A few minutes later, Rookie pulls up, looking past me.
“Clay.”
The voice at my back is familiar, but the name isn’t.Harlan never calls me Clay.
I straighten, immediately alert.Something’s wrong.
“What happened?”
The hospital is a mass of hallways and hurrying staff and beeping equipment.My steps overtake the nurse leading us in.
Jay and Miles and Atlas look at me with hollow eyes.Behind them is a row of assistant coaches.
I hate hospitals.My little sister spent too much time in one, and I couldn’t do anything for her.I threw myself into my game because living with the idea that I had no impact was insufferable.
We all wait for an hour.
Two.
Harlan arrives looking tired already.“Thank you all for coming.We don’t have the full details, but we understand Coach’s car went off the road and hit a tree late this afternoon.The doctors believe it may have resulted from a cardiac incident, but as a result, he’s sustained significant trauma to multiple systems.I understand how much Coach means to you.He’d appreciate knowing you were here.”
“He’ll know once he’s out,” Jay insists.
“That won’t be for some time.In the interim, you should go home and rest,” Harlan says.
One at a time, the guys peel off.Miles first, then Atlas.Rookie.Jayden.The coaching staff too.
I keep pacing the room.Still in my hoodie over a practice jersey, plus shorts, my Kobes on my feet.
“You won’t get to see him tonight.”
I look up to meet Harlan’s eyes.
He rests a hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off.My attention goes to my knee, the scar there.
Harlan retreats and returns a moment later with faded blue polyester folded in his hands.“At least put these on so you don’t freeze.”
Harlan leaves me with the scrubs.I drop them on the chair and do laps of the ward.People spot me, but the nurses don’t care.
I’m not famous here.I have no power.
I return to the nurse’s station.“Let me see him.”
“You can’t right now, Mr.Wade.”She frowns.
I rub a hand over my face.“I need to see him.”
She starts to argue, but another nurse clears her throat.“You can go in.”
I head into the room full of beeping machines.He’s lying in the bed, tubes and monitors hooked up everywhere.For once, he’s quiet.
There’s no chair, so I get one from the hallway and carry it in.
NOVA
The past week, I’ve been going to the wall.
Literally.
