Holding on to Us

by A. E. Neal

  The fight finally ended when the other player was knocked onto his back and fell to the ice. The referees skated in, pulling the two apart as they tried to lunge for each other, again. In the end, they were both sent to the penalty box for five minutes.

  "That was fucking awesome!"

  The other player, number 13, MITCHELL, as it read in bold letters across his back, had a bloody nose, and surprisingly, not even a hair was out of place on Brody's head. The sight of him made me laugh.

  Ally peeked out from between her hands and glanced over at Deacon and I. "Is it bad?"

  "For the other guy. He got his ass handed to him. It was awesome," I said and she shook her head.

  The next five minutes of the game went by quickly; the crowd cheered when Brody was released from the penalty box and booed when Mitchell skated out on to the ice. Both teams were at full strength again.

  "They're gonna fight again, aren't they?" I asked Deacon.

  "Probably, they're pretty fired up, now," he said.

  I watched as the teams lined up for a shoot-out on the opposite end of the ice. The crowd cheered as the Rattlesnakes got possession of the puck and were quickly making their way toward the goal. All of a sudden, I heard a loud clack from center ice and the crowd gasped.

  The two teams rushed one another like a scene out of Braveheart, fists were flying and hockey sticks cracked against each other. It was an all-out brawl on the ice. The referees hurried to break it up and that's when I caught my first glimpse of a player, laying motionless in the midst of it all.

  "Oh my God, no. No, please, no," Ally mumbled over and over again.

  "Who is that?" I asked Deacon. All three of us were on our feet within seconds. The crowd fell silent as they saw the player laying there, too.

  "Who is it?" I demanded. I watched as the monitors above the arena replayed the hit. Two players collided at center ice. One was down and the other was being helped back to the bench by a trainer.

  "Shit, shit, shit. Oh, please don't let it be him," I whispered.

  Then they replayed it from another camera's view point and there, clear as day, was number 29 with the name MCCABE across the player's back getting hit so hard, it knocked him on his back and his limp body slid to a stop against the boards on the opposite side of the arena.

  "It's him," Deacon whispered.

  I glanced at Ally and tears already covered her cheeks. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against me.

  "Oh my God, Ken. Please tell me he's okay," she cried. Her body shook uncontrollably and I forced her to sit back down.

  The trainers had already gone to his side as the remaining players gave them room to work. He wasn't moving. They were talking to him, but he hadn't moved an inch. Ally sobbed into my shoulder and there wasn't anything we could do but watch.

  "He's gonna be okay," I said softly as I rubbed her back.

  "I'm going to find a way to get her down there," Deacon said and I mouthed the words, "Thank you" and he hurried up the stairs.

  Moments later, there was a cart brought out onto the ice, the trainers carefully lifted Brody on to it and strapped him in.

  "They're taking him off the ice," I said and Ally just stared at me blankly, trembling.

  "He's not moving," she choked out.

  I didn't have any words to say to comfort my best friend. Nothing I could say would make her feel any better, so I just held her as we watched the crew take him away. The horrific scene replayed in slow motion on the screens above and I knew I had to get her out of there.

  "Come on. We need to go find out if there's any way to get you down to see him," I suggested and she nodded weakly.

  I held her tight as we walked up the stairs and into the lobby. Deacon came sprinting toward us with determination written all over his face. "I found someone who can help. Come on."

  "We're going to see him, now. Okay?" I asked Ally and she only sobbed harder. "Shh. It's gonna be okay, sweetie. He's gonna be okay," I said.

  We followed Deacon toward the front entrance and near the administration offices, where a young woman stood with a radio in one hand and a clipboard in the other. I wanted to talk to the woman before Ally could, so I found a bench and sat her down. "Can you stay here? I'll be right back," I said and she nodded. She slumped over and buried her face in her palms. My heart was breaking for her and I wiped a stray tear from my cheek. I jogged over to the woman who held a finger out to my face, causing me to pause before I started speaking.

