Anastasia on ice. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir made the world believe in love in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. But what is their off-ice relationship truly like --- do they avoid falling in love with each other? Watch their 20+ year bond evolve as the...
Please let everything be okay, he thought as he answered the phone.
"Hello, this is St. Joseph's Hospital calling. May I please speak to Tessa Virtue?"
"Hi, Tessa is unavailable at the moment, but we have an emergency. What's wrong with her?"
"Sir, I'm not authorised to-"
"Ma'am, this is Tessa's husband. My wife is currently having trouble breathing and her voice is inaudible. What do I do?"
"I'm sorry to hear that. We have reason to believe that your wife is having a panic attack..." There was a pause, "...and according to her file, she suffers from both OCD and anxiety. The best thing you can do for her right now is help stabilise her breathing. Sometimes breathing into a paper bag might help, or mindfulness."
"What if she becomes unconscious?"
"Call an ambulance or take her to the hospital."
"Thank you. Can you stay on the line and guide me through the process? I've never seen her like this before."
... 30 minutes later ...
"Tessa, I'm sorry. Please don't be afraid of me." Scott murmured, as he held her limp body in his arms.
Her eyes fluttered before opening again.
"It's okay." He told her, "You're safe."
"What happened to me?" She asked him.
"You had a panic attack, but you're all right now. We're going to take you to the doctor's-"
"Dr. Qureshi already made me an appointment with a specialist."
"What?"
"That's what I went in today to talk to him about."
"Oh, I'm so glad. I really hope this helps you."
"Thank you, Scott. I'm glad I have you too."
...5 weeks later...
After many therapy sessions, both Tessa and Scott had made significant improvements in their journey. However, it had come at a cost. Working on their communication with one another, in addition to testing and hospital visits, left little time to practice skating. Xanax, an anxiety medication that Tessa was prescribed to, left her feeling tired. Even as doctors slowly tapered her off the drug, her body was not the same as it had been when they had been training for the Olympics. They both worried about the Stars on Ice Canada tour, and whether they were prepared. Dr. Qureshi listened to their concerns.
"Whatever you do, you are not letting anyone down. But right now, intense activity is not going to heal your emotional scars. I don't normally suggest this, but I suppose there is no normal in this circumstance. I urge you to go on a vacation. Maybe for a week, maybe a few days. Relaxation is important, especially for competitive athletes."
Scott smiled at Tessa, "I know the perfect place."
... 2 days later ...
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Mountains met the sea most enchantingly, in Vancouver. Shadows of the Western Cordillera seemed almost like a quag, as the aeroplane softly landed on its tracks. They waited at the luggage claim for their bags, and dispersed from the queue.
"Excuse me?"
A young girl with bright blue eyes and dark hair smiled at them. "You're the figure skaters mummy watches on TV! Can you sign my autograph book?" She could not be older than eight years, thought Tessa as they both penned their signatures.
"Hey beautiful, what's your name?" Scott asked her, as he crouched to speak to her.
"Maria." She chimed, twiddling her thumbs.
"Well Maria, it was lovely to meet you." He shook her hand.
"Thank you!" She chirped, as she made her way to a tall woman who mouthed thank you to them. They waved, as a familiar face met them at the gate.
Draped in Olympic red, was none other than Chiddy.
"Hey guys! So glad you could finally make it to my corner of the world." He exclaimed, before putting their bags into his trunk.
"Hey, we figured it was the least we owed you." Scott replied.
"If we start going into what you two owe me, we'll be at the next Winter games." Patrick joked, as he drove them to his downtown condo.
...
Tessa
Patrick opened the door to his suite and lead them down the hall, to where the city could be seen. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the backdrop of the living area.
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"I'll give you a house tour in a moment, but first let me hang your coats." When their host returned, he added, "Living on the 37th floor isn't too shabby. Can't say I miss Michigan after being here."
He guided them to their guest room, when Tessa turned around.
There stood Marina, grimacing like she did when they last saw her.
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This story is coming to a close, thank you all for your wonderful comments and votes! Please let me know what you'd like to see and what you think.
