Olympic Fire [Miracle on Ice]

CHAPTER 16: The European Tour

                 

~KIM'S POV~

It has been few months since I injured my elbow and today is the last day in the States before we (hopefully!) leave for European tour. I sit down on a wooden chair in Doc's office, waiting anxiously what he has to say. If he says playing hockey will not be good for me, that means I am staying here and that my dreams of playing in the name of every female player who is trying to prove herself among men are over. And only because of some stupid injury...

"Ah, Kim. Here because of your elbow, right? And how are your ribs?"

"Ribs are perfectly fine, excluding occasional stinging. Doc, what about my elbow?"
He looks up from the stack of papers and sighs: "Kim, I am sorry... but I hope you are ready to leave for Europe."
"A-Are you serious? This is not a joke? Please, Doc, tell me this is not a sick joke."
"It's not. But under one condition. You continue with your recovery program until I or any other doctor tells you to stop."
"Anything, Doc. I am really going to Europe!"

With an excitement flowing, I could say overflowing, through my veins, I nearly fly out of Doc's office. Without even thinking where to go, I head right to Neal's room and knock on his door.

Screwing his eye, he opens the door and blinks few times: "Kim? Everything okay?"

"I am going to Europe!"

"Doc said you can go?"

"Yes! Neal, I am going to Europe with you, I can't believe it!"

He picks me up and quickly spins me around before pulling me into his room. After the door close, he pulls me into a tight hug and mumbles in crook of my neck: "I am so happy you can go with us."
"So am I, can you believe we'll be going to Europe! I have never been anywhere else but Colorado in Minnesota."

"And you haven't seen much of a Minnesota either," he chuckles, his breath fanning my skin gently.

"I am waiting for you to show me around," I playfully poke his side, causing him to tighten his grip on my waist.

"I will as soon as the Games end. That's what I promise."

For a second or two we just gaze at each other before he leans down and softly places his lips on mine. Closing my eyes, I give in and return him a sweet kiss. I don't know how long we stay like that, I know we jump apart when someone knocks on his door and walks in.

"Whoa, I am sorry," Verchota chuckles and closes the door loudly. My heart freezes and Neal looks like a deer caught in car's headlights. He quickly unwraps his arm from around my waist and he tucks his hands into his pockets: "What's up, Phil?"

"Nothing, nothing. Pretend I am not here, okay?"

Absent-mindedly, I ruffle my hair and look at Phil: "Are you excited for Europe?"
"Are you going too?" his attention is now completely on me. Holding back a wide grin, I smile and nod: "Yeah, Doc gave me a green light."

"That's awesome! That means your elbow is okay?"
"That's exactly what it means. I still have to be careful, but that's what it means."
Verchota pulls me into a tight hug and I am lifted from the ground for the second time.

~Holland, September 3rd 1979~

It's the evening of the first game of the European tour and lightly said, my nerves are a mess. This is the first game we will be playing since the team was put together few months before. And we are still not playing completely as a team. The tension in the confined locker room is so thick it could be cut through.

My stall neighbor is our Californian, as we call him, Eric Strobel. It still surprises me how untouched his face is, compared to evidences of previously broken noses and missing teeth on other guys. He still has all of his teeth, unstitched face and a never-broken nose, not to mention nearly golden blonde locks, peeking from beneath his helmet right now. On my other side is no one else than Phil Verchota, now holding a glaring contest with Bah Harrington. My gaze quickly drifts over to Neal and we share an unannounced smile. Quickly, before anyone can notice, he gives me thumbs up. I smile wider than before and repeat his gesture. Before we break our gaze, he winks, making my cheeks heat up a bit. Still smirking, he pulls helmet on his head and covers that brown locks with blue protective plastic.