All in the Game

Chapter six || Wake up call

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 

My brain feels hazy as I wake up in the same hospital room, I have been in here for a week now. My surgery was yesterday and I have been drowsy ever since. Checking my phone there is a missed call from Abby, now that's a name I haven't seen in a while. She calls me once a year on the same day I'm not sure why? It's not the anniversary of the day we met, nor the day we finally got together so why that day? She also calls me every major holiday, to be honest I thought she would get the memo and block my number by now. 

For a second my finger hovers over the call back button. She probably heard about my injury on the news and wanted to check up on me. My finger grows closer to the call back button maybe I should call her back I mean it could be something really important? Especially for her to be calling me today on a day that's not even slightly important. 

My finger moves to the power button and my phone turns off. I have no right to call her back not after the way I left things, what would I even say if she called back? 'Oh hey it's me...you know the guy who completely abandoned you after graduation. I'm not sure why I called exactly maybe I should start off with sorry.' 

The door opens and in walks Neil, wet hair sticking to his forehead. Is that sweat? I wonder if he even took a shower after the game, before coming to see me? "How did the game go?" He looks at me oddly, "you didn't watch?" Of course, I didn't watch. I couldn't handle seeing all my teammates still living their lives while I'm stuck here dealing with the consequences of my actions. 

Shaking my head, I point to the bed and lie straight to my best friends face. "I just woke up; surgeries been beating my ass." 

"Aww that sucks man." 

Instead of focusing on the bad parts of my mistakes I quickly change the subject. "On the bright side my nurse said I would be able to leave soon." His gaze goes to my cast as if finally realizing it's there. "You know you will always have a place with me, right? You won't even have to pay." 

I already know this; and I wish he would quit saying it as though I'm not going to find a job. I wish he wouldn't take pity on me at all I will be fine in no time with or without baseball. "I'm going to find a job." I reassure him, "it may take a while especially since I'm still recovering but I'm going to find one." 

Recovery is no piece of cake that's for damn sure. My left arm and shoulder stay sore, not even the pain meds my doctor prescribed are helping with the pain. Not to mention my physical therapy is a waste of my time, and money. I'm not really sure why I agreed to go, it's not like I'm fitting to get back to baseball. 

That career is over. Even if I got better, and hadn't gotten fired I'm not one hundred percent sure I will ever be able to play the same again. Instead, I focus on finding a job to help pay my half of the rent. Week after endless week, and day after endless day still nothing. Turns out nobody wants someone who only has one working arm. 

Which is fucking bullshit! Just because I can only do things with one arm, doesn't mean I can't do it all. Neil has to reassure me daily that there is really no need to find a job. But I hate feeling like his charity case, I'm no one's charity case. Therefore finding a job is really my only way to help out around here, and to get me off this couch before I turn into one of those people who sit at home all day binge watching tv. 

After the second week of nothing I'm about ready to give up. When get this an add for Val's eatery and bakery a Magnolia Creek specialty pops up on my computer screen. It's the worlds sick way of fucking with me. Closing my computer, grabbing for my remote I turn the tv on. Shit I really am turning into a couch potato. 

Guess what the world's not done screwing with me because the first thing on tv is reruns of Gilmore Girls. Abigail's favorite show, we used to watch it all the time... ok I get it world I royally screwed up. I'm just one big screw up! You can stop messing with me now. I go to change the channel and it freezes the damn tv freezes. Or you could just keep playing mind tricks with me that's alright. 

The channel finally changes to some cooking show. Ok world there is one more person I can contact. However, I'm not sure it would be a welcome phone call. The last time I called my grandma was last Christmas. Yeah, I'm the worst grandson in the world, no scratch that I'm the worst human being in the world. 

Putting all of my doubts aside I grab my phone and make the call. The phone rings twice before a quite "hello," fills the living room. "Hey grandma..." There is silence on her side and for a moment I think she's ended the call. 

"Nathan?" 

"Hey...I um—" fumbling with my words does me no good. She cuts me off immediately and she does not sound happy. 

"Nathan Hayes Scott what the hell is wrong with you?" 

Laughing a little I say, "I take it you know about my injury?" 

She talks loudly through the phone so much so it sounds like she's screaming at me. Almost like she used to do when I was younger. "How could I not know? It's been all over the news. Drunk...you were drunk!" I can practically see her shaking her head through the phone. 

"About that I can explain." Changing the phone to speaker and set it on the coffee table. Benny nudges his nose against my leg, so I give his head a pat. 

"NO! No excuses Nate I raised you better than that. I thought Wilmington was going to be good for you clearly, I was wrong. You barely make an effort to call me, I had to find out about your injury from the news...THE NEWS!" 

Ok, so she's a little upset that's understandable after everything I have done. "I'm sorry...trust me when I tell you I'm paying the price for it." 

"What does that mean?" She doesn't know that I was fired? Which means coach hasn't released that piece of information to the media yet. But I can't lie to her she will smell it from a mile away. "After coach found out he fired me." 

Those words hang in the air neither of us talking. "Well good I'm glad your coach has some sense to him. So, what have you been doing for these last few weeks then?" 

"Trying to find a job...to pay my share of the rent." 

"How is that going?" Huffing I tell her, "it's not." 

"I suspected as much." She laughs I'm not sure what she finds so funny about this situation but I sure as hell am not laughing. "Well since you are currently out of a job, and need somewhere to stay I'm thinking you should come home. It's been four years Nathan it's time you come home...at least while you are recovering from your injury." 

"I don't know grandma—"

"No buts Nathan get off your ass and come visit your grandma I'm not getting any younger you know? I will not take No as an answer you are coming home and that's final." 

The line goes dead as she ends the call, damn I'm twenty-six years old and she still scares the shit out of me. I guess this is it I'm going back home. 

𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷

It's happening! He's finally going home now the chaos can begin...😏😉 ahhh seriously these next few chapters are going to be where the story starts to pick up. Anyway how is everyone's week going? Mine has been good so far. 

If you're enjoying my book All in the Game. Please click the star and share your thoughts in the comments. I will update chapters every Friday so be on the lookout.–Morgan 💕

And to enjoy even more bookish content and get even more info for my stories follow me on TikTok and Instagram: moe_lovesbooks