Chapter 6

Brianna

After Jess and Kate left, Cole looked down at me. He seemed desperate to muster a smile, but his face was simply too rigid.

Holden appeared to be witnessing this side of Cole for the first time—I could feel his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Once Cole noticed Holden's gaze, he abandoned his facial management entirely and returned to his usual reserve and composure. He coughed twice, the tips of his ears flushing red, his voice carrying the faintest tremor of embarrassment:

"Let's go."

"I'll introduce you to the team."

I nodded and followed Cole toward the football team's meeting room.

The scene drew astonished stares from countless passersby. After all, I was the first girl to get this close to Cole.

Just as we reached the door, Cole stopped me.

Inside, a cacophony of voices drifted out:

"The manager says this new team doctor is super experienced. Look sharp, everyone. Act welcoming!"

"Come on, pull yourselves together!"

"You're saying the doctor's experienced? Think it might be some old guy?"

"What if it's a gorgeous woman?"

"No way! Have you forgotten how insanely strict the hiring criteria were?"

"What gorgeous woman could possibly be top of her medical school class, have over a hundred procedures under her belt, and be able to deadlift fifty kilos with one hand?"

Listening to their banter, I couldn't help but smile. They were adorable. All the way here I'd been bracing myself, half-expecting a group of difficult personalities.

The moment Cole pushed the door open, I looked at the still-chattering crowd and said with a smile:

"Hi everyone. I'm your new team doctor, Brianna Hill."

As my introduction hung in the air, the previously buzzing meeting room fell silent. You could hear the wind outside.

The two unfamiliar players seated in the front row looked utterly stunned. Clearly, they weren't ready to accept this reality.

Sharing their disbelief was Peter, the newly appointed vice-captain. He shot to his feet, pointing at Cole behind me, his tone far from friendly:

"Her?"

"With that frame?"

"You sure she can handle this?"

Cole nodded, his tone unwavering:

"I'm sure. She's the most outstanding team doctor I've encountered in all my years."

"She'll be with us for this afternoon's game."

His tone wasn't a discussion—it was an announcement.

Peter opened his mouth as if to argue, but ultimately said nothing. As he left, though, he shot me a venomous glare.

"Now I finally understand why Jess left the team."

In stark contrast to Jess's attitude were the rest of the players. This naturally included the six who'd been planning to leave with Jess. Standing in the corner, they discreetly flashed me encouraging thumbs-ups. I smiled back at them.

The afternoon game came quickly—Ronaldo德 University versus South California University. This match was the debut of Ronaldo德's reorganized team. The entire university took it seriously; the school's reputation was on the line.

Ronaldo德's football team was renowned and exceptional across the state, even nationally. The administration had no intention of tarnishing their reputation. Before I took the field, I received a personal phone call from the dean himself, despite never having met him.

The players valued this game just as much, which wasn't hard to understand. Many of them aspired to become professional football players after graduation—this match was their chance to shine. No one knew if they'd ever stand on the stage of an interstate college football league again.

So they all fought desperately to prove themselves. No one wanted to be benched.

But people, when they care too deeply about something, often make mistakes in that very domain. Like now—Peter, trying to direct Player #9 into a collision play, overlooked the opposing team's captain right in front of him. He was tackled to the ground. His leg was broken.

As the timeout whistle blew, I rushed forward and hoisted him onto the stretcher with clean, efficient movements. The sight left Peter stunned, his eyes reflecting something indescribable.

But soon, that shock gave way to panic. He clutched my sleeve desperately, repeating:

"My leg's broken!"

"You hear me? It's broken—don't move me!"

Then he grabbed Cole:

"The team's counting on you! You have to win."

"I'll be waiting at the hospital for the good news."

He closed his eyes like a terminal patient giving up on treatment.

I looked at Peter and said firmly:

"No. You're going to witness the team advance in person. That matters to you, doesn't it?"

I knew Peter. The reason he cared so much about this team, why it meant everything to him, was because of his dream—he wanted to join a professional team and become a professional football player.

Unfortunately, before Cole arrived, Ronaldo德 University's football team had languished at the bottom of the college league. Peter had received no attention from professional teams. Without any standout achievements, his applications kept getting rejected.

This league tournament was his last college game. It was incredibly important to him.

The brutal elimination format meant that if Cole lost this match, Peter could essentially kiss his professional career goodbye.

I patted Peter's shoulder:

"Don't worry. You'll watch your team advance with your own eyes."

"You still have a chance."

Of course, I wasn't doing this just for Peter—I was doing it for myself too. If I wanted to earn respect on this team, I had to demonstrate my abilities in this very match.

This debut wasn't just important for the players; it was crucial for me as well. I wasn't just proving my competence—I needed to show the world that Cole's choice hadn't been wrong.

I turned to Peter:

"Give me thirty seconds. Just thirty seconds."

"The vice-captain should absolutely witness how his team qualifies for the league."

He seemed confused:

"What?"

In that brief exchange, I'd already located where his bone had shifted out of place. I looked at Peter, my voice calm:

"Can you take the pain?"

He seemed not to have processed my question. But I wasn't waiting for his answer.

I gripped his joint firmly and pushed the bone back with force. A distinct crack echoed through the air, accompanied by Peter's scream.

Every eye in the venue turned toward me.

Kate, seated in the stands, threw me a mocking smile.

"I told you! Don't showboat!"

"You're going to ruin him!"

"Proving yourself doesn't work like this!"

The dean of the medical school was now frantically waving his arms from the stands, signaling me to stop. He had no desire to see his medical school saddled with infamy because of my actions.

Other players cast worried glances my way. Several were already heading in my direction, clearly intent on stopping me.

I ignored their stares and continued my work. I pulled out a spray and applied it to the site of Peter's displaced bone, massaging vigorously. Each press was accompanied by Peter's screams.

By the final massage, Peter was drenched in sweat. His fists were clenched, perspiration streaming down his face. You could tell—he was at his breaking point. He roared:

"What are you doing? Stop!"

I continued to disregard Peter's outburst, calmly completing the final bandaging and securing. Honestly, football players really did have exceptional physiques. Judging by his bone development, once the splint was in place, he'd be running within two days.

As I marveled at this, Cole strode toward me with his signature oppressive presence. I didn't understand why he seemed so furious.

Cole rushed forward and pinned down Peter, who was trying to get up.

"What are you yelling at my team doctor for?"

Hearing Cole's words, Peter grew even angrier. He pointed at me:

"She nearly crippled me!"

After hearing Peter's roar, the medical school dean threw decorum aside and vaulted down from the stands. He rushed up to me and snapped:

"Brianna! What on earth are you doing!"

"If Peter suffers any complications from your treatment, I trust you understand the consequences."

He then knelt down to examine Peter's condition.

Kate watched me smugly, clearly enjoying the show. Peter looked ready to go at me physically.

But the next second, the dean stood up, his eyes full of disbelief. He looked me up and down:

"Genius!"

"How did you do that? Make that kind of judgment in such a short time?"

Then he punched Peter:

"What are you screaming about! You nearly destroyed my medical school's reputation."

Peter clutched his face, utterly bewildered:

"What?"

The dean rubbed his temples:

"You can stand and walk now, but don't run."

"Her technique is better than what the chief physician at the hospital could've done."