Forever Pucked(21)

She releases another long breath. "That's right. You play professional hockey. You're the team captain."

"For Chicago."

"Exactly." She kisses my knuckles. "Do you know who I am?"

"Mine."

She nods, a soft smile curving her lips again. I return the grin, but it hurts my face, so it's short-lived.

"What's my name, Alex?" Her voice is so soft, I barely hear the question over the beep of the machines.

I keep my eyes on her instead of closing them. I see purple. Flowers.  "Violet." A single tear drifts down her cheek. I brush it away with the  back of my fingers. "Don't cry, baby. I know all the important things."

"I was scared tonight," she whispers.

"C'mere." I slip my hand behind her neck and urge her closer. She puts  her head on my chest, and I hold her with the arm that works. Breathing  hurts. Thinking hurts. Everything hurts.

There are still a lot of missing pieces, like what happened to put me in this kind of pain, but I'm too tired to think any more.

The nurse comes back and gives me water, which I sip. I feel sick. Then  she hooks another bag up next to the IV, presses a button, and I feel  nothing but warm. Violet moves away from me, and I want to protest, but  my tongue isn't working.

-&-

I wake up sometime later confused, disoriented, and in pain. It's still  night, and it takes me a good minute or two to remember who I am and  where I am. Violet-my fiancée, who I said was my wife, because she will  be eventually-has pulled a rolling cot up beside my bed.

Her arm is stretched out, fingers gripping the sleeve of my hospital  gown. I check the clock. I don't think I've been asleep very long. The  nurse keeps coming in, checking me, shining a damn light in my eyes.  Last time I told her I wasn't in pain. I wish I'd lied because I sure am  now.

"Violet?" It comes out as a rasp.

Her eyes pop open, and she sits up. "Alex? Are you okay?"

"Can we get the nurse?" The words slur together.

Violet strokes my hair. "You in pain?"

"Yeah."

She presses the button, not to call the nurse, but to release a dose of  painkillers. I'd forgotten we don't need the nurse for that.

Violet sits on the edge of the bed, stroking my hair. It feels nice. The  medication is starting to work. She presses her warm lips to my  forehead. "I love you, Alex." She moves as though to get up.

I grab her wrist. "Lie with me."

She looks at the bed. There's hardly any room for her, but I don't want her away from me.

"I don't know that the nurse will like that," she says.

"Fuck the nurse."

"She's not really my type. I prefer dick, yours specifically."

I smile, even though it ramps up the pain in my face. I tug her wrist,  and she swings her feet up, carefully stretching out beside me. She  adjusts the covers, easing one leg over mine because there really isn't  room for two bodies in this bed. She's right up against the bedrail, but  at least she's not out of reach anymore.

She settles her head on my chest, and I suck in a breath as the pressure causes a sharp pain to shoot down my side.                       
       
           



       

"Are you okay? Am I hurting you? Maybe I should go back to the cot."

"No." I keep my arm around her.

"Alex."

"No."

"You're so stubborn." She eases back down, but puts her head in the crook of my arm and my shoulder, which doesn't cause pain.

I grunt because she's right. I want to tell her I already spend half my  nights without her beside me, and I'm not willing to lose more, but the  medication is making me groggy again, so I close my eyes instead.

The next time the nurse comes in to check on me, she gives me a look.  I'm holding Violet's boob, and her hand is conveniently covering my  dick. Whatever. I don't care. I have what I need right beside me.

My sleep is repeatedly broken, and I'm exhausted and in even more pain  when the sun starts to come up. Every time I wake, I'm confused again,  and I have to wait for some of my memories to return. At least I can  remember who I am and who Violet is, but except what people have told  me, I still have nothing tying me to why I'm lying in this bed.

I've taken a hit before, but the memories have always come back, even if  it took a while. That I still have nothing from this one is scary. I'm  aware that too many hits is bad news.

