Page 34 of Kickoff

“No. You could never bore me. I like that you wanna do good, not just defend others because they pay you to do it.”

Her eyelids fluttered close. “Mase, do you mind if I nap?” She rubbed her abdomen in circular motions. “I’m sore and tired as if I have trained for hours. My belly feels like a war zone.”

“Need my help to lie down?”

“I think I can manage. Thanks for staying here with me.” She removed pillows from behind her back and flipped to her left side next to me on the couch.

I adjusted the blanket over her. “You sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

All evening, Melinda dozed on and off. At some point, she shifted position when a surge of pain woke her up, and now her head was resting on my thigh and my arm lingered on her shoulder. I tried to watch a movie—I really did—but all I could focus on was her body pressed against mine and the soft rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took.

She stirred in her sleep, and her head rubbed against my groin. As if I had been tased, my body reacted to her every movement. Careful not to wake her up, I scooted to the side just a tiny bit and tilted my head back. I stared at the ceiling, breathing in and out slowly before closing my lids and counting from fifty to one in my head. That did the trick because the tension in my lower body decreased. I blew out a puff of air and brought my eyes back to the TV screen, still unable to focus on the action playing in front of me.

Nothing about tonight felt real. I was hanging out with Melinda Shepard at her house, taking care of her like it was a normal occurrence for us, and she was almost asleep in my arms.

Around eleven, I carried her to her bedroom. We had school in the morning, and I believed she would have a more restful night if she slept in her own bed. She twitched in my arms once but never woke up as I tucked her in.

10

His trunk is too big for his body

The sound of a muffled thump woke me up with a start. I looked at the time on my phone. One fifty-seven in the morning. It took me a moment to recall where I was.

I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes with my fists, on high alert, as I sat in the darkness. Perhaps Melinda had woken up to pee or grab another dose of painkillers in case the fever had returned. Or she had fallen from her bed.

I was about to check on her when I heard it. Whimpering sounds coming from upstairs.

Jumping over the couch’s backrest, I climbed the stairs two at a time, the hallway light casting the house in a golden glow when I flicked the switch on.

Curled up on her side on the wooden floor, I believed for a second Melinda had fainted. She looked so small and fragile right now.

“Mason—” My name sounded like a plea on her lips.

“Mel? Are you awake?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Sobs shook her. She hugged herself, rocking from side to side.

I rushed to her, squatting next to her, my hand flying to her forehead. “You’re burning up. Did you fall? Are you hurt? Talk to me.”

“It… It hurts. Inside. It… I can’t breathe, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.” She pushed a hand over her mouth. “Ohmygod…ouch. Make it stop. Mase, please. I’m dying. They’re drilling…they’re drilling a hole inside me. I-I can’t move. I tried to stand.” Her lips quivered. “And I fell. Help me. Mase, do something. Ouch. I think I’m gonna pass out. What is wrong with me? Ouch. Mase, please. Don’t let me die.”

I pulled her into my arms, cradling her shivering body. “I’m driving you to the hospital. Unless you want me to call an ambulance.”

She shook her head. “No. You. Drive. Me.” She screamed when waves of agony radiated through her, piercing my very soul. Her fingernails dug into my forearms. “Mase, I can’t bear it. It hurts everywhere.” A loud cry left her lips and made my blood curdle. “Tell me the truth. Am I going to die?” She lifted her head to look at me.

“Don’t move. Stay still. I’ll carry you. Mel, I’m here, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word. Trust me.”

“Okay. Don’t leave me.”

As I made my way downstairs, Melinda’s body grew limp in my arms. Her skin was warm and sweaty from the fever. As gently as possible, I placed her on the backseat of my car, pushing the strands of hair sticking to her face away with my fingers before rushing back inside to grab a blanket to cover her. The entire drive, I talked to her, but only guttural sounds passed her lips. At least she was still with me. Alive and breathing. I strangled the steering wheel in a death grip. I had no idea what was going on with her, but it appeared serious. At a red light, I pivoted on my seat to watch her. Once again, she was lying on her side, hugging herself. “Mel, hang in there.” I stretched my hand to caress her shoulder. “We’ll be there in like five minutes, okay?”

No answer. Only growls of pain.

The light switched green, and I let go of her. “I’m doing my best to drive you there quickly, and in one piece. Don’t quit on me, okay? Be brave for just a little longer.”

After I parked in the emergency drop-off, I lifted a non-responsive Melinda in my arms. “We’re here. I’m with you. I’m not going anywhere.” Her eyelids flickered but remained closed as we entered the hospital and fluorescent lights shone above us. I pressed my lips to her forehead in a fervent prayer. “You are safe now.”

I was holding her hand when Melinda woke up almost three hours later. The adrenaline had worn off, and exhaustion had settled in me. I pushed it back at the sight of her regaining consciousness. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Shepard.”