Canadian Sniper [ON HOLD]

2: Dylynn

The doors jangled open. Dylynn had just left one of the rehab rooms and was heading to the front desk to get some files when she saw them. Her eyes widened.

Jesse Vachar. 

Dylynn lived in a different suburb, but everyone knew who Jesse Vachar was. He was practically famous.

His mother cleared her throat. "Hi, is there someone running the front desk?"

"Usually, yes, but she's on her lunch break," Dylynn said as calmly as she could. "Can I help you?" she asked kindly.

"We have an appointment," she replied.

"All right." Dylynn sat down at the computer, logged in, and checked Jesse in. "All right, one of our specialists will be out to see you in a few minutes."

"You didn't ask for our name?" she asked, surprised.

"Sorry," Dylynn said, shrugging, "but while we're in a different town, I do know who your son is."

His mother nodded. "Of course. How silly of me to forget. C'mon, Jesse, let's go take a seat."

Dylynn watched Jesse take shaky steps before needing his mother to help him sit down. She turned away to put her files away before going to find Dr. Brkic.

"Dr. Brkic, Jesse Vachar is here," she announced when she found him in the break room. "I don't know which specialist is assigned to him."

Dr. Brkic, a middle-aged man, stood up. "Then let's go meet him. Would you like to sit in with us?"

"Um, sure, if that's all right with them," Dylynn said.

She followed Dr. Brkic out to the waiting room, where he introduced himself to Jesse and his mother, whom Dylynn found out her name was Charlene. 

"If it's all right with you, Dylynn will be sitting in on our first meeting. She's been volunteering with us for five years, and if she weren't still a minor, she'd probably have her own license and working here," he said with a laugh.

"Sure," Jesse said sullenly.

Dylynn followed them into the room, taking a seat next to Dr. Brkic while he scanned Jesse's file. "All right," he said. "So, Jesse, I take it you'd like to be on the ice as soon as possible."

"That'd take a miracle," Jesse snapped.

"Jesse!" Charlene exclaimed reproachfully.

"It's true!" Jesse insisted.

"It's not, actually," Dr. Brkic cut in. "The disk that was shattered is actually very easy to repair and it's easy to rehabilitate a person back to where they used to be. And because you're young, you'll heal quicker. I'd like to get him in here three times a week for four months. If everything goes as planned, he'll be back on the ice in five months."

"Did you hear that, Jesse?" Charlene asked her son, who gave no indication that he heard her.

"Well then," Dr. Brkic said, clearing his throat. "Lynn, I'm handing this over to you."

"What?" Dylynn asked, shocked. "I'm not licensed."

"You might as well be, you've been here for five years and I think it's time you got your first assignment."

"Couldn't I get something a little easier?" she asked. "I mean, not that your son will be hard to rehabilitate, Mrs. Vachar, but Jesse will be a profesional NHLer one day and I don't want to be held responsible if the therapy does not go as planned."

"I think this is the challenge you have been waiting for, Lynn," Dr. Brkic said. "You know the drill."

"I do," Dylynn sighed.

"So is that a yes?" he asked.

"As long as Jesse and Mrs. Vachar are okay with it," she said finally, looking at them.

Charlene shrugged. "I trust Dr. Brkic when he says you are qualified, despite the lack of licensing. My husband may have other thoughts, but really, Jesse has the final say."

The three of them looked at Jesse. "Can I have a moment? With Dylynn."

Both adults nodded and left the room, Dr. Brkic patting her on the shoulder before he left.

"Um," Dylynn began, "it's not pronounced Dylan."

"Does it look like I care?" Jesse snapped.

"If you want my help, you'd better fucking learn to pronounce my name properly," she fired back.

Jesse's eyes went wide at her swearing. "Fine," he grumbled. "D-lynn."

"What did you want me alone for?" she asked.

"I don't think I'm fixable. I think my career's over," Jesse admitted. "And I haven't told anyone that I think that."

"If you think your career's over, then it's going to happen," Dylynn said. "You need to think that you'll get out of this, that your rehab will go exactly as planned and you'll be leading your team through the playoffs in March."

"Look, I don't know if I want you to be my specialist. I know you're not qualified, and I know you're not sure yourself you can do this. If there's even the slightest chance I can still make something out of this season, I need a guarantee from you that you can do it." Jesse's blue eyes met hers. 

Dylynn smiled. "That's a challenge I'm willing to take on. And honestly? I think if you really want it, Jesse, you'll play in the NHL one day."

And she saw it. For the rest time since he'd walked into the facility, Dylynn saw the despair in his eyes change, just for a fraction of a second. But it had been there. 

Hope.