Just a Bit Unhealthy

The next morning was just as eerie as the day before.

Gabriel is very quiet, absent-minded and doesn't know what he is thinking. Every time they look at each other, he will be inexplicably flustered.

The drive to the training center had been quiet, and Jared tried to press him a bit, but his temples were always throbbing, making it hard to concentrate.The consequences of last night's sleepless night are starting to show.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel finally asked, they had arrived and Jared was in the car.

"It's okay," Jared said, rubbing his forehead. "Just a little headache. You have to go, or you'll be late for training camp."

Gabriel leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, not far from his lips. "Get well soon," he said softly, kissing the corner of his lips, but then froze, staring green eyes, a little bewildered.

With a red face, he got out of the car and jogged into the training center.

Jared touched his mouth and looked at Gabriel until he disappeared behind the building.

***

For the rest of the morning, Jared was busy.They were still understaffed, but the wounded were lined up.He didn't want to blame Anne Boye, but the current situation showed that when he was away, the measures to prevent injuries were obviously not in place.

Jared sighed, rubbed his temples, sent another injured player away, and the door finally closed.

"Have a headache, Dr. Sheldon?" a gentle voice said.

Jared raised his eyes, realizing that he had completely forgotten that there was an intern in this room.The other's dark brown eyes looked at him, full of worry.

"It's just a little sore, Eric," he replied.

Eric smiled and walked towards him. "Let me help you. People have always said that my massage skills are very good."

"Come on then," Jared said, thinking that there should be no problem, since the man was already a quasi-physician anyway.

He closed his eyes and felt Eric's fingers start to run across his face: first on his brow, then began to stroke his head gently, working his way back to the back of his head.Jared sighed comfortably, the headache seemed to ease a little.

"Better?" Eric whispered in his ear, as if leaning a little too close.

"What are you doing?"

Jared snapped his eyes open.

Gabriel stood in the doorway, watching them.

"Dr. Sheldon asked me to give him a massage," Eric replied. "He has a headache."

"You can go," Gabriel said. "I'll be fine."

"but……"

"Get out," Gabriel said kindly.

Seeing Eric not moving, Gabriel scowled at him. "Is there something wrong with your ears?"

"Eric, you go," Jared said slowly, looking at Gabriel.

Before Eric left, the phone rang and Eric went to answer it.

"Dr. Boye would like you to come over at once, Dr. Sheldon," he said as he hung up the phone. "Another player has been injured."

Jared held back a sigh, stretched his legs, stood up, and walked outside the house. "Who is it this time?"

"Tristan," Gabriel answered before Eric, following him to Dr. Boyle's office—to Jared's former office.

"What happened?" Jared asked.

"It hurt during the training camp," Gabriel said, walking against Jared's arm. "It's like a groin injury. It's serious."

Jared shook his head. "Did he hurt his groin a few months ago when I wasn't around?"

"Yeah, that's right," Gabriel said, touching his wrist. "Actually, twice."

Jared grimaced.Groin injuries are very difficult to treat. If you don’t get the correct treatment, you will have endless troubles. It is not a good thing to have a groin injury three times in half a year.

Arriving at his previous office, he pushed open the door and entered the room, with Gabriel and Eric following behind him.Jared looked back at Gabriel. "What are you doing here?"

Gabriel glanced at Eric. "I am the brother of the wounded," he said, lifting his chin.

Jared narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything. He was not allowed to say more at this moment.So he went straight into the consulting room in the cubicle.

Tristan Dewar was lying on the couch with Dr. Boye standing beside him, arms folded.

"Annie, what's the situation now?" Jared asked.

Dr. Boye turned to face him, biting his lip. "Tristan wants to do intensive rehab. I don't think it's good. His groin is a third-degree injury, and he has been injured multiple times. The situation is very complicated. It is difficult for me to..."

"You are an excellent doctor, Dr. Boyle," Tristan said. "I believe in your ability. You are the only one who can do this rehabilitation."

Gabriel stood behind and said something contemptuously that only Jared could hear, "There are people who actually believe such words."

"Okay," Boye said, softening his expression a little. "I might be able to, but..."

Tristan gave her a charming smile. "Great! I know you can do it. You also know that recovery is important for me because the national team coach is coming to select players for the World Cup squad. I have until April to recover and leave. Give him a nice..."

"No one can walk," Jared interrupted, approaching the couch to examine Tristan's exposed leg, which had been iced, but the lump on the inner thigh was still evident. "Is it a partial tear or a total tear?" he asked in a low voice.

"Partially," Boye replied. "Close to the whole part. I leave it to you." She handed him Tristan's medical records and asked him to flip through them page by page.

Finally, Jared looked up, looked into Tristan's eyes and said, "You know what will happen if you go back so soon? You can train with the discomfort, but you will probably hurt your groin again and end up with the World Cup." I can't even go."

"but……"

"Tristan," Jared interrupted, but kindly. "I don't think you realize how serious your condition is. Getting back into training too early is a common mistake you make. You had a grade one injury five months ago and it was just a slight tear in a muscle fiber. It was just a little sore. , the muscle strength is still normal. But you keep training and you come back to the court after [-] days... You come back too early, you hurt your groin again, that time was more serious, but you go back to training in less than three weeks Yes. As a result, this time, you are almost completely torn. You can’t play football for a month, there is no discussion.”

"You're not our club's chief physician," Tristan said mildly, "Dr. Boye is."

Jared looked at him calmly. "Dr Boye is leaving in a few months and I'm going to clean up the mess. Do you want to ruin your career? You know a lot of players never get their fitness and speed back because they didn't treat their injuries properly. You've hurt your groin not once or twice, it's the third laceration in a row. It's not good. You need to rehabilitate carefully and step by step. You can't be so impatient anymore. Never mind the World Cup, think about your Overall career."

