Chapter Eleven May #3
“Inside where?” Nick asked groggily.
Brady’s head dropped forward, and he groaned. When he popped back up, he looked concerned. “That guy did a real number on you, huh?”
“Who?”
Brady muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “fucking adorable” before he opened his door and stepped into the darkness. Nick’s eyes followed him as he rounded the car and opened Nick’s door for him, even offering him a hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Nick was too tired and confused to know where they were going or why, but he trusted Brady to get him there. He accepted his hand and let himself be pulled out of the car.
“This would be easier if you’d actually use your limbs,” Brady grumbled. “I can’t carry you all the way to your house.”
“I bet you could. You’re strong. And manly. You grew a whole fucking beard overnight. You could carry me.”
“I really enjoy when you’re punch-drunk,” Brady admitted as he guided Nick toward the house, “but I literally don’t know how to respond to anything you say.”
“Punch-drunk? Did I get in a fight? My mom’s gonna kill me…”
“You didn’t get into a fight. I got into a fight. Tell your mom to kill me.”
“Oh no,” Nick whined. “I don’t want my mom to kill you.”
They took the steps up to his house one at a time. He didn’t remember having a million stairs. “I don’t have my—” Nick’s eyes went wide when Brady started unlocking the door. “You stole my keys!”
“Yep.” He grunted when the door stuck, and he had to shoulder his way inside. “Found ’em in your bag when I got your phone and wallet.”
“Is this why they call you guys Steelers?”
Brady stumbled. “You— Fuck. If I let you sit on the couch, will you get up when it’s time to get you upstairs to bed?”
Hearing Brady mention his bed was too much for his poor brain. He stood there and stared like an idiot.
“That’s… probably a no, isn’t it? Well, sit on the couch anyway. I gotta get your gear out of my car. Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”
Nick felt there was a challenge there, and he wanted to rise to the occasion and find an appropriately stupid, ridiculous thing to do.
But he was also very tired, so instead he stumbled into the living room.
His couch wasn’t particularly comfy, but it felt like heaven as he fell onto it.
He’d wrapped himself in the wool throw blanket by the time voices interrupted his nap.
“Thanks for taking him. Not sure how quickly Terry or I could have gotten to the rink.”
“It’s not a big deal. Had to go for myself anyway.”
“Tell me how that happened again?”
“It was a rough game.”
“You get stitches?”
“No.”
“Good. Anything I should know about Nick?”
“Just what I already told you. I put the paperwork from the doctor in his hockey bag—this pocket right here.”
“Perfect. Thanks again. I don’t know a lot of guys who’d be willing to sit through a doctor’s visit for a teammate. Nice to finally meet you, Brady.”
“Uh… likewise?”
“Night.”
“Night. I’ll, uh… yeah. Good night.”
There was a pause filled with little noises—the door closing, shoes hitting the floor, footsteps—and then Jenna was with Nick. He wondered briefly if Brady was still there, and was mildly hurt when he realized that no, he wasn’t.
Why would he be?
Jenna sat down on the couch, forcing him to wiggle closer to the back. “How you feeling?”
“I feel not good,” Nick said woefully.
“Concussions’ll do that,” she said. He didn’t bother to explain that his recent abandonment was the real cause of his distress. “You mind sleeping down here tonight? I’ll take the recliner so I can wake you up to check on you.”
“I need real blankets.”
“Whiny. I’ll grab some and get you water.”
Nick expected her to leave then, to be the good cousin and friend who’d take care of him, but she hesitated.
“He’s prettier in person, you know, even if he smells like blood and sweat.
” Jenna brushed a few stray strands of hair from Nick’s forehead.
“Nice, too. I’m willing to forgive him for the tournament thing since he broke a guy’s nose for you.
Bonus points for actually taking you to the doctor. ”
“Who?”
“Brady, you idiot,” she said fondly.
Nick nodded. “Very pretty. Very smelly. Very nice.”
Jenna laughed and patted his leg. “You’re more useless than usual right now. Night, tough guy. See you in a couple hours.”
“G’night.”
*
Greg Cox: Do we have any updates on Nicki?
Alex Warner: Shit yeah man how’s he doing?
Alex Warner: Is Jensie fucked up too??
Guy Prince: I don’t know about Nicki but we have heard from the commissioner about the punishments for both Jens and la vindange from the other team
Gregory Smegory: Well let’s hear it
Gregory Smegory: They gonna throw the book at him??
Gregory Smegory: And by him I mean the vindange
Gregory Smegory: (What’s a vindange??)