  "Can you go sit with her?" I asked Deacon and of course, he agreed. I looked back over my shoulder at the two sitting on the bench. Deacon put his arm around her as she continued to cry.

  I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I quickly pulled it out.

  Zac: Is she okay? Where are you?

  Me: She's a mess. Front entrance by admin.

  I hit 'send' and tucked it back in my pocket.

  "Can I help you, miss?" the woman asked.

  "Yes. My best friend," I pointed over my shoulder to Ally and Deacon. "Her name is Allyson Monroe, she's Brody McCabe's fiancé. She needs to see him, right away," I said quickly.

  The woman's face was stern and I knew she wasn't falling for it.

  "Does she have her credentials?" she asked.

  "I don't know. She's kind of a wreck, right now. Can you just let her in to see him?" I snapped.

  "If she doesn't have credentials, I can't let her in. I'm sorry."

  "Please," I begged. "Isn't there someone else I can talk to?"

  "I'm it and I'm sorry, but I don't recognize your friend, so there's nothing I can do," she said just as her phone rang and she held a finger out to me while she took the call.

  There had to be another way in. The woman wasn't going to help us and I knew it. I scanned the lobby area and spotted a security guard against the wall. I hurried over to him and immediately recognized his face.

  "Hey. Andy, right?" I asked and he looked as if he vaguely recognized me. "It's me, Kennedy, from Gabe's Tattoo."

  He smiled and I inwardly thanked the Gods that he recognized me.

  "Hey, Kennedy. How are you?" he asked. But enough with the chit-chat.

  "I'm good. Uh...hey, my friend's fiancé was the player that got hurt. Do you know where they're taking him?" I asked.

  He glanced over my shoulder as I pointed at Ally, who was now in Zac's arms.

  "They won't let her in without credentials. Please," I pleaded in a low voice.

  "Give me one second, alright?"

  "Of course."

  Andy turned and spoke into his radio. He nodded a few times and turned back to me, where I waited impatiently with my arms crossed over my chest.

  "They're taking him to Phoenix General. The ambulance just arrived. You can probably beat them there, if you leave now," he offered.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much, Andy! I owe you one!"

  The group of four stood quietly with somber looks on their faces.

  I pulled Zac aside and asked him to take her to the hospital to see Brody. I knew it would be better having him there to comfort her.

  "We'll meet you there, okay?" I said.

  "Sure. But, hey," Zac said, reaching out and grasping my hand, "I'm sorry about earlier."

  I pulled my hand from his and my fingers tingled from where he had touched them. "I know," I said and turned away from him.

  Chapter 10

  Kennedy

  The ride to the hospital was quiet between Deacon and I. I wasn't sure what to say to him. I was still in shock over what we'd just witnessed, and I didn't know if my best friend would pull through if she was given bad news about Brody's condition. The event kept replaying in my head like a horror movie, seeing him lay there helpless, motionless and...lifeless. I swallowed hard and prepared for the worst.

  Deacon parked the car near the emergency room, then opened the door for me and helped me out.

  "I know it won't make this situation any better, but I
've seen knee to knee hits before. Worst case scenario...maybe a torn MCL or a concussion," Deacon offered. I felt the bile rise in my throat.

  "It doesn't. But thank you," I said. He took my hand in his as we walked through the busy parking lot toward the entrance of Phoenix General Hospital.

  I spotted Ally and Zac right away at the receptionist desk and suddenly I felt like an ass for bringing Deacon along, because Kirsten was nowhere in sight.

  "I'll see if I can get in touch with one of the doctors I work with at SMC," he said. I thanked him while he pulled his phone out and made a call.

  Zac turned to face me and his expression told me the news wasn't good.

  "Is he here, yet?" I asked as Ally leaned over the desk again and pleaded with one of the nurses.

  "They just brought him in," he said softly and ran a hand through his thick blonde hair. "They won't let anyone back to see him. Not even her."

