Pitch It

⚾ Strike 2:

 A/N: After a pretty long wait, we finally updated. We hope you guys like it. Remember to vote and comment what you thought<3 

- Ronnie and Emma 

⚾ Strike 2: 

Everything seemed so vague at first. And then came the faint pain, emanating somewhere from my lower back, but it was ignorable. There was a quiet whirring and humming of machines, and the sharp smell of disinfectant entered my nose, confirming the fact I was probably in a hospital. The very moment I opened my eyes, there was a sudden onslaught of light which made me blink rapidly.

Oh shit.

It looked like I was alive. It didn't really matter, because I'm pretty sure mom will kill me anyway -  and I deserve it too.

Groaning as the once dull ache began increasing in intensity, I looked away from my fixated gaze at the white ceiling. Mom was dozing in a chair by the bed I currently occupied, her head lolling gently to the side while her chest rose and fell in sync with her breathing. A huge wave of guilt attacked me when I detected faint tear tracks on her cheek.

This was terrible.

As I lay there helplessly on the bed, wondering about how much trouble I would be in, I heard a voice.

"Mom? I brought the coffee! Wha--oh!"

My little sister Rebecca came to an abrupt halt by the doorway, the fingers of one hand clasped around a coffee cup while the those of the other were now over her open mouth as a gasp escaped her throat at the sight of me.

"Kian! You're awake!"

"Where's my hug?" I asked with a small grin, extending one of my arms. Rebecca hastily placed the coffee jar onto the table and bolted forward, throwing her arms around my neck instead. I let out a soft chuckle.

"I thought you wouldn't wake up!" she mumbled into my shoulder. I patted her hair, holding her close. Becky meant the world to me.

"I'm sorry I worried you, twerp," I said, ruffling her hair.

Rebecca smiled, and she untangled herself from me.

"Kian!"

Both of our heads snapped up, and we saw that mom was hastily getting up from her cramped position by the bed. She stared at me unmoving for a few seconds, and I just stared back uncertainly, anticipating her reaction.

Finally, she surged forward and threw her arms around me, nearly sending me careening over the edge.

«Mom - it hurts - tubes and bandages - please let go -" I choked out, poking my head out of the vice like grip she had on my already weak body. Mom immediately let go from her dead grip, and I gulped in some air.

"Cliff jumping?" she demanded, wiping her cheek. "Of all the things you could have done, cliff jumping? Look at you! But thank God you're alright!"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, staring at her sheepishly. Mom tucked a few loose strands of her chocolate brown curls back into the unkempt bun.

"Don't scare me like that ever again, you hear?"

I nodded vigorously.

At that moment, we could hear voices from the corridor.

"The hospital food needs some improvement."

"Yeah, some fries and burgers from Burger King is a nice change from the bland excuse of what these people call food."

"Our best friend was in an accident and he hasn't woken up yet, and all you can think of is food?"

"C'mon, Aiden, we need to fill our stomachs. Kian'll be alright."

"Your stomachs? Do you mean the bottomless chasms where all the food you guys eat goes?''

"I wouldn't say bottomless--"

"Just shut up, Dylan."

A mop of blond hair was visible by the doorway, quickly followed by a full body. Aiden walked in with an exasperated expression on his face, which morphed into that of utter astonishment when his gaze fell upon me. I grinned and waved. Aiden's face broke into a huge smile and he turned to the others who had yet to acknowledge the fact that I had woken up.

"Guys--"

"Do you prefer coke or Pepsi?" came Casper's voice conversationally.

"What's the big difference?" responded a bored sounding Dylan.

"I don't really get it either--"

"GUYS!"

"Aiden, stop yelling!"

"Kian's awake, you great poofs!"

«Kian?!» Dylan and Casper shouted, their gaze on me. I gave them a quick wave, watching them stare incredibly happy at me. 

«We were so freaking worried. It’s great to have you back, man.»

Dylan, Aiden and Caspar gave me a long hug, before they all sat down on the bed were it was originally only space for one..

This would be a long day. 

***

There were only three other people in the room, but I felt suffocated.

My friends had all been shooed out for a matter of minutes, and the only sounds in the small, cubical room was the whirring of instruments and my heavy breathing. The doctor with the greying hair and light blue eyes exchanged a long, meaningful look with mom, much to my growing impatience. I was alive, that was for sure, but what was the extent of the injuries? Curiosity and impatience reigned my mind clouding every other sensation, and I cleared my throat loudly. The doctor's eyes snapped up to meet my demanding ones, and he stared at me with an expression I couldn't really place my finger on. Was that pity?

"So how am I?"

To be completely honest, I felt ridiculous asking the man that question, but I was least bothered about what anyone thought about me at the moment. All I wanted was the Doctor to tell me that I had somehow miraculously escaped the whole ordeal with next to no injuries, and that I was free to go home. But the various instruments I was hooked on to and the bandages and gauze that covered my lower back and limbs told a completely different story. A frightening story.

"There's nothing major," began the man slowly. "Major as in, permanent traumas. You have a sprained ankle--"

I nodded. I could work with that.

"--a herniated disc--"

"Wait, what?"

A herniated disc was something I hadn't heard of.

"There's a disc in everybody's lower back, which gets injured sometimes due to old age or strenuous physical exertion. That's the major injury, Kian."

"So what about that disc?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to confine you to bed for the remainder of this week, and after that, you'll have to refrain from any exertions--"

"No," I said my, shaking my head. Refrain from any exertions? Of course baseball will need some exertions, no way was anyone forcing me to stay away from it.