Page 143 of Oh, Flutz!

“No, not rea—owowow—” Pain suddenly bursts from where he’s poking with his claws, and I jerk away, trying to sit up, only that just makes it a hundred times worse, and my whole back and leg feel like they’re on fire. I gasp, instinctively grabbing my partner’s hand, holding on for dear life.

“Well, I definitely feel it now,” I grit out, my grip tightening around his wrist, and Lian bites back a smile despite the worried furrow between her brows.

The medic leans back, packing away his kit. “You’d have to get an x-ray to take a closer look, but it’s most likely aggravation of previous injury that led to a pinched nerve. I wouldn’t worry about it. Sciatica can lead to partial numbness in the lower extremities.”

“What about the free skate?” we all ask immediately. The man isn’t fazed. He’s probably used to feral athletes in his line of work.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t worry about it. Stay off your feet as long as is humanly possible—no practice sessions—and you should be fine for tomorrow. Bed rest would be ideal.”

“No practice sessions? You’re kidding, right?” I turn to Lian. “That’s stupid. I’ll be fine.”

The look on my coach’s face is far from promising. My stomach sinks. “Please don’t tell me you agree.”

I look over at Bryan, and we both realize at the same time I’m still holding his hand. He rips it away like I’m burning him.

I swallow hard, looking up to Lian, flexing my hand and wiping it on the bench. It doesn’t do any good. “Fine.”

Chapter Fifty

BRYAN

Iam entirely unsurprisedby the fact that Katya is the lousiest patient anyone could ask for.

She flat-out refused to sleep, and told me that “rest is for other people” when I told her to quit trying to do sit-ups in bed. Now she’s being a pain about taking the painkillers. I’m starting to understand why my mom was always in a mood after dealing with the ten-year-olds in her class, because playing nurse to this girl is just as excruciating as if she were a fourth grader.

“Take the freaking pill.”

“I just took some!”

“Yeah, and now it’s time to take some more! What, have you never taken Advil before?”

Katya groans. “You’re being ridiculous. Don’t treat me like a child.”

“Then don’t act like one!” I force myself to take a deep breath. I need to calm down. I need to stop letting her get under my skin like this. “So help me God, if we can’t skate tomorrow because you’re being stubborn, I’m going to—to—”

“What?” she asks tiredly, and I deflate.

“Forget it,” I mutter. “Just do it.”

She rubs at her eyes.Shit. She better not be getting a migraine. “I don’t need you to take care of me.”

“Yeah, you’ve only told me a million times. And you’ve always made that perfectly clear, anyway.” I drop the pills in her hands, then fold her fingers over them; something sour turning in my stomach. I sigh. “Quit being difficult and just take it, will you?”

Katya eyes me, blinking a few times, hesitating. Then she slowly raises her hand to her mouth and swallows them. I watch her throat bob as they go down, then turn away.

“You’ll feel better soon.”

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” she says quietly.

Why is she still lying?I clench my jaw. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like you’re fine all the time. It’s okay to not be self-sufficient for five fucking seconds.”

I’m acutely aware of how rough I’m being. My mom said once that I sound like my dad when I’m pissed. Ever since all of this happened, I think I can understand why. I’m lashing out like a wounded animal, but I can’t find it in me to take it back.

She’s silent, looking up at me with those grey eyes, rimmed with matching eye bags. She looks more tired than she used to. I guess I do, too. We’re not the same people we were just a few weeks ago. At least I’m not. Maybe she’s always been this way. Maybe I just never wanted to see it.

---