C.C. McKenna

Chapter Eighteen

Secret Revealed

"Jones, Willis, Richards, Peterson and Bennett... take this and fill it" Coach Roberts handed each a small sterilized container. "And hurry back, the game is just about to start"

The girls filled their vase and quickly ran out to the field.

The game started; Alexia was playing better than ever. The game was only 15 minutes started and she had already scored twice. The Dons of the University of San Francisco, 2.

The Blue Demons of DePaul University of Chicago, 0.

Prue Halliwell was a proud sister. Her smile was bright and arrogant; she couldn't be happier than that. She had been narrating the whole game, step by step, to her sister since the very beginning, and Phoebe was overjoyed. Piper, on the other hand, was very quiet, absorbed in her own thoughts, waiting for a chance to disappear and get rid of her doubts.

"I'll be right back" Piper suddenly stood up and glanced at her sisters. "I'm going to get a coke... can I get you something?"

"Just a bottle of water" Phoebe smiled, and grabbing Prue's hand, she swiftly pulled her against her. "How is she doing?" ... Is she giving them hell or what?"

"Whoa there missy" Prue smirked. "She's playing as good as she always had... she's just awesome Phoebes!"

Prue glanced back at Piper and shook her head. "Youngsters! ... I'll have Dr Piper... Pepper" Prue shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Well... you know what I mean" She smiled embarrassedly.

Piper nodded and smiled too as she carefully jumped off her seat. "Be right back"

Instead of going to the cafeteria, Piper headed straight to the locker room. She opened the door and walked slowly inside. After spotting her sister's locker, she spent a couple of minutes trying to get it open until she pulled through.

"All right... I'm sure she keeps them in here" She thought as she went through her sister's things. "Her jeans!!" She suddenly remembered what she saw this morning and opened her sister's backpack, took her jeans out, and started searching nervously inside the pockets.

Piper's heart skipped a beat when she held the small bottle in her hands. She shook it vigorously to make sure it had what she was looking for and quickly hid it inside her own pocket. She straightened her shirt, pulled back her hair, and hastily left the dressing rooms.

"Finally Piper!" Prue said loudly when she saw her sister walking in a hurry towards her. "We are very thirsty... what took you so long?"

"Sorry... I was talking to ...someone" She replied nervously as she handed the drinks to her sisters.

"Never mind" Prue waved her hand. "Sit down, the first half is about to end" Prue pulled her sister's arm and helped her sit.

Alexia was running with the ball, she stopped for a fraction of a second and looked over her shoulder, she stared at the goalie and smiled mockingly; the Blue Demon defense, who was closely following Lexie, slid herself on the grass and kicked her ankle, sending her through the air and landing harshly on her hip. Prue and Piper stood up quickly and yelled angrily to the referee.

"What?!" Phoebe grabbed her sister's arms and pulled them back to their seats. "What happened?"

"That dirty bitch!" Prue hissed. "She... she deliberately kicked Lexie's ankle!"

"Is she ok?" Phoebe stood up. "Is she still on the ground... is she... is she?!"

"Yes... but the doctor is already with her" Piper added, trying to calm down her sister.

"Look... she's getting up" Prue squeezed Phoebe's hand. "She looks fine Phoebes"

"Thank God!" Phoebe released the air she was unconsciously holding and smiled.

"But she's out of the game" Piper whispered, staring at her sister's stained uniform. "I think she's bleeding... and the coach has sent her to the showers" She added. "Maybe I should go and check on her"

"Yes... You should do that" Prue stated. "I'll stay here with Phoebe"

Lexie was fuming. She walked slowly out of the field and suddenly she stopped and glared back at the girl that had spitefully hit her, but coach Roberts wrapped her arm around her neck and convinced her to leave the playing field.

