Chapter 25
Gwen
“I don’t like this feeling,” Tess says as she paces around the room. “I don’t know much about ice hockey injuries, but I feel like we should’ve heard something by now,” she continues.
Tess, Leo, Julian, and I are waiting in Zane’s apartment for him to arrive. Lisa went to the hospital as soon as Blake got injured. I don’t think the others know they’re dating, but I have a feeling that might come out soon.
“Hey,” Zane says softly as he enters the apartment. None of us even heard the door open.
“Hey,” I say excitedly, quickly getting up and kissing him. “You were amazing. Congratulations!”
Everyone gathers around us, and one by one, they congratulate Zane on the win.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Zane tells Julian, who still seems a little shy, like this is all new to him.
“I actually have to head out, but I wanted to congratulate you in person,” Julian says with a smile. “Keep me posted on your friend.”
“I appreciate it, and I will,” Zane replies before they hug it out, and Julian says goodbye to everyone.
“That was sweet,” I say with a smile after Julian leaves.
“Did you get any news on Blake? And where’s Lisa?” Zane asks, looking around the room again.
“None of us has heard from him,” Leo says, scratching the back of his neck. “Your sister went to the hospital to check on him.”
“I feel like we should all be there,” Tess says suddenly, and everyone looks at her. “What? Aren’t we all friends now?” she asks. I laugh and nod.
“I’ll drive,” Leo says, and just like that, we all head out of the apartment and make our way to Vitality Hospital.
“How are you feeling? You got hit a couple of times as well,” I ask Zane as we sit in the back seat.
“I’m alright,” he replies. “The attack felt way too personal. This wasn’t just about ice hockey,” Zane tells us.
“Personal?” I ask.
“Perth and Johnson from the Hawks used to be on the team with Blake. I have a feeling this was personal. I don’t know what it is, but Perth was on a mission,” Zane explains, and we all go quiet.
We arrive at the hospital a few minutes later and head straight to reception.
“Do you know which floor Blake Saxon is on?” Tess asks the receptionist. She’s an older woman with thick red glasses and grey hair. She looks at Tess over her glasses, then at me.
“Are you related to him?” she asks. Tess shakes her head.
“Married?” she asks. We both shake our heads again.
“Then I can’t help you. We’re not letting fangirls into this hospital,” she says flatly.
“Fangirls?” I ask, half offended. “We’re his friends,” I try to explain.
“That’s what they all say,” the woman sighs, not even looking up at us anymore.
“Excuse me,” Zane says, prompting her to look up. Her eyes widen when she sees him.
“Zane Miller,” she says in shock. “I’m a huge fan.”
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We’re not fangirls. We’re Blake’s friends,” he explains, and internally, I can’t help but laugh a little at Zane calling himself a fangirl too.
“Of course. I apologize. Saxon, Blake, is in surgery on the third floor. You can wait for him in section A,” the woman says.
“Thank you,” Zane tells her before we turn to leave.
“Great game,” the woman calls after us as we walk away, and it makes us all laugh a little.
“His arm must be really bad if he’s in surgery,” I sigh as we step into the elevator.
“I think it was his shoulder,” Zane explains. “At least that’s what he said on the ice.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Leo says, trying to sound confident. It’s his way of comforting the group, but I don’t think any of us fully believes it.
When the elevator opens, we see an arrow pointing to section A just around the corner.
“Do you want some coffee or something?” Leo asks, and we all look at him. “In movies and TV shows, people always drink coffee while waiting in hospitals,” he shrugs.
“I’ll have some,” Zane says with a small smile, almost as if he’s doing Leo a favor.
“Me too,” I follow.
“I’ll help you,” Tess tells Leo, and they both head toward the other side of the hallway.
Zane and I turn the corner into section A and immediately see Lisa pacing back and forth. Her eyes are red, and mascara has streaked beneath them.
“Lisa? Is everything ok?” Zane asks as soon as he spots her.
Almost instantly, Lisa breaks down in tears. She covers her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Zane walks over and wraps his arms around her.
“What’s going on?” he asks, glancing at me with a confused expression.
“Nothing… I just feel bad for him,” Lisa explains as she slowly lowers her hands and tries to wipe away the mascara.
“Did you hear anything?” Zane asks, looking around the room. We’re the only ones there; no nurses or doctors are in sight.
“The doctor came by earlier. His shoulder is in pretty bad shape. They’re performing surgery now, but the doctor said he might not be able to play anymore,” Lisa explains as another tear slips down her cheek.
