| Alex |

I love watching Cody play. With everything Ali and Hope have been telling me about how she's behaving, that she's been avoiding my calls, I'm happy that she's playing with a sense of freedom. It's like all the stresses of her life melt away when she has the ball at her feet and it's a truly beautiful sight to see.

"Shit, she even runs like you, Alex!" I look at Ashlyn, seeing her eyes fixed on Cody as my daughter takes the ball up the field, laying it off to Jack when she gets crowded.

"Yeah, everyone keeps telling me that."

We watch as Jack loses the ball, the Coach screaming for a foul as Jack takes her time getting up, but she does, however the other team are already closing in on the goalkeeper, the winger sending a cross into the box from the right flank, and the crowd audibly groans as the attacker headers the ball into the goal, the 'keeper rooted to her spot. While the opposing team run off to celebrate, some of my daughters team yell at the referee about the foul on Jack that he didn't call, Cody wasn't one of the ones shouting. I watched my daughter observing the other team, a blank expression on her face before the referee resumes play, only to frustrate the entire home section when he blows his whistle for half time three seconds later.

Ali takes the time to drag me to the car, along with Hope, telling me we have to talk about Cody and now.

"What's going on, Ali?"

"She's drinking. Everyday, Alex, except for the last couple of days. Jack caught her, promised not to say anything if Cody stopped."

I don't have enough time to process what my friend told me about my daughter when Hope interrupts.

"Her nightmares are worse too. We know you were waiting until you were living together but she needs help, Alex."

"I know." I breathe out, looking at my feet, feeling like a failure, like a terrible mother to my only child and I start to cry.

"It's not your fault Alex. Those people broke her, she just needs your help to get better." Hope soothes me, rubbing her hand on my back.

"She's right, you did nothing wrong. But she needs you now."

I only nod, wiping the tears away as we head back to the bleachers to watch the second half of my daughters game.

| Cody |

It's our turn to kick off the half, so I lay it off to Jack, who passes it to Katie, a middie on our team. Everyone manages to get a touch of the ball before it's sent over the defense and I sprint after it, controlling it with my left foot, pulling the ball back from the defender who tries to take the ball from me inside the box, and I shift to the right before I put my laces through it, watching as the ball goes in the upper 90 to the 'keepers left, and I'm bombarded by my teammates screaming and hollering. I can't hear my own thoughts as the crowd yell louder than I've ever heard them.

We make our way back to the center circle, waiting for the other team to restart the game. I take this moment to study them, watching how they set up and position themselves, how some of them are flat footed, not expecting anything, but some are on the balls of their feet, ready to run. I also see their body language change since we scored, and I notice that the players to my left side seem uneasy, less confident than they were a few minutes ago.

The game goes back and forth for a good twenty minutes until we get possession of the ball at the 78 minute mark, and I take the ball up the field, exploiting the left side who are lacking confidence before switching it to Lucy, our right winger and I follow along the line with her, waiting for her to cross the ball in. When she does, it's a bit too short for me to really threaten the 'keeper, so I go to head it to Jack, and I do, but I feel a heavy hit to the side of my head, knocking me off balance in mid-air and I can't control my landing, my head hitting off the turf. I hear the crowd 'ooh' and boo.

I open my eyes, trying to focus but everything is blurry. I blink repeatedly, but it doesn't seem to help. I try and sit up but I feel like vomiting, my entire surroundings starting to spin and I feel someone gently lay me back down before everything goes black.

| Jack |

I run to my best friend who looks completely out of it. When she tries to sit up I place a hand on her chest and push her back down gently. I move aside to let the AT's do their job, while the two teams begin to bicker. The defender who elbowed my friend tried to lift Cody up of the ground, telling her she didn't even touch her, which sparked a small scuffle before Joanna and their Captain seperated the teams.

| Alex |

I think I'm going to be sick.

Of all the injuries I've experienced, winning major tournaments, I've never been as scared as I am now as I watch my daughter's lifeless body surrounded by her teammates and opponents alike. All but one. The girl who elbowed my daughter, the referee choosing to give her a red card, calling the foul deliberate and I'd have to agree - she wasn't even looking at the ball. The girl is still arguing with the ref as my daughter isn't moving.

I feel arms wrap around me, and I'm thankful for my teammates. I don't even notice I'm crying until Ali wipes my tears for me. It doesn't stop the crying though, when the crowd starts to chant for my daughter, but they don't use her legal last name, they use my name.

"Morgan! Morgan!" I cry with happiness as I listen to the crowd urging my daughter to get up, but she doesn't and the stretcher is brought out to the field.