CLAIRE
The first headline reaches me before I even get out of bed.
I'm half awake, phone warm in my hand, scrolling out of habit more than intention, when a familiar name catches my eye. My brain refuses to process it at first. It feels misplaced, like a typo that slipped through an editor who should have known better. I blink, scroll back up, and read it again more slowly.
STAR CAPTAIN LINKED TO DOPING COVER-UP, FORMER TEAM DOCTOR SPEAKS OUT
My stomach drops, sharp and immediate.
For a moment, the room feels too quiet, like sound has been turned down without warning. I sit up, heart beating harder now, and tap the article open with fingers that suddenly don't feel like mine. The words blur together at first, then sharpen into something unmistakable. Allegations. Falsified
