Tales of the Tournaments

Six minutes.

That was all it took.

A perfect pass from Rachel Daly, and Pernille Harder watched as her Chelsea protegee slotted the goal home. Of course, the twenty-one-year-old Lauren James was, for once, doing so against her. Not for her.

It was a crushing blow for Denmark. But, Pernille reflected, she couldn't have expected any less from Lauren James. The kid had learned her lessons well - maybe too well. P had taught her that trick, she hadn't expected Lauren to use it against her.

And the flash of a cheeky grin when Lauren ran past her, mobbed by the other Lionesses - oh, Lauren knew Pernille had seen what she'd done.

Well. That didn't matter. All that mattered was getting Denmark back together, Pernille reflected. And she'd do it, too. They could come back from this. Honestly, just because Lauren, Millie, Niamh and Jess knew her secrets didn't mean Pernille, or Denmark should be afraid.

She knew theirs, too, after all. She knew how Chelsea moved, how the Lionesses moved, what to expect. They'd been training for this.

It'd be a damn sight easier if she had Magda and Sam, admittedly, but one couldn't have everything.

Over the next half hour, England and Denmark battled back and forth, their goalkeepers putting forth outstanding effort in keeping the ball out of each other's nets. The score wasn't advancing for Denmark, but at least it wasn't for England, either.

Then Pernille heard a keening cry, and whipped around.

Keira Walsh was down. Georgia Stanway fled to her side, and Lucy Bronze was right next to her. Maternal instinct roared in Pernille's chest as she saw the Lionesses call for a stretcher. Captain Millie Bright was rushing over, and Pernille had to force herself not to get in the way.

I'll step over at halftime and see if Millie and Keira need a hand.

When Keira had been carried off safely, Laura Coombs called in to replace her, Pernille returned her attention to the field. The ball was in her possession now, it was Pernille's job to fix this for Denmark. She tried to still the anxious pounding in her heart at the thought of a player, an opponent, not even hers, who was - 

Pernille's effort was blocked, and she swore to herself in Danish, trying to shake off the anxiety. Pernille hated to see any footballer taken off that way, even when they weren't hers. Especially when Keira had essentially tripped over nothing, there was no blame to be had. She knew from painful experience that meant Keira was likely to blame herself.

The halftime whistle blew a short while later, and the teams headed down the tunnel. Pernille looked over at Sanne. "Handle this lot for me, would you, Sanne?" she asked the midfielder, who nodded.

"Come on girls, let's get moving," Sanne, as team eldest, moved easily into the lead. "You heard the Skipper." The Danish team followed Sanne, and Pernille went over to the English side, stomach churning with anxiety.

When Pernille entered the Lionesses' dressing room, the sound of scolding and shouting drew her, and she passed through the assembled Lionesses without comment (though Jess, Niamh, and Lauren fell into step behind her as she headed for the source of the noise.)

As she thought, it was Millie Bright, looming over a pleading and tearful Keira Walsh, ensconced in an ice bath. "You're not going back in and that's final."

"Cap, please," Keira protested. "Come on, I just need the ice for my knee is all." 

"You said you'd done your knee, Keira Fae Walsh," Millie scolded, arms folded. "You just got stretchered off. You've been subbed out, you're not going back in. Only place you'll be going is hospital to be checked out. You need that scan."

"Millie!" Keira protested tearfully. 

"Keira, what would Alexia say?" Lucy Bronze demanded, and Millie hid a reluctant grin.

"Didn't think I'd see you being the voice of reason, Bronze. Thanks for the backup."

"Alexia's not here." Keira scowled.

"No, but I am." Pernille thought it was prudent to speak up now, and Millie looked up in surprise.

"P, what're you doing here?"

"Making sure you're all right, and that Walsh is all right. Do I have to handle anyone?" Pernille asked. It had all happened so fast, she wasn't sure if one of her girls had been involved.

"No Pernille, ma'am," Keira subsided, eyes lowered as she felt the Dane's eyes on hers. "I tripped on the turf going for the ball. No one's stupid fault but mine."

"Keira Fae Walsh, you do not call yourself stupid," Millie said sharply.

"You'd think she was asking for a smacking," Pernille said dryly. "As if an injured knee wasn't enough."

"You know what, P, I think you're right," Millie agreed. "But I'm not smacking you until after you've been seen to, Keira. I won't risk letting anything happen to your leg." 

Keira shrank down in the tub of ice water, as though trying to hide from Millie and Pernille's disapproval.

"Please, ma'ams, I know it was my own fault, I shouldn't have been so...so...unintelligent," she corrected quickly, and Millie's snort of disbelief told Keira that wasn't good enough. 

"Anyone can trip on a turf field, Keira. If you've done your ACL..."

"It's not, I swear," Keira said quickly. "Not that."

"Keira," Lucy said, keeping her voice steady with effort. "You need to get that checked out."

Keira uncurled, looking up at Lucy with mild surprise. "You have been paying attention to Alexia."

