Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
When I opened my eyes, my entire body screamed in pain. Not only my leg, though that was where most of it radiated from, but all my muscles seemed like they’d taken a beating.
The last thing I recalled was trying to land on the base, hungry for the win. Miami was putting up a hell of a fight, but we refused to back down. So when I saw my chance to gain another base, I took it.
And then, the world went black.
“D?” My name broke through the aura of pain, forcing me to open my eyes reluctantly. Gone was the green of the field, replaced with the sterile white walls of a hospital room. The thousands of fans had dwindled down to one—my sister sitting at my side.
“Oh, thank God,” Mari breathed as I turned my head, finding her waiting there, clutching my hand.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice gruffer than normal.
Mari’s face paled, holding my hand a little tighter. “You had a nasty fall on the field. They brought you here for some tests, but you’ve been in and out for a while. How are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” I said, running my hand over my face.
I tried to shift in the bed, but the lower half of my body was in a sort of sling, my right leg suspended slightly above the bed, completely immobilized.
Panic seized my chest, and all I could do was stare, wondering how I’d injured myself so badly.
I’d slid like that a thousand times, made the same move more times than I could count, and I’d never come close to injuring myself, especially not like that.
“Don’t move too much,” Mari said, standing to help me get comfortable. “The doctor should be here soon to check in on you.”
I sighed, dropping my head back on the pillow.
Mari tried to head back to the chair, but I grabbed her hand, needing her close.
My throat tightened as I stared down at my leg, a thousand questions filling my mind.
How long would I be out? How my team must hate me right now.
I was the captain—the man on the field they could count on.
Now, I didn’t know where I stood. Instead of facing that cold reality, I forced a bitter smile.
“Thought you were supposed to be home by now.”
She shook her head. “Not happening, big brother. I was heading to the airport when Brianna called. Came right here instead and met you in the ER.”
My heart cracked a little at her words. My sister had a family and a thriving career, and she came here when I needed her the most. Thank fuck Brianna called her.
Without a word, she knew I’d want my sister right now, and she made it happen.
But as much as I loved having Mari here, I needed my girl just as much.
“Where is she?”
Mari’s face softened, nodding to a chair in the corner.
I hadn’t noticed it before, too distracted by the reality of my situation.
But there she was, sleeping soundly. She’d curled up in the armchair and passed out like it was a queen sized-bed.
She’d even tugged my jersey across her chest, using it like a makeshift blanket.
Mari sighed, leaning in closer to me. “She came in the ambulance with you. Hasn’t left for longer than ten minutes. We tried to get her to go back to the hotel to get some rest, but she refused. Finally passed out about an hour ago.”
She stayed.
I stared at her, and Brianna’s eyes slowly flickered, awareness trickling in as she took in the room.
When she saw me staring back at her, she hopped up instantly, moving to my side.
She paused at the edge of the bed, her hands fumbling as if she were unsure if she should touch me.
I reached out and took her hand, tugging her closer until her chest pressed against mine.
As we hugged, she let out a shuddered breath, running her hands along my face, searching for any signs of distress.
“I’m good, angel.” My words might not be true, but I needed them to be—needed to erase the worry lining her delicate features.
Brianna had always been expressive, unable to hide much once I’d gotten past her walls.
Fear and concern filled her hazel eyes, and I hated being the one who put it there.
She clutched my hand, holding it between hers like a lifeline, and it took everything in me not to offer her empty platitudes.
Because as much as I wanted to assure her I was okay—I wasn’t.
A woman with long dark hair rushed into the room, smiling when she spotted me. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She moved over, checking the machines before turning back to face me. “My name is Dr. Cooper, and I’ll be monitoring you while you’re with us. How are you feeling, Mr. Ramos?”
“Fine,” I bit out, already tired of that question. “What’s going on with my leg?”
She smiled, not at all fazed by my sour attitude.
“You did some damage with that landing. Ruptured your patellar tendon.” She turned her attention to her tablet, pulled up some images, and showed them to me.
“If you look here, you can see it’s almost a complete tear, which means we’re going to need to operate to repair the damage. ”
“And that will fix it?” Brianna asked from my side.
