Ryan's alarm rang at 6:00 on the dot, pulling him from sleep. He dragged his tired body off the bed and walked to the bathroom, careful not to wake his roommate, Ethan.
Being one of the star players for the school meant they had benefits that other students didn't. A two-man room fully equipped with air conditioning, plus an en-suite bathroom and even a small kitchen that had its own fridge and washing machine.
Unlike regular students who were usually four to five in a room with nothing more than a rickety fan, they were living the life. But it didn't come easy. To deserve these facilities, they had won numerous competitions for the school and garnered good press.
Ryan still remembered the first day they had moved to the upgraded room. It had felt like they had finally gotten a home, and for the past two years, it had been just that. Sometimes, Ryan wanted to take a break, but he knew they couldn't afford to. One slip up and they would lose everything.
Even though the coach had given them a break from practicing the day before so they would be well rested for the match they had to play that afternoon, Ryan had still secretly gone to practice until well past midnight.
All he had to do was give the security guard on duty a pack of cigarettes, and the man would hand over the keys, turning a blind eye to whatever he did. By the time Ryan got back, Ethan was already fast asleep.
He turned off the showers and went off to dress. Stepping out of the bathroom, he dried his hair with a towel. "Ethan, get up, it's time to get ready."
Ethan didn't move or even groan at the disturbance. Thinking about it, Ethan was the one who usually woke up first, without needing an alarm.
When Ryan woke, Ethan would have been fully dressed and reviewing pro-matches or coming up with tactics to discuss with the coach during practice.
Ryan raised a brow and threw his wet towel at Ethan's head. The man still didn't move.
"Did you secretly drink last night behind my back?" Ryan asked, walking over to the bed and leaning over.
Ethan didn't seem to have heard him. His face was pale, too pale. Ryan frowned, reaching out to touch his forehead. Cold. And then he noticed it. Ethan wasn't breathing.
Ryan felt his heart stop.
His brain refused to process it. He leaned over closer, carefully watching Ethan's chest, sighed in relief when he saw it rise, and caught the faint breath from Ethan's nose.
"Ethan… Ethan," he called over and over again, even though he knew the man wouldn't answer.
Straightening, he hurried around the room, looking for his phone, and immediately dialed 911.
"Hello," he said, his voice shaking. "My roommate is unconscious."
"How long has he been like that?"
How long? Ryan didn't know. The last time he had seen Ethan awake was the evening before. When he left to practice. He should have just listened to the coach and stayed back. If he hadn't left, he would have noticed earlier.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" the voice on the other end asked again.
"I don't know. He didn' t respond when I tried to wake him up this morning," Ryan said. "And his body is colder than usual, but he's still breathing. Very shallowly."
"Alright, don't move him."
Ryan nodded even though the other person couldn't see him.
"Could you give me your address? I'll send an ambulance immediately."
Ryan rattled off the address to their dormitory and sat next to Ethan immediately after the call ended. His gaze never left him. He didn't care that water was still dripping down or that his fingers were trembling. He just stared at Ethan's still face, praying under his breath, you have to be okay, Ethan. You have to be fine.
All thoughts of the competition had flown out of his mind.
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"Ethan! Ryan!" Coach Daniel stormed into the room, his expression stern. "Why are you both not at the—" His words trailed off when he saw Ethan lying still on the bed. "What happened?"
Ryan stood, his eyes red. "Coach, he's going to be okay, right?"
Before Coach Daniel could say anything, a group of paramedics walked in through the still-open door and headed straight to Ethan.
"Could you please step aside?" one of them said, prompting Ryan and Coach Daniel to move outside.
By then, a crowd was already gathering in the hallway. Curious faces peeked through the door frames, wanting to know what was going on. There wasn't usually much drama in this part of the school, and now everyone wanted to know what had happened to one of their star players.
If Coach Daniel hadn't been present, someone might have stepped forward or even taken a photo. Some people tried to talk to Ryan, but he ignored them, his gaze fixed on Ethan.
When Ethan was finally carried into the ambulance, one of the paramedics turned to Ryan and Coach Daniel. "Which of you is coming with us?"
"I—" Ryan started and turned to Coach Daniel, hope in his eyes.
The competition they had, was a major one, the conference play off with a nearby college. And even though Ethan couldn't be present, there were still substitute teammates he could play with.
But Ryan just wanted to be with Ethan. He wouldn't be able to focus if he went anyway. Coach Daniel must have thought the same too.
"Go with them," he said, patting Ryan's shoulder. "I'll inform the school authorities."
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At the hospital, Ryan leaned against the wall, silently praying as the doctors worked inside the operating room. The smell of antiseptic filled his nose, making every breath a struggle.
If it were on the court, Ryan had Ethan's back every time. But now, there was nothing he could do but wait and hope.
"What's the update?" Coach Daniel asked, running up to Ryan when he arrived.
"He's still in there," Ryan said softly, eyes glued to the red light above the door.
Beyond the door laid his most important person fighting for his life.