“I’ll talk to him,” Hartley said, maneuvering around us towards the back.
“That would be great,” I said, relaxing a little.
“So, Bella needs a car and a hotel room,” Coach said, pulling out his phone. “We’ll set that up. Then I’ll speak to the doctor again. And when we’re sure that he’s okay, the rest of us can head out.”
Most of my teammates were milling around the waiting room now. “I saw some vending machines by the front door,” Orson said. “Anybody want to spot me a dollar?”
“What happened to Rikker?” came from the exam room.
Fuck. There he went again. My neck got hot, and I began sending some very desperate thoughts back in Graham’s direction.For the love of all that’s holy, please stop asking for me.
Big-D was rifling through his wallet, looking for singles for the vending machine. “What’s up with him?” he asked. “He must be really out of his mind if he’s looking for the team homo.”
At that, my blood pressure spiked. And then it spiked again, because Graham picked that moment to call, “Rikker!”
I took a deep breath in through my nose. “Maybe he was trying to pass me the puck before he got clonked. He wants to know if the pass was complete.”
Bella gave me a skittish look that implied that I should probably just shut up now.
Hartley emerged from the back, a startled look on his face. “Shit, he is confused. He doesn’t know why we’re at a hospital.”
Coach nodded, tapping on his phone. “I know it’s a little creepy, but it always goes away. Tomorrow he’ll make more sense.”
“…And he really wants to talk to Rikker,” Hartley finished with a shrug. “Like, he doesn’t know he just talked to you five minutes ago.”
“Weird,” I said, sweating.
“Rikker!”
With too many sets of eyes on me, I turned and hustled toward the back. When I stepped into Graham’s room again, his face went right to relief. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Of course I am, G.”
“They didn’t get you?”
I shook my head. “You’re the only one who’s hurt,” I said carefully. There was something about the way he kept worrying about me that just didn’t make sense. If I could figure out what it was, maybe he’d stop yelling my name.
“How did I get hurt?”
“You got knocked down in the hockey game against Central Mass.” I sat down on the plastic chair on the wall at the head of his bed. “Everything is going to be fine, G.” I checked to be sure that we were completely alone before reaching over to give his shoulder a little squeeze. “Seriously, just relax.”
“We’re at the hospital?” Graham asked.
Jesus. “Yes, G. We are at the hospital. You got hit on the head. But you’re going to be okay.” I yawned like a lion, suddenly exhausted. Graham closed his eyes, and it made me want to do the same. So I leaned back against the wall and relaxed.
A couple of minutes later, Bella appeared in the doorway. Graham’s eyes flew open. “Where am I?” he asked her.
“In the hospital,” she said, her face drawn with worry.
“Where’s Rikker?” Graham asked.
Bella’s eyes went wide, and she pointed at me.
With great effort, Graham turned, spotting me. “Rikker are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said yet again. “Dude, why do you keep asking me that?”
He looked frustrated. “We’re in thehospital. Did they get us both?”