Gail King: (Google translate tells mean it means trash)
Guy Prince: La vindange will be suspended for a game for his illegal hit, though I heard from some friends on other teams that he’ll need longer than that to recover from his own injury
Donnie Owen: So basically his suspension is garbage
Guy Prince: Oui, his suspension is also une vindage
Guy Prince: Jens has received an automatic five game suspension for fighting. Since he was the only person actually fighting, he is the only one to receive this punishment. This was his first offense, but it has been noted that he fought and if he does so again, he might be banned from the league
Marc Garcia: That’s fair, especially since no one will want to check any of us like that if they know Jensie will fuck them up
Gail King: I wouldn’t be antagonizing anyone if I were you mags
Gail King: Not sure that nose breaking courtesy is extended your way
Gail King: I haven’t talked to him but I hear Nicki’s fine
Gail King: His doctor says he needs to take two weeks off of hockey just as a precaution, but that puts him back in the lineup around playoffs
Gregory Smegory: Sweet glad he’s okay
Gregory Smegory: So we get both of em back around playoffs??
Alex Warner: Good they’re both money and we actually stand a chance of winning this time
Curtis Bennet: Sorry for the delayed update on this, but thank you to Guy for taking over while I was out of town!
Curtis Bennet: I also haven’t heard personally from Jensie or Nicki, and I hope they’re doing well and will try to contact them ASAP to check in.
While I understand that emotions were running high, I hope that moving forward we learn from this and avoid fighting.
This is a rec league, and I’d like our play to speak for us.
Curtis Bennet: That being said, Jensie looked like Tom Wilson out there. Helluva right hook.
Alex Warner: Jensie’s a pens fan so he will probably hate to read those words when he logs in
Alex Warner: But yes agreed
Curtis Bennet: Oh, true! I don’t know a good Penguins equivalent, but Jensie, please feel free to suggest one.
Curtis Bennet: I think we all responded really well after a very serious situation.
Everyone who helped get Nicki safely off the ice, I appreciate your commitment to your teammate and I’m sure Nicki feels the same.
I also think we did a good job keeping our heads after that and pulling out a win.
We deserved that win, but it’s more satisfying to know we actually earned it, too.
Curtis Bennet: It’s unfortunate that we’ll be missing both Jensie and Nicki for a few games, but their return (if they’re able to) is well timed. I recently got some exciting news from the league.
Donnie Owen: Please have the actual Stanley cup please have the actual Stanley cup please have the actual Stanley cup…
Gregg Cox: The sad thing is you are legitimately hoping that’s what the news is
Curtis Bennet: Our league is part of a nationwide coalition with ties to some Canadian leagues as well.
Every few years they run a tournament where the participating regional leagues can send up their winning team from each division to compete.
They’re running the tournament this year in Toronto, set to take place in June, and this playoff will decide which team from our division can participate.
Gail King: Wait what are you serious???
Gregg Cox: I would like to point out that we’re finding out about a potential trip to Canada less than a month before that trip happens
Gregg Cox: And won’t even know if we are the ones going until what a couple weeks beforehand?
Curtis Bennet: Playoffs will likely be finished right around Memorial Day and this CA tournament will take place that June 12 weekend. It is very short notice, and I would have obviously told you all earlier had I actually found out about it earlier.
Gregg Cox: This league is a fucking mess and I ain’t even surprised
Alex Warner: This is like seriously cool tho
Alex Warner: That last tournament was awesome but this one is in friggin Canada that’s so legit
Curtis Bennet: It is very exciting! And I do think we have a very real shot at winning our division this season!
Let’s not get sloppy as we get closer, and let’s not get thrown off our game by recent events.
We’re a very skilled, capable team, and I think over the last season especially we’ve really come together in terms of our chemistry on the ice.
Marc Garcia: Fuck yeah I don’t know about y’all but I’m playing in this tournament I’m winning this shit
Guy Prince: Very cool! I haven’t played in Toronto since I was a boy!
Alex Warner: We are 100% doing this let’s get that championship boys!!!
Gail King: Ahem.
Alex Warner: Let’s get that championship boys and Gail!!!
Gail King: That’s only marginally better FYI
Brady Derek Jensen: my hand is fine just bruised no stitches
Brady Derek Jensen: sorry for losing my temper and punching that guy it won’t happen again
Brady Derek Jensen: I called Nicki he’s doing fine, he can’t really remember what happened, kinda pissed his doctor says he can’t play