by Claire Adams
“Open the back door of the car,” I said to Eryn as we approached my car.
She did as I said, and we both eased her mom onto the backseat so that she would be safe, comfortable, and stable enough that her body wouldn't be able to move around. Eryn climbed in next to her mom. I jumped into the driver's seat and drove as fast as I could to the nearest hospital.
I waited in the car at the emergency room entrance while Eryn ran in to get some nurses, who came out with a gurney. They loaded her mom onto it and then took her into the ER.
“You go with your mom,” I said. “I'll find a parking spot, then I'll come in and find you.”
She nodded, tears running down her cheeks. She quickly reached over and squeezed my hand tightly. “Thank you so much, Wade. Thank you...”
I squeezed her hand back. “It's not a problem. I'm just doing what any decent human being would do. Now you go, I'll come and find you.”
I drove the car out to the parking lot and then jogged back to the ER. A man in scrubs was speaking to Eryn, who looked like she was refusing to leave her mother’s side, so I hurried over to them to see what had happened.
“We are going to have to run some tests before the doctor can give you any kind of diagnosis,” he said. “Your mother likely got knocked unconscious when she hit her head on the floor, but there’s always a chance she went unconscious first. There’s just no way to know for sure.”
Eryn simply nodded; it seemed as if she wasn't capable of speaking right now. I decided to step in and take over.
“Excuse me, Doctor, but how long do you think all of this is going to take?”
“Are you her son?”
“No. I'm, uh, I'm a family friend.”
“I see. Well, she'll at least have to stay overnight while we run the tests. And, it's essential that she's under observation since she’s been unconscious as long as she has. As I said to Eryn, we’ll do some preliminary tests before we decide what we might need to do further. Don't worry, though, she's in good hands here.”
“I'm sure she is. Is she going to wake up any time soon?” I asked, Eryn still listening, but not saying a word, just looking down at her mother.
“She should, yes. You can stay around until she does. Once we know a little more, we will try to get her in a room. Then you can see her.”
“I understand, Doc. Thank you.”
“Of course,” the doctor replied. “I'll contact you as soon as I have something more for you.”
With that, the doctor hurried off, and Eryn leaned over and grabbed her mother’s hand. The nurses were tucking her into the hospital bed with a blanket.
“I'm so sorry, Eryn. I know this isn’t easy.”
She simply nodded and slipped her free hand into mine. I squeezed her hand reassuringly. We stood in silence for a few moments, and then Eryn's mom's eyes slowly opened.
“Wh- where am I?” she croaked. “Wh- what happened?”
Eryn managed to find her voice.
“Hi, Mom,” she sniffled. “You're in the hospital. You passed out at home and hit your head.”
“Oh...I-”
“Shh,” Eryn said as she stroked her mom's forehead gently. “Just rest. The doctors and nurses are going to take care of you.”
“Who's this man, dear?” she asked, looking at me.
“He's my volleyball coach, Mom. Wade Vinson. He helped get you here.”
She smiled, despite the pain she was obviously in. “Thank you, Mr. Vinson. She's so talented, isn't she?” she smiled like the proud mother I could see she was.
I smiled in return. “She really is, Mrs. Barnett. And she's got some good news about volleyball that I'm sure she'd like to tell you.”
“Really? What's that dear?” she asked, turning to Eryn.
Eryn beamed a wide smile at her mom, despite her teary eyes. “I made the starting line-up! I'm playing in the game against Miami this Saturday. So that means you have to cooperate with the doctors so they don’t keep you in here because you didn’t listen.”
I couldn't help but smile. It was obvious how happy the news made Eryn’s mother and how big of a deal this was to her. Of course, Eryn had totally earned it. She really was one of the most talented and hardworking players I'd come across in my years of coaching.
“That's just wonderful, dear, so wonderful! I know how hard you've worked for this, and I'm so proud of you...so very proud!”
The doctor came back and interrupted the conversation. “Ah, Mrs. Barnett, I see you've woken up. Good. As for your daughter and friend, I'm afraid they're going to have to leave now. We need to take you upstairs to do some tests. Don't worry, though, everything is taken care of, and we'll make sure you're out of here as soon as possible. You will have to stay overnight, though.”
“All right,” she said to the doctor then turned back to Eryn. “Honey, you go. There’s nothing you can accomplish sitting in some waiting room. I’ll call you when they put me in a room for the night, and I'll see you tomorrow, dear.”
“I want to stay here, Mom,” Eryn protested.
“Nonsense,” she retorted. “It’s already late, and I know how long these things can take. It will be well after midnight before they are finished with me. I’m sure of it. Now go. I’ll call you in a bit. And thank you for your help, Mr. Vinson, I do appreciate it tremendously. Take care of my girl.”
“Yes, ma’am. I will. And I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Barnett,” I replied.
I took Eryn's hand. “Come on, Eryn, we need to go now. Your mom will be fine.”
She leaned over and kissed her mom and whispered a goodbye, and then allowed me to lead her out. Once we were out in the parking lot, I stopped to speak to her.
“Are you all right?” I asked. “I mean, obviously you're not, but I mean, under the circumstances, are you okay?”
