Michael sat in his office looking at the training schedule. The sun was actually shining which was a rare miracle in Yorkshire.

Arthur Milton was sitting on the sofa. He was counting stacks of new training bibs.

"Boss," Arthur said. "These new bibs are gold. Literally gold color. The players will look like Ferrero Rocher chocolates running around."

"It is for visibility Arthur," Michael said. "And because we are the Golden Generation."

"I like chocolate," Arthur muttered.

Then the phone rang.

It was not the office phone. It was Michael's personal mobile. The one that only a few people had.

He looked at the screen. It was his father.

Michael picked it up.

"Dad? Everything okay? Did the toaster explode again?"

There was a silence on the other end.

"Michael," his father's voice was quiet. It was shaky. "You need to come to the hospital. It is your mother."

The world stopped.

The tactical plans vanished. The gold bibs vanished. The Premier League title race vanished.

"I am coming," Michael said.

THE DRIVE

Michael drove his car fast. But he drove carefully. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white.

He did not think about Victor Osimhen. He did not think about Endrick.

He thought about Martha Sterling. The woman who bought him his first football boots when they had no money. The woman who washed his muddy kits for twenty years. The woman who told him to follow his dream when everyone else told him to get a real job.

Barnsley General Hospital was a big grey building. It did not look like the Sterling Era Training Complex. It looked tired.

Michael parked the car. He ran to the entrance.

He smelled the familiar hospital smell. Antiseptic. Floor wax. And bad coffee.

He found the room on the third floor. Ward 4.

His father was sitting outside on a plastic chair. He looked small.

"Dad," Michael said.

His father stood up. He hugged Michael.

"She collapsed at the supermarket," his father said. "She was arguing with the manager about the price of tea bags. Then she just fell."

"Is she..." Michael could not say the word.

"She is awake," his father said. "She is asking for you. And she is asking for the score."

THE ROOM

Michael walked into the room.

It was quiet. There were machines beeping softly. A television in the corner was playing a daytime quiz show on mute.

His mother was lying in the bed. She looked pale. But her eyes were open. And they were sharp.

"Michael," she said. Her voice was a bit weak but the Yorkshire steel was still there.

"Mom," Michael said walking to the bed. He took her hand. It felt cold. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be making Dad's lunch."

"The lunch can wait," she whispered. "The tea bags were too expensive Michael. Someone had to tell them."

Michael smiled. Tears stung his eyes.

"You fought a supermarket manager?"

"I won," she said. "He gave me a discount before the ambulance came."

She squeezed his hand.

"Why are you here Michael? It is Tuesday. You have training. You have Tottenham next week."

"Training is finished Mom," Michael lied. "I am the manager. I can leave when I want."

"Do not lie to me," she scolded gently. "I saw the news. You signed the Brazilian boy. The one with the funny name."

"Endrick," Michael said.

"Yes. Does he eat his vegetables? He looks very young."

"He eats everything Mom. Especially goals."

She laughed. But the laugh turned into a cough. The machine next to the bed beeped faster.

Michael felt a spike of fear.

"I am fine," she said waving her hand. "Just a bit tired. The doctor said my heart is just working too hard. Like your striker Jamie Vardy."

"Jamie has a heart of caffeine," Michael said. "Yours is made of gold."

THE NURSE AND THE JELLY

A nurse walked in. She was carrying a tray.

"Hello Mrs. Sterling," the nurse said cheerfully. "Time for your snack."

She placed a small plastic cup of orange jelly on the table.

"Jelly?" Michael's mom looked at it with disdain. "I am not five years old. I want a proper cup of tea."

"Doctor's orders," the nurse smiled. Then she looked at Michael. Her eyes went wide.

"Wait," the nurse said. "You are him. You are the Misfit man."

"I am Michael," he said.

"My husband loves you!" the nurse said. "He has a tattoo of Diego Nunez on his leg. It is very ugly but he loves it."

"Tell him I said thank you," Michael said politely. "And please take care of my mother. She is the real manager of the family."

"She is a celebrity now," the nurse said winking at Martha. "The mother of the Dynasty."

The nurse left.

Martha looked at the orange jelly.

"Michael," she said. "If you love me you will smuggle me a biscuit. A chocolate hobnob."

"I cannot smuggle contraband Mom," Michael laughed. "Diego Nunez would eat it before I got here."

THE UNEXPECTED GUESTS

They sat for an hour. They talked about the old days. About the time Michael broke a window with a football. About the time she knitted scarves for the whole youth team.

Then there was a commotion in the hallway.

Usually hospitals are quiet places. But suddenly there was a noise that sounded like a bear trying to be quiet.

"Shhh!" a deep voice whispered loudly. "We must be ninjas!"

