When he'd gotten the call everything seemed to stop and it took him ages to even process what had happened. He heard the words but, they just didn't feel real.
His face had gone completely pale and just driving had seemed so difficult due to how much the Coach was shaking. But, he did it. He had to get to Nessa. He had to.
If the lacrosse team had ever thought he was a yeller, they had nothing on how loud he was the moment he'd entered the hospital and made it to the front desk. He didn't have the the time for them to go into their systems and look Nessa's name up. He didn't have the patience to explain that her full name was Vanessa and no, she wasn't a Finstock. It was such a blessing to everyone working that Melissa happened to be in and that she took his arm to take him to her room.
Once he was in, he was absolutely speechless. On one hand, it could have been worse. It could have been a repeat of Greenberg. Oh, god how he couldn't have handled that.
But, on the other hand. Just looking at his little girl, seemingly out cold. The machines with their menacing, slow beeps, the bandages, the bruises... the sickening smell...
It pushed him to tears. He didn't even have it in him to drag the chair over. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and held her hand in a loose hold.
Scared that he too would hurt her.