The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

48| Reason To Live

Patrick

The end of the season is today and we leave our fate in our own hands. If we win we're in the playoffs, if we don't we're out. Luckily a lot of us has been in these kind of pressure situation before and we were ready to control our own fates.

And while this was important to me, I was more worried about Chelsea and her sister. I know a broken person when I see one because that was me for the longest time. And to know that Lizzie is going through so much right now and it sucks for everyone involved. She's a strong girl but I know better than anyone that when life hits you it hits you hard and it doesn't matter who you are, it still hurts. So I let Chelsea take a break from being with me every second and doing everything for me to be with her sister and help her get back on her feet, literally.

It's not going to be easy, learning to do things you've always done in a new way is almost impossible. And to be missing her whole leg is a huge deal, there's not a lot she can do without it. Not the way she used to lived her life at least.

For me I just want her to feel like this is a place she wants to be. Her sister already went done the path of doing a last resort thing to end the pain and I don't want her to do that. A lot of military people commit suicide due to the repercussions of the war but so many people needed someone like Lizzie. I know Chicago can be harsh some times, I've seen it happen a few times and it's hard to over come things like this. But there's no better city to remember why you lived in the first place.

So I go over to Chelsea's apartment but this time she knows I'm coming. She lets me in and I see Lizzie was asleep on the couch.

"How has she been" I whisper softly not trying to wake her up.

"Pretty awful" Chelsea admits. "She sleeps most of the day. I got her set up with a counselor who specializes in veterans and people who leave the army with disabilities but she couldn't get Lizzie in until the end of the month. I'm not sure she's going to make it that long before this totally destroys her" she explains.

"Does you family know" I ask.

"Just my brothers. She won't tell mom and dad because they'll reject her like she's a broken toy. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. If mom and dad find out they would either turn her into a sap story or shun her because she isn't perfect" Chelsea sighs.

"I am so sorry. You guys deserve the world and I hate that this is happening. Is there anything you need me to do" I offer.

"No, not really. You're already helping me so much by letting me help her and you and letting her join us whenever we do something so she doesn't feel left out. I'm not sure there is much else we can do until she finds her reason to want to be alive again" she whispers.

I can see how hard this was for her. Especially as someone who once lost her will to go on when life brought her nothing but pain. She doesn't want her sister to feel that pain she had when she decided to take those pills, she wanted to do everything in her power to make sure her sister doesn't end up like that. But that's easier said than done.

"I have a idea, I don't know if this will help but I think it might be worth a shot" I explain.

"Lets hear it" she begs.

"A while back Jonny and I went to the facility where the wounded warriors project was set up. It was a Blackhawks charities thing where we went around and talked to the people there to see what it was like to come home from fighting a war to only be faced with the war inside of them. We watched them learn how to live life again and how to stay as close to their true selfs as they could. I wonder what would happen if I had Jon meet her there and talk to her. He's the greatest captain in the game for a reason, the man has a way with words. And even though his words didn't always resonate with me maybe your sister will listen" I shrug.

"We can try it but I'm not sure how many hands she will reach out to. She's a prideful woman and this has taken every ounce of it away. She had enough money to go somewhere nice and live her life however she wants it to be. She can get her leg and run far away from here but she doesn't. She doesn't want to go on and that's the hard part" Chelsea shakes her head.

"Then let's see if my buddy can give her a reason to keep getting better" I try.

"And if it doesn't work" she wonders.

"At least we can say we tried" I argue.

So I call up Jonny and have him come to the recovery center. Chelsea wakes her sister up and somehow gets her to agree to come to the center with us. We drive on over and meet Jonny there. He didn't know a lot about what was going on, just that I had a friend that needed help and he might be able to help. That's all he needed to know to be here as quick as possible. We work with the people in this place a lot, a lot of them do paraolympics and practice sled hockey at Johnnies so we knew a few of them already. The rest we still hung out with and tried to brighten their days kind of like what I do at the children's hospital.

Immediately Jon and Lizzie hit it off and she lets him push her around while he showed her some of the things they provide here. He has been here a few times so he knew the way around. I stand with Chelsea to the side as we watch them smile and talk like they've known each other forever. Jon sat next to her so he wasn't standing over her and she let him take her around even though she never let Chelsea push her in her chair. I think this might of been what they both needed.

"If they get together before we do we're doing something wrong" Chelsea claims making me chuckle.

"The world works in mysterious ways my wise friend. Whatever needs to happen, will. Only time will tell what it is" I shrug.

"I just hope she's happy again. She deserves at least a chance at that" she claims.

"She does. And once she comes to terms with the accident and that this is her life now I think she will be more than fine. But it's going to take her some time to adjust, she lost a leg and that changed a lot. Once she realizes that we can't control what happens to us only how we handle it, then she will see what she needs to do" I explain.

"God, you're sounding more and more like me every day. That's so scary" she admits.

"Well at least I'm doing something right" I smile.