CHAPTER 21
RILA
She was living in the hospital. As a resident at MedHarbor Hospital, she spent most of her days there, something she had gotten used to after nearly three years of this routine. But now, she was actually living there.
The last time she was home was the Thursday before the game, four days ago.
When she wasn't on call, Rila was in Adrian's room. Jessie had gone to her apartment to get clean underwear and she showered in the residents’ locker room.
Rila slept on the small couch in the room and ate whatever food Kieran brought when he came to visit, which was pretty much all the time.
He had to continue with his training routine, but the second he was free he would go straight to the hospital.
And in those days that they were closer, Rila was able to see even a little bit more of the man he had become.
He was still the guy who wanted to make sure she was comfortable at all times, getting her blankets, feeding her, and leaving an extra phone charger in case he needed it.
Just like when they were younger, the player was always attentive and ready to get whatever the doctor needed.
He was also strangely quiet. Yes, she was used to his silence, he had never been the most talkative person in the world. But this time it was different. Rila saw him get lost in thoughts sometimes, his crystal-clear eyes becoming empty when he did.
The only moments Kieran actually talked was when Adrian was awake, the rest of the time it was just blue eyes staring at her intensely.
The winger was groggy from the medication the first day, but he gradually came around. And two days ago they had to break the news that they didn't know when his legs would work again. Or if they would.
Rila was expecting him to scream, cry, or throw things around the room. But none of that happened. Of course, Adrian didn't remember what happened and was frightened by the news, but he was confident that his motor function would return. Very confident. Almost as if he was in denial.
The time was playing for the first time since the accident that afternoon and Kieran had caught a flight to Philadelphia at dawn, leaving Adrian entirely in his care until the next day.
Rila had just finished stitching up the head of a boy who had fallen off his skateboard when her phone beeped with the sound of the hospital app. Throwing her gloves in the trash she took her phone out of her red scrubs and the world stopped for a second with what was on the screen.
“911 - room 2V.”
That was Adrian's room. And 911 was the emergency code.
She didn't think, she just ran, racing through the hospital halls as if her life depended on it. That was almost true, except that it was the life of one of her oldest friends that was on the line.
Halfway there, Rila remembered the cell phone in her hands as she flew up the stairs, her heart pounding wildly and forgetting to breathe on the way. She found the contact she wanted and pressed to call, being answered on the second ring.
— Something is happening with Adrian, they send me the emergency code — the emergency doctor didn't even give her friend time to greet her, she just blurted out the words.
— Okay, I'm on my way — she heard Blake start to walk before she hung up.
The neurosurgeon was keeping up with the case and was present at the surgery, she knew all of Adrian's medical records and would be able to help with whatever was going on.
Rila forced her legs to run faster, her quadriceps burning with the effort, and she nearly ran over a nurse when she reached the fourth floor.
Her friend appeared at her side as soon as they reached the double doors with the security guard. They practically shoved their access cards in the man's face, desperate to get into the VIP section.
— Get the crash cart! — Rila screamed as they walked through the doors.
The blonde stopped in the hallway to grab the equipment as she continued moving towards the bedroom. Her cells were receiving so much adrenaline that her mouth went dry and she began to worry she was going to have a heart attack from how fast her heart was racing.
But none of that mattered at that moment. She just needed to get to Adrian.
And when she entered the room, breathing heavily and sweat beginning to accumulate under her armpits, the scene in front of her made her freeze in the middle of the room.
Her friend stared at her with raised eyebrows and brown eyes sparkling with amusement, his unruly curls sticking out everywhere, scrunched up by the pillow. The bed was tilted slightly, and he was holding the television remote in one hand and his cell phone in the other.
And he was breathing. No sign that something was threatening his life. Adrian was completely fine.
— I'm gonna kill you — she growled, the words coming out with difficulty because of her shortness of breath.
— It's charged with a hundred and twenty — Blake burst into the room pushing the cardiac arrest cart, but stopped immediately when he saw Rila standing there — Wait. He's okay?
— Not exactly. Broken spine, remember? — he moved his hands up and down his side — You brought Dr. Barbie, this turned out better than I expected.
