CHAPTER 34: [FIXTURE REMINDER]

Not the concussion?

"I’m sorry, I don’t understand," Ethan’s father said, his voice trembling. "If the fall isn’t what’s keeping her unconscious, then what is?"

Dr. Evans sighed, a look of professional frustration on her face. "That’s the million-dollar question. Her brain activity is... unusual. We’ve run every test we can. There’s no sign of further injury. In fact, her brain is showing patterns remarkably similar to someone in the deepest, most restorative phase of sleep. It’s almost as if her body, in response to the trauma, has put itself into a forced, ultra-deep healing state."

She looked at their bewildered faces and tried to simplify. "Imagine your body has a ’factory reset’ button for when it’s completely overwhelmed. It seems your mother’s brain has pressed it. It’s a rare neurological response, but not unheard of. It’s healing itself from the shock, and the best thing we can do... is let it."

"So she just... sleeps?" Sarah asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"For now," Dr. Evans confirmed. "We could keep her here, but honestly, the constant noise and prodding of a hospital might do more harm than good. I believe the best environment for her to recover is at home, where she’s comfortable and surrounded by family. We’ll discharge her into your care. The prescription is simple: complete bed rest for at least a week. No stress. Keep the room quiet. Talk to her, let her hear your voices. We’re confident that she will wake up on her own when her body decides it’s ready."

The news was so bizarre, so far from the dramatic life-or-death scenarios they had been imagining, that they could only nod in stunned silence.

The journey home was surreal. Their mother was discharged, sleeping peacefully in the back of the car, looking less like a patient and more like she was simply taking a very deep nap.

The cloud of terror had lifted, replaced by a strange, quiet sense of purpose.

Before they left, Ethan pulled Leo aside. "Man," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don’t know what I would have done last night if you hadn’t come."

"You would have been fine," Leo said with a shrug, but he clapped Ethan firmly on the shoulder. "That’s what friends are for. Just... keep me updated, okay? And tell your mom I’m thinking of her."

"I will," Ethan promised.

Back at the house, they worked together like a well-oiled machine.

His dad and him carefully carried their mom upstairs to her bedroom, while Sarah changed the sheets and made sure the room was calm and comfortable.

The house, which had been a scene of chaos and fear just the night before, was now a sanctuary of quiet, focused love.

Later that afternoon, Ethan found Sarah in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared a simple soup. The tension that usually existed between them had completely vanished.

"Smells good," Ethan said, leaning against the counter.

"Dad said it’s her favorite," Sarah replied with a small smile. "Even if she’s asleep, maybe she can... I don’t know. Smell it?"

"Maybe," Ethan said. He picked up a vegetable peeler and started working on a pile of carrots.

They worked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"You know," Sarah said, not looking at him. "Dad told me you got a job. At the CostMart."

"Yeah," Ethan said, a little defensively. "It’s just stacking shelves, but..."

"No," she cut him off, turning to face him. Her eyes were surprisingly soft. "It’s a good thing, Ethan. A really good thing. I’m... proud of you."

The words hit him with more force than any virtual victory.

He felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the game. "I just... I wanted to help," he mumbled, feeling suddenly shy.

"You are," she said. "We’re all in this together."

That evening, the three of them ate dinner in the living room, keeping the TV off, their conversation quiet and interspersed with one of them going upstairs to check on their mom.

Ethan looked at his dad, who looked ten years older but also calmer than he’d been in months.

He looked at his sister, who was tired but smiling a real, genuine smile.

He looked at Gaffer, who was asleep on his foot.

In that moment, he understood something fundamental.

Apex United, the wonderkids, the league titles, the rivalry with Leo... it was all an incredible, thrilling adventure.

But this? This was real. This was his team. And they were more important than any game.

For the next three days, Ethan didn’t even think about the pod.

His life revolved around a new, simple routine.

He would wake up, check on his mom, play with Gaffer, and help his dad around the house.

In the evenings, he would go to his shift at CostMart, where he was quickly mastering the art of the perfect cereal aisle display.

He even started to enjoy a strange camaraderie with his grumpy boss, Mr. Henderson.

He gave the money he earned to his dad, who accepted it with a quiet, proud nod.

He talked to Leo and Liam on the phone, giving them updates on his mom’s condition (still sleeping, but peaceful) and listening to their own FCG adventures.

On the fourth day, something shifted. He was sitting by his mother’s bedside, reading a book out loud, when her hand, which he was holding, twitched. His head snapped up.

Her eyelids fluttered for a second before settling. It was a small sign, but it was a sign.

A powerful wave of hope and relief washed over him. She was coming back.

That evening, after his shift, he felt a familiar pull. Things were stable.

His mom was getting better. The real world felt less like a crisis and more like... life. And a part of that life was now in the virtual world. He needed to check on his team.

With a feeling of nervous excitement, he lay down in the pod for the first time in days.

He materialized in his office. The view of the stadium was the same, but the room felt different.

It was his, but he had been away.

A stack of virtual notifications and emails flooded his screen.

[Training Report: Week 1 - Complete. Player morale is high.]

[Scouting Update: Initial report on João Costa is ready for review.]

[Fixture Reminder: Apex United vs. Bolton Wanderers. 3 Days.]

He scrolled through them, a sense of relief washing over him.

The club hadn’t fallen apart in his absence. His assistant, had clearly kept things running smoothly.

He was about to close the notifications when he saw it.

A single, priority-flagged message at the very bottom of his inbox. It was different from the others. The sender wasn’t his assistant, his board, or another manager.

The sender was listed simply as: System Administrator.

Ethan’s blood ran cold. He had never seen a message like this before.

The subject line was even more chilling.

Subject: Regarding your unscheduled disconnection during FCG League One Fixture #1.