"I am a ninja!" another voice argued. "You are a rhinoceros!"

Michael recognized the voices instantly.

The door to the room opened.

It was not a doctor.

It was Arthur Milton. And behind him was Diego Nunez. And behind him was Sergio Ramos.

They were all holding flowers. Diego was holding a bunch of flowers so big it looked like he had ripped up a garden.

"Surprise!" Arthur whispered.

"What are you doing here?" Michael asked standing up. "You are supposed to be training!"

"We finished," Ramos said. He walked into the room with the grace of a captain. "Arthur told us. We cannot let the Mother of the Boss be sick alone."

Diego Nunez squeezed past the door frame. He walked to the bed. He looked massive next to Michael's mom.

"Hola Mama Sterling," Diego said softly.

Martha Sterling looked at the giant bald man. Her eyes lit up.

"Diego!" she said. "My favorite! You look bigger on TV."

"TV makes me look small," Diego said seriously. "In real life I am a mountain."

He placed the giant bush of flowers on the end of the bed.

"For you," Diego said. "I picked them. Well I bought them. Arthur paid."

"They are beautiful," Martha said. "Thank you."

Sergio Ramos stepped forward. He took Martha's hand and kissed it.

"Madam," Ramos said. "Your son is a good man. He worries too much. But he is good."

"He gets the worry from his father," Martha said smiling at Ramos. "You are the handsome one. The one with the tattoos."

"Si," Ramos grinned. "I have many pictures on my skin."

"We have a gift," Arthur announced. "From the new boys. They could not come because they would cause a riot in the lobby. But they sent a message."

Arthur pulled out his tablet. He pressed play.

On the screen Victor Osimhen and Endrick appeared. They were in the locker room.

"Hello Mama Sterling!" Osimhen shouted. He was wearing his mask. "Get well soon! We need you to watch the Tottenham game!"

Endrick waved. "We will score for you! A Samba goal for Mama!"

Then Jamie Vardy jumped into the frame.

"Get up Martha!" Vardy yelled. "We need you in the stands! The pies are getting cold!"

The video ended.

Martha was laughing. She was laughing so hard her cheeks were pink.

"They are crazy," she said wiping her eyes. "All of them. Crazy."

"We are Misfits," Diego corrected her. "Crazy is our superpower."

Diego looked at the table. He saw the orange jelly.

"What is this?" Diego asked.

"It is my lunch," Martha said sadly. "Jelly."

Diego frowned. He reached into his pocket. He pulled out a slightly squashed banana.

"Here," Diego said. "Potassium. It makes you strong. Like a Bull."

"Diego no food!" Michael said.

"It is fruit!" Diego argued. "Fruit is nature's medicine!"

Martha took the banana.

"I will eat it later," she promised. "Thank you Diego."

THE PROMISE

The nurse came back in. She looked at the three football stars in the small room.

"Visiting hours are over," she said sternly. "And Diego please stop sitting on the radiator. You will break it."

"Sorry," Diego said standing up.

They said their goodbyes.

Ramos kissed her hand again. Diego gave her a gentle high five. Arthur promised to bring her a croissant next time.

They left the room leaving Michael alone with his mother.

"You have a good family Michael," she said softly. "Not just us. But them."

"They are a handful," Michael admitted.

"They love you," she said. "I can see it. You built something special."

She looked him in the eyes.

"Go back to work Michael. Go beat Tottenham."

"I can stay," Michael said.

"No," she said firmly. "You go. You win the league. And when you lift the trophy you bring it here. I want to drink tea out of it."

"That is a deal," Michael smiled.

He kissed her forehead.

"Rest Mom. I will be back tomorrow."

Michael walked out of the hospital.

Arthur, Diego, and Ramos were waiting by his car.

"Is she okay Boss?" Diego asked. He looked genuinely worried.

"She is okay Diego," Michael said. "She liked the banana."

"Good," Diego nodded. "Bananas save lives."

Michael looked at his team. His leaders.

They had left their comfortable lives to come to a grey hospital in Yorkshire just to cheer up an old woman.

This was not just a football team. This was a tribe.

"Thank you," Michael said. His voice was thick with emotion.

"She is family," Ramos said simply. "Family is everything."

"Now Boss," Arthur said checking his watch. "We need to go. Endrick is trying to teach the academy kids how to dance. I am worried he will break a hip."

Michael opened his car door.

The sadness was gone. Replaced by a burning fire.

He was going to win. Not for the money. Not for the fame.

He was going to win for the woman in Ward 4 who wanted to drink tea out of the Premier League trophy.

"Let's go," Michael said starting the engine.

"To Tottenham?" Arthur asked.

"No," Michael said looking at the road ahead. "To glory."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.