“What?” Zane says in shock, running his hands through his hair. He sits down on one of the plastic chairs and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Here,” I say, handing Lisa a tissue from my purse. She takes it and pulls me into a tight hug. “He’ll be ok,” I whisper, trying to comfort her.
“I’m going to see if I can find a doctor for an update,” Zane says suddenly, standing up and walking away.
“Are you ok?” I ask Lisa now that we’re alone. She nods, but tears continue to fall.
“I don’t know why I can’t stop crying,” she says with a small, shaky laugh.
“Because you care about him,” I smile softly. “It’s normal.”
“I’m worried,” she sighs as she sits on the plastic bench. I sit beside her and rest my hand on her knee. “I only saw him for a second before they took him in for surgery. He was in so much pain.”
“Poor guy,” I sigh. “What did the doctor say?”
“She only said the scans looked really bad. Apparently, part of his bone was shattered, and it’ll take months to heal. She wasn’t sure he’d regain full use of his arm,” Lisa says quietly.
“Let’s wait and see how it goes. I’m sure he’ll be ok,” I try to reassure her, though I’m not entirely convinced anymore.
In the distance, we hear footsteps approaching. A few seconds later, Tess and Leo turn the corner.
“Hey,” Tess says softly as she walks straight to Lisa and hugs her. “Are you ok?”
Just the question alone makes Lisa cry again, and my heart aches for her. No one knows she and Blake are together; she must feel overwhelmed.
“I’m alright,” Lisa says, quickly wiping away her tears.
Leo is holding a tray of coffee cups and hands one to each of us. He gives me two, one for Zane and one for me.
“Don’t you want any coffee?” I ask, but Leo shakes his head.
“Where did Zane go?” he asks, scanning the room.
“He went to find a doctor, someone who can give us an update,” I tell him as he and Tess sit down on the bench beside us.
After a few moments, we hear footsteps again. I expect Zane to return, but instead, it’s the Grizzlies’ coach. I recognize him from the Jumbotron and interviews.
“Coach,” Lisa says as she stands.
“Any news?” Coach asks, but she shakes her head. He then turns and shakes Leo’s hand. “I’m Bob,” he says, introducing himself to Tess and me. “People like to call me Coach,” he adds with a wink.
“Those assholes hit him way too hard,” Lisa says angrily as she sits back down.
“I’ve got the board looking into it. This wasn’t just ice hockey,” Bob says with a sigh as he takes a seat.
“You think it was some kind of revenge thing, too?” I ask, surprised.
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions,” Bob replies in a careful, measured tone. “But that wasn’t a normal game.”
“Coach?” Zane calls as he rounds the corner. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you,” Bob shrugs. “Any news on the kid?” he asks as we all wait.
“I found a nurse. She said the doctor should come by with an update in about fifteen minutes. The surgery is done, but she couldn’t share any details,” Zane says, sounding disappointed as he sits beside me.
We settle in to wait for the doctor. Leo and Coach chat quietly about the game, Tess tries to distract Lisa by talking about some of our bakery mishaps, and Zane remains silent.
“I’m going to use the bathroom real quick,” Zane says, squeezing my hand and offering me a small smile. “I’ll be fast,” he adds before getting up and walking away.
“I always get lost in hospitals. Lead the way, Miller,” Coach says, following him.
Zane and Coach have barely disappeared around the corner when we hear footsteps approaching again. We all stand.
A woman in a white coat appears, her expression firm and unreadable.
“How did it go?” Lisa asks immediately.
“I’m not going to lie, he took a hard hit,” the doctor begins. “His bone is fractured. We won’t know whether he’ll regain full strength until the surrounding tissue heals. His muscle was also torn, so it will take several weeks before we can assess his recovery.”
“Is he ok? Is he awake?” Leo asks, concern etched across his face.
“He’s very drowsy, but we’ve administered pain medication. He’s not in any pain at the moment,” the doctor explains. “He’s been asking for his girlfriend. He wants her to visit. Which one of you is his girlfriend?”
I watch Lisa swallow hard before she takes a small step forward.
“It’s me,” she says quietly, stepping forward again.
The doctor nods. “Follow me.”
Without hesitation, Lisa follows her, not looking back.
“Wait, what did I miss?” Tess asks, breaking the silence. “Lisa is Blake’s girlfriend? They’re together?”
“Yes,” I reply softly. All eyes turn to me. “I only found out a few days ago. I know she’s been worried and scared. She wanted to tell everyone herself, but she was waiting for the right moment. Zane doesn’t know yet… and I’m not sure this is the right time. I’m sure they’ll figure it out soon.”
“We understand. Our lips are sealed,” Tess says with a reassuring smile as we settle back into our seats to wait for Zane and Coach to return.