It only takes 10 seconds

Part Nineteen

Andrew's POV

Tyler hits Kami hard and her helmet goes flying off. I watch as her head hits the goalpost and she falls to the ground, not moving. I immediately skate over to Tyler and shove him. "What the hell dude?!?" Bollig and Toews come skating out. Jon immediately goes to Kami and tries to see if she's ok. Bollig on the other hand just goes straight for Seguin and punches him in the face, drawing blood on his first shot. "Back the hell off of our goalie!" I hear him scream. He gets in a couple more shots before the refs pull them apart, signaling for everyone to stop fighting and pay attention to Kami. The team doctors come out onto the ice. They dab her face with a washcloth, soaked with ice water, and her eyes flutter open a bit. They gently move her to a stretcher, being careful not to move her too much. The crowd watches silently and as they wheel Kami out, a kid in the front row raises his hand to the sky, three fingers, for the number three that Kami wears, outstretched. The entire arena, one by one, slowly raises their hands, their three fingers a symbol of love for our goalie. 

The refs, blind as usual, let Seguin stay in the game. They rule it as an accidental hit and claim that they will go over the video later again. Coach Q screams, his face red, unable to comprehend their stupidity. I shake my head. That was no accident. When everything calms down, or at least goes back to as calm as it can be, the game resumes. My line goes out for the last two minutes of the game. Raanta takes Kami's place in the net. With a couple second left in the game, I manage to steal the puck away from the Stars just as they get into our zone. I hurl the puck down the ice and it falls right into their empty net. The horn goes off as I celly, banging my fist against the glass and cheering with the fans. The Stars skate off, completely shutout, heads hanging in defeat, as we lift our sticks above the indian head logo at center ice. Tyler hurls his stick against the bench, snapping it in two, before stomping off in a huff. We hustle back into the locker room and listen for the announcement of the three stars.

"Your number three star, from the Blackhawks, with one goal...Andrew Shaw!" I skate out onto the ice and wave to the fans. "Your number two star, from the Blackhawks, with one goal and one assist, Marian Hossa!" Hossa skates around and waves to the fans. "And your number one star of the game, from the Blackhawks, with a shutout game, Kami Barger!" A single spotlight lights up the ice, but no one skates out. "At this time, we have been notified that Miss Barger is receiving medical attention for the injury that she sustained in the third period. Now please turn your attention to the bench, where we will interview our third star of the game, Andrew Shaw!"

I head out to the interviewer. "So Andrew, how do you feel about that game?" the reporter asks. "I thought we had a really great game and Kami was amazing tonight. We couldn't have done it without everyone," I reply. "How do you feel about that hit that she took?" I'm instantly angry, reminded of Tyler's actions. The smile drops from my face and turns into a frown. "Seguin better fucking watch it." I tell the camera. "Don't touch our goalie, especially not like that. That was no accident. You mess with her, you mess with the whole team. That's all I have to say." I stomp off, annoyed at the question and with Seguin's actions. 

Corey's POV

I'm watching the game at home when I see Tyler Seguin hit Kami. She falls and hits her head on the goalpost. "No.." I say. "No!" I scream it louder when she doesn't get up. I watch, frozen, as the medical personnel put her onto a stretcher and carry her off the ice. I switch off the tv, grab my coat and keys, and run out to my car. Kami better be ok or Seguin's going to pay. 

I get to the hospital and run to the front desk. "I need to see Kami Barger," I gasp, out of breath. "I think she just checked in." The nurse at the front desk shakes her head. "Miss Barger cannot have any visitors for tonight. You'll have to come back tomorrow." I stare at her dumbfounded. "But, that's my girlfriend in there!" "I'm sorry sir, but those are the rules. Next!" She calls the next person ahead in line. I sneak off to the side of the desk, and follow a nurse through the double doors. No one seems to notice me and I wander around until I find Kami's room. She's hooked up to some beeping machine and her head is wrapped up in a bandage. She's sleeping, I think, as I walk over to her and take her hand. When I touch her, her fingers curl around my hand, like a baby's, and her eyes slowly flutter open. "Hey," I say. "Hey," she whispers back. Before she says anything more, I gently kiss her. "I'm not losing you Kami. Not now, not ever."