by T. K. Rapp
“Marta said we’re in the club level, wherever that is,” I said with a shrug.
“Club, huh? Nice.”
I pulled out my phone to look again and Dad nudged my arm with his elbow.
“Stop worrying so much. He’s going to be happy you’re here. And if he’s not, then he’s not the guy I thought he was.”
My nose twitched and I had to look away. Words like that were rare from my dad, so when he said them I felt them deep in my chest. When I was able to get past the lump that formed in my throat, I looked at Dad and grinned.
“Thanks, Dad.”
It took at least twenty minutes to get through the line and I wished I’d left my purse in the car. Instead, I had to get in the longer line so they could check my bag, along with the hundreds of other women who had made the same mistake.
We were directed to the second level of the stadium, where an usher opened a door, granting us entrance to an exclusive seating area. From our vantage point, we could see the entire field and the seats that were beginning to fill in.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” asked a woman dressed in a pressed white shirt and black pants. I read her nametag and smiled.
“Thanks, Robyn. I’m good. Dad?”
He was still in awe, staring at the field and admiring the view. I looked at Robyn and smiled when she commented that she’d return to check on us in a few.
“Dani, the Quakes are coming out to warm up,” Dad said.
I was distracted by the enormity of the stadium and I hadn’t noticed the players walking out. I turned and stood on my toes, as if that would give me a better view—but it didn’t. The players were hard to make out. We were close enough to see the action, but my eyes couldn’t make out the jersey numbers.
“I don’t see him,” I muttered to Dad, who walked over and stood next to me. “Do you?”
He studied the field and quickly pointed to the far right. “See the mascot running around down there. He’s right next to him.”
Following my dad’s directions, I spotted him stretching and throwing a football around. My heart fell on the ground at my feet and I wanted to scream his name, run down the stadium steps, and jump into his arms.
***
The game started off strong, Tabor making two sacks and blocking a free kick. Dad was impressed with my knowledge of the game and I admitted to him that I had read up on the terminology and the rules of the game. I was still pretty clueless, but as least I didn’t sound like a complete idiot.
During the time Tabor was on the field, my eyes were glued to his form. He never looked up to the box where we watched, and I wondered if Marta had spilled the truth. Maybe he knew I was there and was pissed, refusing to look up. Perhaps that knowledge spawned his game aggression.
I pulled out my phone and texted Marta. I didn’t want to be blindsided if he did know.
Me: Does he know I’m here?
Marta: I talked to him last night. He knows I’m not there.
Me: Does he know you gave the tickets away?
Marta: You’re fine, Dani. He’ll be happy when he sees you.
Me: I hope so.
I shoved my phone back into my purse and played different scenarios about how he might react to seeing me. It ranged from ecstatic to disgusted and I had to try hard to shove the thoughts out altogether. Clearly I was too emotional to think straight. But all I could think about was Tabor.
“All right, Quakes fans,” the announced yelled over the top, “let’s make some noise!”
It was the beginning of the third quarter and the Quakes were winning twenty-four to thirteen. The stadium went wild and as the players jogged back onto the field, and this time I spotted Tabor instantly. He was walking onto the field, lagging behind a few players, when I saw him look to where Dad and I stood. My knees felt weak and my heart began to race at the sight of him. But there was no smile, no look of recognition. Tabor looked away and said something to his teammate before walking over to get into position.
“Look at me,” I muttered, telepathically willing him to hear me.
The stadium was roaring and I could barely hear myself think. Everything was vibrating with excitement as the defense prepared to take down the opposing team. Just as the play was about to start, I noticed Tabor’s head turn in my direction, as if to check to see if I was really there. I wanted him to be happy to see me, but I was hurt to think that maybe I was the last person he wanted to see. He hadn’t called me. He didn’t return my call. What if I’d made the wrong decision in showing up?
I tentatively lifted my hand in a wave, but my smile faltered when I saw him look away just as he returned his focus to the game.
He was squatted across from another big player, waiting for the play to start, and I was on edge. The whole thing was hard to watch. The quarterback was looking for someone to pass to when Tabor lunged to tackle the guy in front of him. At the same time, his teammate moved to hit the same guy, but missed and hit Tabor instead, and he went down.
A whistle sounded abruptly at the end of the play and a collective gasp from the crowd confirmed my suspicions. I turned my face into my dad’s shoulder and waited.
“Number thirty-five, JT Hunter, is down,” the announcer said over the speakers.
My body felt heavy with those words and I, like everyone else, turned to the big screen to see what had happened. Slow motion was just as painful to watch, if not worse. In the replay, just as he made contact with his target, Jameson—his teammate—hit him from the side.
“Dad?”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and hugged me. “He’ll be fine.” He didn’t sound convincing.
I turned and looked down at the field, where Tabor’s body remained unmoving—at least from what I could see. A small crowd of athletic trainers and doctors surrounded him, and several players lingered. There was an eerie quiet in the stadium, fans with their hands covering their mouths, the chatter a low hum.
