TORONTO

Doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital crowded around Steven Beitashour’s phone back in June.

“Oh my God,” one of them responded upon reviewing video of his breathtaking in-game collision with the Montreal Impact’s Kyle Fisher.

They couldn’t believe TFC’s 30-year-old defender stayed in the game — a momentous Canadian Championship victory that night.

Hours later, Beitashour couldn’t sleep. He knew something was wrong well before TFC staffers told him to seek emergency medical attention.

Upon arrival at hospital, doctors were shocked to find the MLS veteran had suffered a lacerated pancreas in a collision too violent for Don Cherry’s Rock’em Sock’em series.

They had never seen an athlete — in any sport — sustain such a life-threatening injury typically reserved for gunshot victims and those pulled from serious car accidents.

“It could have meant death,” Beitashour told the Toronto Sun last week in his bid to return to the field. “That’s why they rushed me to the hospital and into surgery.

“The toxins the pancreas releases aren’t supposed to be roaming around in your stomach,” he added, “if I’d waited too much longer it could have been pretty serious.”

Coach Greg Vanney described Beitashour as something of a medical “test dummy" midway through his recovery.

The injury perplexed doctors to the point they offered a wide range of opinions.

“There were a couple of doctors who said I wouldn’t play again this season,” Beitashour added. “The next doctor said I’d be back in 3-4 months.”

Montreal's Kyle Fisher has since apologized for the incident .

In other words, the odds were stacked against the Iranian-American World Cup veteran taking the field again in 2017. Doctors just didn’t know how long the recovery would be.

But in moments of uncertainty, Beitashour found inspiration in someone close by. His hospital roommate was steps away, undergoing her own treatment for a serious condition.

“She’s been going through cancer for three years and she’s struggling,” Beitashour explained. “I don’t want to talk too much about her because I don’t know what she wants private. But she was an amazing person.

“You can’t sulk. You can’t feel bad for yourself,” he continued. “I looked across the table and saw what she’s going through, which is so much more difficult than what I’m going through.”

He intends to host his new friend and her family when he returns to action at BMO Field — which could be later this month if everything goes as planned.

“When you see someone like that it really gives you strength to not just be back quicker but be a better human being,” Beitashour said. “It really inspired me. I enjoyed every conversation I had with her.”

With the worst behind him, Beitashour reflects back on one of the most severe — and improbable — injuries in MLS history. The scariest part, he told the Sun, was the guessing game.

“It was the unknown,” Beitashour said, adding the procedure he underwent wasn’t a guaranteed solution. “Any injury I’ve had in the past there’s always been a (recovery) timeline — a path, you know.

“This injury is so uncommon with athletes of any sport. The doctors didn’t know how long I’d be out for or if I’d recover. It’s a serious surgery and procedure.”

The bizarre nature of the injury saw Beitashour implanted with tubes in his side to help drain blood and toxins for weeks following his release from Mount Sinai.

He was able to cycle and, eventually, jog before returning to full training at the KIA Training Ground on Tuesday morning. He described the entire process as a second “pre-season.”

Albeit unlike any pre-season he has been through in his career.

Now, the pending free agent is nearing a return that could determine his future at Toronto FC as it goes in search of an MLS championship.

“I don’t know how many games I’ve played here, but it’s a decent amount,” Beitashour said in referencing his contract status. “(Toronto FC) knows what I’m capable of. It’s not like this is the first two years of my career. They have a big list (of games) to look at.

“But it’s up to them if they want me here. I compete and do my best every day. That’s all I can control.”

He has already faced the unknown.