. Takeda knows this too. "Hinata, let me see the back of your head," he demands, turning Hinata's head to the side. I expect to see a bit of a goose egg, but I see a large, tight lump on the back of his head instead. I'm not sure if that's really bad, but I assume it is when I see the startled expression on Takeda's face. He gets up abruptly and whispers something quickly to Ukai. When he finishes and hurriedly leaves the room, Ukai turns to the rest of us, Shimizu-senpai at his side.
     Yachi has come onto the gym floor from the stands. She looks at me, obviously panicked. "Is Hinata going to be okay?!" she exclaims in a frenzy.
     "I don't know," I say in realization, and maybe even in despair at my utter helplessness to the situation. But he has to be fine! He's Hinata!
     Ukai has a stoic expression on his face as he always does, but I know I saw a look of panic cross it when Takeda was whispering to him. "Takeda's calling an ambulance, just to be safe. There's no reason to worry," he assures us. I know he's lying. If he wasn't, why are his hands twitching?
     Ukai talks to the referee to let him know the situation. He then carries Hinata to the bench to sit beside him. Hinata's looking kind of pale. I think he's scared.
     I look away. I can't dwell on him right now. I have to trust that things aren't really that serious so that we can finish this game with a win. My team and I hurry back to our lineup, as does the opposing team. One of the line judges throws the volleyball to me when I reach the end line.
     The referee blows his whistle, and I am up to serve.