  "Damn it. Really?"

  He nodded. Ally stood with tears streaming down her face. She begged the nurse to let her see Brody over and over again, while the woman behind the desk just shook her head and told her only family was allowed back. They wouldn't offer any information about his condition and we were told to wait until a doctor could speak to us. I loathed hospitals!

  Deacon's contact turned out to be a dead end, since he didn't volunteer at Phoenix General. All the doctors and nurses he knew were at Scottsdale Medical Center. I was frustrated and the combination of adrenaline and worry was making me nauseous.

  Ally had curled up on a chair next to Zac as we waited for any kind of news. The TV overhead was muted, but the sports network replayed Brody's collision over and over. The commentators looked as stunned and shocked as we felt. As time passed, I grew restless. After five-and-a-half hours, Deacon offered to get us all something to drink from the cafeteria, but we declined. My legs were stiff from sitting in the same spot for so long, so I decided to check with the nurse again, since I'd seen a new nurse come on duty. This time I had a plan. The nurse was older and her silver hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Black-rimmed glasses sat on the edge of her nose as she typed and scanned over the files on her desk.

  "Excuse me," I said.

  She looked up and gave me a half smile. "Can I help you?"

  "I've been waiting for a while now to hear about my brother's condition," I said and I hoped to God she couldn't see right through me because if this was going to work, I had to keep a straight face. For Ally's sake.

  "Patients name, please?" Oh thank goodness!

  "McCabe, Brody— uh, Brennan McCabe," I said and her fingers went to work, hammering on the keyboard in front of her. After a few moments of watching her tilt her head to the side, rub her temples and let out a few audible sighs, I'd all but thought she was preparing to give me bad news...the news I feared deep down. My stomach flipped and my palms began to sweat.

  Please, please, please let him be okay.

  "McCabe," she began and I nodded. "He's in post-op recovery." She typed some more and continued. "He is stable, but not awake yet. It's way past visiting hours, but between you and me, you can go up and see him. Only one family member at a time." She took a piece of scrap paper and scribbled a room number down and handed it to me. Six-zero-two.

  I grasped the paper as if my life depended on it and thanked her profusely for her help.

  "Come on. I've got the room number," I said and Ally's eyes fluttered open.

  "He's okay?" she asked.

  "She said he's in post-op recovery. You can go see him, now," I said and offered the paper to her.

  She took it from my hand and flashed me a weak smile.

  Zac helped her up and the two walked down the corridor toward the elevators. Zac turned and nodded for me to join them and I held up a finger indicating I'd be right there.

  "You should go," Deacon said. "There's no reason for me to come up with you. I'm just gonna head home."

  "Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure it'll be fine if you wanna stay," I offered, but he shook his head.

  "Go. Your friend needs you, right now," he said and leaned in to give me a soft kiss. His lips were warm and inviting. I caught Zac watching us and a knot formed in my stomach.

  "I'll call you, okay?" I offered.

  "Sure, I'd like that," he said and I watched as Deacon left through the front doors of the hospital.

  I hurried to catch up with Zac and Ally. The elevator dinged, just as I reached them. We all stood in silence as we waited until we reached the sixth floor.

  We followed the room numbers on the placards placed outside the elevator down the long hallway, which smelled of disinfectant and something metallic that stung my nose. We reached the waiting area next to the nurse's station. Zac and I found a couple of chairs near an elderly woman, who was crocheting a pastel colored blanket. She offered us both a quick smile and returned to her crocheted work of art.

  Ally approached one of the nurses and after a few minutes, she led her back to Brody's room.

  "I hope he's okay," I said, breaking the silence between us.

  "I hope so, too. He's tough, so I know he'll pull through," he said.

  And just like old times, Zac wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. I adjusted myself, so that I was sitting with my legs propped up on the chair next to me and lay my head back into his chest. I was exhausted. The heat of his body mixed with everything that had happened over the day caused my eyelids to grow heavy. Soft music filled the otherwise quiet waiting room and I dozed off, almost instantly.

