Just Say Yes

by Samantha Lind

  “Fuck, she’s probably already at work. Can I have my phone? I will send her a text to let her know I’m okay, and that I’ll call once I know what’s going on.” I hope she’s already gone to work and hasn’t seen the coverage of me getting hurt. I’m going to guess that’s the case, as she hasn’t tried to get in touch with me yet. Just as I’m about to text her, my phone starts to ring.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Scott! Are you okay?”

  “I’m still in the ambulance, on the way to the hospital. I heard a snap when I fell and definitely felt something break; I think it’s my femur. Once we get to the hospital, they’ll take x-rays and we’ll see what they say. I’m hoping that they can stabilize everything, and that they’ll let me go home with the team tonight. I can follow up with the team’s doctors tomorrow at home.”

  “Okay, well you keep us updated. Have you talked to Becca?”

  “I was about to text her when you called. She should already be at work, so probably has no idea that I got hurt. I haven’t heard from her.”

  “Okay, son. Well, keep us updated and let us know if we can do anything for you. If they don't let you go home with the team, I can fly down with Becca if you need extra help. You just say the word. I love you, son.”

  “Love you too, Mom. We’re pulling up to the ER now, so I need to go.” I disconnect the call and quickly shoot off a text to Becca before being wheeled into the ER.

  Scott: Hey babe, doubt you saw the game, but try not to worry if you heard, or saw anything. I’m okay or will be soon. Just got to the ER for x-rays. Will let you know what they say. Love you.

  I hand my phone off to Josh to keep for me as they wheel me in; the doctors are waiting for me in the treatment room. Our team doctors don’t travel with us, but the home team’s doctors are on hand to treat both the home and guests if a player gets hurt.

  “Scott, I’m Dr. Emerson, the head orthopedic doctor for the Wild. Let’s get you checked out, and take some x-rays of your leg. Then we’ll see what we’re working with and come up with the best treatment plan we can.”

  One of the nurses works on removing the compression shorts I wear under my gear and puts a gown on me. The x-ray technician arrives just as the nurse finishes and they manipulate my leg into all the positions they need to get the images the doctor ordered. It hurts like a bitch, but I just grind my teeth and do my best to breathe through the pain.

  Moments later Dr. Emerson is back by my side, along with Josh. He has the x-rays pulled up on his tablet and is looking over them intently.

  “Good news and bad news. The bad news is that you will need surgery. The good news is that I feel confident we can splint your leg and let you fly home. Your team’s doctors can schedule the surgery for later this week, allowing you to recover at home. I’ll contact them here in a bit, to confirm they’re on board with this plan, as long as you’re okay with it.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. Surgery definitely means I’ll be out for a couple of months. Just then, my phone vibrates with a text, pulling me out of my own head and the wandering thoughts of how much of the season I will miss.

  “I’m fine with whatever you recommend, Doc,” I tell him, as Josh hands me my cell. I know it’s Becca texting me. He then leaves to call our teams doctors back in Indy.

  Becca: Oh, Scott! Please call me ASAP when you can. I’m so worried about you. I’m looking at earlier flight options, and can change my flight to come to Minneapolis if needed. Please tell me you’re ok. Love you.

  Scott: Hey beautiful, I’m doing OK. They’ve taken the x-rays and I’ll need surgery but the doctors here think they can stabilize my leg enough for me to fly home with the team tonight. Then our team docs will schedule surgery later this week. I will let you know what the final decision is as soon as they tell me. I love you, and I will call you once I know more. Please don’t worry too much; I’m in good hands. Love you, beautiful.

  A nurse comes back to check on me and to determine my pain level. My leg is still throbbing, so she gives me more meds to try to ease the pain. The doctor returns shortly after and confirms that I’m allowed to fly home and that I’ll need to see the team’s orthopedic doctors tomorrow. With the plan is in place, I get my leg splinted, and Dr. Emerson prepares my discharge paperwork.

  While all that was going on, Josh coordinated a ride back to the arena to get my clothes and arranged transportation to get me to the team’s chartered plane.

