“Sorry.”
His eyes glued to the television once again. The other team turned over the ball on downs. There was three minutes left in the game. A long time with only a three, point lead. He laid the drawing pad on the nightstand.
“Like my drawings?” She asked, her teeth were chattering now.
“Yes, I do. You’re still really good.”
“Thank you.”
Josh shushed Sophie, so he could watch Brian take the team back out on the field. He hoped they could hold the ball for most of the three minutes and score.
“Thanks Josh.”
“Sorry babe. This is the final game of the season. The winner takes the Big Ten. They will be in the play-offs for sure. It’s an important game.”
He saw her shake her head and burrow further under the blankets. “Warm enough?”
“No,” she grumbled.
Brian ran a running play for four yards. Second down and six. He ran a no huddle offense which Josh didn’t understand. He thought they should be trying to run time off the clock. He laid his hand on Sophie’s hip, feeling the shivers of her body through the heavy blanket. He glanced at her face. She was relaxed so he turned back to the television.
Brian stayed in the pocket. He had excellent coverage. He threw the ball downfield twenty-five yards to his favorite wide receiver who stayed in bounds to keep the clock running.
“Man, that kid can throw.”
“Wonderful,” Sophie muttered.
“Sorry, babe. I love you.”
She grunted in response.
“Can I get you anything?” Josh asked. “You haven’t eaten since yesterday morning, before chemo.”
“No.”
He turned back to the television. They were winding down to two minutes left in the game. Josh was leaning forward on his knees ready to bite his nails he was so nervous. They were on the forty-nine, yard line. Brian’s center, a big man nearly three pounds with solid hands snapped the ball, Brian bobbled it then recovered. He stayed in the pocket and threw for ten yards and the air whooshed out of Josh.
“Breath, Josh. It’s just a game,” she teased him. “Camden has never even been one of your favorite teams has it?”
Truthfully, Camden hadn’t even been on Josh’s radar, but he had a vested interest now that Ally was dating Brian. He liked the kid too.
The announcers were talking about Brian’s poise after three years at the helm of Camden University’s Football team. They talked about whether this was his last year at Camden.
“I thought he was just a junior?” Sophie suddenly was awake.
“He is,” Josh replied. “He can leave college early and enter the draft.”
“Talk in English, Josh,” Sophie grumbled.
“The NFL Draft. He could leave early if he thinks he’ll go higher this year than after his senior year. The higher the draft pick, the more money he will be offered to play pro.”
She groaned miserably and rolled to her right side, facing away from Josh. “He’s that good?” She asked.
“He’s that good,” Josh replied. “You okay, babe?”
“No, I’m miserable to begin with Josh now I’m getting the flu to add to my misery.” She got quiet for a few minutes. “There was a twenty-four-year-old woman starting treatment yesterday. It about broke my heart. Her brother brought her.”
He did a double take at his wife, then glanced back at the screen to see a fake then a ten-yard pass to a tight end. First and ten on the thirty-nine, yard line in their own territory. They could at least kick a field goal from here. He’d seen Camden’s field goal kicker do them from this distance.