Love on the Ice

Chapter 7

Marcus runs over to AJ and takes one of her hands in his, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm here AJ, right here beside you. I'm not going anywhere."

AJ reaches up with her free hand and touches Marcus's face. The growth of almost a weeks facial hair tickles her hand as she runs her thumb across his cheek.

"It's so dark Marcus, I can't see anything." AJ cries.

Marcus takes his free hand and grabs AJ's from his cheek, lowers it to his lips and kisses the palm.

"I'm here AJ, I'm right where I belong." Marcus says as he shreds a tear.

"So am I sweet cheeks." Matt says stepping towards AJ's bed and pats her left calf.

AJ puts a weak smile on her face for her friends.

"Doc, can we talk privately?" Marcus asks.

"Certainly, lets go out into the hallway."

AJ's smile fades as Marcus releases her hands and steps away.

"No, don't leave, anything that needs to be said can be said in front of me." AJ pleads, "No hiding anything, I want it straight."

Marcus turns back to AJ and picks her hand back up while Matt makes his way up the other side and takes her other hand in his.

"Okay AJ, no secrets." Marcus says.

"Very well then, I'm going to take an educated guess that you'd like to know what's wrong with her, how long she's going to be like this, is it possible for recovery?"

Something like that." Marcus says.

"Yes doctor, is my eye sight going to return?" AJ blurts out.

"Honestly Miss Bayne, I can't quite say for certain. At this point in time it could go either way." The doctor responds.

"How did this happen?" Marcus asks.

"The head trauma, like I said before, the brain works in mysterious ways and we're still trying to figure it out."

"What do I ... we need to do to help?" Marcus asks

"Miss Bayne, you need to relax and work on building your strength and then learn to do stuff without your sight. It may not be forever but regardless you need to continue to live your life."

"We can do this." Marcus says with some excitement.

"For sure, the three musketeers, ready to take on the world together." Matt throws in.

AJ begins to feel the rage build up inside of her, as tears began to stream down her face.

"Continue to live my life!" she cries, "Are you serious? I can't possibly live my life." she starts to get loud, "Hockey is my life ... I can't see, so how am I suppose to see the puck. " almost screaming now "How am I suppose to live my life?"

Marcus squeezes her hand affectionately.

"You can do this, " he says reassuringly, "we can do this together, we'll get through this."

AJ releases Marcus's and Matt's hands and shoves them away. She folds her arms across her chest. Marcus takes and run his hand on her arm and she swats it away.

AJ screaming in tears, "Get out, get out of here. I don't want or need anyone. Leave me alone."

Marcus tries to touch AJ's arm again and once again she pushes his hand away as she swings wildly.

"Don't touch me, get out. Leave me alone." she says crying.

Marcus and Matt back away and over to the door where the doctor stands. She pulls open the door.