blackout - Alexia Putellas

20.

The sharp, urgent tone of his voice had the brunette pull her hand away, both of their gazes scanning the pitch until they spotted a figure on the ground, surrounded by a cluster of athletes.

"Someone get the medics, ¡rápido!!" Jonathan's voice rang out again, but the team's therapists were nowhere in sight.

Alexia furrowed her brow as she tilted her head, trying to discern which of her teammates was the one down.

Just as she muttered, "Not some knee injury again," her words were drowned as Erin swiftly grabbed the medical kit beside the icebox and darted across the pitch.

Observing the blonde's determined sprint over the impeccably trimmed lawn, the two time Ballon D'Or winner deftly scooped up the ball with a flick of her foot, before joining the fray.

"Mierda," Jonathan cursed, his worry evident as he locked eyes with his athlete, "Why do we even hire medical care, when-"

"Out of the way," a voice interrupted, followed by a firm push against his back as Erin shoved the Barcelona head coach aside, forcefully inserting herself into the center of the huddle. "Everyone move, give me some room!"

With a furrowed brow, she dropped to her knees, her breath hitching momentarily as she surveyed the blood-streaked face of a player she recognized despite the passing years of avoiding football.

Aitana Bonmati.

"Aitana, it's going to be okay," Erin reassured her, swiftly unzipping the medical bag and rifling through it for a compress. "Stay still, take deep breaths."

Once she located the compress, she deftly tore open the packaging and applied it to the profusely bleeding wound on Aitana's head, her gaze fixed on the head injury.

"The bleeding will stop soon, don't you worry. Does anyone have a water bottle, please?" she requested, extending her hand behind her with assurance.

Moments later, someone passed her the bottle, allowing her to rinse the wound.

"I need a bandage and a fresh compress from the kit," she quickly instructed, and Patri swiftly gathered the required belongings for her.

"Goodness, I'm truly so sorry, Aitana," the midfielder apologized anxiously, handing Erin the fresh compress and then the bandage as she reached out to grab her teammates hand.

"It's okay, it was unintentional," murmured last year's best player in the world, her chocolate brown eyes glassy as she looked up at the huddle of team members surrounding her.

But all of a sudden, her voice vanished as she mumbled, "I feel dizzy."

And in the same moment, her complexion drained of color, turning as white as a sheet, and a second later, the highly talented athlete lost consciousness, her chocolate brown eyes fluttering shut.

"Fuck, Aitana!" Patri panicked, her eyes wide as she watched her teammate lying motionless. "What's wrong with her?"

"Someone call 911," the blonde instructed calmly, her voice clear as she reached for the side of Aitana's neck and leaning forward to check her breathing. "She's just unconscious, breathing and pulse okay."

Martha sprang into action, swiftly retrieving her phone and dialing for an ambulance.

"Aitana, can you hear me?" the blonde asked with a touch of urgency as she deftly applied a pressure bandage around the athlete's head, and positioned her in the recovery position, never removing her hand from the pressure on her forehead.

"Aitana," she repeated calmly, using a damp cloth to wipe the blood from the player's face and lightly tapping her cheek. "Aitana, wake up."

A few moments later, the athlete's chocolate brown eyes fluttered open, a puzzled expression on her face as she asked in astonishment, "What happened?"

"You were gone for a moment, but everything's under control now," Erin reassured her, maintaining pressure on her forehead as she checked the midfielder's pulse again. "Medical assistance will be here shortly."

And the blonde remained steadfast by the player's side until the paramedics arrived, taking over to transport Aitana to a clinic for further scans. After composing herself and rinsing her cold hands with the remaining water from the bottle, Erin was interrupted by someone behind her.

"That was really impressive," the deeper voice remarked, Alexia's tone low and calm, a gentle smile gracing her tender lips as she approached Erin with the ball tucked under her arm.

"It... wasn't," the blonde shrugged, her gaze following the paramedics as they guided Aitana towards the waiting ambulance. "Just did what was necessary."

The two time Ballon D'Or winner nodded slightly, amusement dancing in her eyes as she spoke. "What you did was great, Bonita. I didn't know you were a paramedic."

"Well, I'm not," Erin replied quietly, returning to sort out the first aid bag. "I'm just a therapist, actually. But, as luck would have it, emergencies are not uncommon at the clinic I work."

"Have you ever considered working with some club?" the midfielder suggested, her tone carrying a hint of admiration. "You'd be an invaluable asset to any professional team."

"I have to agree with Alexia. Thank you so much. It's fortunate that such a talented therapist was here," Jonathan Giraldez interjected, expressing his gratitude as he shook Erin's hand. The head coach glanced around, his hands finding their way into his pockets as he asked, "I'll keep your name in mind, Miss...?"

"Um," the blonde stammered, her gaze briefly flickering towards Alexia before she replied, "Erin."

"It's an honor to meet you, Erin. I'll make sure the clubs officials send you a contract offer as soon as I have dismissed our therapist. Their absence when needed is truly disappointing," the coach nodded, before swiftly turning to head back towards the team and resume training.

Erin held her breath, watching the coach disappear from sight, the medical bag clutched tightly in her hand.

"Wow, it seems like you've left quite an impression," Alexia remarked, her gaze returning to the blonde before she reached out tentatively, her warm fingers brushing against the cold, pale skin of Erin's forearm.

"Um... I don't even know if I..." the therapist stammered, feeling a wave of panic wash over her once again. "I don't think I'm ready to... for... this is a lot... and-"

"Hey, it's okay. I apologize if I've been too insistent, Bonita," Alexia reassured her, a gentle smile lighting up her tender lips. "Just because I'll be leaving this place tomorrow doesn't mean we won't have opportunities to meet again. We could get at your pace, and... um... you could give me a chance to prove just how much-"

"Hermana!" a higher pitched voice interrupted them, causing Alexia to roll her eyes and retract her hand as Martha rushed towards them, holding her hat in her hand.

Straightening up with a slight blush on her cheeks, the captain's smoldering gaze lingered on Erin as she addressed, "Meet up with me later, Bonita?"

All the blonde could manage was a slight nod, whispering a soft "Yeah," as Martha approached them.

"Perfect. Can't wait to see you, mi niña," the two time Ballon D'Or winner smiled softly, giving the therapist's cold hand a gentle squeeze before turning towards Martha.

However, before the black-haired could say anything, Alexia shot her a death glare and addressed her firmly, "I thought I made it clear I don't like to be disturbed the last time you did."

Wide-eyed, Martha watched as Alexia walked past her, leaving to rejoin the group. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she processed the captain's words.

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i'm absolutely convinced you'll like the next two chapters, so how about we all press this little star and get there quickly? deal? ☕️☕️☕️