Александра Адорнетто - Halo

Middleton players charged at him like freight trains from either side. Xavier swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but the others swerved with him and closed in. I cried out when one of them threw out his leg and caught Xavier around the ankle. It sent him tumbling forward so that the ball slipped from his grasp. I saw his head connect with the ground and his eyes snap shut as he winced in pain. The Bryce Hamilton players made a furious protest, and the referee blew his whistle to indicate foul play but it was too late.

Two boys ran over to help Xavier, who was still prostrate on the ground. He tried to get up but his left ankle was sticking out at a peculiar angle, and when he tried to put weight on it, he grimaced and slipped. His teammates supported him as they helped him over to a bench and the medic scurried over to examine the extent of the damage. He seemed unsteady—like he might be about to pass out.

From where I stood, I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I saw the medic shine a light in

Xavier’s eyes and shake his head at the coach. Xavier gritted his teeth and dropped his head in frustration. I tried to push past the girls to get to him, but Molly restrained me.

“No, Beth, they know what they’re doing. You’ll just be in the way.”

Before I could argue, Xavier was being helped onto a stretcher and into the ambulance that was always waiting in the event of an accident. I stood frozen as the game resumed now that the crisis had passed. The ambulance drove off the track and onto the road. I noticed vaguely through my panic that the boy on the sidelines had disappeared.

“Where are they taking him?” I asked.

“To the hospital, of course,” Molly said. Her face softened when she saw my eyes fill with tears. “Hey, it didn’t look too serious—probably just a sprain. They’ll bandage him up and send him home. Look,” she pointed at the scoreboard. “We’re still going to beat them by six points.”

But I felt no cause for jubilation now and excused myself to get home to Gabriel and Ivy so I could ask them to drive me to the hospital. I summoned them in my mind as I ran, in case they weren’t at home. I was so distracted with worry for Xavier that I collided head-on with Jake

Thorn in the parking lot.

“Well, somebody’s in a hurry,” he said, helping me up and brushing off the dust clinging to my coat. “What’s the problem?”

“Xavier had an accident during the rugby game,” I said, rubbing my eyes with my fists like a small child. At that point I couldn’t have cared less what I looked like—I just needed to see that Xavier was okay.

“Dear me,” Jake drawled. “That’s unfortunate—is it serious?”

“I don’t know,” I said, my voice choked. “They’ve taken him to hospital to be checked out.”

“I see,” Jake replied. “I’m sure he’ll be okay. It’s the nature of the game.”

“I should have known,” I said angrily, more to myself than to him.

“Known what?” Jake asked, peering closely at my face. “This isn’t your fault now, is it?

Don’t cry. . . .”

He stepped forward and closed his arms around me in a hug. His embrace wasn’t anything like Xavier’s; his body was too lean and thin to be very comfortable, but I sobbed into his shirt all the same and let him hold me. When I tried to pull away, I found his arms still locked tightly around me and had to wriggle to break free.

“Sorry,” Jake said, a strange look in his eyes. “Just making sure you’re all right.”

“Thanks, Jake. But I really have to go now,” I said, tears stinging my eyes and my words spilling over one another.

I ran up the main steps and down the deserted central corridor of the school and saw with flooding relief the figures of Ivy and Gabriel heading toward me.

“We heard you calling,” Ivy said when I opened my mouth to tell her the story. “We know what happened.”

“I need to get to the hospital right away. I can help him!” I cried.

Gabriel stepped in front of me and grasped my shoulders. “Bethany, calm down! You can’t do that now, not if he’s already being looked after.”

“Why not?”

“Think for a moment, Bethany,” said Ivy in exasperation. “He’s already been taken to the hospital; his parents have already been notified. If his injury miraculously heals, how do you think everyone will react?”

“But he needs me.”

“What he needs is for you to be sensible about this,” replied Gabriel. “Xavier is young and healthy. His injury will heal naturally and no suspicions will be raised. If you want to speed up the process later, fine; but for now you need to keep your head. He’s not in any real danger.”

“Can I at least go and see him?” I asked, hating the fact that they were right, which also meant Xavier’s recovery would be delayed.

“Yes,” Gabriel replied. “We’ll all go.”

I didn’t like the local hospital. It was gray and sterile and the nurses’ shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor. I could feel grief and loss as I soon as I stepped through its automatic doors. I knew there were people there who would not recover; victims of car accidents or incurable diseases. At any given time someone could be in the process of losing a mother, father, husband, sister, or child. I could feel the pain contained within the walls like a stinging slap in the face.

This was the place from which so many made their journey to Heaven. I was reminded of the many souls whose transition I had been able to ease—it was remarkable the number of people who reconnected with their faith in their last days on earth. There were so many souls here in desperate need of guidance, of reassurance, and it was my duty to attend to them. But, as usual, the moment I pictured Xavier’s face, any feelings of responsibility or guilt dissolved from my mind, and I could think of nothing but finding him.

I followed Ivy and Gabriel quickly down the wide passageway with fluorescent lighting and hospital furniture. Xavier was in a room on the fifth floor. His entire family were leaving as we arrived and they spilled out into the passageway.

“Oh, Beth!” exclaimed Bernie when she saw me, and suddenly I was surrounded by members of Xavier’s family, all passing on pieces of information as to his condition. Gabriel and Ivy watched in amazement.

“Thanks for coming, hon,” said Bernie. “Give her some space, everyone. He’s fine, Beth, don’t look so worried—although he could do with some cheering up.”

She cast an inquiring look at Gabriel and Ivy. “This must be your brother and sister.” She extended her hand by way of greeting, and my siblings shook it in turn. I left them to deal with introductions and slipped quietly into Xavier’s room. One bed was empty; the other had its curtains drawn.

“Knock, knock,” I said softly.

“Beth?” Xavier’s voice came from inside. “Come in!” He was sitting propped up on the bed with a blue tag around his wrist. “What took you so long?” he said, his eyes lighting up when he saw me.

I ran to the side of the bed, grabbed his face in my hands and examined it. Gabe and Ivy waited outside, not wanting to intrude.

“So much for being invincible,” I said. “How’s your ankle?”

He lifted off an ice pack to reveal his ankle, which was swollen to twice its size. “They’ve taken X-rays and it’s fractured. They’ll have to put a cast on as soon as the swelling goes down.

Looks like I’ll be on crutches for a while.”

“Well, that’s a nuisance but not the end of the world. It’ll give me a chance to look after you for a change.”

“I’ll be fine,” Xavier said. “They’re keeping me overnight for observation, but I’ll be home in the morning. I just have to keep my weight off the foot for a few weeks. . . .”