Читать книгу Always a Mother - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 12

November 26, 1986

BUNNY INSISTED on watching the girls so Claire could make one of the home games. She sat in the stadium, her eyes on her husband. To her he was the best player on the field. She stood and cheered when he caught the ball. She bit her nails when it seemed to go right through his hands.

Suddenly a crashing tackle left him lying on the turf, writhing in pain, his leg bent at a strange angle. Jumping to her feet, she made her way to the field, her heart thumping so hard it was about to pound out of her chest.

As she reached the sidelines, an official stopped her.

“That’s my husband,” she cried, as the medical staff crowded around Dean.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but—”

An ambulance backed into the stadium and she broke away. No one was keeping her away from him. Another official caught her before she reached him, but she jerked free, running to where Dean lay on a stretcher.

She fell to the turf by his side. “I’m here, honey.”

“Claire—”

She stroked his face. “Shh.”

The paramedics picked up the stretcher and she crawled into the ambulance with him. No one tried to stop her. She rode to the hospital holding his hand. He was in a lot of pain and tried not to show it.

“Claire…”

“Hush. You’ll be okay.” But she wasn’t so sure. His leg wasn’t straight and had soon swollen to three times its normal size.