— Give it to me, Blake. I'll shock him — she lifted her chin and glared at him, her hand reaching for the defibrillator.
— Wow, let's take it easy, I'm not the pain appreciator kind of guy.
— Adrian, 911 means someone is dying — Rila spoke through gritted teeth, irritated by what had just happened.
She had run four floors up thinking he was dying. Four floors! And to make matters worse, she called her friend for a fake emergency, possibly interfering with her work.
— Well, I am dying of boredom — he said as if that were a perfectly plausible answer. And she wanted to wrap her fingers around his neck and strangle him.
— How did you manage to get someone called to a non-existent emergency?— Blake asked as soon as she came back after returning the crash cart.
— Come on? Look at this face, of course the nurse couldn't resist — he gestured to his face and broke into a big smile — And I also made sure she had a pair of tickets to the next game in town. Now, why don't we take advantage of the fact that you two are here?
That sentence coming out of Adrian's mouth sounded dirty and Rila looked at him skeptically while Blake raised an eyebrow.
— Yeah, that came out wrong. Don't tell Kieran I said that — he frowned — Actually, do tell, but wait until he's here so I can see him annoyed.
— Adrian, we can't stay — she sighed and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead to get rid of the little bit of sweat that had accumulated thanks to her run — I need to go back to the ER and Blake probably has surgery to go into.
His smile faltered, the brown eyes that were always full of mischief and amusement dimmed as if someone had flipped the switch that made Adrian, well, Adrian. And that caused a bad feeling in Rila's chest.
— It's just that… — the player stopped mid-sentence and let out a sigh — You know I hate being still, and now I'm stuck in this bed until my legs work again. All I have to do is watch TV or read about my accident. And, spoiler alert, Derek Shepherd dies in season eleven.
Blake let out a small laugh, which made Adrian's face regain some happiness. However, Rila really couldn't stay right now, they had too many patients in the ER.
— I have to go but I'll come back for lunch with you, okay?
— Fine — he grumbled like a child.
— I can stay for a little while — Blake shrugged and sat down in one of the armchairs in the corner of the room — But you have to promise you'll stop calling me Dr. Barbie. And you'll get me some Jell-O
— Deal.
She didn't know if the blonde was doing that because she really wanted to stay or because Adrian was her friend and Rila couldn't do that for him at that moment. Either way, she felt an even greater affection for the neurosurgeon..
— I'll be back in a bit — she announced as she left the room, but not without one last, important warning — Adrian, Blake is my friend, she's off limits.
When Rila returned to the VIP room on her lunch break, she was met with a sight that made her frown. The armchairs had been pushed to the edge of her friend's bed, and Jessie and Blake were perched on them, laughing at something he had said.
— What's going on here? — she walked in while shaking the bowl of salad that would be her lunch.
— Adrian is telling some stories about your weeks in Vancouver — Jessica gave her a look that said, “I know what you did last summer”. Except it was in the winter. And many years ago.
— Oh, so that's why my ear is burning — Rila pulled her black locks away from her face, playfully exposing her ear.
— Exactly — the player, who was smiling happily, patted the edge of his bed twice — Come, sit with us, we're the coolest table at the playground.
— Are you guys gonna keep talking about me?
— Definitely— Jessie answered for the others, who simply nodded in confirmation.
Rila rolled her eyes and jumped up to sit on the end of the hospital bed.
— Anyway, as I was saying, I suffered a lot being the third wheel for these two for years and that's why I'm the one who will give the wedding speech.
— Oh, shut up. What's this marriage story?
— she pointed the disposable fork towards his face, which was almost split in two because of the smile that left all his white teeth on display — I think you might have brain damage.
And by the way, we didn't leave you hanging because we weren't even a couple.
— I was going to say that you're the brain-damaged one here, but you're too hard head for that — her friends laughed at his speech and Rila felt her eyes roll into the back of her head from how hard she rolled them — There was one time when she was the only one who went to Canada and I barely saw them, they acted like rabbits trapped in a hole.
I mean, Kieran's rabbit probably spent every waking hour in her hole.
— Adrian, I swear to God I'm gonna get that defibrillator and shock you.