“I'll be okay,” she replied. “Thank you, Wade. So much.”
“It's fine, really, it is. Is there anyone else you need to call? Any siblings? Your father?”
As I said “father,” I her expression change momentarily. There was obviously something there, so I knew not to push that issue.
“I have an older sister in San Diego; I'll call her later. I don’t want to worry her for any longer than necessary.”
“All right. And anything else you need? Have you eaten dinner?”
“No, I was gonna eat with my mom. I need to go back there to turn off the lights and the TV and everything.”
“All right, well let's pick up some takeout, and we can eat it there. You can make sure everything is turned off and safe, and then I'll drop you at your place. Sound good?”
She nodded.
“Cool, come on,” I said, and we walked over to the car. “Any ideas on where to go?” I asked. “It's kinda late, so I'm not sure what's available around here.”
“I know it's not the kind of stuff athletes should be eating, but I know that there's a 24-hour burger drive-thru about three blocks away.”
I grinned, happy to be able to lighten the mood somewhat. “We can eat crappy food once in a while,” I said. “Burgers, fries, and milkshakes it is.”
Twenty minutes later, we were walking back into Eryn’s mother’s apartment. “Let's eat first,” Eryn suggested. “I'll call my sister later. I've got some other stuff I want to talk to her about, too.”
“All right,” I agreed as we sat down at the kitchen table to eat. “So how long has your mom lived here?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
“Since I was a little kid, actually,” she replied. “This is where I grew up. That room over there,” she said, pointing at a door across from the table, “that was the room my sister and I shared when we were kids.”
“How much older is your sister?”
“She's five years older than me, but she and I have been super close since we were kids; more like best friends than sisters.”
“What does she do out in San Diego?”
“Oh, she was offered a really good job with a tech
startup there a few years ago. The company has grown a lot, and she's worked her way up the ladder. She's doing really well for herself, but she's married and has twins to take care of. She got married right out of college.”
“Wow. She must be busy.”
“She is. We still talk weekly, but I miss her. Especially at times like this.”
“I'm sure you do, Eryn.”
“What about you?” she asked. “Where did you grow up? You have any brothers or sisters?”
“I'm Florida born and raised, not from here, though. I grew up in Jacksonville. Well, not in Jacksonville itself, but close enough. Lived out in a pretty rural area. The boonies, actually. I grew up riding dirt bikes and camping out and all that. Old school – no video games, nothing, just outdoors stuff.”
“And, siblings?” she asked again as she munched on a French fry.
“I have two brothers, one older and one younger.”
“So how did you get into volleyball if you grew up in the boonies? I don't think too many guys out in the boonies are into volleyball,” she joked.
I chuckled. “No, they're not. I actually only picked up a volleyball for the first time when I was sixteen. I was on a vacation with my family, and some kids were playing on the beach. My brothers and I asked if we could play. They explained the rules, let us join, and from that moment, I was hooked.”
“Did your school have a team?”
“No. I transferred to a high school in Miami near my grandparents because they had a good volleyball coach, and after that, right here to Florida State University. The rest is history, I guess.”
She smiled and sucked on the straw of her milkshake. I was happy to share anything about my life, but I also I wanted to find out more about hers. I just didn't want to pry. I decided to keep the questions light and simple and not get into too much personal stuff.
“What about you? When did you start playing volleyball?”
“Oh, at a much younger age than you. It was in elementary school. The gym teacher introduced us to the sport in class one day. Like you, I had a natural ability for it from the beginning.”
I smiled. “Yeah, it's pretty obvious to see. And I have to say, I'm very happy to be able to do what I can to bring out your full potential. I really do think you can go very far, Eryn. Seriously.
“I see in you what I had when I was in college – that same drive, that same determination, the same raw talent, and fire. You have to keep working hard at this. I honestly think you have the potential to get to the very top.”
I didn't want to get her hopes too high, but I was being completely honest. The next Olympic Games were in two years, and if I could see Eryn playing volleyball for Team USA in the Games... Well, I thought that would be one of the greatest moments of my life. And, I really did think she had the potential to get that far.
“You really think that I have that much potential?” she questioned me.
“I don't think it,” I said, “I know it.”
She smiled shyly and sipped on her milkshake as I finished off my burger. “I'm glad we have you as our coach,” she said. “I wasn’t just saying that the other day. I do feel like you're bringing out the best in me. And, knowing that you’re going to be fair motivates me to work even harder.”
“Then I'm doing my job properly,” I said with a smile, trying not to stare at her. Even with her eyes a little swollen from crying, she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on.
We finished off the rest of our meal in silence. When we were done, Eryn went around the apartment to make sure everything was turned off and locked up before we headed out.
“Thank you again for your help tonight,” she said to me as we got to the parking lot. “I really don't know what I would have done without you.”
“Like I said, I was just doing what any decent human being would do.” I walked her over to her car. “I really hope your mom is going to be okay,” I said.
“Thanks. Me, too. Besides my sister, she's the only family I've got. I'm very close to her.”