My parents stop by early in the morning. Violet's still half-asleep,  curled up along my side, as they enter the room. I'm still holding her  boob. I move my hand to her ribs and give a slight squeeze. She nuzzles  me, and the hand tucked under her chin unfurls and smooths down my  chest. I don't have an extra one available stop her from sliding her  fingers under the sheets and grabbing my semi-hard junk. I'm in too much  pain for a real hard-on, thankfully.

"Violet, baby, wake up. My parents are here."

Her eyes fly open, and she retracts her hand like she's been bitten by  my dick. "Robbie! Daisy! Hi!" Violet pushes up to a sitting position,  throwing the covers off. Which would be fine, since she's completely  dressed, except that my hospital gown has ridden up during the night,  and now my semi is on display.

My mom gasps and turns away.

My dad lifts his eyes to the ceiling while Violet pulls my gown down and  the sheets back up, mouthing Shit. Sorry! at me. I'm too medicated to  care, but she looks embarrassed.

Getting off the bed is more awkward for her than it should be, but she's  flustered, so she's even more uncoordinated than usual. She's  coordinated as hell in the bedroom, but outside of it …  not so much.

"I'm so glad you're here." She hugs my dad, who squeezes her tight.

"I wish it was under less distressing circumstances, but I'm glad we're here, too." He's looking at me, his concern obvious.

My mom stands with her palm covering her mouth, and tears track streaks  of black mascara down her cheeks. I must really look like hell.

She hurries over, her hands fluttering in the air around my face. "My  baby! Oh, God." She looks like she wants to touch me, but she's afraid  to. "That's going to leave a scar. Robbie? Will that leave a scar?"  She's motioning to my face.

"I'm sure they had a plastic surgeon do that, honey. You'll hardly know  it happened in a couple of years." My dad goes back to whisper-talking  to Violet.

"But the wedding! We'll have to cover it."

She's been here less than a minute, and already we're on to the wedding  business. I look at Violet to see her reaction, but she doesn't seem to  have caught it since she's close-talking with my dad.

"They have Photoshop now, Mom, and we don't even have a date set."

"If you'd gone to the Olympics like you should've, your beautiful face wouldn't look like this."

"Daisy!" my dad snaps.

Oh, shit. The last thing I need is my parents arguing, or Violet having to listen to my mom's projected lost dreams.

Violet disengages from my dad, and her expression reflects a lot of  things: concern, stress, anxiety, fear, love. "Daisy, you must be  exhausted. Can I get you something from the cafeteria? Maybe you'd like  to come with me?" She looks to me. "Alex, do you need anything?"

It's then that I notice her red, lacy bra hanging off the foot of the  bed. I check out her chest. Oh yeah, she's braless. Her nipples are  extra nipple-y.

I look down, and then back up, and back down until she notices her bra.

She snatches it from the end of the bed, hugging it to her chest. "I  need to use the bathroom first!" She zips across the room and slams the  door behind her. Which alerts me to the fact that I need to relieve  myself. And getting there isn't going to be easy with all the shit I'm  hooked up to.                       
       
           



       

"Is she okay?" my dad asks.

"Yeah. I mean, it shook her up, but she's managing okay." At least I think she is.

"Are you okay?"

"I hurt, but that's to be expected." I'm downplaying it. I have to;  otherwise my mom will freak out. "Did you come straight from the  airport?"

My mother nods. "We would've been here sooner if we could have." She adjusts my pillow and rearranges the sheets.

Her hair's a mess. Her face is blotchy. I'm sure she's been panicking  since she saw me go down on the ice. They always watch my games, and  it's usually a pleasant evening in front of the TV. I've scared a lot of  people.

"I'm going to be fine, Mom."

She's about to dispute that when Violet bursts out of the bathroom, no  longer braless. "Okay, Daisy, let's go get some snacks. Alex, you must  be starving."

I'm too hopped up on drugs to think about food, but Violet needs to take  care of me, or stay busy, so I tell her whatever she gets me will be  good. She links arms with my mom and pats her hand as they leave the  room.