A Valentine for Two

by Lia Davis

  “Thank you again for meeting me here. Having to walk into that suite alone nearly made me break out in hives.”

  Alaina chuckled. “Can’t have that.”

  “Nope. They itch really badly.”

  Conversation flowed easily between the two women, and the next thing Haley knew, they were paying their bill and then rising to make the short walk to the Barn.

  “I’ve got your ticket. The guys told you that, right?” Alaina asked. Reaching into her purse, she extracted a ticket and handed it to Haley.

  “I appreciate you taking care of me.”

  “Hey, I remember what being new felt like, and I’m happy to help.”

  Haley knew many of the rules of hockey and had followed the Storm long before Ian and Derek had arrived, but a few things still mystified her. “I’ll pick up the obscure rules at some point, right?”

  Alaina nodded as they waded through the crowd. “It takes a little while, but I think it’s worth the time.”

  “Definitely looks that way.” She turned to Alaina after pressing the button for the elevator leading to the suites. “You know, I’ve been in Buffalo for about six years now, and yet, I never came to a hockey game. I honestly have no idea why. People say they’re fun, and I wanted to go, but I hadn’t made it to one.”

  They stepped on to the elevator, and Haley untied her scarf. She didn’t like having things tight around her neck but had worn the garment in deference of the cold weather.

  “You’re here now, and I’m sure Ian and Derek are thrilled to get the chance to show off for you.”

  ”I’ve watched them on TV. They seem to be fitting in well here.” Pride welled up inside Haley, and she blinked back a couple of tears. The guys would probably call her a drama queen, but she felt truly proud of them, of what they’d both accomplished. It couldn’t be easy to make it in the league and even harder to play at the level they did.

  “Rob and Sebastian love them,” Alaina remarked. “And Sarah’s trying all sorts of new things. I saw this whole spreadsheet of calculations, none of which I understood. She doesn’t even try to explain things anymore.”

  “The guys did mention she had a knack for the ‘hard math’.” She used air quotes, and Alaina snickered.

  The PA announcer started talking, and music began to play. Then the Jumbotron lit up with a video which mostly consisted of the Storm scoring goal after goal. Haley shifted in her seat, trying to make sure she had the best view she could. The team spilled out onto the bench, and some players took to the ice. She spotted both Derek and Ian, and she grinned. Okay, this is cool. Soon, the anthems were finished, and the game had begun.

  Following play in the arena proved to be a little harder than at home where Haley had the benefit of cameramen focusing on the puck. She lost it a few times in the first period but found she could usually figure out who had it quickly by watching where the swell of players moved.

  Intermission came, but Haley and Alaina stayed in their seats in the front corner of the box. A few people said hello to Alaina, and at one point, she asked Haley if she wanted to be introduced.

  She bit her lip. “Would everyone think I was a bitch if I didn’t talk to people? I’m pretty nervous.”

  Alaina waved her off. “Who cares what anyone thinks? If not for Sarah, I’d probably still be home, watching the games. She can’t be up here in the stands, but I didn’t feel comfortable coming at first, either. She smuggled me into the press box where she and Doug watch the game, and they explained the action to me.”

  “And now you will pass on your wisdom, correct? Help a girl out?” Haley asked with a grin.

  “I will.” Alaina’s nod and straight face almost fooled Haley into wondering how seriously Alaina would take her duties, but then Alaina broke and giggled.

  “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

  After the game, Haley and her men went out with Sarah, Sebastian, Rob, and Alaina for a late dinner. By the time she got home, Haley fell into bed and almost slept through her alarm. Luckily, she didn’t miss her appointment to do a webinar on removing toxins from the home. Haley did a lot of workshops and webinars to earn extra money, and missing one wouldn’t help her reputation in the business.

  Ian called her in the late afternoon. “Hey, babe. Can you do Rob a favor? He can’t get a hold of Alaina, and he’s getting worried. She had mentioned a headache to him this morning when they talked, but he’s tried to get through to her a couple of times through text and her phone. Normally, Sarah could check, but she’s with us, and we can’t get through to Jaela, Ben’s wife. Would you be willing to stop by their house to make sure she’s okay? Rob said sometimes she’s out cold after taking medicine, so that might be it, but he’s worried. It’s not like her to be incommunicado when she knows Rob is concerned about her.”

