Page 19 of The Cutting Edge
Logan mashes the large red button on the controller attached to my bed again, “Uh, hi! Coco is feeling pretty faint in here. Would it be possible for us to get some help please?” His expressive brown eyes meet mine– and he looks at me intently as though he’s sending me a psychic message to keep it together. Or maybe to close my eyes and let him kiss me.
I can’t be sure, but at this point, I might be up for either.
And then abruptly these weird red and green spots start dancing around in front of my eyes, like some floating color blindness test, and suddenly everything goes dark.
Chapter six
Logan
Don’tpanic.
Coco is suddenly out cold, slumped in my arms, her gorgeous green eyes glazed over like sea glass. Her head sort of rolls back and rests on my shoulder, and I find myself subconsciously inhaling the subtle vanilla scent of her shampoo before I even realize what I’m doing.
Don’t be creepy, jackass.
I’m standing, hunched over the side of the bed, which is kind of awkward considering I’m a pretty big guy and there’s not much wiggle room in here. Gingerly, I slide next to her, while still keeping her head and body supported, and sit on the side of the bed.
Her weight shifts and I have to readjust us both to keep her head from flopping backward completely.This is better. She’s propped back against me, her head resting on my shoulder, her shallow, warm breaths are like the tide coming in and out against the side of my throat. At least this way she won’t fall out of the bed.
“Okay, we’ll be right there,” the nurse call remote squawks from behind us on the other side of the bed. I can’t respond because I’d have to push the red button to do so, and both my hands are currently occupied with keeping Coco upright.
I won’t lie, it’s kind of nice. Yes, she’s unconscious, so that’s not ideal. But still. Nice.
I’m terrified something is seriously wrong with Coco. I sit at the edge of the bed with her propped against me for a good three minutes before Nurse Barb makes her way in. I guess I didn’t adequately convey the seriousness of the situation when I hit the call button, because Barb is not happy that Coco is out cold.
“Is she breathing?”
“Yes.”
“How long has she been like this?” Nurse Barb asks bruskly, as she rushes to Coco’s bedside and begins taking her pulse.
“Since about two seconds after I called you.”
“You should have called again. Let’s get her lying back down in the bed.”
I cautiously get up from my position as Coco’s human armchair and supporting her weight with my arm, lie her down gently on the hospital bed, as Barb quickly removes Coco’s pillow and changes the position of the bed, raising her feet and lowering the top of the bed.
“Oh wow, she’s so pale,” I say, stepping back to allow Nurse Barb room to work. This isn’t good. I mean, I see guys get knocked out all the time, but Coco looks so frail and fragile – her limbs askew like a rag doll. I’m so angry with myself that my idiocy has done this to her.
“Coco! Coco! Can you hear me?” Barb says loudly, while aggressively tapping Coco on the shoulder. “Coco! Coco! Where are you right now?”
“Mmmhmmphff” Coco responds, her eyelids fluttering.
“Coco! Coco! Wake up! Wake up!”
“Okay, okay, I’m awake…” she says groggily. “Can I have a Twinkie?”
“Coco, where are you right now?” Nurse Barb repeats loudly.
“Gruurgra…uh… hospital.”
“And who’s this handsome fellow?” Barb asks, pointing to me.
Slowly, a grin spreads across Coco’s face. “Big famous hockey player…with, like, groupies and fans, and paparazzi and such.”
Barb smiles with satisfaction. It takes a second for me to register what Coco’s saying, and when it hits me, I can’t help but start cracking up. When I do, she turns that grin on me, and our eyes meet. The color roars back to her cheeks and an adorable dimple appears near the left side of her mouth as she smiles wider.
“I think she’ll be okay,” says Nurse Barb, “but we’d better get her doctor in here. I’ll be right back. Keep an eye on her, and if she passes out again, call me immediately.”
