I find my sneakers in my bag and change into my yoga pants and a heavier sweatshirt. Replacing the ice pack has already started to help. My stomach aches every time I move my left leg, but it isn't that bad. Just kind of uncomfortable.
The boys and I meet back in Cole's and Noah's room. I've packed water and an extra wrap in a small backpack. A hotel employee shows us to the entrance to the hiking trail. The guide says it's steep at parts, and the guys get even more excited. If you haven't seen guys jump up and down in excitement, then you haven't lived. It's hilarious.
The trail leads a mile and a half up the mountain. A 3 mile trail if you count heading back. Noah finds a branch on the side of the trail and now calls it his magical walking stick. I truly believe high school boys are just 5 years olds trapped inside teen boy bodies.
We walk the trail that has been lightly covered with snow. Our footsteps are all so different than each others. Mine seem so tiny compared to Cole's, Noah's, or Zac's.
The guys push each other to the ground and pelt snowballs at each other. It's keeping my mind off the pain coming from my stomach. I don't know if a hike was the best idea.
The hike is nothing, and I don't know where the tour guide said the trail would be steep because it feels absolutely flat.
The pain has intensified in my stomach with each step I take. We are just about to reach the 1 mile mark when the pain in my stomach intensifies so much I have to stop.
"It's my bruise, I need a moment", I say to the guys. They stop.
I lift up my coat and shirt, and unwrap my bandage. My bruise looks even worse now, and the blade mark looks more like a full slash ready to burst open. The guys stand a few feet away, each of them with a major worried look on their face.
"We should probably get you back to the hotel. That bruise looks horrible", Zac says. I nod in agreement and we turn to walk back to the trail.
The pain just gets worse as we walk, and soon, the pain brings me to my knees. I screech in pain. I clench my arms around my stomach to ease a tiny bit of pain.
"Zac try to find some service on your phone and call nine-one-one, tell them to meet us at the hotel. Tell them I'm going to get her down as fast as I can. Cole, as soon as we get this under control, we are going to need to call her parents. They need to know about this", Noah says in a hurried voice.
He picks me up bridal style and starts at a slow run down the trail. We get closer to the end, I try to focus myself on the sound of the siren of the ambulance coming closer to us. We are met at the edge of the trail by paramedics and Noah lays me down on the gurney.
"Noah, take Cole and Zac to the hospital. Call Cara first, then my parents", I say through clenched teeth. I feel tears run down my face. "It hurts Noah. It hurts". I'm sobbing now.
"I know it does, Princess. I know. We are going to the hospital to fix that. Don't worry". Then I am wheeled away from the guys who stand huddled together. I feel as if I can see tears roll down their faces, or maybe that is just me. Then, I'm unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I wake up in a hospital room. Am I still in Vermont? How long have I been out? Can I still feel the searing pain my stomach? I don't think I can.
Noah and Zac sit on the couch in the corner of my room. Where's Cole? The room is bright, and I hear my heart monitor beside me. "Cole" I say in a scratchy voice. The guys rush over to me. Why is my voice so scratchy?
"You're tough as nails, Princess. You could have died". Noah starts.
"Where's Cole?" That's the only thing I can think. My voice clears a little.
"He's outside talking to your parents. He's telling them what happened. They just showed. You had surgery to fix internal bleeding, and you are on major drugs for the pain" Noah says.
"My parents are here?" Zac and Noah both nod.
The door to my room opens and walks in Cole, Cara, and my parents. Mom looks me over from her spot in the door and rushes over to me. Cara and dad do the same. Cole stands with the other 2 boys and a doctor.
"Are you okay, Sweetheart? Why didn't you tell us? You can tell us anything". I roll my one eye that doesn't hurt.
"I told Cara, she took care of me Thursday night. Wait, what day is it?" How long was I actually asleep? How long was my surgery?
"It's still Friday, Princess. Just about ten o'clock" Noah says from behind my parents.
Dad walks from my side over to the boys. "Thank you for helping her". He hugs each one of them. His voice sounds weak.
"Mrs. And Mr. Adams", the doctor starts. "I'm Dr. Nix. I was your daughter's ER surgeon. When she came in, she had internal bleeding on the left side of her abdomen. We fixed the problem quickly. We will need to keep her over night for observation, but she can go home tomorrow night". My parents faces lit up towards the end.
"Doctor, can we have a word with you", a voice said from the doorway. It's a deeper voice. "And the Adams parents".
Mom and Dad walk out with Dr. Nix. Cole and Noah look concerned. A minute later the doctor and parents come back in with 2 more people. They wear uniforms.
Two police men.
Edited: 3/3/22
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Just Another Goal (Counting on Hockey #1)
Romance*Book one of the Counting on Hockey series* To Meredith, watching hockey was torture. But her sister was a hockey player. She wanted nothing to do with hockey, even thinking about it made her angry. But she had her reasons. Starting 10th grade at a...
