Page 52 of The Backup Plan

He paused as his defense ran off the field to make way for special teams. He grabbed Justin’s elbow. “What did you see?” he demanded.

“Eleven? Halsey got him hard. He was grabbing his left wrist,” Justin said. “He fell with it kind of under his hip, and he kept opening and closing his hand. Looked like he was in a lot of pain. Do you know him?”

“Yeah. Yeah, kind of.”

“Fraternizing.” Justin clicked his tongue and smiled. “You know we can’t go easy on him if he comes back in.”

Cam jolted. “Do you honestly think I would ask that of you? Or expect it? I really thought you knew me better than that.”

“Course not.”

Cam’s eyes went to the video screen when the cameras pointed at the home team’s sideline. A trainer sat next to Hayden, opening and closing each finger on his left hand, then bending and rotating the wrist. As he jogged onto the field, Cam winced in sympathetic pain and rubbed his own wrist. It wasn’t his throwing arm, but it was important. Quarterbacks needed both hands, and damage to certain nerves or ligaments could end more than one game. The look on Hayden’s face said he was not about to let it end that one.

“Get it checked while you have time, asshole.” Cam mumbled the words his direction before he collected his team for the huddle. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

Hayden’s defense was stacked against the running game, and Cam’s arm was already feeling every one of the two hundred yards he threw before halftime. Forty yards into another pass-heavy drive, he threw a tight screen for a twenty-six yard touchdown. He shot a look at the opposite bench as he celebrated with his receivers. “You idiot, put the ball down.”

The opponent took the opposite tactic and leaned into the run game to take the strain off their quarterback. As Cam caught the pained expression on Hayden’s face cast wide on the big screen, he leaned forward on his elbows and racked his memory for a time he knew anyone he played against.

He came up empty.

Hayden dropped back for a pass and froze for a second too long in the pocket. Just before he let the ball off for a wobbly, incomplete pass, Isaac tackled him.

Cory

My boys! Where’s the selfie?

Cameron

Didn’t happen, Dad.

Cory

I missed the late games. Fill me in.

Cameron

Paging @HaydenHamilton, do you want to tell him, or should I?

Hayden

Well, I only have one working thumb, so you do it.

Cameron

Oh, NOW you’re going to rest it.

Hayden

Yeah. Now that it’s not game day with my team trailing yours, now I’ll rest it.

Cory

WHAT HAPPENED?

Cameron

He fell on his left arm at the beginning of the third. Landed on his wrist, didn’t get films, and went right back out and fell on it again.