Tristan pursed his lips. "Okay, but I'm going to be back on the court by the end of April at the latest."

Jared pinched the bridge of his nose, his headache came to find his presence again. "It depends. The problem is, we don't have a physiotherapist. We have to hire you a physiotherapist."

"I want the best," Tristan said, looking at Jared. "you."

Gabriel put a hand on Jared's neck and said, "Jared's a doctor, not a physical therapist."

Jared almost laughed out loud.This is too hypocritical.

"I want the best," Tristan said again.

"I'm the chief physician of the rehab center, and of course I'll oversee your recovery, but I can't be your physical therapist. I don't have time...you need someone who can stay with you all the time."

"Then you get me the best physical therapist," Tristan said.

"I know the best physiotherapist in England." Jared frowned, looking at Tristan steadily. "But I don't think it's appropriate. You might not like his approach, he's impatient with patients."

Tristan looked determined, unwavering. "No one can trouble me, I just need the best doctor."

"Okay, don't say I didn't remind you." Jared turned to tell the intern. "Eric, at the moment, is on ice for 15 minutes every hour. He has to wear compression stockings to stop the bleeding and redness. No stretching, no movement. Just rest and elevate his legs."

"Okay, Dr. Sheldon," Eric answered him with a smile.He stepped closer to Jared, watching him with long brown eyelashes. "Does your head still hurt? Need me to help you..."

Gabriel stepped between them. "Do whatever you are told," he reprimanded, "Are you deaf?"

Jared stared at the back of Gabriel's head while Eric blinked.

Tristan broke the silence, looking at his brother with a wide smile. "Well, you have to put a hood over Jared's head so people don't look at him."

The intern looked at them both with doubts on his face. "What's the meaning?"

"It's not your fault," Tristan told him, "Your name is Eric, isn't it?" He smiled at the intern as he nodded. "There are some unwritten rules here, Eric. No one talks about it, but they know it." He pointed at Jared and winked at the intern. "Dr. Sheldon is handsome, isn't he?"

Eric blushed like a fawn frightened by headlights.

Jared shook his head. "Tristan..."

But Tristan didn't miss the chance, "See that guy next to him? The guy who looks like he wants to piss on Jared?"

Gabriel panicked, and the tips of his ears turned red instantly.

"Tristan, enough of you," Jared said gravely.

Tristan made an innocent look, his eyes widening. "Sorry, I forgot to keep this secret that everyone knows."

"You..." Gabriel wanted to curse, and took a step towards the treatment bed, but Jared grabbed Gabriel's fist and pulled him in front of him.

"Both of you, shut up." He glanced at the intern. "Remember the ice and compression stockings, Eric. Keep his legs up and don't let him move until I get back."

He pulled Gabriel out of the office.

He looked around, pushed Gabriel into the nearest room, and closed the door. "Okay, what were you doing just now?"

Gabriel bit his lower lip and looked down at him. "what?"

"You lost your temper when the intern gave me the wink."

"I do not have it."

"You have." Jared shook his head. "Pay attention to me. If you continue like this, everyone will think crookedly."

"Want to be crooked?" Gabriel asked after his words.

Jared looked at him hard. "After my affair with Oscar was exposed, everyone knew that I was gay. If someone was interested in me, you acted like a jealous boyfriend, and everyone would gossip."

"Oh." Gabriel frowned gradually.

"Yeah," Jared pursed his lips. "Football stars like you on top can't be gay, you know. Also, your behavior just now... and now... is unacceptable. I'm not your fucking property, and neither am I Your boyfriend." He lifted Gabriel's chin and looked him in the eye. "I know the line between us is always blurry, but we have to draw a line because I'm so screwed up that I can't think. You said, I can get anyone to do it, as long as I love you, I You don't care who you do with." He tried to control his tone so as not to appear too sarcastic. "So even if someone teases me, even if I respond to the other party, you can't control it."

Gabriel's expression became serious. "So you really have a crush on him."

"Who?"

"The intern. Eric."

"I didn't, but that's beside the point."

"What's the point?"

"The point is it's none of your business whether I like Eric or not, you're not my boyfriend and I'm not your boyfriend. Even if I wanted to ask the whole football team to fuck in my bed, You have no right to control me."

Gabriel stared at him, chest heaving, green eyes full of anger.

"Did you understand?" Jared said.

"I don't understand." Gabriel pressed Jared's head down, tilted his head and pressed his lips towards him. His lips were wet and hot, and the kiss was random and weird. Gabriel's mouth was about to bite Touching his lips - there are no other words to describe it.

When Gabriel's tongue slipped into Jared's mouth, Jared's stomach felt hot, but he took a hard step back, staring at Gabriel, panting. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

Gabriel blushed, lips still glistening.He looked confused and taken aback.He looked even more taken aback by the kiss than Jared was.

"You don't realize it yet, do you?" Jared closed his eyes for a moment. "Okay, it can't go on like this. We have to draw a line, it's driving us both crazy."

"No, no."

"What's not," Jared said, wiping his lips. "You've never been this savage when someone was interested in me before. You did always dislike my attention to people other than you, but you weren't that serious before. You've become more aggressive and can't see the truth clearly .”

Gabriel pouted. "Maybe, but..."

"Come on," Jared sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but you can't go on like this. You've crossed the line. You're playing with my feelings, hot and cold, there's no way this is going to go. It's mental rape , Xiaojia."

"Jay..."

"No," Jared interrupted, taking a step away and heading for the door.

"Jared!"

"I'm off to work," Jared said, shaking Gabriel's hand away.

He needs time to think.

It also takes time to make decisions that will make you sad.