“I can see that. But try not to worry too much; she's in really good hands. I'm sure she'll be fine. Remember, we have a very big game on Saturday, and you need to get enough rest and be in a good state of mind to perform at your peak. I know that’s easy for me to say as I'm not in your shoes right now, but just try to relax and not stress too much.”
“Thanks, Wade. Now it’s my turn to tell you not to worry; I'll do what I can to keep my mind focused,” she offered me a wide smile. The first I’d seen since I’d arrived at her mother’s apartment several hours before.
“Thanks again,” she said as she opened her car door. “You really are a life-saver.”
“I don’t know about all of that, but I did take CPR a few months back,” I joked. “So if you ever need mouth to mouth-” I stopped myself, but it was too late. I had already inserted my foot in my own mouth. No amount of CPR was going to help.
She cocked her head to the side a little and a half-grin turned up one side of her perfect lips. “Is that so?” she held back her amusement.
“Not exactly how I intended that to come out, but… I suppose,” I tried to play it off as best as I could.
But the way she was looking at me, there was no denying the pull between us. The stare held for a while. The tension almost palpable. There was more emotion in her gaze than I could deny, and it wasn't going anywhere. But we both also understood it was something that couldn't happen.
CHAPTER 11
Eryn
I was incredibly excited to be playing my first game as a starter for Florida State, but it was overshadowed with a bit of sadness and disappointment, too. The people I'd wanted most to be at this game to cheer me on weren't going to make it. Not through any fault of their own, of course, but the fact remained that their absence was noticeable.
My sister, with her family and demanding job, couldn't just fly across the country to come watch me play, and my mom had only just come out of the hospital and had to stay at home to recover.
The game was set to kick off in just under an hour, and I was warming up courtside when I heard my phone ringing in my gym bag. I went over to see who was calling, wanting to make sure Mom was fine and didn’t need anything.
It was my sister Anne, and I couldn't help but smile. “Hi, sis!” I said as I picked up the phone.
“Hey, Peanut!” she replied with her nickname for me.
“How are you?”
“I'm great, but more importantly, how are you?! Are you nervous?”
I couldn't help but smile; she sounded so happy and excited for me. “Umm. Yeah. A little,” I replied. “But more than anything, I'm stoked. I just wish that you and Mom were here to watch.”
“I know,” she replied. “I wish I was there, too. I just spoke to Mom, she said you'd been there earlier helping out. The timing sucks, and I'm really, really sorry I'm not there to help out with Mom. It's just with juggling the job, and the two little ones, and keeping up with the mortgage on the house, and all the bills-”
“I know, Annie, I know; you don't have to apologize.”
“But it shouldn't be all on your shoulders. I've been talking to my boss about getting a couple of days off soon. I told him about Mom, and he understands. Once I've finished up this major project we're working on, I'll be able to fly out there for a few days. Hopefully within a week or two.”
My face lit up. “That's great! I can't wait to see you! Just wish it could have been today.”
“Sorry to interrupt, Eryn.”
I spun around at the sound of Wade's voice and found him standing behind me. I hadn’t even heard him walk up.
“Is that your sister you're talking to?” he asked. “Don't worry, I wasn't eavesdropping or anything. I was just walking past and happened to hear part of your conversation.”
“Yeah, she just called to wish me luck,” I replied.
“I don't mean to intrude, but there is a way she can watch the game if she’d like.
”
“There is?” I questioned.
“Does she have Skype?”
“Yeah, we talk on it all the time. But my laptop isn’t anywhere near good enough to capture the game in good enough quality for her to watch.”
Wade grinned. “Mine is, though. One of the perks of taking this job was a brand-new MacBook. We can stream the game to her in HD if she's near a computer.”
A huge smile took over my face. “Seriously?”
“Sure! Ask her.”
I turned my attention back to Anne. “Annie, are you near a computer now?”
“I am, yeah, why?”
“Turns out, you can watch the game on Skype! My coach said he'll set up his MacBook, and we can stream the game to you.”
“Oh my God! Yes! Yes! I'll get hubby and the kids; we'll all watch. And, I’ll try to get Mom linked in, too. Let me chat with your coach, and I'll give him my Skype details.”
I was super excited that my sister, and hopefully even Mom, would be able to watch my game. “Thanks, Wade; thank you so much!” I beamed as I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. I very quickly realized what I’d done and immediately released my grip and took a few steps back away from him awkwardly.
“No problem,” he replied with a smile as our eyes locked briefly before I looked away.
Staring at the phone, I handed it to him. “She’s going to give you her Skype info.”
Ten minutes later, he had his computer set up to stream the whole game live. That’s when the nervousness started kicking in; there were definitely a few butterflies in my stomach. I glanced over at Leena and saw the same anxiety on her face.
“Hey,” I said to her, “let's go for a jog around the court, try to clear our heads.”
“Sounds good,” she replied. We set off at a steady pace, breathing slowly and rhythmically.
“You nervous?” I asked.
“Uh…yeah,” she replied. “I didn't think there'd be such a big turnout.”
I glanced around at the stands, which were already pretty full. The crowd was bigger than I'd expected, too. I had thought only a handful of people would show up, but it looked like at least a couple hundred people, maybe more. I immediately wondered if our celebrity coach was part of the reason.