Little Sanchez - USWNT

Chapter 14

Ainsley's POV

I woke up in the stupid hospital again. 

This fucking place. 

I coughed and looked to my right, where Ashley was sleeping. I tried to get words out, but my throat was too sore. 

Then it all came flooding back to me. 

I had fallen asleep in the hotel room at the end of a movie, and then I woke up to the smell of smoke and when I opened my eyes I saw fire. 

I remember jumping from the bed, being trapped in the room because the fire was right by the door. 

I thought that was it for me. I remember leaning over the fire to open the door, my vision fogged by the smoke. When I pushed it open, I channeled my inner goalie when I took a few steps back and dove over the fire, the tip catching my foot. Hitting the ground hurt like absolute hell. 

And my lungs were getting filled with smoke, I know if I made it out of here they'd be bad. When I got up, I coughed too much to walk, and that's when I heard it. The last voice I wanted to hear, but hearing it was a relief. 

People rushed by as I heard her scream my name, and I thought for a second maybe I would make it out. 

"ACE?" 

"Trina?" I coughed, finding it hard to talk. 

"Come on, Ace. We gotta get out of here." 

I was too weak, I couldn't go. I couldn't stand up, I could only cough. It was awful. 

"I....can't." I coughed. 

"Yes you can! Come on!" 

She pulled me up, and it was then that I could just barely make out her face. She tried to run, but again, I couldn't move. 

"Come on, Ace. I'm trying to save your life again. Work with me!" 

I coughed again, and I coughed so hard I was certain I'd die of smoke inhalation. 

I made it down 3 and a half flights of stairs, and then I couldn't do it anymore. I physically couldn't move. 

"You....you have to go. I'm not gonna make it." I coughed. It's over. It's the end. It's been real, world. 

And I didn't even care. I just wanted out of that hell hole. 

She said something that I couldn't understand because my brain had turned foggy and everything around me was foggy. 

All I can remember after that is her just talking on and on and then I felt the chill of the outside air hit me. Fresh, outside air. 

I just coughed and coughed until I felt someone grab me in close and start yelling. 

I passed out then, and now I'm here. I am fucking shocked I'm not dead. 

Breathing is easy again, but I have some kind of machine hooked up to me so who knows what it's really like. 

The clock said 6 am. I'm gonna miss my flight back to LA. Shit. 

I started using my arms to make a lot of noise without ruining my machines obviously, and Ashley woke up eventually. 

"Oh my god I thought you were gonna die." She started crying, and I reached out my hand to her. 

She ran for the doctors, and they all came in and checked on me, then they took the breathing machine off. 

It started to hurt again, in my lungs and my ribs. It was only then that I noticed that my left foot was wrapped and my right wrist was as well. 

"My ribs." I complained. "And my lungs and my foot and everything. Ow." 

"Why does her voice sound like that?" Ashley asked. 

"It's to be expected. She's lucky. Her lungs will only take about 2-3 months to heal. And her 2 broken ribs will take a month or 2. Her wrist is gonna be fine, that's just a hairline fracture, her voice should go back to normal soon enough. But what I'm concerned most about are the burns on her left leg. There's gonna be some scars there for sure." The doctor said. 

"So when can I play soccer again?" I asked. 

The doctor looked at me sadly, and just like my ribs, my heart was broken. 

"I....no.....no way...." I started to feel the tears rushing, and I just wanted to scream. 

"Ainsley-" Ashley grabbed my hand and the doctor cut her off. 

"I'm not saying it's completely out of the cards." He said. 

My face and Ashley's both lit up. 

"But it isn't likely you'll ever be at the same place physically you were before. It's possible, but not likely." 

"So I may never play for the USWNT again?" I asked. 

"Maybe not." 

"I'm gonna be back. I'll be back, I swear I will. I can't live without soccer." I said. 

"I think you're looking pretty much good to go for the most part. I'm going to give you two a minute to talk and then I'll be back with a lot of things to say, so be prepared." 

"Thanks doctor." Ashley said. 

"You're welcome. I'll be back in 30 minutes."