Game Changer

Even as Teddy within his comatose perception keeps recalling and recycling fragments of the power cliches drilled into him during the football camp, his parents grow more anxious. It is Sunday night, and Teddy has been in the coma now for two days. The doctors are guardedly optimistic, even as the postings raise more doubts about the nature of the injury and whether the program should be shut down.

Ethan keeps visiting the therapist and tries to explain why he is such an emotional wreck. “I mean it’s not like I didn’t see my friend collapse right in front of me. And he’s in a coma and he might die” (142). Ethan admits he is thinking about quitting football. He wants to put the whole thing behind him.

An unexpected visit on Monday from the police raises alarms in Teddy’s father—he wonders if Teddy was made to do something at camp he might not have wanted to do. Teddy’s mother believes Teddy returning to football is out of the question, but his father is not so sure. Accidents happen, he explains, they are part of the game he loves. Even Teddy’s little sister now worries. The visit by the police scares her. “Did like someone hurt you on purpose?” (154), she asks Teddy. It is while his sister talks to him, she thinks her brother’s eyes flicker open. The father confirms it—he says he saw his son’s eyes. Alec reaches out to Ethan via text message, telling him cryptically that “people are starting to figure out what happened” (161). Will texts his teammates that they need to stick together. His text says, “No rats!” (162).

Given that Teddy opened his eyes even briefly and that he shows no signs of brain swelling, his condition is now listed as Serious, not Critical. Teddy’s doctor is optimistic and encourages the family to keep talking to Teddy, keep him rallying.

When Ethan visits with the therapist, the man is sure Ethan is hiding something. He tells Ethan that he would feel better if he shared whatever it was. He asks Ethan if someone forced him to do something at the cap. Ethan recoils from the question. The therapist explains to him what hazing means, how someone could do something they did not want to do, something maybe even wrong, just to be accepted by a group. “Ethan, if you don’t help us, the same thing that happened to Teddy might happen to someone else” (177).

Hope for Teddy’s recovery reenergizes the Youngblood family. As they take turns staying with him all day Tuesday, and each reassure Teddy about how much they love him. Jim tells Teddy that he has personally talked with the coach about the rumors and that the coach assured him nothing inappropriate ever happens at the summer camp. Alec texts Ethan, arguing that if “it” is all going to come out anyway, maybe it would be better if Teddy’s parents were told first before “they find out some other way” (185). Meanwhile, Alec’s mother contacts Sarah about alarming text messages she found on Alec’s phone. Sarah is stunned. “There was definitely some sort of planned thing” (187). She confronts her husband about the texts that suggest their son’s injury was part of some “disgusting game” (187). Even as Jim refuses to believe it, Sarah tells him point blank—their son was hurt intentionally. Janey tries to grasp the idea: Someone beat up her brother to be “cool” (194).

Alec and his parents arrive at the hospital. While the parents talk in the corridor, Alec tells Teddy he regrets not having the courage to tell the therapist what he knows but that “it” is out now. Ethan is not returning any messages and rumors are swirling that his family may be moving to a different school district. When Will unexpectedly arrives at Teddy’s room, he curtly tells Alec to go out in the hall. Will tells Teddy not to say anything, saying, “I hope you stick with us” (198). He tells him that the injury was an accident. Never forget, he tells Teddy, “We are the pride of Walthorne” (200). Janey arrives and, sensing something wrong, kicks Will out of the room. That afternoon, the website devoted to Teddy’s recovery is deactivated by Camille herself.