Testing My Feelings

Chapter 26

I sprinted over there, leaving the ball where it was.

"AIDEN!" I screamed out.

"ARGHHHHHHHH!" the crying out of pain was all I could hear.

I slid down next to him, leaving all other concerns behind, including the fact that the game was still going on.

"AIDEN! Are you..." I scanned up and down his body.

Crying. The poor boy was crying. I couldnt blame him either. His left foot was literally sideways.

"REF!! MAN DOWN!!!" I screamed out, shortly followed by the referee blowing his whistle, giving the signal to stop the clock.

"Aiden. Its okay. Youre going to be okay," I held the broken boy in my arms trying to comfort him.

The ref walked over to assess the situation, signaling for our coach to come over.

"WHAT THE HELL!!" I turned around and yelled.

"THOSE BOYS TACKLED MY TEAMMATE! HE DIDNT EVEN HAVE HE BALL! THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU AND THE ASSISTANT REFEREES DIDNT SEE THAT HAPPEN!" I spouted at the ref.

I felt someone grab my arm. I looked back and it was Aiden holding my arm while shaking his head. Despite Aidens message to me, I kept going.

"LOOK AT HIM!! THIS MUST BE PUNISHED!"

"Thats enough!" the referee ordered me to stop in a stern and authoritative manner.

"NO! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! THOSE GUYS HAVE BEEN PLAYING ROUGHER AND ROUGHER THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOUVE BEEN LETTING IT GO! I WILL NOT SIT BY WHILE MY TEAMMATES ARE GETTING..." I continued yelling, with tears running down my red face.

*PHEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!*

The referee blew his whistle and reached in to his pocket and he pulled it out.

I stopped yelling mid-sentence, with a shocked look on my face for sure. A red card. I had received a red card. My first game as a member of the team and as acting-captain, and I blew it. I was sent off before the first half was even over.

Aiden was still crying in pain and Coach Lillian, Assistant Coach Skylow, and the medic had made it over to us.

I looked up at Coach Lillian with a look of shame on my face and said, "Im sorry Coach. Ive let you and the team down."

"Dont be. You were absolutely right and you did the right thing," she said to me.

"Thanks Coach," I replied, trying to hide my disappointment in myself.

I still felt like I let the team down. I felt like I let myself down. I shouldve listened to Aiden grabbing my arm. I shouldve backed down, but whats done is done and I couldnt keep feeling sorry for myself while Aiden was lying on the field in such excruciating pain.

I looked at the medic and ask him, "how is he? Is Aiden going to be okay?"

"Hell have to be transported to the nearest hospital." He said waving to the sideline where two more medics were waiting with a stretcher.

"Coach? Who is going to go with him?" I asked.

"Coach Skylow," She answered.

"Im going too!" I asserted. "Its not like Ill be playing again today."

"Fine. You can go with him," she approved.

I got up and ran over to the bench where my stuff was while the medics prepped Aiden.

"Is Aiden okay?!" Jude asked?

"What happened out there Captain!?" asked Carter.

"Aiden has to go to the hospital. The assistant coach and I are going with him. You guys just be careful out there okay?" I answered.

I grabbed my stuff and ran back to the stretcher that was now taking Aiden towards the rear of an ambulance before I got any answer. Its a good thing that they had an ambulance on stand-by, though I never wouldve thought or hope that wed need it.

"Aiden. Its Andrew. Youre going to be okay. Theyre taking you to the hospital. Everything is going to be alright. Im not going to leave you. Youre going to be fine," I kept saying to Aiden as we boarded the ambulance, knowing all too well that I had no idea if he was going to be okay. I just remember the ear shattering sound of the sirens blaring as the ambulance made its way to the hospital, with the only thing on my mind being Aiden.