Aspiring

"A Team Sticks Together, Even In Hard Times, Percy"

The team had seen Percy as their strong and fearless rookie goal scorer. Although he was only human, Jeremy, Tyler, Jonathan and Nikita were always under the foolish impression that Percy would never break. Or at least be tough to break. The image before them completely negated that thought though.

Percy was ghostly pale, his complexion close in shade to the color of the sheets pulled up just past his waist. Although he had always been lean, Percy looked like he'd lost several pounds even though he had only been in the hospital for a few hours. A turban-like bandage was wrapped around his head and he had a small cut on his arm. Overall, he didn't look too banged up but seeing their number one shootout scorer broken like he was, scared the whole team, especially Jonathan.

They was all frozen a few feet from Percy's bed for an immeasurable amount of time. It was Jonathan who broke the barrier between him and Percy, taking a few small steps forward and approaching the figure of his best friend. He was absolutely terrified, which was something the team rarely saw in him. They were all terrified. But they knew that Percy needed them if he was ever going to be okay. With that in mind, Tyler and Jeremy followed their captain's example.

There was only one chair in the room and Crow took it. He looked like he was about to collapse from exhaustion and he was also the one who went after the BC player who checked Percy. Crow gave his conscious friends a grateful look and sunk into the chair, leaning back and shutting his eyes.

Tyler and Jeremy found places to sit on the windowsill and then they waited. The only reassuring sound in the room is the beeping of Percy's heart monitor, but while it was confirming that the blond winger was alive it was also terrifying to know that the machine could also signify that he wasn't alive.

Crow let his eyes drift shut. The whole team seemed to realize how truly tired they were in that moment. With the combined exertion of traveling, the hockey game, and now Percy being in the hospital, they all felt like they could pass out any moment.

But that was part of the few negatives with being a professional hockey player and athlete.

Jonathan stood, just gazing down at the unconscious blond in the bed. He looked like a statue, unmoving.

They didn't know how long they waited, but it couldn't have been more than ten minutes until a cough caused all of their eyes to snap open, including Crow's. They first looked around at each other to see which one of them made the noise, but when they shared innocent looks, they looked towards Percy.

His eyes were still closed but his brow was furrowed, like he was trying very hard to open his eyes. Jonathan kept his eyes on him, while everyone else shared looks of surprise before Jonathan moved from his spot at the edge of Percy's bed and sat down on it, the mattress sinking a bit under his weight.

"Percy?" He asked, grabbing his best friend's hand. "Can you hear me?"

Jonathan's heart lifted when Percy nodded. "Can you open your eyes?"

It was silent for a moment before Percy groaned. Jonathan didn't know whether this answer was a "yes" or "no" and he was still left confused after Percy's eyes fluttered open for one second before shutting again.

"'T happen?" Percy mumbled, his eyes still shut. He was obviously trying to open them to see his friends but the task was proving to be difficult.

Jeremy edged towards the bed. "You got checked into the boards at the game and then passed out in the huddle, after Israel clocked you over the head...pretty good with his fist. You have a concussion."

Despite the situation Percy chuckled. "I knew there was something wrong with me, that explains the craziness."

Jeremy and Jonathan laughed but Tyler remained stoic in the corner of the room. "Don't joke like that," he said quietly. "You could have died."