Romance on the Ice (gxg)

6

The hospital room felt suffocatingly small, the pale green walls seeming to press in from all sides. Sophia shifted uncomfortably in the narrow bed, trying to find any position that didn't send spikes of pain through her hip.

She didn't look up when the door opened, far too accustomed to the endless cycle of staff and patients coming and going. It wasn't until a familiar voice called out "Sophia?" that her head snapped up.

Audrey was hurrying into the room, obvious concern written across her features. "Oh Soph, I came as soon as I saw you being wheeled off," Audrey said breathlessly. "They wouldn't let me come see you but I somehow managed to slip through."

She took one of Sophia's hands in both of hers, brown eyes swimming with worry. "How are you feeling? What did the doctors say?"

Sophia tried for a reassuring smile, but her face felt tight. "Hey Audrey. Honestly?" She shrugged one shoulder lightly. "Still waiting on results. They got me in for images pretty quickly, but now it's just...the waiting game."

She sighed, wincing slightly as the movement jostled her hip. "I just...I keep replaying that fall over and over. One second I was headed into the triple toe loop, and the next..."

Sophia shook her head slowly. "My leg just completely gave out from under me. The pain was..." She trailed off, her jaw tightening.

Audrey gave Sophia's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm so sorry, babe. That looked like such a scary fall." Her voice dropped to a pained murmur. "When you didn't get up right away, my heart just sank."

Tears began welling in Audrey's eyes as she stroked Sophia's cheek tenderly. "But you got back up and finished the program somehow." Audrey's voice took on an angry edge. "Why did you do that, Sophia? Why didn't you just stay down after that fall?"

Sophia opened her mouth to respond, but Audrey barreled on. "You should have just withdrawn right then and gotten medical attention immediately! Instead you risked making the injury even worse by pushing through the rest of your routine."

Audrey's grip on Sophia's hand tightened as tears spilled down her cheeks. "What were you thinking? Didn't you realize how dangerous that was?"

Sophia flinched slightly at the intensity of Audrey's words, but before she could get a word in, Audrey had already switched gears.

"No, no I'm sorry," Audrey said, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. "That was out of line. I know, Sophia. I know how hard you've worked, how many sacrifices you've made to reach this Grand Prix Final."

She opened her glistening eyes, gazing at Sophia with a pained expression. "I know you've dreamed of this moment for years. You've given everything to get here. I didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing you for not wanting to let go of that dream so easily."

Audrey stroked Sophia's hair back tenderly. "I was just terrified watching you push through that injury. But I also understand, maybe better than anyone, how much this means to you. How it's not something you could just walk away from without a fight."

Sophia reached up and gave Audrey's hand a squeeze. "Sorry Audrey. For making you worry. I know it was reckless and stupid to keep skating after that kind of fall."

She let out a shaky breath. "For a moment, I actually thought my dream was over right then and there. But then I heard the music still playing, and it was like a switch flipped in my mind."

Sophia shook her head ruefully. "I'm not saying it was the right call. But it's the choice I made, for better or worse. And I'd be lying if I said I regretted pushing through to the end, even if it did make the injury worse." She managed a small smile. "You know stubbornness is kind of my thing."