FROM LACROSSE TO HIS ARMS

Chapter 5: Asking for help

Thierry didn't hesitate. He pushed me through the doorway, and instantly, the room went silent.

Every face turned toward me. For a second, nobody moved, then Ella's eyes widened.

"Chase."

She rushed toward me. I barely had time to open my arms before she hugged me tightly, wrapping her arms around my shoulders while carefully keeping away from my injured leg.

"You guys are trying to replace me so quickly?" I muttered, forcing a smile.

Ella pulled back and shook her head.

"Chase, it's not what you think it is."

I looked past her at Jade.

"So what exactly is it? She is already putting herself up for the position." I said.

Ella's expression softened.

"Please get it off your mind. No one is taking your place. You're our captain and you'll forever be. A little injury won't change that?"

"Little." I muttered, letting out a dry laugh.

The word sounded almost ridiculous coming from her. I glanced down at my braced leg.

"A little injury."

Ella noticed the change in my expression but didn't argue. I quickly looked around the room instead.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your discussion. I just wanted to pick my stuffs." I said hurriedly.

Ella stepped closer and grabbed both my hands.

"Chase, come on. Are you mad I didn't visit you at the hospital? I tried, but your mother won't let us visit." Ella said, squeezing my fingers.

I forced a smile.

"It's okay. I'm not mad."

But deep down, it hurt. My mother hadn't just controlled me. She had kept my friends away too.

I looked around the room. My locker was still there. My jersey was hanging inside, the familiar Red Titans colours almost looking like they belonged to another person now. My name was still written across the top.

For a moment, I could almost hear the noise of our team again.

The laughter, the shouting, the sound of sticks hitting the floor and the smell of sweat and grass that always followed us back from practice.

I swallowed hard.

"I guess my work here is done for a while. Jade, you'll make a great captain." I said, even though it hurt like hell.

Jade immediately shook her head.

"It's not true. You will always have a space here, but right now you need to worry about your recovery. Everyone here is worried about you." Ella replied.

I looked at the girls around me. I had expected at least some of them to support the change of captain. Instead, they all nodded.

"We'll always stand by you captain."

Even Jade said it. I blinked. I thought she wanted the position some minutes ago.

"I didn't mean to come out that blunt. I was just worried because we need to get qualified for the finals and we need our captain. So get well soon, Chase." Jade said.

I started at her. Maybe Jade hadn't wanted to replace me. Maybe she had only been scared of what would happen to the team if I couldn't return.

For the first time since the accident, something inside my chest loosened. A small smile appeared on my face.

I wasn't just an injured athlete. I was still Chase. Still their teammate.

Ella wiped the corner of her eye before leaning closer and completely ruining the tense moment.

"Who is the hot guy?"

I glanced at Thierry. He stood a short distance away, his hands resting on the handles of the wheelchair. He looked like he was trying very hard not to listen.

"He is my physiotherapist."

"He's hot." Ella replied.

I rolled my eyes. Before I could respond, she walked toward her locker and pulled out a marker.

She returned with a grin.

"I'm signing that brace." She said.

Thierry immediately moved toward her.

"I don't think that's advisable." He said.

Ella looked at him.

"It's just a sign." Ella said and didn't even listen.

She carefully bent down and signed the outer part of my brace, far away from the injured area.

Get well soon, baby.

I smiled. Another teammate stepped forward.

"Can I sign too?"

Thierry looked like he wanted to object again.

His eyes moved to my knee, then to the marker. He seemed ready to stop them, but he didn't.

One by one, my teammates came closer. They were careful and they signed around the brace, leaving little messages, jokes and words of encouragement.

The Titans aren't the same without you.

I stared at the writing. My eyes burned.

These were the people I had fought beside.

The people who had seen me win. Now they were watching me fight just to stand again.

Thierry remained beside me, his eyes moving over the signatures. He frowned slightly, but he didn't stop them.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Everyone groaned and I recognized the sound immediately.

"We gotta go for practice."

I smiled again. "Yeah, go. My regards to Coach." I said.

Ella leaned down and kissed my cheek before grabbing her lacrosse equipment. "Don't disappear on us again."

She joined the others, and soon they were gone.

The locker room became quiet. Their footsteps faded down the hallway. I looked around one last time.

My old life was still sitting inside these walls, but I couldn't return to it. Not yet.

"You know it's not advisable for them to sign on your brace."

I looked at Thierry.

"It's fine, Thierry." I said. "Can you pull me towards the last locker?"

He nodded. He pushed me toward the far end of the room. When we reached it, I pointed toward my locker.

I opened it.

A stack of papers, notebooks and small boxes filled the space, then I saw them.

My paintings.

I carefully pulled one out, then another. They were drawings and paintings of the team. Some showed the girls during practice. Others showed the field.

There were drawings of our victories, our jerseys and little moments I had never told anyone mattered to me.

I ran my fingers over one of the paintings.

They were one of the few things that made me feel human again apart from Lacrosse.

Thierry looked over my shoulder. He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Is this your little talent?" He asked.

