"What should I do? This is bad."
Those were the only thoughts that raced through David's mind as he struggled to find the right words. A massive part of him screamed to just lie. To say he got injured while playing, something simple, something that would keep the focus away from him. That should be alright, he thought. It would protect him. Protect the team. Protect the fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, this disaster wouldn't crush everything.
But as he opened his mouth, a strange thing happened — the words refused to come out as planned. Fear, tension, the weight of the moment, or maybe the burning gaze of the coach had scrambled his thoughts and voice alike.
He looked up and locked eyes with Eric ten Hag — eyes blazing red with fury, a storm about to break.
David couldn't help himself. His voice cracked, faltered, and finally broke free, raw and unsteady:
"During the accident I…"
