Letting You In

Hockey - /14

It's the second period. Neither BU nor New Hampshire have scored yet. We came close a few times in the first period, still both teams relentlessly rush after the puck. Ever since Nick and I started dating I went to any game being played in the Boston area. Now and then Liz tags along, and though every time we're there she's just as invested as me, she still claims not to like hockey and simply do me a favor.

Yet here we are. Yelling at the terriers to shoot the puck, while wincing every time New Hampshire gets close. Having come to the games multiple times now I've managed to distinguish the players better, even can match the faces of player's nick introduced me to and their names and numbers on their backs.

The faceoff's in New Hampshire's zone. The puck is dropped, the music stops, and New Hampshire wins the faceoff. Without hesitation they start forechecking. With Mason and Nick skating backwards, our forwards trying get the puck back, New Hampshire passes the puck and enters the neutral zone. Their player shoots the puck, and it misses his teammate.

As the puck is drifting to the boards behind our net, Nick turns around. He and a New Hampshire player with Carlson on his back rush to the puck. With few quick strides both players accelerate. I grab for my ring. Twist it once, before biting my nails as I expect their collision.

Nick and Carlson collide with their shoulder. I tense up. Liz does the same, when Nick struggles to keep his balance. With the opposing player stirring Nick against the boards, Nick tries to break and minimize the contact with the boards. In doing so, Nick catches an edge, and with a heavy collision against Nick both players fall to the ice.

Immediately I jump up from my seat. I play with the ring, twist it, as I watch Carlson getting up, and joining the play. Nick stays down. "Fuck."

"Please let him be okay." Liz also gets up. She's squeezing her cup, staring at the scene in front of us.

But Nick is not okay. I can't see his face, as he rolls on his side. He's grabbing for his knee. His right knee. The knee he injured last season. My heart is beating wild against my chest. I let go of my ring, and instead grab Liz's hand. "Fuck", I repeat.

Only now the referee blows the whistle, realizing Nick won't be able to get up. But Nick doesn't wanna stay down. He tries to get up. He gets on his knees, and without putting much weight on his right leg, he gets up. Still, as he tries skating to the bench. When he tries to put weight on his leg, he drops his stick. Leaning forward, he gets a few feet before he drops to the ice.

I hear him scream, and I wince. I shake my head, squeeze Liz's hand even more. She puts the cup down to hug my arm. Squeezing it. She doesn't know Nick's been injured before. She doesn't know that this is exactly what Nick feared.

Again, I can't see Nick's face, as he lays flat on the ice. Holding his helmet with one hand, he forms his other hand to a fist, slamming the ice multiple times. Still, he doesn't wanna give up, and despite the referee checking in on him, he gets on his knees, tries putting weight on his right one, but he can't. Lying on the ice, rolling on his side, he takes off his glove. He throws it away, reaches for his knee, as players and our athletic trainer rush over.

As the referee steps aside, I finally see Nick's face and the pain is written all over it. He's clenched his teeth. Eyes squeezed shut, his forehead furrowed.

The crowd's gone quiet. Around me, I only hear muffled conversations, as everyone speculates what exactly happened. What exactly might be Nick's injury. I don't wanna hear it. The silence hovering over the arena is scaring me.

On the jumbotron the collision is shown in slow-motion. I almost don't wanna watch it. I don't wanna see the replay, still I watch as Nick and Carlson collide with their shoulders. Nick fights for balance, but as he catches an edge he's already going down when the opposing player hits him. They collide awkwardly, with Carlson's weight crashing into Nick's knee. Right away Nick grimaces, silently screams in pain and reaches for his knee.