Change of Heart - Yuri Plisetsky x Reader

Chapter Nineteen

Floating.

That's the first thought I could find that wouldn't slip away from me into my subconscious. Floating. Who knows how long I'd been drifting, but it didn't matter, because that word grounded me.

The next thing I was aware of was a dream, or maybe my life flashing before my eyes; I couldn't really tell, at the moment. One second, I was on the ice. Spinning. Always spinning, because my head was still spinning. Drifting. Floating.

And after spinning for a while my dream shifted, and suddenly pain exploded within me in such a cruel burst that I could hear it, a ringing in my ears as I jumped into the air and landed uneasily on the ground. And for a while, it was just that. Just fighting. Wearing my uniform, attacking somebody who I couldn't see, battling the cacophony of pain ripping through my head each time I thudded to the ground.

It went on in this pattern for what felt like hours; Just the endless switch between fighting, and then skating, and fighting, and skating again. My mind was warping everything, taking the major elements of my life and then mixing in a sprinkle of smaller things. Within this endless cycle, I could catch glimpses of people - My parents, my childhood friends; And there were other, simpler things, as well. Every now and then I would be skating in my bedroom. Or fighting while the giant, stuffed shark plushie I kept in my room watched in the audience.

Finally, when the switching was done, I had a terrifying sensation of drowning, and it was worse because I couldn't see, it was too dark and splotchy, and the panic was setting in-

"(Y/n)!"

Flummoxed, I tried to turn my head. Somewhere above the water was a voice; Deep, somewhat harsh, and tinted with a quality whose descriptor I'm sure I knew... Accent?

I felt a hand on mine, and without warning, I was yanked up out of the water.

"(Y/n)! Jesus, thank god you're awake!"

"Uhn??"

My heartbeat had slowed down marginally, now that I wasn't drowning. Much to my relief, I could see clearly. And, most importantly, the person who had woken me up was one who I was always happy to see: Yuri.

"Yuri?" I muttered, wincing as the words scraped against my throat, which was sore and scratchy. "What???"

I couldn't ask what had happened properly; There were too many questions, and I was too confused to speak. Hesitantly, I tried to sit up - And regretted it immediately. Almost as soon as my head was raised, I felt an urge to vomit; It was with great effort and willpower that I didn't. Groaning, I flopped back down and glanced over at Yuri. He appeared to be shaken, shivering as if he'd just come in from the cold.

"What's wrong?" I asked, momentarily paying no mind to my current predicament.

"You were screaming," He replied, voice trembling. "And sort of... thrashing around and stuff. I think it must have been a night terror or something; You wouldn't close your eyes."

"Oh," I croaked, feeling guilty despite the circumstances. So that's why my voice is so hoarse.

After overcoming my initial shock, I was able to discern a bit more about my surroundings. I was lying in a bed, covered with fluffy white sheets; Beside my head was a plastic bag, soaking my pillow as the ice inside melted; I wasn't wearing my uniform anymore.

"I'm in the hospital?" I murmured, staring dazed at the small room, which I now realized smelled strongly like antiseptics and soap. "What did I do?"

"You passed out," Yuri muttered, and I pretended not to notice the irritation on his face; He was obviously trying to hide it. "After that first match, you just sort of collapsed. They had to call an ambulance to come and get you."