  “Of course. Give me the address. I’ll take over some food in case she gets hungry. If she doesn’t answer the door, I can leave it on the porch. I’ve got one of those containers that keeps food hot. Even in this weather, it should last for a couple of hours.”

  “I’ll have Rob text you the address. Then you’ll have his number and can let him know if you see Alaina.”

  “I’ll go over now. Did she miss school?”

  “That’s the thing,” Ian said, his tone sober. “She had still planned to go in, so not hearing from her is making him wonder what happened.”

  “I understand what she’s going through.” Haley suffered from migraines. They made it very difficult to face anyone or anything outside her apartment.

  “Since you have headaches, too, I thought you might.” He remembered.

  “Sometimes I have no energy to do anything and just want to sleep. Most of the time, I certainly don’t want to get up and cook, but there’s the added problem of not being able to make decisions when your head is pounding. I’ll put together a bunch of different things; then she can eat whatever sounds good.”

  “You are an angel. Rob told me to say that, but I agree with him. Watching you work so hard to make the world a better and healthier place is inspiring.”

  “Thank you,” she said, “that means a lot to me. Sometimes I feel like a song on an endless loop, talking about ways to improve people’s lives.”

  “They need to hear it. Anyway, Rob is sending the text now. Check in with me and with Rob if you don’t mind.”

  “No problem.”

  Haley rushed to thaw some chicken noodle soup. She added some whole-grain crackers and cheese in case Alaina wanted to snack, plus a couple of pieces of a Paleo coffeecake she’d recently developed a recipe for. Then she grabbed a couple of cans of soda in case she wanted sugar and caffeine to help the headache dissipate. Soon, she’d hauled everything out to her car and headed out to Rob and Alaina’s house.

  When she arrived, she took the container out of her trunk and brought it up onto the large front porch. The area had been cleared of snow, probably by Rob before he’d gone to the game yesterday, and Haley smiled. These guys were huge softies.

  She rang the doorbell and then waited, shuffling back and forth to keep her feet warm. The container sat on the ground to her side, and she frowned when no one came to the door. Only a few lights were on, but Haley could see the glow of a TV, presumably in the living room. Ringing again, Haley began to check windows, looking for a peek inside and maybe some confirmation Alaina was there.

  After several more moments, during which Haley traversed the entire porch, no one had answered the door. Running a hand through her hair, Haley debated what to do. Finally, she called Rob.

  “Hi, it’s Haley. I’m at your house. There appears to be a TV on in the front room, but most of the lights are off. I don’t see a car.”

  “It’s probably in the garage,” Rob said. “Alaina would never leave the TV on if she left the house, though. Okay, let me think.”

  “Is there a spare key hidden somewhere?”

  “Yes! I forgot about it since I don’t think I’ve ever used it. If you
go around the side of the house, there’s a box there. It’s one of those storage bins. Underneath that, stuck to the bottom, is one of those key savers. You should be able to move the box. Alaina took a bunch of things out of it for the winter, so it shouldn’t be heavy.”

  “Can you stay on the line with me?”

  A heavy breath came through the line. “I’m supposed to be going out for the pregame warm-up, but I’ll have Sebastian explain what’s going on. Hopefully Jon will be sympathetic. I’m trying not to freak out.”

  “I’ll do everything I can.” She trooped down the porch steps and around to the side of the house. There, sitting near a house spigot, stood a plastic box. Haley used one hand to push the box onto its side. Hopefully nothing would come spilling out, but she saw no other way to get to the bottom. “I found the key.”

  “Oh good.” She heard mumbling in the background. “Jon said I could stay on the phone.”

  “Glad he’s a reasonable man,” she answered. “I’m trying the door now.”

  The key fit into the lock after a bit of finagling, and she pushed open the door.

  “Is she there?” Rob asked, the anxiety clear in his tone.

