Sneakers over heels #Wattys2021

Chapter thirty nine

The first thing I realize as I was regaining my consciousness was the splitting headache that was surely going to rip my head into two. I groan as I massage my temple firmly trying to force the pain out. I push aside my hair that was plastered on my face. My hands felt sweaty on my face. I try to open my eyes and adjust them to the brightness that was only making the headache grow worse.
 
Where am I? Why is everything so white? What’s that annoying beeping sound?
 
There’s scuffling and a ruckus and then Dad’s face comes into view.
 
“Dad?” I groan, my throat feeling sore and dry like I hadn’t drunk water for a year. “What’s...? Going on? Where are we? Were we abducted by aliens?” To the latter, he chuckles as he envelopes me in his tight embrace. Pulling me up, he wraps his big arms around my body and engulfs me completely. I breathe in his homely scent feeling the headache reside. It was unusual of dad to be giving me such a tight embrace. Unless it was a special occasion he refrained from doing such a thing since he considered it to be quite embarrassing. Or so he thinks I feel. I chuckle preparing to tease the man when something quite odd happens.
 
Dad’s entire body trembles. 

Pushing the man back, I get a close look at his face. His eyes were red as if he hadn’t slept a wink for days. Or were they red from crying?
 
No, that’s not possible. Dad doesn’t cry. Not since mom died. My dad was a strong man, so he wouldn’t be crying. There was no reason for him to be doing such a thing. But as he stares at me with his gray eyes which were glistening with unshed tears, I stare at the man before me dumbfound beyond words. He crumbles before me.
 
What the fuck?
 
“What’s going on?” I ask in a hurry. I hated seeing dad like this. This was something new and I hated it entirely. “What’s wrong dad?” I ask with urgency. But he doesn’t respond and continues looking at me heartbroken and sad. I shake the man to get any sort of a response but he remains unfazed and something in my gut twists.
 
Where am I? What is this place?
 
I look around the place and familiarize with my surrounding. After properly analyzing my surrounding I figure out where I was being held at. It was the interior of a hospital room. The beeping that I heard earlier was from the machines beside me and I realize with a shock that I had wires attached to me.
 
Why? Why am I in such a place? What’s with these darn wires?
 
I clearly remember I was at the summer league finals. We won the game. I was awarded MVP. I even remember the ridiculous dance Ava had done
afterward. And then,
 
I stop thinking.
 
The memories flow in.
 
I calm myself down as I close my eyes taking in deep breaths.
 
It’s alright Judith. You’re overthinking. Everything is fine.
 
I stare down at my trembling hands. Why the fuck are my hands shaking so vigorously? The room isn’t even that cold. I swallow the bile that was forming in my throat. I felt sick to the point I wanted to throw up.
 
Calming my nerves I stare at the sheets that were covering my lower body.
 
I don’t push the sheets aside. Instead, I just lift my legs. Or so I tried.
 
I lift my right leg. Then my left. Only they never moved. Not an inch. I tried over and over to get them moving but it was impossible.
 
I couldn’t feel my legs.
 
“Dad... S-Something’s wrong.” My voice shaking as I try to make him look at me. “Dad listen to me, something is wrong. Did they give me too much anesthetic? They... They must have,” I couldn’t stop chuckling even though nothing seemed to be funny. Dad whom I had pushed aside earlier, pulls me to his chest and hugs me tight. I push him aside, trying to get my legs moving. 

No movement. 

I pry the sheets off and find bandages wrapped around both my legs. I scratch at them trying to tear them off.
 
“Judith!” dad cries aloud and pulls my hand away from my legs. I yank them back and start beating my legs. I punch them as hard as possible.
 
I felt no pain.
 
I felt nothing.
 
“Sweetheart everything is going to be alright. Do you hear me? We’re going to get you fixed.” Dad kept reassuring.
 
Fixed? What do you mean fixed? Am I broken? I’m perfectly fine dad. Right?
 
My mind blanks out. The world around me stops moving. Everything around me starts to turn dark and cold. The shivers that run down my body felt like shards of ice being poked at my body.
 
“I’ve lost my legs.” The words rip out of my lips and the truth shreds my heart into pieces beyond repair.
 
It’s all over.
 
“Judith, honey listen to me. You’re going to be fine.” Dad’s voice was hoarse with a sense of distress in his tone. I couldn’t comfort him. I will not be able to comfort anyone anymore.
 
I have lost all hope.
 
Dad starts yelling out for a doctor or a nurse to come quick. I hear the door of the room being thrown open. I couldn’t see a thing. I zone out all noises from my surrounding. Every bit of noise hurt my ears. Dad shakes me over and over trying to pull me back to my senses. I stare at his face with a blank expression and he stares back at me with fear.
 
