AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’s not good,” I say, my voice cracking. My nose stings and I force back the tears with a hard swallow before explaining about the fungal pneumonia and how he’s getting worse.
They could ask questions. Fuck knows I had a million myself when I first learned about it, but instead, it’s Coach West who asks the one question. “What can we do?”
My head slowly turns, looking at all my teammates rallying around me. “Pray. If God is your jam, we’ll take the prayers. If not, just send good energy or vibes or whatever.”
Coach West nods his understanding, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “We’re here when you need us.”
My teammates murmur assurances, I get some fist bumps and back pats, and then they all melt away to go do their thing. They have a game loss to grieve too.
Drake sticks a hand out and I clasp it, allowing him to pull me into a half hug. “Can we visit him?”
“I honestly don’t know.” I have no clue if the fungal pneumonia makes him a higher risk for other infections or if the fact he’s already infected means it doesn’t matter if others come in. “I’ll find out.”
“He’s made an impact on a lot of us,” Coen says. “Just keep us in the loop and let us know what we can do.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Yeah… I will. I’m heading to the hospital and I’ll send out an update after that.”
CHAPTER 30
Lilly
It’s a coolevening in the mid-fifties, hence the blanket that one of the nurses handed me not long ago. I’m waiting in the lobby where I know Boone will enter after he parks. I asked him to text me when he arrived.
When he walks through the door, his eyes land right on me. I do a quick survey of his body language and expression. He just came off a painful loss to the Wildcats in game five at home and I’m not sure exactly what that means to him. I haven’t had the chance to be a good hockey girlfriend because I’m so consumed with Aiden. I don’t know if the end of their playoff run is something to be deeply mourned. I don’t know if he’ll be angry or withdrawn. I have no clue how to support him, but all I know is that I want my arms around him right now.
I jog the distance between us, throwing my arms over his shoulders. He embraces me, lifts me from the floor and buries his face in my neck.
“How are you?” I ask.
“How’s Aiden?” he asks at the same time.
Our heads pull apart and we can’t help but smile at each other. “I’m so sorry about the loss,” I murmur, still dangling from the ground. “I don’t know the right words to say because I’m not sure what this means to a professional hockey player. I have no clue if you’re hurting and want to vent, or if you’d rather not talk about it.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he says as he lowers me to my feet. “But not because it’s difficult or anything. I mean… it sucks and I’m bummed just like everyone else on the team. But for me, it’s forgotten. All that matters is Aiden and you going forward.”
I stare at him in disbelief because he’s shortchanging his feelings to accommodate mine. “No. Surely there’s more to it than that.”
Boone cups one of my cheeks. “In ordinary circumstances, yes. I’d be a big wallowing baby and want to rage and rant to you. But Lilly… these aren’t ordinary circumstances and so I’m letting this loss go. I’m letting this hockey season go. Maybe I’ll reflect on it in a few days but when I left the hospital this morning, Aiden wasn’t doing well, and I’ve honestly been going out of my mind wondering how the day went. So can we go somewhere and get caught up? I’m assuming Aiden’s sleeping?”
I encircle his wrist and pull his hand from my face before winding our fingers together. “Come with me.”
Boone doesn’t say anything but follows me through the maze of halls on the ground level that will take us to the courtyard where we held Aiden’s birthday party. It’s almost midnight and there won’t be anyone there. I know this because I’ve come down some nights in the early morning hours and it’s usually deserted, save for the lone physician or nurse who needs a little alone time.
When we enter, I can tell we’re the only ones here despite the winding path that meanders through the almost quarter-acre outdoor area. There’s a calming sense of aloneness. I lead Boone over to a small patch of fresh spring grass and spread the blanket. Without hesitation, he goes to his knees and beckons me down with him. Boone reclines and I curl into his side, staring at the stars above. My hand absently rubs his breastbone as I take a very quiet moment to be present with this man.
“So, how’s Aiden?” Boone asks, his arms wrapped tight around me. I hear the tension in his voice… a question that must be asked but he doesn’t really want the answer.
I bite into my bottom lip, worrying about the logistics of what I’m about to lay on Boone’s doorstep. He’s had an awful night and I’m going to make it a million times worse. “It’s not good,” I finally say.
That spurs Boone to sit up, lifting my body until he can gently set me beside him. His gaze upon me is wild. “What do you mean?”
I told myself I’d be strong when I had to deliver this to Boone but tears flood my eyes. Boone reaches for me but I put my hand on his chest and shake my head. “Don’t. If you hold me I’ll lose my shit and I can’t do that right now. I’ve got to tell you some things.”
Reluctantly, Boone’s hands fall away and I rub hard at my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie. I blink away the remaining sting and focus my attention on this man I love. “It’s dire… the situation with Aiden.”
He swallows hard and his voice is rough. “Like, how dire?”
I glance away for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to relay what Dr. Yoffe told me when he stopped by around six tonight. Bringing my gaze resolutely back to Boone, I give him the facts first. “He’s got sepsis. X-rays show immense progression of the pneumonia, which means it’s not responding to the antifungals. His lab work shows his kidneys and liver are really struggling, an indication they’re just not getting enough blood and oxygen. He’s on full oxygen and still struggling to breathe. He won’t eat or drink. He can barely walk because he’s so weak and all he does is sleep. He’s running a consistent fever that they can’t lower.”
