Fall Out Girl

I was all smiles the next day. It was the first football game of the season. Excitement, excitement…not. Literally, everyone was calling my name. I was beginning to get sick of it. I hadn’t seen Parker at all that day because he and the other football players were getting “psyched”…I didn’t want to know what they did.

The game was about to start, so I made my way up the bleachers to the control room. I was greeted by the tech guy, Justin. Smiling, I grabbed the mic. He threw a couple of switches and told me that I could speak.

“Welcome, Ladies, Gentlemen, Students, Faculty, and opponents. This is Glenbrook’s first game of the season!” I paused so that they could clap. “Remember to buy refreshments and snacks and the concession stand. It will be open for the entire game. Now, to kick it off, is the Glenbrook marching band playing the national anthem. Please rise and take off your hats.” I put the mic down as the marching band began to play. When it was over, I thanked Justin and walked down to the field.

The game was pretty close- there was only five minutes of it left on the clock. We were on offence. Brad, the QB, called the last play. It was a disaster the moment they started. I watched in horror as the train wreck unraveled. Sure, Parker caught the ball, but then he was tackled by five other guys. When they got off of him, he didn’t move. Scared, I ran onto the field with the paramedics. I kept talking to him, trying to get him to wake up as the paramedics did their job. Everyone either sat or took a knee where they were- they knew that this wasn’t good.

“Come on, Parker, please. Wake up for me. Just wake up and everything will be okay.”
I heard the sirens and cried my eyes out.

“I’m sorry, Miss.” One of them said, pulling me to my feet. “But you can’t come.”

“What?! No, please!” I hated crying, but I couldn’t stop myself.

The paramedics looked at each other uneasily before one of them nodded. I wiped my eyes and spotted Jake at the fence. I gave him a serious look and he nodded. I nodded back to him as I climbed into the back of the ambulance. When we arrived at the hospital, they wouldn’t let me go with them. I curled up in one of the chairs in the waiting room and cried. Darla, Parker’s mom, came in bawling. I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to calm down.

“He’ll be okay, Darla. He’ll be okay.” I said convincingly- I almost convinced myself.
She wiped her eyes and pulled me into her death grip. “You’re such a sweet girl, Emmy. He is lucky to have found you.” I just held on tighter. We stayed in that fucking room for four fucking hours. Pat and Will came in. They stayed until the doctor came out two hours later.
“Parker has suffered massive head trauma. He’s in a coma. I’m sorry.” Darla crashed into my shoulder. My eyes began to leak with tears that I thought were already gone. “You may now visit him one at a time if you’d like to. I’m sorry.” With that, the young doctor left us on our own.

“You go, Darla, he’s your son.” She nodded her head, knowing that arguing wouldn’t solve anything. She went through the doors and down the corridor. I didn’t see her for twenty minutes.

“It’s okay, Emz, we’re here. He’ll be okay. He’ll be fine.” Pat whispered into my ear, holding me close to him.

“How could I ever say what I did about him? It’s not true. I love him. I really do. Oh god, I almost killed him.” I sobbed into my twin’s shirt.

“It’s okay, Emmy. He knows that you love him. It’s okay. Everything will be fine. Just keep your chin up. He wouldn’t want to see you like this. Cheer up, everything will be fine. Just wait and see.” Pat said, stroking my hair. For once, it didn’t help and I didn’t have a witty come back.
Darla came out and placed a hand on my shoulder affectionately. Stiffly, I got up and went into his room. The smell was disgusting. He looked horrible with his head wrapped and various wires and tubes hooked up to his body. I sat in the chair that was right by his bed. I took his large hand in my small one. I kissed his palm repeatedly, hoping that he would wake up.

“Come on, Honey. Wake up. Just, follow the sound of my voice and open your eyes. Tell me this is all a joke.” My voice started to crack. I cleared my throat the best I could and gripped his hand tighter. “Parker, sweetie, wake up. Please? For me? I love you, Parker. I love you so damn much. Don’t leave me, not now. Not when you have so much to live for. Come on…what will your buddies do without you? What about me?” I kissed his rough hands again before resting my head on the bed. I didn’t want him to stay like this. It wasn’t him. “Parker, you’re the sweetest guy that I know…please, come back to me. Don’t stay in that dark place in your mind. Come back to me.”

Brad and the rest of the football came in a little while later. I had already moved on his bed when they came in. Brad gave me a sympathetic look. “Mind if we say a few words? You don’t have to move.”

I nodded my head. Brad sat in the chair that I once occupied. The others shuffled in as best they could. “Parker, Man, wake up. Everyone’s so scared.” Parker didn’t even flinch. Brad looked lost. He looked up to me with searching eyes.

“Tell him about the game.” I prodded.

“We won. I kicked that damn ball so fucking hard. Across the whole damn field. It was tight. Those fuckers that tackled you gotta good beatin.’ We made sure a that.” He put his ebony hands up to his face. For a moment, I thought I saw a tear. “Coach axed us to see you. We woulda done it anyways. You know how it is- us football guys gotta stick together. Through it all. We ride together, we die together…I guess.” He looked back up to me. I gave him a small smile. “She loves ya, Man. If not for us, then at least come back for her. Bye, Man. I’ll chat ya up later.” He stood up and patted Parker’s hand. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “He’ll get through this. He’s a level-headed player. Always pulls through in sticky situations. Tight spots we can’t get outta. Like they say at school: Parker Lewis can’t lose. He’ll win this, Emmy. He’ll win it for you.”

“I know. Thanks for coming. I know he appreciates it.”

Brad nodded and signaled the guys to walk out. “You take care. He loves you, you know…and, about that night…I’m sorry. We shouldn’ta said those things.”

“It’s ok, really. It’s all in the past. Can you do me a favor, though?”

“Sure. Whatever you want.”

“Tell Pat and Will to go home. I’m staying the night.”

He just nodded his head and ducked out of the room.

I laid my head back down on Parker’s chest, listening to his heartbeat on the monitors. I wished it all away. “I really do love you, Sweetie. Always know that.” I fell asleep to the heart monitor that night.