I’ve lost my legs. I lost the one thing that was going to take me to the WNBA. I knew life was unfair. I still went on surviving. I continued taking the insults and the scornful eyes. I kept moving forward. All because I had faith in myself of proving to all that I would be able to achieve my dream.
 
And it’s all over now.
 
My only ambition of playing for the WNBA has been stolen from me. I am a nobody now. I’m just a girl with crippled legs now.
 
Falling back onto the pillow I stare at the colorless ceiling. The world was squeezing me from all sides and I just wanted to let it crumble me. There was nothing more in me and I didn’t care what would happen to me from now on.
 
I curl underneath the sheets irrespective of dad’s pleading and finally let the tears out, crying alone in silence, not letting anyone see the weeping girl.
 
Judith Drakeyer of the Hawkettes was no more.


 
 
 
Travis walked down the hallway of the hospital. He passed the reception table and, passing the emergency department he entered the special care unit. He knew his way not because he had always been to the hospital running errands for his mom, but because over the past few days he had made visits countless times. And like always he stopped walking and came to a pause in front of a particular room.
 
It’s been over a week since Judith met with an accident. And ever since he had come visiting only to stand outside the door and look at her from afar without her noticing. Travis didn’t have the courage to face her. He knew he would break down when amidst her and the last thing he wanted was to make Judy feel even worse for worrying someone. Travis felt hopeless because he knew Judith wouldn’t want to see him. Not after what he had asked her to choose. The worst question he could have ever asked her. The very thing which was now taken away from her.
 
But what crushed him even more was finding his sister outside the door, slumped on the floor, crying her heart out in silence.
 
Every time he visited he found her on the same spot. Not once had she entered the room. Ava was afraid to see her best friend. She felt guilty. Even though it was no one’s fault but the stadium management.
 
They never spoke a word to each other. Just stared at the person they loved, which broke their already wounded hearts even more.
 
Sighing Travis took a step closer to the door and through the glass he peeked inside and gazed at the girl lying on the bed.
 
The love of his life.
 
It broke him to see her looking so forlorn. Her eyes didn’t hold the amusement and spark it always did. She had lost weight and her complexion was paler than usual.
 
Basketball had been her life’s only dream. And now even the ability to walk had been pried from her.
 
One time Judy had wailed in agony, thrashing everything around her within her arms reach. Seeing the once strong girl breaking down tore his heart and the pain he felt was unlike anything he’s ever felt before. All he wanted to do was run inside and hug her. But the sheer thought of her pushing him away made his feet stop walking any further
 
Travis couldn’t enter the room even now. Ava stood up and peered into the room along with him. Judith who was lying on the bed tries to sit up but failed. She attempts again but fails once more. Travis hid behind the door as he covered his face while Ava covering her mouth to silence her sobs, broke down crying as she dropped to the ground. Her best friend who was never able to sit in a spot for a minute was unable to sit up without the help of someone now.
 
“Go to her. She needs you, Ava.” He whispered to his sister but the stubborn girl just shakes her head refusing to look up at her brother.
 
“She hates me.” Ava keeps repeating like a chant.
“She’ll never need me anymore.”
 
Judith’s aggravated groan makes them both stop whispering and peer inside once more. She has her fists balled and pressed into her eyes, her lips moving surely cussing under her breath.
 
She tries to reach for her phone which was placed on the side but it was far out of reach for the girl. She doesn’t even try to grab it. With a tired laugh, she stares at the wall in front blankly with dead eyes. “I miss you, Ava.”
 
There’s a sudden crash and Travis stares at his sister in bewilderment. She had slipped and hit her head on the door. Ava looked up at him with wide eyes, her lips trembling. His eyes softened at her.
 
“Go.”
 
Scrambling to her feet almost slipping once more, she throws the door open with a loud bang. Travis quickly hides so he wouldn’t be spotted by his exgirlfriend.
 
“Ava?” He heard the soft whisper of Judith. Her tone, full of shock and disbelief.
 
There’s a loud noise from within. Surprised he quietly peers inside and finds Ava strangling Judith to death as tears and snot covered her face.

He stares down at his arms, feeling it tremble with the urge to hold Judith in his embrace. 
 
He could still remember how lifeless she had felt when he had carried her to the ambulance on that day. Blood was gushing out of her and his clothes along with her white uniform were covered in red. 
 
Everyone around him had started screaming out his beloved’s name but all that ran through his mind was losing her and the thought terrified him to an extent he was willing to trade places with her. 
 
Travis was so caught up in his thoughts, he doesn’t realize a pair of dull gray eyes  looking his way.