Page 84 of Broken Ice, Mended Hearts

After the nurse left, Alex went in search of breakfast while I used the shower in the men’s room. I was dressed in green scrubs, talking to Jacob about the Barracudas’ upcoming game against Toronto when Alex returned with a big box of food. Mystomach growled at the delicious smells, and we all sat down to enjoy a feast of eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, and biscuits.

After I cleaned my plate, Alex took another container out of the box and pushed it across the table. “I know how much you like potatoes, so I got extra hash browns. Eat up.”

The doctors were still grim after their morning rounds, but fuck that. Energized after a night’s sleep, I was determined to stay upbeat. Convinced Sven would wake up if he heard me, I talked to him about anything I could think of, and I never left without telling him I loved him. I also started nudging him gently and watching for a response. It hadn’t worked yet, but I’d keep it up. There was no telling what might bring him around.

Jacob had kept Nick informed about the situation, and Nick updated the Barracudas. He also stayed in touch with Drew, who spread the word to the Congressmen. Today, guys from both teams reached out to me, and I could tell they wanted to cheer me up. Gentle chirps and good-natured complaints about morning skate and how much the hotel food sucked made me smile.

We learned more about Sven’s condition when the neurologists concluded he’d suffered a severe concussion that had caused swelling in his brain. That, along with shock from substantial blood loss, caused his unconsciousness. Incredibly, a resident told us they had replaced about two-thirds of Sven’s blood volume after the accident.

As the day unfolded, the doctors became more positive. When Sven’s brain function improved, they seemed more optimistic he could regain consciousness at some point. The orthopedist said his leg was beginning to heal, and a surgeon told me there had been no more internal bleeding.

When I went in for my 3:00 p.m. visit, Sven’s cheeks had regained some color, making him look more like himself. Anurse came to check his vital signs and told me they’d been improving throughout the day.

A few minutes later, before I left, I leaned over. “Please, baby,” I whispered, “come back to me. I need you.” I kissed his forehead, and as I was straightening back up, his eyelashes moved. My heart skipped a beat. If his eyelashes moved, that meant his eye had moved, didn’t it? I pushed the button to call the nurse back over and told her what had happened.

“It could have been a reflex.” She adjusted some of Sven’s tubes. “Maybe your mask caused it when you kissed him.”

“You said ‘could have been’? What are the other possibilities?”

“Just a moment.” She checked an IV bag, then turned to face me. “It might have been your imagination or some kind of muscle spasm.”

“That doesn’t sound very hopeful.”

“Don’t think of it like that. I’ve worked in the ICU for eighteen years, and we don’t know everything. People don’t always get better, but many do. Mr. Holmer’s eyelash movement could certainly indicate positive things are happening. Don’t give up, Mr. Gagné. You’re fierce on the ice, and this is far more important than a hockey game.” She looked down at Sven and brushed a hand over a small patch of needle-free flesh. “Don’t you give up either, Mr. Holmer. From what I can see, you have a good man waiting for you. And maybe I’m selfish, but I want to watch you hoist a Cup with the Congressmen.”

“We won’t give up, will we baby?” I squeezed his hand, then looked back at the nurse. “Thank you for telling me all that.”

I went back to the family room and greeted Jacob and Alex with a loud cheer. “Sven looks better. And when I kissed his cheek and whispered something to him, his eyelashes fluttered. He’s coming back, I know it.”

“Oh my God.” Alex jumped up and threw her arms around me. “That’s got to be a good sign. It’ll help us stay positive.”

“What fantastic news,” Jacob said. “He’s on his way back to you, Gags.”

“And you’ll have a beautiful life together,” Alex added, letting me go.

My head was swirling with optimism, so I sat down beside Jacob, and Alex sat in a chair.

Looking at Jacob, I said, “You’re right. He’s coming back. I can’t even consider another possibility.”

He nodded. “It’s time for something good to happen. You both deserve it.”

“I need him more than I’ve ever needed anything. If he doesn’t… well, he just has to.”

Jacob took my hand and kissed me on the cheek. “I can’t imagine how I’d feel if it was Nick in there. I’d probably be catatonic by now.”

“Like me.”

Alex shook her head. “You’re not, Gags.”

Jacob pressed my hand between both of his. “That’s the thing. You haven’t slept much for three days, you go see Sven every time they’ll let you, and you listen to every word the doctors and nurses say.”

“And then you google it all after they leave,” Alex said. I raised an eyebrow, and she smiled. “Yes, I’ve seen you. It shows how much you care about him and want to make good decisions.”

Jacob let my hand go and gave me another kiss on the cheek. “I’m awestruck by how well you’re handling this. I don’t know if I could do it.”

Since I landed at National Airport, Jacob had been a lifeline. He’d slept little, listened to me repeat the same things over and over, held me, and cried with me. Through it all, he’d remainedpositive. I gave him the best smile I could find, even though it probably wasn’t much. “I’ll never forget what you’re doing for me.”

He gripped my arm. “You’re like a brother to Nick, which means you’re my brother too.”

---