Daya

30| The hospital

Vince lays 100% alive, but filled up with drugs in a hospital bed. My dad, mom, Dani, and I all sit in chairs not too far from his bed staring at him as he stirs in his sleep before fluttering his eyes open.

I know Vicki's in the waiting room wishing she could be in here, but honestly there's not much to see. Since the doctors let us in his room he's just been sleeping and trying to wake up then going back to sleep. If I wasn't filled with guilt and fear I would be knocked out too. Dani is almost there as she rests on my dad's lap, but the sound of someone's footsteps makes her and Vince both wake up.

"I'm fine," Vince moans and lets go of my mom's grasp on his hand. A young woman in blue scrubs walks in and we all turn our heads.

"Hi i'm doctor Silverman I'll be taking care of Vince today," She says with a smile directed towards Vince.

It's probably because I'm drowsy as hell and it's late, but doctor Silverman looks exactly like Margot Robbie.

"Margot?" Vince asks and turns his head to the side. So it isn't just me, but Vince is filled up with Valium so maybe not. Doctor Silverman laughs along with my parents who are forcing uneasy smiles on their faces.

Doctor Silverman's face loses its light touch and I take a long deserved deep breathe. "We've run some tests and it seems that Vince has had a concussion for a little less than a month." Concussion the worst word in football vocabulary. My dad's eyes immediately go wide and he looks from Doctor Silverman to Vince.

"How bad is it?" My dad asks.

"It's mild, but because Vine hasn't stayed away from strenuous activity it became critical and this lead to his seizure."

We all look at Vince begging for an explanation which I'm sure he has. Vince sighs and with one look at my mom's eyes I can tell she would be screaming at him and possibly my father if we weren't in the hospital.

"A few weeks ago I took a bad blow to the head I thought it was normal and just a headache," Vince says. My mom shakes her head and my dad runs his hand over his face.

For the next few minutes I pretty much zone out as Doctor Silverman uses too many scientific words to explain what's going on. During her explanation and my zoning out I come to the conclusion that I officially hate hospitals, like any other sane person. I hate the small tvs you can't hear, the way the doctors pushed me aside in the hospital, and I hate that the overall surroundings make you focus on things like the fear in your parents' faces.

"Daya?" my mom's voice booms and I come back to reality.

"Yes," I say and jump up a little bit.

For the first time since I came here and saw Vince in his hospital gown his eyes are directly on me.

"Vince is going to get some rest and he'll probably be discharged tomorrow. Your dad and I are going to stay, but I'm going to uber you and Dani to your dad's house because it's closer and Kayla is there," my mom states.

Before my mom can completely get up from her seat Vince reaches out and grabs her wrist. "Tell Vicki I'm ok and to go home. I don't want her to see me like this." He's so dramatic. My mom nods and Vince quickly goes back to sleep prior to Doctor Silverman leading us out of the waiting room. I expect to see just Vicki and Vince's coach, but instead they're joined by Jada, Darian, and that player who's just always there.

Darian and the other player are still in their uniforms just like Vicki is still wearing Vince's football hoodie. They all stand up when we enter the room and show the same worried faces they had on the field.

"Is he alright?" Vicki asks. My mom explains Vince's diagnosis to them, and their reactions are a mix of relief that he's going to be ok, but with some subliminal sadness because of the elephant in the room.