Chapter 55: Rest Day and Return
The alarm buzzed at 6 AM like a drill through his skull, and Javier flinched before he reached for the button. His whole body screamed when he tried to sit up, and every muscle felt as if it had been beaten with hammers. His ribs ached where Jerkins had landed clean shots; his hands were still puffy despite the ice.
"Ugh," Tommy groaned from the next bed as he blinked at the ceiling and barely moved. "I can’t feel my arms."
"My everything hurts," Javier muttered while he steadied his breath and swung his legs over the side. Moving felt like he was ninety years old, and he took a moment to rub his temples.
"How’d you sleep?" Tommy asked as he pushed himself upright with a wince.
"Terrible. You?"
"Same. Had nightmares about getting punched all night."
"Yeah? I kept dreaming about that uppercut and playing it over and over."
"Dude, that was insane," Tommy said as he rolled his shoulders and hissed through his teeth. "The sound it made when you caught him. Your whole body changed after that punch; you knew you had him."
"Felt different too," Javier said, and his eyes sharpened as he remembered the moment. "Like I actually belonged in there."
They sat quietly for a moment, and both of them replayed their fights in their heads while the room settled.
"We’re really in the semifinals," Tommy said, and his voice dropped.
"Still doesn’t feel real," Javier answered.