A/N
I'm gonna write in Kelsey's POV for a bit so deal with it. Please? ☺️
***
I walked in to find Sidney laying on the couch, apparently still in pain.
"Hi. Are you alright?" I knelt down next to him.
"Yeah."
"Then why do you look like you're in pain still?"
"I just woke up from a nap." A good one, I hope.
"Oh. So let's talk about the proposal."
"Do you really want to talk about it? You're going to say yes."
"Skip it. The wedding itself. Like where do we want to have it?"
"Canada. Well Novia Scotia."
"Where you came from?" I kinda knew where he was from, but I had a very vague idea.
"Yeah. Are you familiar with Halifax?"
"Yeah. My dad used to travel there for work."
"So it's set then? Halifax?"
"Yeah. That's cool with me. We need to plan more than just where we want the wedidng you know," I smiled.
"I know, I know. Damn my back is killing me." He sat up which was a bad idea.
"Lay back down, Sidney. Let me get the heating pad from my car."
"Why do you have it?"
"My mom bought it when she was pregnant with me because she had back pain and then I kept it for this exact reason. I'll be right back," I kissed him on the forehead.
"Okay."
It made me sad to see Sidney in so much pain insted of being at the arena. I've tried to talk to the team doctor to see if there was anything else besides surgery, if surgery was the only option, to do about his back, but the doctor wasn't available at the time.
"Here. It should work." I plugged it in and it still worked from 24-25 years ago.
"Thanks."
***
A few hours later, I went to check on Sidney and his 'injured' back.
"Hi sleepyhead." He gave a sleepy half-smile.
"Hey. Oh you can have your heating pad back. I'm better." He stretched out and yawned.
"I was just going to ask you how you were feeling. C'mon," I helped him up, "you've got a doctors appointment." I watched him wince at the thought.
"I liked sleeping on the couch. But I love playing on the ice even more." He kissed me.
***
"You're fine. Stop worrying about it." I kept trying to keep him calm.
"I'm sorry. But I'm going to get told I'm never playing again."
"Stop it." I kissed him.
"Sidney, the doctor is ready for you now." We both got up, him then me following behind.
"Hi. So glad you could come in today. I've been booked up until at least Christmas!" She smiled which made me smile at Sidney who looked as if he were about to puke.
"Are you okay?" I asked him under my breath.
"I'm scared she'll tell me I'll never be able to play hockey again," he muttered back.
"Let's take an X-ray. Shall we?" I squeezed his hand tight before letting him go.
A few minutes later, he came back with results of a strained lower back and just needed to keep icing it.
"And that's it? When can I play hokcey again?" I watched him ask.
"A few weeks. 4-6, 7 at the max. I'll send an email to your coach about this visit so he knows what's going on." We paid and then took a cab home since Brandon was in the area and needed to use my car.
"You alright?" I asked again.
"Yeah. Just tired."
"Well then you can rest your tired head onto my lap if you want to." And that's what he did. I had felt his forehead to make sure he wasn't sick or anything.
When we got home, I decided to make him somethingt to eat since that was probably the last thing on his mind.
"I'm not really that hungry, Kelsey." He made his way to his teomprary bed.
"Well you need to eat. You've been stressing out too much and you need to eat. You'll end up throwing up bascially nothing due to lack of food and water."
"I'm not hungry. Maybe later," he called out from the living room.
"Sidney, you are eating or I'm not letting you back on the ice for 8 more weeks."
"Geez chill. I'll eat, but can I eat in the living room?" This is not my house.
"Yeah. I don't care. I don't live here." I gave him his soup and made a beeline to the TV to turn on the Steelers' game. "Ooh good, we're winning." Just like the Pens were.
"Can I ask you something?" By now, the soup was on the ground and he as sitting upright.
"Sure. Any-TOUCHDOWN! STEELERS MAY HAVE JUST-sorry about that. What was your question?"
"Will you marry me?" H epulled out a tiny balck box and got down on his knee.
