Pucking Fantastic

Chapter 13: This Is Serious

Look out for the <>

"El, I have to show a house around downtown. I'll be back in two hours. Are you sure you'll be ok?" mom asked me with concern in her voice the next day.

I was used to spending long amounts of time at the rink alone. How different could spending time at the hospital be? "I'll be fine," I said as I looked at the IV attached to my arm, still not understanding why that was necessary since I felt better today than I did yesterday.

She cupped my cheek and smiled lightly. "Hang tight."

It was as if I had a choice in the matter. I crossed my legs on the hospital bed I sat on then wrapped a blanket around myself, knowing I would be here for a while so I might as well bucker in. "I wouldn't do anything else."

She slipped on her boxy black pinstripe suit coat, then buttoned it. "Your father will be here in the next hour. Please text us if you need anything," she said right before she left the room.

I nodded. "See you later," I said, watching her leave, wishing I was leaving with her, but I had to do testing in here the rest of the day.

After the doctors deemed me stable enough to leave the hospital yesterday in Seattle, my parents drove record speeds to get me back to Portland. We got home late last night, and I went straight to bed, exhausted from sectionals and everything else that happened. With the sun barely raising this morning, they woke me up then shuffled me to the Children's Hospital here in Portland. By now I felt like I was running on zero sleep.

Shifting my thoughts, I felt my phone buzz, and I skimmed the text message from Garret wanting to hang out, but I was stuck here unknowing when I could leave.

He would never know I was here. No one would. I couldn't let the rink know I was sick, if the rink knew, word would get out, and the idea of going to nationals would be crushed. Whatever happened in here would stay in here. "Sorry, shopping with my mom. Maybe we can hang tomorrow?" I texted him back.

I looked at the time on my phone and gave a tired sigh. It was only noon, but I would be here for hours more since I still had more tests to do. I stretched with a yawn, feeling my body ache with almost every moment. It felt like I had the flu. I pulled a soft blanket that I brought from home closer to me and snuggled into it, making myself comfortable as possible.

<>

Breaking me from my comfortable, cozy moment was a knock on my door, causing me to see Garret standing in the doorway looking uncomfortable, with a frown etched across his face. I had seen so many frowns in the last few days and I didn't like it. "Hi El," his voice sounded tired. "How's shopping?"

Puck. He caught me in my lie red-handed. There was no way that I could lie my way out of this one. I was in a hospital room with an IV in my arm. It was as clear as it looked.

He walked over to me and sat down in an empty chair. "El, I didn't know."

Of course, he didn't know. I would have never talked about this. But how did he know now? Who told him? I felt like my privacy has been violated.

"I overheard your mom talking to mine this morning, saying that you were here. I can't lie, I'm hurt." Garret said.

Mom, puck-it. I was so worried Kris would spill, I didn't even think about mom. It made me worry about who else she could have told? Once again, I would have to do damage control. I hadn't put out so many fires in my life.

"I'm sorry." After all, I was sorry that he found out.

He nodded in silence as he chewed on his lip, mulling over his thoughts as he looked at me. "El, I don't know if I can do this," he said finally.