  A little while later, we arrive at the plane ahead of the team, who will arrive soon. Josh works alongside the flight attendants to care for me, making sure my leg is supported before the rest of the guys get here.

  I take the time to call Becca. I need to let her know what’s happening and that she can come home as planned.

  “Hey, baby,” I greet her when she answers.

  “Scott! I’ve been so worried. What did they decide?”

  “I’m heading home. I’m on the plane now, waiting for the rest of the team to board. I’ll see the orthopedic team sometime tomorrow and will know more as to what they want to do and when they want to schedule the surgery.”

  “Do you want me to fly out tonight? I’ve already talked to my charge nurse and they’ll let me leave. I can make it out on a red eye tonight and get in early tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s up to you, babe.”

  “I’m doing it. I’m not going to be any good here tonight, anyway. I need to get to you just to make sure you’re really okay. And then since I’m coming early, I should get to Indy in enough time to take you to your appointment. I want to hear everything the doctors tell you. Plus, you are going to need help after surgery. Do you know what time they want to see you tomorrow?”

  “I don’t, but I can ask Josh and text you,” I tell her.

  “Okay, as soon as I’m off the phone with you, I’ll change my flight, then run home and grab my stuff. I’ll have Mom or Dad take me to the airport. When I get to Indy, I’ll Uber home.”

  “Sounds good, babe. I love you and I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Love you too. Take it easy and don’t forget to ask for help if you need it.”

  “I know, babe, and don’t worry. It hurts too much right now for me to be doing anything.”

  We end our call as the charter bus pulls up at the plane. As the guys start boarding, each one passes by me all propped up in one of the front rows of seats; I get head nods and fist bumps. They fought hard after I got injured and kept the Wild from scoring, bringing home the win.

  Brian and Murph sit in the row behind me so they can check on me.

  “How are you holding up?” Murph asks.

  “As good as you can with a broken femur,” I deadpan.

  “Surgery?” Brian asks.

  “Yeah,” I sigh. “They splinted the leg and pumped me full of pain meds so that I could get home. I’ll see the team’s doctor’s tomorrow morning and schedule the surgery.”

  “That sucks, man, but I’m glad you get to head home first. When does Becca come back to Indy?” Murph asks.

  “Her original flight was for tomorrow afternoon, but she left work early and is changing her flight to make it out tonight. She’ll get to Indy sometime in the morning, but hasn’t sent me her new flight info yet.”

  “Does she need a ride to your place?”

  “She said she would grab an Uber.”

  “I can pick her up if she wants,” Murph offers.

  “Thanks, man. I’ll text her and let her know you offered.”

  “It’s not an issue, man. We don’t have practice tomorrow, so my day is free. If you need help getting to the docs, I can help get you there as well.”

  “We might take you up on that. I don’t know how well I’ll be walking tomorrow, and there is no way Becca can lift me on her own.”

  I chat a little more with Brian and Murph about the rest of the game. Coach stops and checks on me before he finds his seat for the flight.

  Once we get off the ground and the cabin lights have been t
urned off, I put in my earbuds and take a nap on the short flight home. After landing, I have to wait for everyone to deplane and for a wheelchair to be brought on board to help me off. The team was going to arrange for a car service to take me home, but Murph says he can drive me, and Brian follows him to give him a hand getting me into the house. Josh sends the meds the hospital gave me with us, including all my instructions. I can’t put any weight on my left leg at all, so even standing is hard. I have crutches, but they don’t want me up and moving around unless necessary.

  Brian and Murph get me home and settled. It’s around 1:00 am by that time, and I’m ready to crash. Becca texted that her flight would be in at 8:00 am, and she confirmed that she got my text about Murph picking her up. She sent him her flight info as well while we were flying.

  Before the guys take off, Murph says, “I’ll see you in the morning, Scott, after I pick up Becca. If you need anything before then, call me.”

  “I will, man. And thanks again.”

