One For The Team

CHAPTER EIGHT

I don't want to open my eyes. There's a lot of yelling in hushed voices reverberating through the dugout tunnel, and it's louder than the guys seem to think.

I attempt to move, but strong arms are holding me still.

"Be still, Little One. We're waiting for a medic to get here." Raven whispers softly in my ear, which I appreciate immensely due to the pounding headache I woke up with.

After a few minutes, I'm jostled into a new position. Gentle hands cup my face, but it isn't an endearing move. It's practiced. Cold.

"Can you open your eyes for me Coach?" James, one of our full time medics, asks.

"I don't really want to." I reply softly. There's several soft chuckles. "Fine. Give me a second." I do this kind of blink thing without actually opening my eyes, before cracking them a little bit. The light is blinding and I quickly close them again, groaning. I attempt it a few more times before I'm successful. James's kind brown eyes are looking at me.

"There you are. I need to check your eyes for a concussion." I look at him, confused.

"Did I hit my head?"

"Sorry, Little One, I didn't catch you fast enough." Raven says, his voice dripping with regret.

"That would explain why my head is pounding." I nod for James to continue.

He holds up a small light and passes it over my eyes quickly. I squeeze my eyes shut at the bright intrusion. Next I feel his hands gently pry around the back of my head. A sharp pain courses through me when he touches a specific spot. I hiss a sharp intake of breath.

"Am I bleeding?" This isn't anywhere near the pain I endured at the hands of my step-mother, but blood is always a concern.

"No, but you cracked yourself pretty good. Want to tell me what happened?"

"I don't really know. We were walking down the tunnel and I got light headed. It passed quickly, but then I woke up in Raven's arms." I reply with a small shrug.

"She was like a baby moose for a second. Her legs went all wobbly." Raven makes what I'm sure is meant to be a "wobble" motion with his hands. I roll my eyes.

"Okay. So you're going to go rest. You can sleep, but someone has to be with you to wake you up every hour." I start to panic, and I'm sure my body tenses due to it. I'm the only female travelling with the team. Who am I going to get to wake me up every hour?

"I can just use an alarm." I wave him off, as I start to push myself away from Raven to stand up.

"No can do, Coach. What if you don't wake up? Someone needs to be with you." James insists.

"We can figure it out later. At the hotel." Owen says. And it is so. We'll figure it out later.

I finally stand, with Raven's help. We head to our locker room, where I walk into my makeshift office. I plot myself into the chair and roll my shoulders. i reach into my bag on the floor and dole myself out a couple of Tylenol for the pain in my head.

"Owen, I need you to please go do the post game press conference."

"On it." he says, and turns around and leaves.

"I really would like to just use an alarm to wake myself up." I tell Raven, who's seated his large frame in the small chair across the desk from me.

"Not happening, Little One. I'll stay in your room with you. I'll make sure you wake up every hour." he tells me. I sigh, and just accept his help.

"Fine. Let's go. I'm exhausted." I pack everything into my bag, and raven takes it from me before I have a chance to sling it over my shoulder. We leave the locker room and get into the car that's waiting for us outside. Normally we would ride the bus with the team, but I don't want to wait for them to shower and change and everything else that comes along with leaving an away stadium.