Lexie's leg was slightly bleeding, her previous injury was giving her hell, but before going to the infirmary, she decided to go to her locker to take her daily-prescribed dosage of medication. She entered the dressing rooms and went directly to her locker; she grabbed her jeans and searched the pockets for the small bottle; but it wasn't there. She dropped her jeans on the floor and desperately started looking through her other stuff; nervously throwing books, clothes, and everything she could lay a hand on, to the floor.

"Shit... shit... SHIT!" Lexie shouted, just as she started to feel a slight pain on her chest. "They have to be here... I know they have!" She placed her hand on her chest. "Come on... please God!" She whispered trying hard to suck in some air.

"Looking for these?" Piper's sweet voice suddenly filled the room.

Lexie hastily turned around to find Piper standing by the doorframe, holding the small bottle in her hand.

"Yes" Lexie squinted her eyes trying to suppress the pain and held out her hand, smiling, hoping to get the bottle in return.

Piper nodded and folded her arm behind her back; intentionally hiding the small bottle from her sister.

"Please... Piper, I must have it" Lexie begged; feeling a sharper stingy pain in her chest.

"No you don't... no body does; this stuff can kill you" Piper walked closer to Lexie, trying to lecture her.

"Please... Piper, you don't understand" Lexie cut her sister's words and suddenly fell on her knees. I need them... please" She gasped, holding her chest with both hands, while her gentle green eyes stared suppliant into her sister's stern ones.

"I knew it! ... I knew you were on drugs; I mean... there just couldn't be a way for you to stay out of it; if your cousin is a drug addict then you had to be one too" Piper shook her head with disappointment.

"Damn it Piper! ... Gi...ve me the bloody bo...ttle... now!" Lexie slowly tried to get up and reached for Piper but she stumbled with the things she had thrown on the floor and fell limply on her chest. She tried to get up but oblivion took her by surprise.

"Lexie?" Piper walked quickly to her sister and turned her over her back. "Baby... come on, wake up" She gently patted her sister's face but she didn't response. "Lexie!"

Piper raised her voice as she patted her face harder, but still, her baby sister did not react to her touch. She was out cold.

"Oh my God... Oh my God!" Piper pressed her ear on her sister's chest and quickly got on her feet. "Please God... This just can't be happening, please... please, don't let it be true!" She ran out of the dressing rooms and went straight to the infirmary.

Piper entered the room, Dr. Yin right behind; she quickly knelt beside Lexie and bent down to listen to her heart. She shook her head and hastily started giving her CPR. Piper stood motionless only a few steps away from them.

"Please Miss Halliwell, call 911" Dr. Yin yelled to the frozen girl in front of her.

Piper grabbed her cell phone from her belt and dialed in a hurry. After finishing that call, she phoned Prue. Phoebe and Prue arrived at no time, and as soon as Prue spotted her baby sister she ran to help Dr. Yin. Piper remained speechless while Dr. Yin worked on her sister, and Phoebe never stopped asking questions. Suddenly the ambulance arrived and Lexie was quickly carried in a stretcher. As soon as she was taken inside the ambulance, they started using the defibrillator to give her a couple of desperate shocks to her heart; trying to bring back her pulse.

"Got it!" The handsome paramedic shouted. "Weak; but still there!" Dr. Yin nodded and quickly injected some epinephrine into her limp, colorless arm. "Lets get her out of here, quick!" Dr Yin shouted and one of the paramedics immediately closed the ambulance door. Prue suddenly reacted when she heard the loud slamming of the door and ran towards the ambulance.

"Wait!... I'm going with her!" She climbed inside and quickly sat beside her sister; holding tightly Alexia's cold hand between her trembling ones.

Piper stared at the ambulance; her eyes were lost and unresponsive. She gently wrapped her arms around Phoebe and kissed her forehead. The latter was crying uncontrollably, wondering what had happened to her baby sister, and feeling useless... hating her blindness now more than ever.

"Her heart ... stopped; it ... it just stopped" Piper's words were barely audible; but they were loud enough for Phoebe; she was shocked.

Tbc