Football singularity

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[Date: 24 April 2020 | Location: Cologne University Hospital – Isolation Wing | Time: 14:19]

Nurse Ana's voice trembled—barely, but enough to be noticed. "Miss, I know you're worried, but you have to understand… we're under extreme protocols. This pandemic is chaos. Mistakes happen—but we are doing the best we can."

Paul, the male nurse, stood to the side, arms crossed now, his face shield fogged again, barely managing to hold back his glare from piercing Ana when she mentioned mistakes. "I understand there's some confusion," he said, offering a diplomatic smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Your partner is receiving the highest standard of care we can offer in these circumstances. But we do ask that families trust the system and refrain from creating unnecessary stress or disruption—"

"You think I give a damn about your justifications?" she snapped. "You're scared of a lawsuit? Good. Because when the press finds out that Bayer Leverkusen's wunderkind—Rakim Rex—valued at 100 million euros—was misdiagnosed, mistreated, and dumped in your contagion ward because some lazy doctor couldn't admit they made a mistake?"

Ana blinked, not quite understanding what the girl was getting at; however, Paul's face paled. Even Halberstadt, the attending doctor in the ward, who had been half listening to their argument, stiffened. His hands were twitching toward the hem of his protective suit, trying to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

May didn't care, though, as she continued. "That'll be nothing compared to what happens when the club's legal team, the Deutscher Fußball-Bund, or heck, when his parents get involved." As if a light bulb went off in her head, she pulled out her phone and dialled Lisa's number.

"You know, many people don't know since he is like a different person on the field, but his parents are quite wealthy, so good luck explaining this shit show." She said in anger, half wondering why she hadn't done this in the first place.

Waiting for the phone to ring once, then twice, felt like listening to the end gongs in their ears. "What are you doing?" Ana asked, voice strained.

She didn't answer her as a crackling sound came from the screen as the call was answered. "...May?" Lisa's voice sounded groggy, disoriented.

May's tone softened—but only slightly. "I'm sorry for waking you, Lisa, but Rakim and I were rushed to Cologne Hospital last night. He's in critical care right now… but it's not what you think. The problem is they put him in the critical COVID wing when he only had a high fever."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, causing me to wonder whether the connection had broken up halfway through.

Lisa was not a woman who frightened easily. She had negotiated with top clubs across Europe, fought off brand vultures, trying to get the best deal for her son. She had even personally interviewed the Cambridge student advisor when her daughter had decided to attend. Unlike other parents, she had grilled the advisors on what exactly her daughter would receive for $60,240 a year.

Her husband had been happy enough that their children were living their dream, but for her peace of mind, she needed four-point verification.

But nothing made her heart sink like hearing that one of her children was sick or in danger, so hearing that her son was in critical care felt like an artillery shell had just exploded nearby. She needed a moment to regain her bearings, but when she did, fury replaced worry for a second. "Hey, hooney, are you ok?"

"Uh yeah, though I feel a little light-headed," she quickly responded, not expecting the calmness with which she had responded, given all she had witnessed the woman do, such as chew out a judge at one of their cheer tournaments back in high school.

"That's good that you're ok. Please hand the phone to whoever was in charge. I want to have a chat with them." (um) was the only thing May could say as she handed the phone over to the doctor standing behind the two nurses.

The man was surprised to suddenly be handed the phone since he had made sure to stay quiet as the two dealt with the 'rowdy' patient. Before he could even think of refusing, he had brought the phone to the side of his ear separated by the thin medial suit. "Hello?"

He had been expecting an angry mother, but the voice coming across was surprisingly calm and sweet. "First, I'd like to thank you for helping the kids last night."

"Um, sure it's our job, of course," He quickly responded with a confidant smile, completely letting his guard down.

"For your sacrifice in these hard times, we are all thankful, but if I don't get an explanation on why my son is in the critical COVID wing, so help me god, I will go Old Testament on you and your hospital." Dr. Halberstadt's throat went dry.

The soft-spoken threat slithered through the line like cold steel wrapped in velvet. Despite the pleasant tone, it hit harder than any courtroom cross-examination. "I-I understand your concern, Mrs. Rex. As I was just explaining to—"

"I wasn't asking for understanding," Lisa cut in, voice sharper now. "I just want to let you know that I only have one son, and if even the slightest chance that you people have mis-treated him, I will use all my wealth and time making your lives very difficult, hero or not."

~~~

[Date: 28 April 2020 | Lockdown Week 5 | Time: 14:44 AM | Location: Freud & Croft Private Memorial Hospital]

"Excuse me, Miss Parker, but we have to check his vitals," A nurse of Chinese descent dressed in a protective suit and face shield said as she stepped into the room.

"Sure, and thank you, Dr Lui," May responded as she stood up from her chair and sat back on her bed, giving the nurse space to do her job.

"You don't have to say thank you every time, you know," The woman responded as she pulled out the chart at the end of the bed.

"I know, but our families and I are truly thankful for all you guys have done for us since we arrived here." She told her, showing genuine joy despite the circumstances, as the nurses and doctors had really been friendly to them despite being busy with the ongoing pandemic.

Dr Lui offered a tired but appreciative nod as she checked the monitor. The soft, rhythmic beep of Rakim's heart filled the quiet room, beating strongly. "Vitals are stable. That's good," Miss Lui murmured more to herself than to May. She scribbled a note on the chart. "Still a bit warm, but the fever's trending down."

May breathed out a sigh she hadn't realised she was holding. "Thank God, but why is he still unconscious?"

She watched in silence as Dr Lui gently adjusted the IV lines and double-checked the oxygen feed. Every movement was precise, clinical as she made sure that Rakim was okay.

"You know," the doctor said, voice soft but clear beneath the shield, "I saw him play once. It was the season opener against Paderborn when he made his debut for the team. It wasn't a big match, but my brother dragged me along—he's a Leverkusen fan. Said there was this sixteen-year-old mixed-race kid with green eyes and a killer first touch that would take them to the promised land."

A faint smile tugged at May's lips. "Hahah, that's definitely him, he wakes up thinking about football."

"Don't worry, he is strong and will pull through. The fever and his exposure to critical COVID-19 patients made things worse, but I don't see why he shouldn't come out on the other end." The doctor said as she clipped the board back in place, having completed the last of the checks.

"I know it's just hard seeing him like this. Dr Becker said he wasn't in a coma, but they can't figure out why he hasn't woken up yet." May expressed a mix of complaint and helplessness regarding the situation.

"I know how frustrating it is, but... (Beep beep beep beep)" Before she could finish her words, the steady rhythm on the heart monitor abruptly spiked—beep beep beep-beep-beep-beeeeeep—a jarring distortion that cut through the sterile quiet like an air raid siren. Dr. Lui's eyes shot to the screen.

"O₂ saturation dropping!" she barked at herself more than anyone, her fatigue vanishing in an instant. She rushed to the head of the bed, eyes darting between Rakim's face and the numbers flashing red across the screen.

"He's going into respiratory distress!" she muttered before punching the blue button on the wall, causing the blue light to flash and a pre-recorded voice to be broadcast through the speakers. "Code Blue, Code Blue, Code Blue,"

May sat frozen on her bed, blood running cold as she watched Rakim's body start to twitch—his chest rising in shorter, shallower intervals. His lips darkened slightly, a bluish tint beginning to form around them. It was like something invisible was crushing his throat from the inside. "No, no, no—what's happening?" she gasped, trying to move closer.

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To Be Continued...