Kyle
"Are you taking the medications I prescribed, McDavid?" The team's doctor inquires dead serious and looks at me from behind his desk, glasses pushed down low on the tip of his nose.
"Nah, Doc. It's not that bad anymore. " I'm tying my shoelaces as quickly as I can, I can't wait to leave because I hate all those cabinets.
The last time I did my checkup he gave me some kinds of painkillers, I don't remember the name and I don't care about them. I know most of the guys on the team take them, especially Jared, but it's not for me. The pills helped me with the pain, but they were also making me sleepy. I couldn't feel much, not just pain. Anything. And even if it sounds funny- I hated that. It was as if I was out of control, even of the discomfort. So I simply stopped taking them eventually.
"You tore an adductor a few weeks ago, boy, "Doc continues, "it looks better than last time I checked, but you can't have fully recovered by now. Especially considering how serious the injury was."
"It's fine. I'm fine and I'm playing tonight."
He looks at me the way I look at Stela when she says she didn't eat biscuits before diner while her mouth's covered in crumbs. He slides his glasses off his nose and rubs his eyes. Doc goes through my file once again, exhales audibly, and gives up.
"I won't argue anymore. I just can't. I told your Coach it's better if you rest, but he's even more stubborn than you are. " He rests his elbows on the table and leans forward.
"Look- I can't confine you to bed, but I hope you take my advice. If you don't give yourself time to heal, it's going to get worse. I know your Coach wants you to play because you're the most productive player right now, but if that continues, you may not play at all in a few years. And I mean at all. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir. " I nod and get up from the examination table, while he puts my results back in his drawer.
"Now tell the next one to come in and good luck tonight."
"Thanks, we'll need it."
When I was a kid I couldn't wait for my birthday or those of my sisters'. We still gather for Stela's birthday, but me and my other sis- Bella are way too old for cakes and candles, despite my mother's insisting we celebrate together.
Always and with no exceptions. The way mother insists we always have diner together. If dad has to work late in the garage, or if she's kept in the office- they wait for each other. I remember that one time she didn't wait for him and he was so pissed, he refused to eat and went straight to bed. He was grumpy for like three days after. They were so funny. But my mother and father act like teenagers sometimes, arguing one minute, then everything's fine the next. It's amazing how they've been together for almost twenty-five years. They got married and less than a year later they had Bella. She's in Ontario now but always comes home for the holidays. My parents never miss a big game, the way we always watch Stela's performances. Jared's parents are the same, Max's too. It's like we're a big family and I know perfectly well that's one of the reasons why I can't afford to disappoint them.
I'm a left-winger, so it's as Doc said- me and Max- the right-winger score most of the goals in a game. I know they trust me, the way I trust them and I can't fail them. That's why my leg shouldn't fail me, too. I don't know why I almost told Jeremy all of that the other day, especially since we'd never talked to each other until then. He probably thought I'm strange, but for some reason, I can't shake off the feeling that something is going on with him. I'm perfectly aware of the fact I don't have the right to pry but I still want to ask him. Or I'm just searching for excuses to talk to him.
Whatever it is, I keep thinking of him. I find myself remembering stuff about him while I drive, or pick Stela up, or I don't know- when I brush my teeth. It's so weird, the thoughts come at the most random of times. And I don't think anything creepy or stalker-ish. No, it's more like- wondering what he does, or if he did his homework already, those kinds of things. And I think of him exclusively at times when I'm supposed to focus on something else. For example, when I need to have my mind on what's coming tonight. We're playing against The Bears, and they're as big and good on the ice as the name suggests. Our team almost lost to them last year and we pulled the short stick to be up against the Bears so early in the season. Besides, there's another thing added to all that- after we won the cup last year, everyone expects us to win. Every. Damn. Time.
Once on top, you can't be second ever again. A second place turns out to be the worst-case scenario at the end. It means you're not good enough to be first, but still not that bad and you just failed or didn't fight hard enough. I wrap my leg up as high and tight as I can in the locker room, although I can't tighten it that much, because I won't be able to move. Bandages kind of help dull the pain temporarily, so I guess it's still something.
"Are you ok, McDavid?" the Coach's asks me before we get out on the ice. And before I parrot the "I'm fine" line I see the guys are already heading to the rink.
"He's kicking. Let's go, man." Jared urges me while I still tighten my skates and I know it's time.
3...
2...
1
The first minutes of the game are the most important. They tell the opponent we're not kidding and win the audience's attention. If we show even the slightest weakness, in the beginning, we give the psychological advantage of the opponent of knowing if we're bad in the beginning, it will only get worse later in the game. Our coach doesn't believe in the "save strength for later" and so far, it's worked for us. The Bears are good, but we're good too. Once out there, I forget everything else. There's no pain, no cold, no noise coming from the crowd. Nothing can reach me here and it's only the ice, the stick, and me- the one has to get the puck in the net.
It's that simple.
Jared and I are the perfect match- he passes, I score. It's what I do best. It's what I'll do from now on. But I miss his pass. Then again. The first part of the game is over and The Bears have scored. We're 0:1 and I can tell the coach's about to shit on us. He starts shouting during the break, throwing hands, throwing pens at us, scribbling something on his board. I can't hear anything. My eyes wander over the arena. I notice my mom sitting with Jared's dad; Stela's waving, although she knows I often don't see them because of the lights and everything.
Then I notice him. Christina's explaining something to Jeremy, waving around and pointing stuff at him. I'm sure she's the one who dragged him all the way here, although I can't imagine how she persuaded him. I feel stupidly happy for some reason and that feeling's so...new I realize I'm smiling.
"Did you get that, McDavid?" My Coach's asking, looking at me pointedly "Hm?"
I only nod.
"Okay, make sure you do it properly, then."
"You finally look like you're in the mood for doing this," I hear Jared from somewhere to my right. I turn and say
"Yeah, we're done warming up. It's time to kick some ass". My teammate grins at me and we're back on the ice.