Page 159 of The Waiting Game

Unfortunately, fighting with his D-partner who also happened to be the man he loved didn’t make for their greatest hockey. They were both on edge and their play was sloppier than normal.

Felix tried to pull himself together. Tried to play his best. Tried to be the player Jonah had always thought he was.

When Keller fired a shot at the Fisher Cats net, Felix dove and took a puck to the thigh. Pain bloomed bright, making his eyes water, but it kept the Beavers from scoring.

And on the next shift, Colton got a goal, bringing the score to 4-3.

The game got heated after that, but the Fisher Cats managed to avoid the penalty box and a goal from Dustin off an assist from one of their Black Aces netted them the tie with less than a minute to spare.

As the final seconds of the game ticked down, Felix watched from the bench, breath held.

When the period ended, sending them into overtime, he closed his eyes and said a small prayer of thanks.

They still had a shot to win this game.

CHAPTER THIRTY

As the Fisher Cats celebrated the goal that would send them into overtime, Jonah felt oddly detached.

When he passed Kate on the way to the locker room and her expression turned grim, his stomach tumbled to his feet. “What is it?” he rasped. “Something’s wrong. Tell me.”

She pulled him around a corner and into a side hallway. “I just got word about your grandmother. Ji-min is stable now but there were some … complications.”

Jonah’s pulse throbbed in his temples, making him lightheaded. “What kind of complications?”

“There was a blood clot. It became dislodged during the procedure.”

“I thought … I thought they ran tests to be sure that wouldn’t happen,” he said hoarsely, sagging back against the wall, afraid it was the only thing holding him upright.

“They did. It sounds like the clot must have formed since then. Or it was missed. Sometimes they can be difficult to detect.”

“Fuck! What does this mean? Did she have a stroke?”

“She had what’s called a TIA—it’s considered a mini stroke. The good news is they don’t generally cause any lasting damage.” Kate hesitated.

“But what?” Jonah demanded. “I know there’s a but in there somewhere. I can hear it in your voice.”

“It took Ji-min a little longer than expected to come to in recovery and she was a little confused.”

“Jesus. Fuck! I need a phone.”

Kate placed a hand on his arm. “She’s groggy and still waking up, Jonah. She’s disoriented but that doesn’t mean it’s from the TIA. It could just be from the anesthetic. People react to it differently. I asked if it would be beneficial for you to call now and the nurse said she’s not sure if Ji-min will recognize it’s you right now. We’ve got less than ten minutes until you need to be back out there and you need to hydrate and eat something. If you want to call, we won’t stop you but …”

Jonah cursed and buried his head in his hands. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Kate, Coach Casey, his team, God, Felix… The entire franchise and fan base, the city of Toronto. The pressure of their expectations weighed on him as he considered his options.

“I’ll go out,” Jonah rasped. “There’s nothing I can do for my grandmother now, right?”

He pleaded for Kate to reassure him that he was making the right choice and she grasped his shoulder and squeezed.

“Go on then,” she said softly. “Win this one for Ji-min.”

Jonah’s throat felt thick as he walked into the locker room. The guys were already dressing again and they all turned to look at him.

“Grandma Ji-min is awake,” he said, his voice quivering. “They discovered a clot during the procedure and it got scary there for a while but they say she should be okay.”

Dustin stepped closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Then we’ve got to trust in that. Can you do that, Jonah?”

He nodded, chest aching, throat tight. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m trying, D.”

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