Mitts (OLD VERSION)

23. Recovery

"It's a grade three tear." The surgeon sighed, "The plan of treatment we recommend, assuming you want to continue your hockey career, is a reconstruction surgery using a cadaver tendon and then physical therapy."

Your career is over.

"How long am I benched?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Minimum of nine months." He answered.

They're going to get rid of you.

"Fuck." Tears burnt the edges of my eyes, threatening to spill out, "Fuck."

"Can we have a minute?" Maggie asked.

The doctor left the room and I slammed my fist into the bed sheets beside me, doing anything to keep the tears inside. It was just me and Maggie in there. I didn't have anyone in the area, so I put Maggie and Coach Dave down as my emergency contacts. Coach Dave was still with the team at the hotel, everyone was waiting for an update. Maggie came in the ambulance with me.

"Nine fucking months, Mags." I wiped my face, "I can't fucking afford nine months off of the ice. I can't fucking afford surgery or PT or to pay my tuition while I'm not on the team."

"Jake, hey hey. The athlete insurance will cover the surgery and PT. And you don't get any of your scholarships revoked because of an injury, even this major. You still have a spot on the team and you still get your scholarships as long as you maintain your GPA," She explained, "But you do need to choose whether you're going through with the surgery or not."

"You're a doctor," I said, "What do you recommend?"

"As a physician, I would recommend the surgery. As your athletic trainer, I would recommend the surgery," She explained.

"And as my emergency contact?" I asked.

"I'm going to be worried as hell in the waiting room because I know you and I know that you're going to get this surgery if it means that you can get back on the ice," She explained.

I nodded, "I'm going to do it."

"I know." She nodded.

"I'm scared," I admitted.

"I know." She put a hand on my shoulder, "But you've got me, Dave, and a whole team of worried idiots who are going to be by your side."

"I have to lower my bed now." I groaned, "I'm gonna lose like half of my storage space."

She laughed, "Of course that's what you're worried about."

The surgeon knocked on the door, before he could get a word in I told him, "I'm doing the surgery."

"I figured." He nodded, "I have all of the paperwork here and we'll go over your recovery plan as well as some potential risks."

_/ \_

After we did the paperwork, I was getting prepped for surgery. There was still another twenty minutes before they were going to take me, "Jake, do you want me to call the team before you head in so you can see them?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah." I nodded, "Are you video calling?"

"Yeah, Dave has his laptop." She nodded.

Maggie put her laptop on the rolling table in the room, propping it so both of us were in frame. Coach Dave answered the call almost immediately, his face and the crowded team appeared on the screen.