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She tried to open her eyes through the haze of her drug induced state. She couldn’t move her arms and all she felt was discomfort. After several attempts she finally managed to pry them open. It took a moment for things to clear up, but she was soon able to see her people sitting around the room.
“Hey look who is awake. There’s our girl.” Whitney was the first one to see Tobin’s eyes open. Heather ran to get the doctor while the others gathered around the bed, Tobin tried to talk and move. “Don’t try to move too much Tobs. You have a tube breathing for you and about a million other wires coming out of you. Your arms are restrained so you don’t pull anything out."
“I hear Tobin is awake.” Dr. Burke and Molly came into the room. He spoke softly to her and checked her vitals. “There were a few complication in surgery, but we took care of them and you seem to have come through well. Once you are more awake we will be able to remove the tube and restraints. I’ll be back in a bit to check on you."
Over the next few hours Tobin became more awake and aware of her surroundings. She was getting restless and uncomfortable with all the things on her. Dr. Burke returned and removed the tube. He checked her again and asked how she was feeling. “Tired. But it’s a different kind of feeling. I feel better."
They all just laughed. Some part of their Tobin was back again. They spent the rest of the day being together, thankful to be there. It would be a long road, but Tobin was alive and they were prepared to do whatever they had to do to get her back.
After about a week in the ICU, Tobin was transferred into a cardiac rehabilitation facility to really begin her rehab. The women were a bit hesitant to leave her there because Tobin had seemed more distant since her surgery. They knew it was the right thing though, and the midfielder was placed there for two months of treatment.
Things were different for Tobin now. Every morning began with a handful of pills and then she spent the days with physical and occupational therapists working to get back to her normal self again. She mostly kept to herself, even in the group sessions. She just wanted to be back with her friends and her old life. Tobin struggled with the pain in her chest and dealing with is as the bones and incisions began to heal. Once a week she went to see a therapist they made her see, but she gave minimal answers and kept most of her thoughts to herself. Every day she put all of it aside and she set her focus on her return to the game she loved.
At camp, the friends always worried about Tobin. They tried to be there as much as possible, but camps were getting more frequent. They celebrated her milestones with her as she began walking and getting back into activity, but still they could see she was struggling. The other girls knew some about Tobin’s situation, but left it to her friends and only asked about it occasionally. They saw other players come and go, and could only hope that Tobin would return.
“How’s Tobin doing these days?” Pino asked during lunch one day. She was sitting with Lauren and Ashlyn and some new girls and she hadn’t heard in a while. “She still in the facility?"
“No she was sent home two weeks ago.” Lauren responded, ignoring a look from Ashlyn. “She’s been doing pretty well. She’s allowed to drive now and she is running and getting back into normal physical activities."
“That’s great to hear that she’s getting back into stuff.” the lively midfielder said. She missed her crafty pal. “How long until she can come back?"
“We haven’t heard anything definitive yet, but hopefully we’ll know more after camp.” Ashlyn interjected. “For now she is just taking lots of pills and getting her fitness back."
There was a young forward sitting at the table with them. She had been with the team for about six months now, but no one knew a ton about her. She kept to herself and didn’t give intimate details about her life, although her teammates could see something in her. Listening to the conversation around her she was curious, “Who is Tobin?"
The older girls all stared at each other thinking about how to respond. They hadn’t heard her talk much and were taken by her abruptness. “She is one hell of a baller and a friend of ours. She has been sick for a while."
They finished eating and went about the rest of camp, occasionally sharing words. As time passed they all became closer friends, but each of them had their share of secrets they chose not to speak about.
The next few months, for Tobin, consisted of constant training to get back into soccer. She worked tirelessly every day and wouldn’t let the scar on her chest stop her. She was different, but when people tried to talk to her about it she just she them out.
“You ready for this Tobin?” Lauren asked as they drove from the airport. They were headed to another camp and Tobin was coming to get looked at by the staff and get reintegrated with the team.
“Yeah Chen.” Tobin quietly replied. She was focused on camp and was trying to put her nerves about seeing the girls aside as she tugged up the neck of her shirt.