I wasn’t even sure what I wanted. Never in my life had I not been starving for the cup, but today, I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be at St. Mary’s. I wanted Alexio. I wanted to fast-forward past the moment all of this started to be too fucking much.
Head bumps took forever after the team celly calmed down, and Tucker pulled me aside as I let go of Tiago’s stick to step off the ice.
“Micah told me you’re going to St. Mary’s after this. ESPN wanted to talk to you, but?—”
“No. I…I can’t. Not today,” I told him. “Please, Tuck…”
“I’ve got your back. Matty and Tiago will handle it, okay?”
I wanted to throw up with relief. I had a ride ready to take me the moment I was showered and in regular clothes. I planned to sneak out as best I could, and I wasn’t going to let up until Alexio told me with his own face that he didn’t want me there.
It didn’t take me long to get through the shower, and Tiago snuck away from the press to help me get down the hall and out the back doors without anyone noticing. Gripping me by the back of the neck, he knocked his forehead into mine.
“Tell him to stop being a jackass.”
I laughed quietly. “I’ll do my best.”
The car was waiting, and luckily, the driver seemed to read the room because she didn’t try to make small talk as she navigated through the shitty post-game traffic and then toward the hospital. It was on the edge of town and not near the arena, so traffic eventually calmed down a bit, and it wasn’t long before she was pulling up to the curb.
“Do you need help in?” she asked.
I grimaced. I probably did. I wasn’t familiar with the hospital at all, but I shook my head anyway. “I have an app. Thanksthough.” I made sure to tip her a little extra before firing up SeeingEye and waiting for the call to connect.
I put my earbud in just as I heard a voice connect. “Hello. I’m your SeeingEye volunteer. How can I assist you?” The voice was a low, soothing rumble. A man who sounded much older than me—grandpa vibes, but the good kind. Not the angry at the world, hating youths, low-key racist kind.
“Hi. I’m at the hospital, and I need to get to the elevators, then to the Neuro ICU. If you could just direct me from the signs, that would be a huge help.”
“Of course. You’re facing the doors right now, so if you walk straight ahead, they should open automatically.” His voice guided me down the hall, to the elevators, and the app even managed to stay connected all the way up to the fourth floor. “Looks like the lobby for Neuro ICU is to your left. The waiting room is on the right, and there’s a call button on the wall on the left side of the double doors.”
“Thank you,” I said, my chest filled with relief. “I really appreciate you.”
“Anytime,” he told me. “Would you like me to disconnect the call?”
“I’ve got it. Thanks.” I double-tapped, and the line went dead, so I shoved my earbud back into my pocket, then made my way to the doors. It only took a few seconds of searching before I found the call button, and it beeped at me for several seconds before someone picked up.
“Neuro ICU.”
“Hi. I’m here to see Alexio Zeki. Is he accepting visitors?”
“One moment.”
My heart was in my butt again.
“Please step back. You’ll hear a loud click, and then the doors will open. The patient is in room four-oh-six.”
“Is there braille on the doors? I’m blind.”
“Yes, but I’ll have someone meet you to take you there,” she said, and then the intercom cut off, and there was a massive clicking noise.
I jumped back right when I felt a whoosh of cold air, and the door clipped me on the shoulder, but I ignored the punch of pain as I put my cane in front of me and walked far enough that I was pretty sure I was clear of the doorway.
I didn’t want to wait for a fucking nurse. I just wanted to go find him, but hospitals were always like goddamn mazes, and I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. She hadn’t asked my name. She just…let me in. So there was every chance Alexio was going to throw my ass out the moment he knew who was there.
“Hello,” someone said as they approached. “You’re here for Mr. Zeki?”
“Yep.”
“Are you with rehab? We didn’t get a call?—”