  Chapter 11

  Zac

  After holding her against me like nothing had changed between us, I knew I needed to man up and talk to her. About us, about me, hell, I'd sit here and talk to her for the rest of my life as long as she didn't leave me again. We'd only been apart for a day and I still couldn't get used to not having her around me.

  Ally peered around the corner and I pointed at Kennedy who was sleeping soundly against me. She nodded and retreated down the hallway. She didn't look like she'd been crying anymore, which would've torn me apart again if I had to see my sister hurting like that all over again after what had happened to Andrew. Brody must have been okay. I realized I let out a breath I'd been holding for sometime and it startled Kennedy.

  "Sorry," I whispered as I inhaled her sweet scent. She smelled like coconut and vanilla, and it reminded me of our summers at the river when we were younger.

  "S'okay," she mumbled as she yawned.

  "Ally was here just a second ago. You should probably go see how she's doing," I said.

  Kennedy stretched and stood up. Her hair was messy and she looked tired, but she threw me a quick smile and it warmed my heart. She snuck past the nurse's station and down the hallway.

  Kennedy

  Nothing could have ever prepared me for what I saw when I entered Brody's hospital room. I had even watched that show, Medical Mysteries and I still couldn't believe my eyes.

  Brody laid still with wires and tubes placed carefully across his once beautiful physique, now he looked like he could be related to Frankenstein. His left leg was hoisted in the air by a mini-crane connected to the end of the bed. I swore, there were a thousand tiny metal bars sticking out of his casted leg, which resembled a scene straight out of Hellraiser.

  Ally sat by his side with his hand in hers and gave me a quick nod to join her. I pulled up the doctor's stool and slid next to her.

  "He hasn't woken up yet and his chart says he fractured his tibia, tore his MCL and suffered a minor concussion," she whispered and I sucked in air through my teeth.

  "I'm so sorry, Al. He's gonna be okay and with rehab, he'll be able to skate again," I said, but I was more or less talking out loud because I wasn't sure what an injury like Brody's entailed.

  "Yeah," she said softly, "I hope you're right. Hockey is his life. I don't know what he'd do without it."

  We both sat silently as we watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. Ally held his han
d firmly in hers, and my heart broke as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  With everything she had been through in her life, I suddenly found myself feeling lucky for everything the Universe had bestowed upon me. I may not have been the best daughter or the perfect friend, but I knew I'd dodged my fair share of close calls in my twenty-three years. I was lucky. Ally was left heartbroken more times than I could remember and for once, I wished I could trade places with her, just so she didn't have to experience any more pain or heartache.

  I placed my hand on her shoulder and she turned to face me. Her eyes were rimmed with crimson, she looked worn out, exhausted and emotionally drained. She attempted a weak smile, but the tears in her eyes told a different story, altogether.

  Without letting Brody's hand go, she wrapped her free arm around my neck and I pulled her weak body into mine.

  "I'm so sorry this happened," I whispered and she choked back a sob. "I'm here for you, whatever you need. I'm here." I rocked her back and forth as she cried into my shoulder.

  "Th-th-thank you," she choked.

  We released our embrace, she leaned over and kissed Brody's forehead softly. "I'm here, Bear. Your little fox is right here," she whispered.

  She rested her head against his chest, careful not to pull out any of the tube or wires and as much as I wanted to stay with her, I got up and left the dimly lit hospital room. I wiped the tears from my eyes and closed the door behind me.

  As I rounded the corner, a nurse stopped me in my tracks.

  "You're not allowed to be here," she scolded. I knew my luck had ran out, but I had to do anything I could to distract her from finding Ally, just to give her enough time with Brody, so at least she'd see him wake up.

  "I'm sorry," I said. "I must've taken a wrong turn. I was looking for the restroom. Another nurse said it was this way." I pointed down the hallway beside me.