“He’s not moving,” I whispered. “Why isn’t he moving?”
“It looked like it was his knee, but I couldn’t tell from that angle,” he said.
“So it’s bad.”
“They’re working on him,” Dad said, rubbing my arm.
My phone rang and I answered it immediately. I didn’t bother to see who it was, but I figured it had to be someone that saw what happened.
“Dani, what’s going on? Is he okay? They cut to a commercial and Mom’s freaking out,” Abbi said, her own voice laced with fear.
“He’s still on the field, they’re working on him right now,” I told her. “Stay on the phone.”
“What happened?” Abbi asked, almost as if she didn’t truly expect an answer.
I looked at my dad and then at the commotion that was happening on the field. “What’s going on, Dad?”
His silence sent a chill down my spine and I wanted to cry, but I had Tabor’s sister and mom to consider. I needed to hold it together.
“Abbi, they’re putting him on a stretcher and it looks like they’re going to cart him off the field,” I told her cautiously.
Her soft cries made my own tears start to fall and I wished I’d never been there. Tabor would be okay if I hadn’t insisted on keeping my presence a secret. His focus would have been on the game and not distracted by me.
“Mom and I are getting on the first flight we can,” Abbi said. “Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“I promise,” I said, hanging up the phone and grabbing my things.
“What are you doing?” Dad asked.
“We need to get to the hospital,” I told him as I led the way up the stairs, past the concerned fans.
C h a p t e r 26
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“Can you tell me where I can find JT Hunter?” I asked the stunned woman at the front desk.
She was talking to an older couple at her station and paid no attention to me.
“I’m sorry,” I said to the waiting strangers in front of me. I had one person on my min
d and I needed to see him. I looked at the woman again. “Can you please help me?”
The older couple stepped aside and my dad stood next to me. The middle-aged blond woman peered at me over her wire-rimmed glasses and huffed.
“I’m sorry, I can’t give you that information,” she said.
“Please, I need to see Tabor,” I begged and she softened slightly.
“And you are?”
On my way to the hospital, Marta had called, and I could hear the worry and terror in her voice. I’d wished I could put her mind at ease, but my own fear had me on edge. It was then that she reminded me what to say when I arrived. My stomach churned and took a deep breath, recalling Marta’s words.
“His…sister,” I said, though it wasn’t even close to the truth. “I’m his sister.”
The nurse eyed me speculatively and nodded once.
“One moment,” she answered. Her fingers began moving across the keyboard and her eyes roved the screen.
“I’m afraid you can’t see him right now, he’s in with the doctor, but we’ll send someone out as soon as we can,” she said.
“Is he okay?” I asked, choking on the words.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t tell you anything.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” I demanded, but my dad pulled me away before I could say more.
“You need to calm down. That woman is doing her job. She can’t tell you anything if she doesn’t know anything, so let’s sit and wait.”
Dad wasn’t one to handle me; we were cut from the same cloth and I wasn’t typically reactive. But the not-knowing part of it was killing me. Despite my concern, I did as he said and tried to get myself together. I needed to be poised and collected when I finally got to see him. Tabor would need me at my best.
My phone was blowing up with texts from everyone, and all that did was get me worked up.
Millie: Is he okay? Have you seen him?
Viola: Millie told me what happened. Are you okay?
Grace: I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looked.
Mom: I’m saying a prayer. Let me know as soon as you hear something.
I didn’t respond to any of them, and not because I was trying to be a jerk. My battery was already low and I was determined to save what was left to communicate with Abbi and Marta.
I was pacing around the waiting room with nothing to do but assume the worst. Tabor’s family was scheduled to arrive by ten, but the flight had been delayed and I knew they were upset. Dad didn’t leave my side except to call Mom and Grace, updating them that we were still waiting.
Dee, Wilson’s wife, strolled into the emergency room and spotted me in the back corner with Dad. She rushed over and pulled me into a hug.
“How is he?” she asked.
“I don’t know. They won’t let me see him,” I said, choking on a sob.
“Let’s see what we can do about that,” she said, leaving me with my dad.
“I bet she’ll get answers,” my dad said.
“He has to be okay, Dad.”
“There’s nothing you can do right now, except maybe pray. Just think good thoughts.”
I closed my eyes and tried to do as he said, but when I closed them, all I saw was Tabor. The way he’d looked at me when he saw me in the stands. And the way he looked when he was hit. When I forced my eyes open, I noticed Dee walking over with a smug grin on her face.
“The doctor is going to talk to us in a second. He’s briefing the sports doc right now,” she said.
“It’s my fault,” I admitted. “I shouldn’t have come to the game.”
“He knew you were there,” Dee admitted, but I was confused.
“His mom didn’t tell him I was there,” I recalled from my earlier text.
She chuckled shook her head. “Wilson told me to come to the hospital because he had a feeling you’d be here. He told me JT said that he saw you at the game.”
