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Shit. “Hey, no running,” I shouted, and moved to chase them. My foot hit the tile at the wrong angle, and I lost my traction. I swore my world slowed to a crawl as my legs slipped from underneath me and the edge of the pool rushed up to meet my face. I couldn’t stop myself from—
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The happy screamsof kids were background noise, since I was working with my own students, but Colin’s shout drew my attention. I hated that he was only saying the bare minimum to me. That Daria was the same—
I swore my heart stopped when Colin’s footing slipped. He was falling at the wrong angle, toward the edge of the pool, and I was on my feet.
His head struck the edge, and I was sprinting.
He didn’t surface again, and I was diving into the water.
When I hit the water, my angle wasn’t right either. I felt the familiar, excruciating tear in my shoulder, but that didn’t matter. Kicked straight for Colin, who wasn’t moving, wrapped my good arm around his waist, and hauled him to the surface.
I was vaguely aware of shouting—Daria—telling one of the older boys to help me, and everyone else to get out of the water. She was barking orders at other parents, at everyone.
The only thing I cared about right now was that Colin hadn’t opened his eyes.
I lay him on his side on the ground, and he coughed as his eyelids fluttered. Adrenaline had my heart and body running on overdrive, but I couldn’t do anything except lay him on his side and make sure he kept breathing.
“There’s an ambulance on its way. What do you need?” Daria knelt next to me.
To keep him breathing and conscious. Not lying down but not upright. “Something to prop him up.”
“Who? What happened?” Colin tried to sit up.
Daria slid a pool toy behind his head, and I gently nudged him back to lay on it.
“You hit your head,” I said.
Colin leaned his weight back. “Oh.”
“How’s your shoulder?” Daria asked.
Right. The agony screaming through half my torso. I’d most likely torn the rotator cuff again. “It’ll be fine.” I’d never compete again—the Olympics were definitely out—and it didn’t matter, as long as Colin was all right.
“You look worried.” Was that a slur to Colin’s words? “What happened?”
“You hit your head,” I repeated.
He frowned. “Oh.”
Double fuck. I’d seen this a few times with other athletes. I held a finger in front of Colin’s face, about two feet away. “Follow the movement, eyes only.”
“It’s all blurry.” Colin stared at my hand and blinked a few times. “Nope. Still blurry.”
So this was probably a concussion.
“You take care of him, I’ll make sure everyone gets home safely and the place locked up,” Daria said.
“Why?” Colin asked. “What happened? Why does my head hurt?”
It was going to be a long night. It didn’t matter, as long as he came through this okay. I gave Daria all of the information she needed, and she returned from our lockers a short while later with phones and clothes. I answered Colin’s questions as many times as he asked them.
When the ambulance arrived, I told them everything that happened and what I’d done so far, while they strapped Colin to a stretcher.
Daria grabbed my arm before I could follow them outside. “Call me as soon as you know more, please?”