  As I’m falling asleep, I realize I never talked to my parents again tonight. It’s too late to call them now, and I’m exhausted. I imagine Becca talked to them, updating them on my condition and what the new plan is. I set a reminder on my phone to call them tomorrow. I finally fall asleep, no longer able to fight the exhaustion that has overtaken my body or the pain meds that have kicked in.

  Chapter Twenty

  Becca

  When I heard that Scott had been hurt in the game, my mind immediately thought of the worst scenario and my heart just about beat out of my chest. The news quickly spread its way around the ER. My charge nurse, knowing I’d be a useless ball of nerves for the rest of my shift, offered to let me leave early. I used the time, while waiting for the float nurse to arrive, to check out alternate flight options, hoping I’d hear from Scott soon.

  Once I heard from Scott I rebooked my ticket, which helped me to calm down some. When the float nurse arrived, I said a quick goodbye to my co-workers and headed home to pack. On the way, I called Scott’s mom to let her know the latest update and to let her know about my flight change.

  “I can get a ticket and fly down to help if you want.” Linda offers.

  “You know, I think that would be a great idea. Having an extra set of hands once Scott is recovering might not be a bad thing,” I reply.

  “I’ll look at flights, and let you know if I can get on the same flight as you, or if I’ll have to fly tomorrow.”

  “Sounds great, Linda, keep me posted,” I say, before hanging up.

  As soon as I reach the house, I call my parents and update them.

  “Hey Mom, did you guys watch the game?”

  “Dad watched and told me about Scott. How is he doing?”

  “He needs surgery, but they stabilized him and allowed him to fly home with the team. In the morning, he’ll meet with his team’s doctors to schedule surgery. I changed my flight and am leaving in a couple of hours. Can you still take me to the airport?”

  “Absolutely. When do you need to leave? Do you want me to come over now, so you aren’t alone?”

  “Yes, if you don’t mind, I’d really love the company.”

  “Of course, I don’t mind. I’ll be over shortly,” my mom tells me, and we disconnect. I head inside the house to pack the last-minute things I had planned to pack tomorrow. Once finished, I grab a bottle of water from the kitchen and go to sit down in the living room.

  Finally having nothing to occupy my mind, the emotions I’ve suppressed since getting word of Scott’s accident – and the stress of not being with him and not really knowing how he’s doing – overtakes me, and I break down, the tears pouring out. I know I need to get it all out, so I have a good little cry session before my mom arrives. While I’m waiting on her, I get a text from Kinley.

  Kinley: Hey, just checking on you. Any updates?

  Becca: I just had a good cry. My emotions finally caught up with me as soon as I sat down. Mom is on her way over her to be with me and then will take me to the airport. Linda is looking into flight options for her to fly down so that she can help for a few days.

  Kinley: I’m so sorry, I wish I could leave work to be with you. I’m glad Linda is going to fly down and help. I think that’s great.

  Becca: Yeah me too, I think it’ll be very helpful to have her there.

  Kinley: Well, keep me updated. I have to get back to work, but I love you girl. If you have time, stop by on your way to the airport so I can hug you goodbye.

  Becca: I will try, love you too.

  I relax and turn on the TV, trying to take my mind off Scott until my mom arrives. I get lost in watching reruns of Friends until my phone alerts me to a new text.

  Linda: Hey, I booked a flight but was not able to get the same one as you. I will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. I booked a one-way flight, that way I can stay as long as you guys need me.

  Becca: Sounds good, thanks so much for doing that. Send me your flight information and I will pick you up or arrange for you to be picked up if we are tied up at the doctors when you arrive.

  Linda: Will do, I will see you tomorrow. Do you have a ride to the airport tonight?

  Becca: Yes, my mom is on her way over now and will take me.

  Linda: Ok sweetie, let me know if you need anything else.

  Becca: Will do, thanks, Linda.

  My mom arrives a few minutes later and immediately engulfs me in a hug. I didn’t realize until that moment just how much I needed a hug from my mom. The tears return and she comforts me as I let them fall.

  “Feel better?” she asks, as I wipe the last few tears from my cheeks and blow my nose again.

