Page 116 of Reputation
Her gaze was magnetized to Jax’s unmoving form, still blocked by Novak.It looked like he was saying something to Jax, but Eavie was too far away to tell for sure.
A few Royals players had skated over to the scene at the blow of the whistle.Nordstrom knelt next to Novak while Marc stood at his shoulder.Brooks helped the Royals’ head doctor cross the ice toward Jax.He knelt at his head and reached forward, speaking to him.
Eavie’s lungs began to burn as she watched.It took her a moment to realize she hadn’t taken a single breath since the sickening thud of flesh and bone meeting the plastic boards reverberated through the air.She tried to draw in air, tried giving her body what it was screaming for, but only succeeded in taking small gulps, like a fish trying to breathe on land.
After what felt like an eternity, she saw a small spasm in one of Jax’s legs, but then he went still again.After another minute, the Royals doctor, who looked to be holding Jax’s head on either side of his temple, signaled for a stretcher to be brought out.The fact that he was trying to keep Jax still sent a sickening wave of terror through Eavie.
The roaring in her ears grew louder at the sight of the paramedics wheeling the metal stretcher out onto the ice, assisted by players from both teams.
The players who were kneeling over Jax moved to allow the paramedics room.Eavie caught a brief glimpse of him as they shifted.She let out a muffled cry as his unmoving form caused an intense wave of nausea to wash over her.Her skin felt clammy, and under her sweater and jacket, she felt cold.
The paramedics placed a C-collar around his neck and, with the help of some players, gently rolled him onto a backboard.Once they had him strapped down, they lifted him onto the stretcher and began wheeling him off the ice, the Royals doctor at his side.
Eavie watched their progress, her eyes never leaving Jax until the group stepped off the ice, disappearing down the tunnel, out of her sight.
Chapter Forty One
Eavie
Eavie stared at the dark tunnel long after the paramedics had disappeared.Everything felt slow, as if the world was moving underwater.A dreadful ache formed in the pit of her stomach, replacing the waves of nausea from only moments before, her lungs refusing to draw in the air that she desperately needed.
Standing there, she tried to take in large, slow breaths to calm her hammering heart.The roaring in her ears remained, the white noise deafening as if someone had turned the sound off in the world, and all she could hear was static.
Slowly, a noise began to penetrate the wall of silence.It was quiet at first, as if very far away and muffled.Little by little, it began to grow louder.Eavie tried to focus on it, to get her mind to grasp what it was saying.After several heartbeats, she realized it was someone saying her name.
Blinking, she slowly turned to her right, where Mandy’s face came into focus.She stared at Eavie with a look of concern on her face.
“Eavie,” repeated the voice that matched the movement of Mandy’s lips.
Suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch, all the sound returned to the world, and Eavie emerged from underwater.People were talking all around the arena, and players were moving around the ice, trying to refocus.
“Eavie,” repeated Mandy.“Are you okay?”
Focusing on taking deep breaths, she became aware that Molly and Mandy were gripping each of her hands.
“You’re super pale,” said Molly, scanning her face.
“I’m fine,” Eavie finally managed, her voice coming out a whispered squeak.Clearing her throat, she tried again.“I’m okay.I just…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
What was she?She was in shock—but then, so were Mandy and Molly, and neither of them looked like they might faint.
She was concerned—that was it.After all, she had feelings for Jax, and those feelings didn’t just go away.She worried about his condition, worried that he might be seriously injured.
She reminded herself that she had briefly seen him move his legs when he was on the ice.That was a good sign, but he had looked very still when they had taken him away, and she hadn’t been able to see if he was conscious.
“Eavie,” Mandy said, drawing her attention back.“Go!”Eavie stared at her, trying to understand what she was saying.“You should go.Sam will have gone down to meet the paramedics.You can catch him before they go to the hospital.”
Eavie was about to protest, but something stopped her.Somewhere inside, she knew she needed to go.She needed to be with him.
With one last look at Mandy, Eavie grabbed her bag from the floor and took off up the stairs of the box.When she reached the exit, she broke out into a run.She flew down the hallway to the back stairwell, where she descended the steps carefully in her heels.She maneuvered her way down four flights until she reached the sub-level that hosted the locker rooms and medical staff.
Yanking open the steel doors, she took a sharp left and picked up her sprint down the curving cement hallway.As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of the medical team and paramedics in the distance, leaning over the stretcher.As she neared, she saw Sam standing slightly back along with Jamie, one of the assistant coaches.
Sam turned in her direction at the sound of her heels pounding against the concrete.Catching sight of her flying down the hallway, he extended his hands out to catch her.
She slid to a halt just in front of him, her hands grasping his forearms, her eyes immediately seeking Jax.“How is he?”she asked, a tremor in her voice.
“He’s stable,” said Sam, gripping her arms to stop her from moving closer.“But, it’s a head injury.Without him being conscious, they don’t know the extent of his injuries.”