  Haley’s gaze perused the area around her. “I don’t know yet. She’s not in the living room, but I haven’t checked the rest of the house.”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I understand. Where’s the bedroom?”

  “Please. It’s the last door on the left.”

  “It’s closed. I’m going to open it.” She did and there, lying on the ground between what appeared to be the master bath and the bedroom, lay Alaina, her limbs askew and her eyes closed. Haley’s heart pounded. “I found her. She’s unconscious. I’m going to call 911 and try to wake her up. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

  “Is she breathing?” His tone not surprisingly bordered on sheer panic.

  Haley approached and dropped to her knees. “Yes. I’m hanging up.”

  She didn’t wait for a response but instead dropped the phone next to her and grabbed Alaina’s ice-cold hand. “Alaina, wake up. It’s Haley. Wake up, sweetie. Rob asked me to check on you. He’s worried.”

  Alaina’s eyes fluttered, but didn’t open.

  Haley massaged her hand hard. “Come on, Alaina. You need to wake up. I don’t know how to help you until I can talk to you.”

  When Alaina still didn’t wake, Haley called 911. She put the phone back down and turned on the speaker so she could hear the operator.

  “Tell me what to do.” Panic tried to take over, and Haley did her best to stave it off and keep her head clear.

  “The ambulance will arrive within about five minutes. I need you to remain calm,” the operator said.

  “I’m trying, but she’s not moving, and I don’t why. She told her boyfriend this morning that she had a headache, so maybe a reaction to drugs? God, I don’t know,” Haley rambled, continuing to massage Alaina’s hand and also her face in an attempt to help her regain consciousness.

  “Ambulance three minutes out. Any changes?”

  “No, she’s still not responding. Alaina,” Haley raised her voice. “It’s Haley, wake up for me.”

  She continued to talk, repeating Alaina’s name along with her own. Online research she’d done to find out more about her migraines had mentioned sometimes hearing familiar things would help if someone had accidentally overdosed. Haley didn’t see any pill bottles on the floor or anywhere else in the immediate area. Thankfully, it didn’t appear Alaina had hit her head, since that end of her body lay on the plush carpet.

  “One minute,” the operator told her.

  “Alaina, please wake up. Open your eyes. It’s me, Haley. Rob is worried about you.” Finally, Alaina stirred, and Haley’s heart skipped a beat. “Alaina, come on. Fight. Open your eyes for me.”

  She did, blinking up at Haley with a puzzled expression. “Haley?” Her words slurred.

  Her speech led Haley to think a drug overdose might be involved, but she didn’t want to speculate. Better to let the EMTs figure things out.

  “Yes, it’s me. Rob called when you didn’t answer your phone.” Alaina’s brow furrowed, and Haley continued. “Do you remember what happened?”

  “Mmm.” Her lids drew down.

  Haley redoubled her efforts to keep the woman awake. “Alaina, don’t go back to sleep. An ambulance will be here very soon, and they’re going to help you.” Haley started rubbing Alaina’s arms with vigor. “What happened? Talk to me, Alaina.”

  “So tired. Took a bath.”

  “Okay, good. Keep going. After you got out of the bath, what did you do?”

  “Jammies.”

  “Yes, I see them. Very cute. Little bears. Did your kids give these to you?” Haley searched her brain for any topic of conversation that kept Alaina awake. The doorbell rang. “That’s the ambulance. I’m going to bring the EMTs in. Stay with us.”

  The EMTs took control of the situation, and Haley hung up with the 911 operator before calling Rob.

  “What’s going on?” Rob demanded. “Haley, is she alive?”

  “She’s alive and sort of awake. Pretty groggy. The ambulance is here.”

  “Did she say what happened? Can I talk to her?”

  “Alaina mentioned a bath and jammies—that’s about it. Rob, listen to me. Calm down and listen.” She felt a little awkward talking to him like that but knew it might be the only way she could get through to him.

  “I am.”

  “The EMTs are here. They’re going to take her to...” She looked up at the paramedic. “Which hospital?”

  “Buffalo General,” one said, not even pausing in his work.

