Off Ice.

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

Finn

This wasn't my first time in an ambulance, but it was the first time I felt like I couldn't breathe in one.

I've been taken to the hospital in one of those things three times throughout my career, the last time being when I got checked in Arizona earlier this season and started bleeding from my ear. That was definitely the most serious incident and I honestly barely remember it, but what I do remember is that they didn't have to try and keep me breathing. Everyone was sat back as we went to the hospital, no one rushing around to make sure I wasn't going to slip into a coma or something.

But as I sat there with Casey, who's eyes were barely open the entire time, the EMT was working at lightning speed to try and calm the bleeding down. He went through so much gauze.

The only hope that I got throughout that trip, that felt like a thousand years long was when in reality it wasn't longer than 10 minutes, was when Casey came back to full consciousness. It made everyone let out a little bit of relief.

He turned his head a bit to see who was there and a ghost of a smile was visible behind the oxygen mask when he saw it was me. He reached up and moved it past his lips as he said to me, "I guess knife play is out for a while, eh?"

The dumb joke that would of made me roll my eyes an hour prior had me holding back tears.

I laughed through them though, shaking my head as I responded, "I think Grace will understand."

Now I'm sitting in an empty waiting room while he's in surgery. An OR nurse came out and said that everything was going smoothly and that he shouldn't be much longer, which I appreciated. Avery also texted me and said that her and Grace are on their way - and that Cam was going to go back to Casey and Grace's to watch Dot for them.

Cam really is a life saver. The guy always knows what to say and do.

They should be here any minute, which I'm glad about. I hate not having Avery right next to me right now.

I'm just so fucking confused. Why did he attack Casey? Was it because he was in the way? I'm assuming he knows who Casey is since he knows everything about Aves' life, but to hurt him? What's the point? He didn't fucking do anything.

Walking into that apartment and seeing Casey barely conscious as he was in Avery's arms is something I'm never going to fucking forget. She was soaked in red. The image of the girl I love doused in that much blood, nevermind it being the blood of the guy who's like my brother, is going to haunt me for the rest of my fucking life.

It's worse than me being the one hurt. Two of the most important people in my life were attacked while I was just downstairs. I was so close to them but couldn't do a damn thing.

I just got off the elevator when I heard her screaming. I've never started running faster than I did the moment I heard her scared and distressed voice. It's was the worst moment of my life so far - hearing her and not knowing is she was okay. She sounded terrified as she screamed for me. God, I could of gone my whole life without hearing her like that.

I'm fucking livid that Hughes did this - that he got away with it. He fucked up enough by going after Avery, but now Casey too? Big fucking mistake.

But although I have this rage fueling me, I also feel like I'm in some sort of denial. I need to make sure my people are safe and okay. It's hard to feel anything when Casey's laying in an operating room.

The sliding doors of the waiting room open and my gaze shifts quickly to them, seeing Avery, Grace, and Cam all walk in. Avery's holding onto Grace's hand as they walk up to me, my eyes scanning Avery's appearance to make sure she's okay. She's changed out of the clothes she was wearing but she still has my jacket on.