Page 23 of Doc Defence

Hel said, “Okay. We’re moving on three. One, two, three.”

Blinding pain ripped through him, and his vision went white around the edges, this was so much worse than he had expected.

CHAPTER 9

HEL

“Frost.Areyouready?”Hel saw him shake his head, but she didn’t have a choice, they had to move him. “Well, tough. We’re doing it anyway.” She waited until he took another puff on the green whistle, a wry smile pulling at his lips, then looked around at the hockey players. “Okay. We’re moving on three. One, two, three.”

Hel gripped onto his skate, carefully avoiding the blade as they slid him across onto the stretcher. Looking at his face, she saw his teeth were clenched, he was sweating, and his skin had a grey pallor.

“Frost. I need to get a splint on, it’s going to hurt as I’m going to pull your leg to get it as straight as I can.”

If it was possible, his skin went even greyer. She watched him as he nodded his head in understanding.

“Right, take two big puffs on the whistle.”

She waited as his trembling hand held the penthrox up to his lips. When he finished his second inhale, she began to put traction onto his skate, careful to avoid the sharp blade.

“Fuck,” Frost ground out through his teeth, his back arching up off the stretcher.

“I’m so sorry. It’ll only be another few seconds.” Hel continued pulling, feeling the bones grate against each other as she straightened out the limb. “Coach, do the straps of the splint up,” Hel ordered as she kept the traction on.

The older man didn’t hesitate, placing the Velcro of the splint, which had been ready on the stretcher, tight over the top of Frost’s ruined leg.

Hel sat back on her heels. There wasn’t anything else she could do out here.

“Can we move him off the ice?” She gestured to the men to lift the stretcher, and she slowly got to her feet. Smiling gratefully at Coach Morgan when he took her arm to support her.

Clapping rang around the arena as they carried him, and Hel started in surprise, having completely forgotten how big her audience was as she concentrated on Frost.

They took him straight down the passageway and into the locker room, placing him gently onto the floor.

“How you doing there, Frost?” Hel knelt down beside him.

“Fantastic,” Frost slurred sarcastically. “I’ve always wanted to know what white-hot pokers feel like.” He took another puff on the green whistle. “Although I do like this thing.” Holding it up in the air, he examined it thoughtfully.

Hel huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Most people like the whistle.”

“It makes everything much more….” he hesitated for a moment, clearly searching for the words, “distant. The pain is still there, but it’s further away.”

“Yeah. That’s what it does.”

He took another big puff and stated seriously, “I like drugs. I’ve never done drugs before.” He gestured for Hel to come closer. “You know I’m a professional athlete. We’re not allowed to do drugs,” he whispered. Then, a crooked smile lit up his face.

“Don’t you worry about that. By the end of today, you’ll get to try a whole heap of drugs,” Hel told him with a chuckle.

Opening the medical bag on the floor, she pulled out the cannulation set. She might as well put a drip in while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

“Excellent! The drugs make the pokers in my leg more fun.” Frost was starting to ramble.

“Yes, they tend to,” Hel agreed as she laid out her cannulation equipment.

“Is there going to be blood?” Rocky asked from behind her.

“Yes, Rocky, there’s usually blood when you put a drip in.” Hel looked around and was suddenly very aware of the vast number of eyes peering at them and the camera. Meeting the Coach’s worried gaze, she asked, “Is there somewhere a bit quieter we can take him?”

“Yes. The physiotherapy room.” Coach Morgan gestured to the hockey players, who picked Frost up and carried him out of the locker room door into the corridor.

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