  “Buffalo General, Rob. I don’t know much, but I’ll go with her and see what they say.”

  Rob said, his voice breaking, “She has to be okay.”

  “She’s strong,” Haley said, though she really had no idea.

  “I need to come home, but dammit, by the time I got there...I don’t even know if there’s a flight out of here tonight.” Haley heard more voices. She recognized Sebastian and Sarah.

  “Hi, it’s Sarah.”

  “Hi.”

  She heard Sarah speaking, but apparently not to her. “Sebastian, grab Colby and take Rob to the locker room. I’ll follow, okay? Someone with more wherewithal needs to be on the phone right now.” After a pause, Sarah said, “I’m back. How is she?”

  “About to get loaded into the ambulance. She was passed out when I got in here. I don’t know what happened. The EMTs said they’ll start a saline drip, but I haven’t asked for more details. I wanted them to concentrate on her.”

  “Thank you for doing this. If not for you, Rob would be climbing the walls. At least now he knows Alaina is getting the help she needs.”

  “I’d say I’m happy to do it, but given the situation...”

  “I understand.”

  Haley rose, taking one final look around for any pill bottles that might help the doctors diagnose Alaina. “I’m going to my car now. I’ll follow the ambulance. The car should pick up the phone call through the Bluetooth, but if I drop you, I’ll call back as soon as I can, all right?”

  “Got it.” Sarah’s voice clearly held the strain of the situation. Haley couldn’t imagine how helpless they must all feel. She hardly knew any of these people and still barely held herself together.

  “Does Alaina have family here?” Haley asked.

  “Some. We’ll have a staff member here call them.” More commotion came through Sarah’s end of the line. “Sorry, people are asking me what’s going on. They’re trying to arrange a flight for Rob. I think the team charter is going to bring him home and then come back for the rest of us, so hopefully he can leave soon. The flight is only about an hour and a half.”

  “That’s good. I’ll do anything I need to or can do from here.”

  “I’m wracking my brain, trying to remember if she mentioned any new meds. Her migraines have been getting worse. Her neurologi
st has been running tests, but so far, they haven’t found anything. So freaking frustrating.”

  “I have migraines, too, so I know the drill. It does suck.”

  “Sebastian,” Haley heard through the phone. “Who’s taking Rob to the plane?” More mumbling. “One of the PR assistants will be coming back with Rob, Haley.”

  “Okay, I’ll be at the hospital.”

  “Thank you again.”

  They hung up, and Haley ran out to the car. When she arrived at Buffalo General Hospital, Haley parked the car in the ramp before hurrying inside. She found the emergency area and told them who she was. The nurse promised to update Haley once they knew more, and Haley collapsed into a chair, rubbing her forehead and praying a migraine didn’t bloom since hers were exacerbated by stress.

  Repeated glances at the forbidding closed double doors didn’t bring about any information. Haley took a quick trip to the Tim Horton’s off the lobby area to grab a sandwich and iced cappuccino. Since she had no idea how long she’d be at the hospital, she needed to caffeinate.

  The nurse came out long enough to tell Haley they had no diagnosis yet and then disappeared once more. Nearly two hours after Alaina had been brought in, the nurse finally gave Haley an update.

  “Looks like an allergic reaction. She did regain full consciousness and gave us some information which the bloodwork confirmed. It’s not serious, but we’re keeping her overnight, probably right here in the ER since no beds are available at the moment.” She closed her tablet and looked up at Haley. “Your friend is going to be fine.”

  “Thank you.”

  Relief flooded Haley’s blood, and she took a deep but unsteady breath. She’d only met Alaina the night before, though she felt as if they’d known each other much longer. Caring for someone in a situation like this often brought about those feelings.

  “We’ll let you know if we learn anything else. You can probably go home. There’s not much you can do unless you want to visit with your friend for a bit. She needs to rest.”

  Haley nodded. “Her boyfriend is coming in from out of town. I’ll stay until he arrives.” The nurse left, and Haley called Rob’s cell. “Rob? It’s Haley. Where are you?”