I nodded.

"My mother would kill me if she found out about this." I replied.

His eyebrows pulled together.

"Why? You can always have a hobby apart from Lacrosse."

"Not with my mum. It's either Lacrosse or nothing else." I said and began to pack them.

I carefully placed each painting into my bag.

"Please keep this a secret."

"Okay." He said.

I looked at him. I hadn't expected him to agree so quickly.

"But with a talent like this, you can really be more."

My hands stopped. His words stayed with me.

Nobody had ever said that to me before. Not my mother, coaches or even myself.

Can I be more?

The thought felt strange and I quickly closed the bag.

"Can we go now?" I asked.

He reached for the handles of the wheelchair.

Before he could move, a familiar voice drifted through the hallway.

"Mrs Jackson... what brought you here?"

My blood ran cold.

Thierry's hands stopped on the wheelchair.

I slowly turned my head toward the door.

My mother's voice followed.

"I am here to clean up my daughter's locker." She said.

My fingers tightened around the bag containing my paintings.

No, not now. She couldn't find me here.

Footsteps approached and Thierry looked at me.

The door handle moved. My heart slammed against my ribs and the door creaked open.

"She can't see my paintings." I whispered.

Thierry's eyes immediately moved to the bag.

He understood. Without wasting another second, he took the paintings from me and shoved them into a nearby locker.

He quickly gathered the remaining drawings and locked the locker.

The footsteps were getting closer. He grabbed the wheelchair handles and pushed me toward the bathroom.

The door opened and I heard footsteps enter, then my mother's voice.

"Clean her whole locker and take every one of her equipments."

"Yes, ma'am." Some men replied.

I held my breath. Thierry pushed the wheelchair farther inside.

The bathroom was empty. Rows of showers lined one side of the room, with benches and lockers along the other.

We were forced into the narrow space between two rows of showers.

Thierry stopped. There was barely enough room between us. I could hear my own breathing. He looked around, then at me. We could have moved further but we were afraid to make any noise.

"You okay?"

I nodded. He shifted backward to give me more space and bis shoulder brushed against the shower control.

A click sounded, then water exploded from the showerhead.

The cold water hit both of us. I gasped and jerked in surprise.

Thierry swore under his breath and immediately reached behind himself, fumbling for the control.

"I'm so sorry." He apologized.

The water soaked through our shirt within seconds. Thierry finally found the handle and twisted it hard.

The water stopped and silence returned.

For a moment, neither of us moved. We were so worried they could hear us but luckily, they didn't.

Water dripped from my hair onto my face.

Thierry's hair was soaked too, drops running down his forehead and along his jaw.

I stared at him. He stared back, then voices sounded from the locker room again. We both remembered where we were.

We waited. Minutes passed before the voices finally faded. Only then did Thierry slowly move toward the exit.

Thierry moved toward the entrance and carefully looked through the narrow opening before wheeling me out and back into the locker room. Once we were safely outside, he immediately rushed to grab one of the clean towels hanging nearby.

He wrapped it around me.

"Are you cold?"

He crouched right in front of me and placed his hands lightly on my shoulders.

Our eyes met. I shook my head.

"A little."

He studied my face for another second before finally pulling his hands away.

"Do you have any extra clothes around?" I asked.

"My jersey." I replied.

Thierry looked toward my locker, then back at me. He picked up the dry jersey and handed it to me.

"You should change before you catch a cold."

I took it from him and looked down at my soaked shirt.

He turned around immediately.

"I'll give you some privacy." He said and was about to walk away.

"Wait, I don't want to here alone." I muttered.

He halted.

"I'm right here Chase."

I swallowed hard again before grabbing the bottom of my wet shirt.

It clung to my skin.

I pulled it upward slowly. The moment I leaned forward, a sharp pain travelled through my injured knee.

I froze.

My fingers tightened around the fabric.

I waited for the pain to settle before trying again. This time, I got the shirt halfway over my head. Then my injured leg shifted slightly against the footrest.

Pain shot through it.

I sucked in a breath and immediately stopped moving.

Damn it. I couldn't even change a shirt.

I tried to pull the fabric higher, but my arms were trapped and I couldn't move without leaning forward again.

"Chase?"

Thierry's voice came from across the room.

"I'm fine." I mumbled.

"You don't sound fine."

I closed my eyes. The shirt was still stuck around my arms.

I hated this. I hated needing help.

"Just... give me a second."

He remained facing away from me.

"Take your time."

I swallowed hard again and tried one more time. Nothing, the pain was really intense.

My throat tightened and I hated the silence that followed.

My face felt hot. I couldn't believe I was actually about to ask him for this.

I had spent years pushing through pain without asking anyone for help. Now I couldn't even take off a shirt without someone beside me.

"Thierry." I called.

"Yeah?"

I stared at the floor. The words felt ridiculous coming out of my mouth.

"I can't change."

"Do you want me to call your friend?"

I shook my head. "No."

He waited and then I whispered.

"Can you help me change?"

He froze completely.