Breaking the Ice - Inside Out

What Now?

Riley blinked her eyes open, the harsh fluorescent lights of the ambulance blurring her vision. The sharp, throbbing pain in her knee pulsed through her body, and the medication made everything feel distant and surreal. Her parents' worried faces hovered beside her.

"Mom? Dad?" she croaked, her voice weak and strained.

Her mother squeezed her hand gently. "We're here, sweetheart. Just hang on, okay?"

Her father's voice was tight with concern. "You're going to be okay, Riley. Just hold on."

Riley's mind was a foggy haze, the pain and medication making everything seem like a bad dream. She tried to focus on her parents' faces, but the ache in her leg was overwhelming.

As the ambulance sped toward the hospital, Riley drifted in and out of consciousness, her dreams filled with fragmented images of the game, Val's concerned face, and the moment her knee gave out.

When she woke up again, she was in a hospital room. The sterile smell and the beeping of monitors were the first things she noticed. Her knee was heavily bandaged, and the pain was a dull, constant throb. Her parents were talking quietly in the corner of the room, their faces etched with worry.

A doctor entered, his expression somber as he approached Riley's bedside. "Riley, I'm Dr. Mitchell. How are you feeling?"

"Hurts," Riley mumbled weakly, her throat dry and voice trembling.

Dr. Mitchell nodded sympathetically. "I'm afraid I have some difficult news. You've suffered a severe dislocation of your knee, and the damage to the ligaments and cartilage is extensive. You'll need surgery, and even with the best rehabilitation, it's unlikely you'll be able to compete in hockey again."

The words hit Riley like a physical blow. "What? No... I can't... I have to play."

Her parents rushed to her side, trying to comfort her, but Riley could barely hear them over the roaring in her ears. The pain in her knee was nothing compared to the agony of hearing she could no longer play the sport she loved.

"No!" Riley screamed, trying to sit up despite the pain shooting through her leg.

"Riley, calm down," her mom pleaded, her hands gentle yet firm.

"NO!" Riley continued to scream, her tears now flowing freely. The anguish in her voice was palpable, a raw, guttural sound that echoed off the sterile hospital walls.

"No, no, no, no, no..." She repeated, each denial a desperate plea against reality. "This can't be happening! It's not real!"

Her dad held her shoulders gently but firmly. "Riley, please. You need to stay still. You'll hurt yourself more."

Riley thrashed against their hold, her body wracked with pain and sorrow. "I don't care! I need to play! It's all I have! It's all I'm good at!" The desperation in her voice was heart-wrenching, each word cutting deeper into the hearts of her parents.

Her mom's eyes filled with tears. "Honey, we're here for you. We'll get through this together."

Riley shook her head violently. "You don't understand! Hockey was everything to me! Everything!" She buried her face in her hands, her sobs shaking her entire body. "What am I supposed to do now? Who am I without hockey?"

The doctor watched from the doorway, his expression a mix of sympathy and helplessness. He cleared his throat softly. "Riley."

"What?" She snapped, her voice cracking with emotion.

"It's extremely difficult, but not impossible," Dr. Mitchell explained gently. "With very strict physical therapy and possibly up to a year of recovery, there's a chance you could be cleared to play again."