I open my eyes and find three pairs of eyes
staring down at me and beyond them
is my coach pacing and ranting
saying that I threw it too hard
and what was I thinking
and I notice that one of them is
Ben
with a strange look on his face
concern, maybe fear

I try to sit up and get firmly pushed back down
“Don’t move.”
this is from Diana, another coach,
Presley is sitting next to me
pressing a cool cloth to my head

“I’m fine. I think I’m fine.”

Diana points to her head.
“Knock out means hospital.
You know drill.”

they get me to my feet
and part of me thinks it’s completely
sweet that Ben wraps his arm around my waist
to move me to sit on some mats
and the other part
is completely mortified that
he not only saw me mess up
but actually knock myself out

everyone but Ben and Diana
gets back to work because
injuries like this aren’t exactly
uncommon and once you’re conscious
well, it’s time to get back to work

Diana points at Ben,
“You take one side and we take to hospital.
She needs picture, make sure she crack nothing.”

Ben winks at me.
“I’ll take her.”

They get me to Ben’s car and Diana agrees to
let him take me telling us she will call
ahead and let them know we’re coming and call my father
to meet us there.

I lean my head back on the seat because now it hurts
and the pain is pushing away the embarrassment
of the entire situation.

Ben is tense, his fingers curled tightly around the wheel
and glancing at me every couple of seconds.

“I’m fine,” I say. “They just want to cover themselves.”

“I guess it’s part of what you do, but wow – I thought you broke
your neck right there in front of me.”

he reaches over and
takes my hand
and doesn’t let go until we
reach the
emergency room doors.