  “Yes,” I nod my head, “I’m just so worried about him. I hate that I’m not with him already.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Bec. Even if you were in Indy, you wouldn’t have been with him with it happened.”

  “I know. It just sucks not having all the information and knowing he’s in pain and alone. I know the team will take care of him, but once he makes it home, I don’t think anyone is staying with him overnight.”

  “He’s a big boy, Bec. I’m sure if he needs anything, he’ll call someone. It won't surprise me if he’s still sleeping when you arrive. Especially if they gave him good pain meds.”

  “You’re right, but I still worry about him. I know he’s worried about how long this will take him out of the game. I just hope he doesn’t get depressed. That will affect his recovery.”

  “I’m sure everything will be fine and he’ll be back on the ice as quickly as possible. He’s lucky that he’ll have a nurse with him, to help him recover more quickly.” Mom sighs and gives me the ‘mom look, trying to make her point sink in. “How soon do we need to leave?” she asks, changing the subject.

  “Soon. Kinley asked if I had time for us to stop by the hospital so she can hug me goodbye. She was with a patient when I left earlier.”

  “Sure, whatever you want to do. Let’s get your bags loaded and we can take off. Give us a little extra time in case she’s busy when we get there.”

  We arrive at the hospital and I make my rounds, saying one last goodbye to everyone. Once Kinley can break away from her patients, she steps outside so we can chat for a few minutes before I have to leave for the airport.

  “You better call me and update me tomorrow. And text me when you land so I know you made it safely.”

  “I will don’t worry.”

  “Do you know when his appointment is yet?”

  “Yes. Their head trainer texted me and let me know that we need to be there at 11:00 am. So as long as I don’t have any flight delays, I should have plenty of time to make it to the house to get him, and then get to his appointment. I only have my carry-on suitcase, so as soon as I arrive, I can head straight for passenger pick up where Murph will be waiting for me.”

  “Okay, well, try and get some rest on your flights. Tomorrow is going to be long and stressful for you. Don’t forget to take care of yourself in all of this,” Kin
ley says as she wraps me in a hug. “I love you, girl, and I know you. So please, please promise me that you will take care of yourself.”

  “I promise. Linda is also flying down tomorrow so that I will have help.”

  “That’s great, make sure you let her help!” she says as she looks at her call pager that is going off. “I have to go, but I love you. Don’t forget to text and call me tomorrow.” We give each other one last hug and she takes off back inside and I head for the car.

  Thankfully my flights are both on time, and Murph is waiting for me at passenger pick up.

  “Hey, how were your flights?” Murph asks as I climb into his truck.

  “Good, I got a little sleep on both of them,” I say on a yawn. “Have you heard from Scott at all?”

  “Nope, but he was pretty tired when I left him early this morning. It won't surprise me if he’s still sleeping. Especially with all the pain meds he had in him.”

  “I hope so; he needs the rest. And thanks again for picking me up.”

  “Anytime. And don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. If I’m out of town, or not able to help you, there will be someone with the team that will. We’re a family, and we take care of our own.”

  “Thanks, Murph. Linda, Scott’s mom, is flying in this afternoon so that I will have a little help. Depending on when we’re done at the doctors, I might have to arrange to have someone pick her up.”

  “I can pick her up. We have today off, and I don’t have any plans. So, if you need me to, just text me.”

  “Thanks, I really appreciate everything” I tell him as we pull up to the condo.

  “Do you want me to come up in case you need help?” Murph offers.

  “That’s probably a good idea,” I say as I hop out of his truck and grab my bag. I just need to get to Scott so I can see for myself that he’s okay.

  When we walk into the condo, it’s still dark. I head for the bedroom while Murph makes his way to the living room. When I enter the bedroom, I find Scott sleeping, his leg all wrapped up and elevated. Seeing him in person brings back all the emotion I felt last night when I wasn’t with him, and the tears return. I climb in bed next to him, doing my best to not bump into his leg. I lay my head down on his chest and just will myself to relax.