“I thought so.”
“Supposedly during halftime, he was looking around, and when Wilson asked what was wrong he said ‘Dani’s here. I don’t know where, but she’s here,’ and that was it. Wilson said something changed in the locker room. He seemed more relaxed, I guess.”
“I think he saw me when he was walking onto the field.”
“Did you really tell that woman you were his sister?”
I shrugged. “Marta told me to tell them that.”
“Do you realize how many women could show up claiming to be his sister?”
“You’re kidding me. Why would his mom tell me to say that?”
“Because it works for his actual sister. You know, because she has ID to prove who she is.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, you’re gonna see him.”
“Thank you, Dee.”
“What about his mom and sister?”
“I think their flight took off already. I should try calling and let them know what’s going on.”
“If you want, I’ll call while you head back to see him.”
I nodded and walked with my dad and Dee, hoping that Tabor wouldn’t look as bad as I imagined.
***
When we entered through the double doors that led to the Tabor’s ward, I was hit with the distinct smell of antiseptic. It was so cold that my nose started running, and I wished I had a jacket with me.
An older nurse stepped into the hallway and offered us a kind smile. “Can I help you?”
“We’re looking for Hunter,” Dee said. “The doctor said we could see him.”
“Right this way.”
We all nodded and followed her to a hallway that was away from the others. The doors were shut and no patient names were listed on the wall outside the rooms. She got to the third door on the right and pushed it open.
“Give me one minute,” she said, disappearing through the door.
“You go ahead. We’ll wait here,” Dee said to me and I hugged her quickly, accepting the opportunity to go in first.
I was eagerly waiting to enter the room when the nurse reappeared and gave me a sad look when she saw me.
“I’m sorry, but he doesn’t want to see anyone right now.”
“Please, can I just have a moment?”
“I have to respect his wishes.”
I nodded and felt a wave of disappointment overcome me. My dad wrapped his arms around me and I leaned into his chest.
“He’s going to be taken to get an MRI in a few minutes,” she said, and then lowered her voice. “And if you happen to be here when he’s wheeled out, there’s nothing I can do.”
She squeezed my arm gently and disappeared around the corner. For the first time since I’d shown up, I felt somewhat optimistic. All I needed was a minute to see him, and everything would be okay.
“I’m going to get some coffee—do you two need anything?” Dee asked.
My dad looked between the two of us and offered to walk with her. I knew he did that to give me a moment with Tabor. A list of things to say ran through my mind, but I didn’t know where or how to start. Do I apologize? Do I tell him I love him? Before I knew which route to go, two technicians passed me and walked into his room, with a simple knock announcing their arrival. They didn’t say a word to me, but I didn’t care. I needed to see one person and he was on the other side of that door.
My heart was pounding in the minutes before they reemerged pushing a bed through the opening. I saw his leg first, and then his face. And when Tabor spotted me, it wasn’t the loving face I was accustomed to seeing.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Of everything I could’ve asked, those were the only three words that came out. It felt insensitive given that I’d seen him driven off the field. But it was also the question that I needed answered.
“How do you think I am, Dani? I blew out my knee.”
“I’m sorry, Tabor. Maybe if I wasn’t there, you wouldn’t be here right now. I just wanted to surprise you and show you how much I love you.”
“Dani, I can’t deal with this right now.”
“Ma’am, we have to get him to radiology,” one of the technicians said.
I nodded, though I didn’t want to move. In fact, all I wanted to do was climb onto the bed and curl into his arms. This wasn’t the beautiful, happy man that lit up when he saw me. This man was broken, angry, and my heart ached knowing that my presence added to it.
I reached for his hand, and even though he let me take it, there was no feeling on the other end. The calloused fingers that were familiar and had offered me more comfort that I thought possible were cold and unmoving.
“I’ll be here when you get back.”
Tabor removed his hand from my grasp and shook his head. “I don’t want you here.”
He nodded to the men, who were trying to avoid eye contact with either of us, but were failing miserably. One of them gave me an apologetic smile as they wheeled him away.
When he was out of sight, I found a chair and sank into it as my tears rolled down my face. It wasn’t the conversation I had expected, but he was angry and physically hurt. I hoped he was just lashing out and that his words weren’t what he wanted from me…from us.
“What’s wrong? Where are they taking him?” Dad asked as he walked up, with Dee trailing behind.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to smile. “The MRI.”
Dee walked over and reached for my hand, offering a friendly embrace. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I know.”
He would be okay, but I wasn’t sure if we would be.
“You two go home. I’m going to wait here for Marta and Abbi,” I said.
“I can wait with you,” Dad said, but I shook my head.
“No need. He doesn’t want to see me, but I need to be here to keep his family updated.”
Dee gave me a hug and assured me that everything was going to be okay. My dad was not eager to leave my side, but I convinced him I was okay. And I was.
Or I would be.
C h a p t e r 27
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