"You made it."

As soon as one of my teammates, I couldn't tell who, said that to me...I regretted everything.

Why was I here right now? Why did I defy Dad's orders and my doctor's orders? Why was I putting so much effort into a sport that was so dangerous for me to play? 

"I can't do this." I said, turning towards who I now realized was Vance. Vance steadied me on my feet and said, "Come on, Edison, it's not like this is the Super Bowl. It's a middle school track meet. An important track meet, but still."

"It just now hit me that if I don't play my cards right today...I could get hurt, Vance. Or like, bleed out and die- I don't know how my stupid illness works! Oh God...why didn't I just stay home today?" 

"Edie!" Vance said, seeming to forget how much I hated that nickname. But for some reason, when Vance said it...I didn't mind. Maybe it was the panic, maybe it was because Vance was my best friend. 

I snapped out of my fantasy and realized Vance was staring at me, her hands on my shoulders. "Edie. Please. I know you're scared, heck, I'm scared too. Well, I'm not in your situation with this whole chronic illness thing you've got going on, but I have the same pre-meet nerves you do. But you got this, we all do. You have the whole team rallying behind you, my parents, everyone else's parents, whoever came to support you and drive you here." 

I nodded slowly, lacing up my shoes and taking a deep breath. Part of me wanted to call Ben and have him take me home, but I didn't want him to get mad at me if he found out where I was and why. I could have East and Jayce take me home...

But at the same time, I'm here for a reason. And just like any good track and field athlete should, I ran. I wanted to take a lap around the track to clear my head, and that's what I started to do, not caring that I haven't even stretched or warmed up. 

"Edie! Watch out!" I heard Vance yell, but I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even notice what I had to watch out for...until it was too late. 

I tripped over a hurdle that was on the track and fell to the ground.

Then everything went black.

______

East's POV

"CRAP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as soon as I saw Edison collapse on the floor. I jumped off the bleachers, ran over to her and soon realized that she was unconscious. 

"Jayce? Babe, come here, I need you to call 911." I said. My fiancé looked at me with concern then pulled out his phone. "Do you know Edison's dad's number, babe?" Jayce whispered to me while he was on the phone.

"No, but we keep in touch on Instagram. That's how I found Edison in the first place." I said. "I'll DM him, you make sure the ambulance gets to where it needs to be." 

Jayce gave me a thumbs up and I sighed. Edison got hurt...and for some reason I thought it was all my fault. 

"Please...please tell me Edison will be okay..."

_____

Ben's POV

Right now, part of me is grateful to Edison's biological brother, East. The other part of me is pissed off at him.

 For starters, he snuck Edison out to Regionals without telling anymore. The last place she should be right now. That's what's getting me so mad at him right now. But part of me is grateful to him, because he was the one who helped out Edison when she got hurt.

In fact, East saved Edison's life just now. But just barely. 

Edison bled into her brain. And no one knows when, or if, she'll wake up.