Chapter 39: Breaking Point
Darius stood at the top of the key, the ball resting in his hands. His breathing was steady, but inside, his mind was at war with itself. Julian Hayes was positioned in front of him, his stance slightly more open than before, almost inviting the drive.
They want me to attack, Darius thought. They know something's off.
He dribbled twice with his right hand, then crossed over to his left. Julian stayed with him, mirroring his movements. Darius took one more dribble and exploded toward the basket.
His first two steps were explosive, his speed carrying him past Julian's initial contest. Derek Grant stepped up from the weak side, his long arms reaching toward the ball. Darius kept driving, his mind committed even as his body started to rebel.
Then it hit him.
A sharp pain lanced through his head, starting at his temples and spreading like fire across his skull. The Hustle System's interface in his vision began to flicker, text appearing and disappearing in rapid succession.
ERROR - ERROR - ERROR
TRAUMA RESPONSE DETECTED
NEURAL CONFLICT - PHYSICAL OVERRIDE ATTEMPT
Darius's vision blurred for half a second. His dribble stuttered. But he pushed through it, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. He jumped toward the basket, Derek's body directly in his path.
Contact.
Derek's chest met Darius's shoulder. The whistle blew immediately. Foul on Derek.
But Darius had already released the ball, his body twisting in mid-air to avoid the full brunt of the collision. The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
Darius landed hard, stumbling backward two steps before catching his balance. His head was pounding now, a dull throb that made his vision swim slightly.
Daren was next to him immediately. "Yo, D. You good?"
Darius nodded quickly, too quickly. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Eli jogged over, his face showing concern. "You sure? That looked rough."
"I'm fine," Darius repeated, more firmly this time. He walked toward the free-throw line, willing his hands to stop shaking.
The referee handed him the ball. Darius bounced it once, twice, trying to focus through the pain. He shot the first free throw. It hit the back of the rim and fell through.
Bayview 92, Striders 90.
He shot the second. It clanged off the front of the rim and bounced out.
Julian grabbed the rebound and pushed the pace. The Striders ran their offense with precision, and Mason Lee hit a mid-range jumper.
Bayview 92, Striders 92.
Darius brought the ball back up, his head still throbbing but the pain starting to dull slightly. He called for a screen from Eli and attacked again, this time driving hard to his right.
The moment he committed to the drive, the pain came back, sharper than before. His vision flickered again, the Hustle System's error messages flashing across his mind like warning lights.
CRITICAL: NEURAL STRESS ELEVATED
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE CESSATION
Darius ignored it. He drove into the paint, and when Andre Simpson stepped up to contest, Darius jumped and twisted his body, releasing a floater over Andre's outstretched arms.
The ball went in.
Bayview 94, Striders 92.
But when Darius landed, he had to grab Malik's shoulder to steady himself. The headache was worse now, a constant pressure behind his eyes.
"D, seriously, what's wrong?" Malik asked quietly.
"Nothing. I'm good."
The Striders came back down and tied it up again with a three-pointer from Cameron Wells.
Bayview 94, Striders 95.
Darius pushed the pace, driving hard into the paint for the third time in as many possessions. This time Derek Grant met him at the rim, his body positioned perfectly to take the charge.
Darius saw it happening. His mind screamed at him to pull back, to avoid the collision. But he was already airborne.
The pain in his head exploded.
He twisted his body violently in mid-air, trying to pass the ball to Daren on the wing. The pass came out wild, sailing over Daren's head and out of bounds.
Turnover.
Darius landed and immediately brought his hand to his temple, his face twisted in pain for just a second before he forced it neutral again.
On the sideline, Coach Anderson was on his feet. "Darius, you okay?"
Darius nodded without looking at him.
The Striders inbounded the ball and Julian brought it up slowly. He ran another set, and Andre Simpson scored on a pick-and-roll with Derek.
Bayview 94, Striders 97.
Darius brought the ball back up, and this time his teammates could see it clearly. Something was wrong. His movements were still sharp, his decision-making still elite, but there was something off in his face, a tightness around his eyes.
He drove into the paint again, forcing himself through the pain. This time he managed to kick it to Marcus in the corner. Marcus shot a three-pointer that went in.
