Page 109 of Icebound

I swipe at my eyes, and water glistens on my fingers. The play’s stopped, so no one’s skating.

Even the crowd in the bar is quiet.

I cover my hands over my mouth in a silent scream as the medical team hovers over Rhode, but I can’t see him beneath the bodies.

No. No. No.

I can’t see him.

I need to see him.

My heart throbs in my ears, and I can feel the panic rising as gut-wrenching terror swells. A wave of dizziness rolls over me, and I grip the table so I don’t faint.

The anxiety is always there, lurking, but I can’t afford to lose my shit if he’s hurt. I’m barreling through the door out of the bar before they’ve even carried him off the ice.

“Nina, wait!”

“I’m not staying here, Gwendolyn.” My voice shatters. “I need to be with him.”

“I know, but you ran out so fast that you forgot your backpack. Come on, I’ll drive you.”

26

RHODE

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first, Tremblay?” Dr. Hutch crosses her arms over her scrubs.

Medical staff rush around the on-site facility. I sit up from the navy table with a wince. “Hit me with the bad news. Let’s hear it.”

A sharp pain slices through my shoulder. The acute sensation shoots up my arm and knocks the wind out of me for a second.

I should’ve taken the high-dose meds they offered, but painkillers are an easy slope to slip down for athletes, so it’s a do-or-die situation for me. I took the low-grade ones because I don’t want to be knocked out.

Dr. Hutch grins sympathetically, crinkling her brown eyes. Her bedside manner is top-tier because I can never tell whether it’s real or fake, and she’s been our team doctor for over three years.

She nods to my arm. “I’m sorry, Tremblay, but with an AC joint tear like that you’re out for the rest of the season. No playoffs.”

“But you said it was only a minor one. Grade two, right?”

“Right, but it could still take up to a couple of months to heal.”

Anger rages through me, and I ball my functioning hand into a fist, feeling the tension pulsating through my knuckles. We’ve put in so much work, and now I won’t get to help my team win the Cup. Yeah, I’ve already won two Stanley Cups over my hockey career, but still, I wanted another one.

I’m not going to get pissed at Dr. Hutch for delivering the news, so I match her straightforward tone. “Alright. What’s the good news?”

She hooks her stethoscope around her neck. “The good news is this isn’t career-ending. You can easily rehab an injury like this during the off-season and come back ready to play. You’ll be good as new if you follow your physical therapist’s plan.”

I breathe deeply until the fury dies down, but once it does, there’s a kernel of… something. Disappointment, maybe? I’m not sure. It would’ve been nice to have been forced into retirement due to an injury.

No, that’s not right. I shake my head.

I want to go out on my own terms. I’d never want to be forced into the decision. What the hell am I thinking? I’m here to play. I’ve got fifteen seasons under my belt. What’s one more?

I blow out a breath, nodding slowly. “Alright, well, that’s good to know. Thanks, Dr. Hutch.”

“You’ve been through worse. You’ll be fine. Rest up tonight and get some sleep. Your body needs it. Stay here, and we’ll get you in a brace.”

Dr. Hutch reviews my prescriptions before exiting our team's on-site medical facility, leaving me in the care of Dane, one of the nurses. I slump back on the table, careful not to nudge my swollen shoulder.