“It should. With surgery and physical therapy, most patients regain almost full function of their knee within 12 months.”
“A year?” Mari gasped, echoing the thoughts inside my mind.
Fuck. The color drained from my face. Twelve months? I didn’t have twelve fucking months. I didn’t have twelve days. The playoffs were starting next week, and I needed to be on that field with my teammates.
Dr. Cooper’s face softened as she placed her hand on my shoulder. “I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to figure out next steps, Mr. Ramos. With an injury like this, the longer we wait, the more we’re risking long-term damage.”
Words sat on the tip of my tongue, but they refused to come out.
The word surgery rang out in my mind as my breathing became more labored.
This was not how my day was supposed to go.
We were supposed to take home the win and then I was supposed to celebrate with the team and spend the night with Brianna wrapped in my arms.
But that wasn’t my life anymore.
And it wouldn’t be for at least a year.
Fuck.
Shame and frustration crept back through me, making it hard to breathe.
No one said a word, instead watching me as if I were about to break.
Maybe I was. After more than a decade of playing baseball, my future was a giant question mark.
It would be different if I’d retired. At least then, the decision would have been in my hands.
But this? One wrong move, and everything I’d worked for was gone.
No playoffs. No championship. Nothing but pain and hard work ahead of me.
Brianna leaned down and cupped my chin. “You’re going to get through this, Damien.”
I chuffed, “Not so sure about that.”
Her hold tightened, and she lifted my chin to meet her gaze. “One step at a time. That’s all you can do. Let’s get you home, and you can tackle the next one.”
“Can I even fly?”
Brianna winced and looked over at the doctor.
She hummed for a minute and peered at the images again.
“I have to advise against it. Not only because time is of the essence, but also, with an injury like this, you’re more susceptible to blood clots, especially when flying.
My advice—have the surgery first. The quicker we can repair the damage, the better it will be for your recovery. ”
I ground my teeth, not liking the answer one bit. As much as I wanted to get better, the idea of being trapped in Florida sounded even worse. My life was back in Erie City. My team, my home—my girl. “Is there any way to lower that risk? No offense, Doc, but I want to go home.”
Dr. Cooper grimaced. “Not really, Mr. Ramos. The risk of continued damage is too high. Between the turbulence and the altitude, it could set back your recovery by months, if not years. You might never regain full function of your knee.”
I shook my head, refusing to hear her. “It should be fine.”
“Should?” Brianna bit out, turning to face me with malice in her eyes. “We’re not risking any more damage for a should.”
My mouth dropped open. “Bri, I can’t stay here. My team—”
“Needs you better, Damien.”
“She’s right,” Mari added as she stood at Brianna’s side, reaching to take her hand.
She glared at me, taking Brianna’s side.
“They can handle a few games without you. But if you end your career because you’re being stubborn?
No one will forgive you. Especially not me. You’ve sacrificed too much for that.”
Their concern meant a lot to me, and a part of me knew they were right.
But right now, all I could focus on was the anger coursing through my veins—anger at the doctor for giving me that news, anger at myself for making such a stupid play, anger at the women in front of me for not listening to what I needed.
My entire world had shifted in less than twenty-four hours, and I needed some semblance of normalcy, to feel like my life hadn’t been completely upended.
It was bad enough I couldn’t play ball right now—I’d fucked over my team so badly.
Now, they expected me to stay in Florida while the rest of them returned home?
I shook my head, needing a moment to breathe without everyone’s waiting stares. “Give me a minute?” I asked the room. Mari ushered the doctor outside, giving me one last frown before shutting the door behind her.
Brianna stood at my side, fidgeting with her fingers. “Damien, I—”
“You too, Brianna.”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
“I need a minute.” I forced my eyes up to meet hers, hating the shock and pain written across her delicate features. “Alone.”
Brianna swallowed and then nodded. Each of her steps toward the door tore at my heart, as if she was dragging it out of the room with her. When she reached the doorway, she turned back to face me. “Take all the time you need, Damien, but you’re not alone in this. We’re all here with you.”
When the door closed behind her, silence finally filled the room, leaving me to wonder if that was true.