Bayview 97, Striders 97.
Back and forth they went, neither team able to pull away. Every time Darius drove, the headache worsened. Every time he attacked the rim, his body fought against him. But he kept pushing, kept forcing himself to play through it.
The Striders tied it up again. Then Darius hit a mid-range jumper to take the lead. Then Julian answered with a three-pointer. Tie game.
With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Darius drove into the paint one more time. Derek stepped up to contest. Darius jumped, his body preparing for contact.
The pain in his head spiked so sharply that his vision went white for half a second.
He released the ball anyway, somehow managing to get it over Derek's hands. The ball hit the glass and dropped through.
Bayview 99, Striders 97.
But when Darius landed, something felt wrong. His nose was tingling. He brought his hand up to touch it and his fingers came away red.
Blood.
The referee saw it immediately and blew the whistle. "Bleeding! We need a stoppage!"
Darius looked at his hand, seeing the blood dripping from his nose, and his stomach dropped. Not now. Not when they were this close.
Coach Anderson was already walking onto the court with a towel. "Darius, you're coming out."
"No, Coach, I can play through it." Darius's voice was firm despite the blood still flowing from his nose.
"You're done for now," Coach Anderson said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Get that cleaned up. If it stops, you can go back in."
"Coach, please. We need—"
"We'll be fine for a few minutes. Sit down."
Darius walked toward the bench, frustration radiating from every step. Daren jogged over and grabbed his shoulder. "We got this, D. Don't worry. We're gonna hold it down till you can come back."
Darius nodded, but the look in his eyes showed his frustration. He sat down on the bench as the trainer handed him a towel. He pressed it against his nose, tilting his head back slightly.
Kenny checked into the game, replacing Darius at the point guard position.
From the bench, Darius watched as play resumed. The Striders had the ball. Julian brought it up slowly, his face as calm as ever. He ran a set, and Mason Lee hit a pull-up jumper from the elbow.
Bayview 99, Striders 99.
Kenny brought the ball up for Bayview. He swung it to Daren on the wing. Daren drove baseline and kicked it to Malik in the corner. Malik shot a three-pointer that rattled in.
Bayview 102, Striders 99.
Darius watched with the towel still pressed against his nose, his jaw clenched. The bleeding was slowing down, but not fast enough. He could see the plays developing before they happened. He knew where his teammates should cut, where the ball should go. But he couldn't do anything about it from the bench.
Julian drove into the paint and kicked it to Cameron Wells, who hit a three-pointer from the corner.
Striders 102, Bayview 102.
Kenny pushed the pace and found Eli for a dunk off a lob pass.
Bayview 104, Striders 102.
Three minutes left in the game.
The Striders came back down and Andre Simpson scored on a post move over Eli.
Bayview 104, Striders 104.
Darius pulled the towel away from his nose and checked it. The bleeding had stopped. He looked at the trainer, who nodded and walked over to Coach Anderson.
"Bleeding's stopped, Coach. He can go back in if you want."
Coach Anderson looked at Darius, studying his face. "You good to go?"
"Yes, Coach," Darius said, standing up immediately.
Anderson nodded. "Next dead ball, you're back in."
Kenny brought the ball up and swung it to Daren, who drove and scored on a tough layup.
Bayview 106, Striders 104.
The Striders called timeout.
Both teams walked to their benches. The game was at its peak now, every possession critical, every decision magnified.
Coach Sullivan gathered his players. "They're getting Darius back in. Stay disciplined. Keep executing."
On the other side, Coach Anderson pulled Darius aside. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Coach. I can play."
Anderson studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. But if I see anything that tells me you're not okay, you're done. Understand?"
"Yes, Coach."
The timeout ended. Darius checked back into the game, replacing Kenny at point guard.
As he jogged onto the court, the crowd noise seemed to intensify. The game was tied at 106 with two and a half minutes left.
Julian picked him up at half court, his eyes sharp and focused.
Darius dribbled the ball, his head still aching but manageable now. The Hustle System was quiet, no error messages, no warnings. Just waiting to see what he would do.
The game was far from over.