Lucy blushed faintly. "Hard not to when la Reina's in the room."

"Well, be that as it may, you will be going to get it checked out and that's final," Millie said firmly, Pernille half a step behind her. "Do you understand me, Keira Fae Walsh?"

"Yes ma'am," Keira sighed. Reluctantly, she allowed the med staff to lift her from the tub, settling her back on the stretcher with blankets wrapped around her. "Can Luce come with me?" she asked in a small voice, tugging at the team's - and Pernille's - heartstrings.

"No, Keira," Millie said reluctantly. "Sarina can't spare us. But we'll be by later to check on you."

"Sarina can't spare me either," Keira tried again, but Lucy shook her head and Keira lay back on the stretcher, closing her eyes.

Then she was whisked away, and Pernille had no excuse to remain on the English side. "You'll be alright?" she checked with her Chelsea teammates, and Lucy.

They all nodded.

"We have to win this for Keira," Millie said quietly.

"I hope you won't take offence to me saying that for once, I hope not," Pernille smiled wryly. "But I understand the sentiment."

"Thanks, P," Millie said quietly, and Pernille gave her a pat on the shoulder before leaving.

The second half passed…well, it passed. There were no more goals on either side.

The worry of Keira Walsh’s injury hung over England, and though they fought hard to extend their lead, it went nowhere. Denmark were battling back equally, and the keepers ensured none of the attempts on goal had a chance of making it. 

The memory of so many ACL injuries was fresh in the minds of players on both sides, and as they played to the 1-0 final whistle, Keira’s limp form on the stretcher stayed with them.

It had affected Lucy Bronze particularly. She knew she wasn’t playing her best, and though the match ended in England’s favour, it felt hollow. 

“Millie, please can I go to Keira,” she said as soon as they were back in the dressing room. 

“We’ll call her,” Millie compromised. Keira’s mobile was in her go bag, which of course she’d taken with her. Lucy just hoped Keira hadn’t turned it off, or run down the battery by playing silly games on it out of boredom.

In her hospital room, Keira answered the call. She’d been watching the match on the TV, so she knew what had happened. “Luce…”

“I’m here. We’ll be there soon,” Lucy promised. “We won this for you.”

“Technically I’m the one who scored,” Lauren James put in, and Millie swatted the back of her head.

“Quiet, kid, unless you want to be smacked somewhere else. Now, we can’t all go in to see Keira at once,” Millie said reluctantly. “Lucy, Georgia, and I will go up and see if she’s able to be released.

“It’s not my ACL, at least,” Keira supplied on the phone, which Lucy had on speaker. “They did scans and things, and they say I can go back to the hotel soon.”

“Alright. We’ll take the team bus over, we don’t have much choice,” Millie sighed. “Come on everyone.”

The Lionesses filtered out of the dressing room, meeting Pernille outside. She was shepherding her shattered Danes back to their own bus, but paused to look at Millie.

“How is she?”

“Not the ACL,” Millie replied, and a relieved sigh rippled through Pernille and her team, many of whom counted the English side as friends. “We’re going to go get her and bring her back.”

“See you back at the hotel then, Millie,” Pernille said. They nodded, captain to captain, and then Pernille separated from her Chelsea teammates to lead the Danes away. 

It was a relatively short bus ride to the hospital where Keira had been taken, but by the time they got there, she was already waiting for them, sitting in a wheelchair with her leg wrapped and secured in a brace. Georgia and Lucy got out and helped Keira onto the bus, making a chair of their arms and helping carry her to her seat, holding her between them.

“It’s going to be all right, K,” Georgia soothed, cuddling Keira in her lap as Lucy held her legs still. “Sit tight, we’ve got you.”

“I know, G.” Keira snuggled close to her best friend and girlfriend, letting them hold her, and yawning. “I bet Lauren’s been insufferable.”

“I have not.” Lauren Hemp looked over, and Keira rolled her eyes at her younger teammate.

“Not you, brat. The other one.”

“Now you sound more like yourself, K.” Georgia smiled, relieved, as Lucy leaned in to kiss Keira on the forehead. 

“James was a brat all the way here,” Lucy confirmed. “I think it’s just because she worried about you, though. We all have.”

“I’m going to be fine, love,” Keira promised.

As the bus slowly moved back toward the hotel, Keira prayed she hadn’t just lied to Lucy. She needed to be fine, for the team’s sake.

Hopefully Sarina wouldn’t be too mad with her, tripping over nothing like a clumsy idiot. Or Millie, for that matter.

“Whatever you’re thinking about yourself, Keira Fae Walsh, you stop that right now before I come over there and smack you anyway.”

“You wouldn’t smack an injured woman,” Keira sputtered.

“I would if Sarina said it was alright. Or do you want me to check with Leah instead?” Millie asked.

Keira grimaced. “Sorry, I’ll be good.”

“See that you are.” Millie let the matter drop. “Just focus on feeling better, Keira. We need you.”