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Before anyone can offer a hand, Mo jerks away from Nico as if he’s caught fire. Jumping to his feet with the agility of a gymnast, the graduated Tiger doesn’t look at Nico before taking off. Nico climbs back to his feet, brushes off his pants, and stares quizzically at Mo’s retreating form.
“I swear I’ve seen him before…” Nico shakes his head, suddenly remembering the matter at hand. “Never mind. I came to tell you the game has been postponed. There was talk about forfeiting but the refs are having none of it. Silverwood has agreed to a rematch next weekend.” Wes visibly sags in relief.
“Thank God. Cap deserves to at least be present when we whip Saber’s ass. We’re heading to the hospital now, do you want to come?”
Nico nods towards the crowded field, “The boys and I are on equipment duty and some serious crowd control. I’ll make sure Lacey is alright, you go make sure our captain is being taken care of.” With a slap on the back, Nico heads back to the field and Wes ushers us to his vehicle.
“What the hell is that?” The horror in Stella’s voice breaks a chuckle out of my chest. My worries are momentarily forgotten as my roommate eyeballs the beige rust bucket Wes has so graciously provided us.
“That, my dear Stella, is none other than a Ford 500.” Wes announces the fact proudly and yanks open the passenger door. The hinges groan loudly and a chunk of the rubber seal falls to the pavement. Wes flashes me a grin, and I add the final piece.
“Her name is Lola.”
Chapter 23
Wes
I hate hospitals.
A cliché, I know, but these clichés exist for a reason. You are never at the hospital because it is a beautiful, sunny day and you wanted to go for a stroll. No, the only reason you willingly walk along these sterile hallways is because it’s abadday. For someone you love.
I lead the march to the front desk, where a frazzled looking nurse is arguing with an elderly patron. “I’m sorry sir, the coffee machine in the waiting room is all we have. The coffee the nurses receive isn’t any better, I can assure you.”
The stooped man throws his hands up in exasperation, the white tuffs on his head swaying like dandelions in the breeze. Man, I can’t wait until my hair looks like that.
“Then where can I find a decent coffee around here?”
I clear my throat and gently tap the man’s cardigan-covered shoulder, “There’s a Tim’s right around the corner. Two-minute drive, ten-minute walk.”
Wispy eyebrows raise as the man takes in my lacrosse getup. His gaze shifts over to Stella and Trip’s smeared orange faces and hooks a thumb in our direction, “The costume freaks understand what I’m after. You were extremely unhelpful, miss, but thank you for your time.” The old man shuffles away, leaving the nurse gritting her teeth through a plastered smile.
I slide into his place with ease, “You handled that exceedingly well. Can’t be easy dealing with caffeine fiends 24/7.” The nurse breaks into a real smile and chuckles in agreement.
“Terrible coffee is everyone’s breaking point. We just made a new code in case of a coffee machine breakdown. It’s only happened once during my shift, and let’s just say, it took the entire nursing staff and four security guards to calm everyone down.” I let out a low whistle while Trip giggles softly behind me.
“I would have needed popcorn for high-quality entertainment. Coffee expertise aside, I was hoping you could point me in the right direction for my brother, Cody Ellsworth. He came in just a few minutes ago?” I flash her my dimples, hoping they will be enough to make her forget to check my ID.
“Sure thing, hon. Let me just check what room he’s in.” The nurse turns and types on her keyboard while I give Trip and Stella a subtle thumbs up over my shoulder.
“Oh, could I see your ID? Just want to make sure your family.”
My thumbs up must not have been so subtle after all.
I rest my elbows on the desk and motion the nurse to come closer. “Here’s the thing. I don’t actually share the same parents as Cody.” I pause, looking her deep in the eyes. “He’s mylacrossebrother.”
The nurse blinks back at me. I think she understands.
“You mean you… play on the same team?” I beam and gesture towards my jersey, “That’s right. Go Tigers!” The frown on her face tells me she’s not a Taber supporter.
I sigh, “Look, I know there are regulations for this kind of thing, but that’s my captain in there. He took a hard hit today and I just want to know if he’s okay. Ineedto know he’s okay.” My voice breaks and I feel Trip gently rub my back. Shit.
So much for no crying on game day.
The nurse gives me a small smile, “Room 211 is the one you’re looking for. It looks as though he’s in stable condition, but you’ll have to sit in the upper waiting room until he gets cleared for visitors. Family members get first priority.” She gives me a knowing look.
“Elevator is down the hall and to the left. Go on.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Blowing my saviour a kiss, I turn and follow Trip and Stella down the cream-coloured hallway.
