Page 7 of In Your Wildest Dreams
“Get me off the ice,” I mutter incoherently.
Someone mentions a backboard and I sit up as best as I can. “No. I can skate. Help me.”
They hesitate, but Jack and Leo flank me on either side and lift me up. They all but carry me off, but at least I’m upright. The crowd is on their feet, clapping and cheering as I go.
I don’t remember much of the walk back to the locker rooms, but after the team doctors check me out, I’m told I likely have a concussion and a separated shoulder. I’m still struggling to focus, probably because of that concussion thing, but I hear enough to know they’re sending me to the hospital to fix my shoulder and check out my head. I feel like I’m outside of my body, watching myself in slow motion.
“Did it count?” I ask Hunter, the young trainer tasked with helping me out of my skates and uniform.
His brows pull together in confusion as he unlaces my right skate and yanks it off.
“The goal. Did it count?”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Yeah, man, it counted.”
The pain dulls. At least we got a goal.
3
YOU WOUND ME
BRIDGET
I hurryout of the break room, pulling my hair back and securing it with a clip.
My coworker Hannah falls into step beside me. Her brows lift and a playful smile tugs at her lips when she scans my face. “You look tired. Did you get any sleep today?”
If it were anyone else commenting on my appearance, I’d be offended, but Hannah’s words and scrutinizing gaze isn’t her being mean, she’s just one of those people who tells it like it is. And sadly, she’s right. I do look tired, but I guess there’s no hiding the fact I only got three hours of sleep.
“I slept,” I say with a hint of defensiveness in my tone.
“Oh yeah? How many hours?”
A small laugh escapes. “Hopefully enough to make it through another night.”
We slow our pace as we approach the nurses’ station to begin our shift.
I work nights as a registered nurse on the orthopedic floor of the hospital. I got placed here a month ago after six months working on the cardiac floor and a short stint on the psychiatric wing. I’m going to school to get my bachelor’s degree in nursing. Once I have my BSN, I want to be a pediatric nurse. I fell in love with peds during my RN clinicals, but so far, a spot hasn’t opened up.
For now, I’m bouncing around different areas of the hospital, getting experience and filling in wherever I’m needed. Moving around in the hospital means I haven’t stayed in one spot long enough to form many friendships with my coworkers, but Hannah is one of my favorites.
She offers a sympathetic smile. “I don’t know how you manage it all. Working all night and then going to school all day. You need more rest.”
“I got a nap in at lunch, and I slept a couple more hours this evening.”
Her mouth falls in a straight line, silently communicating her disapproving thoughts on my schedule.
Back-to-back night shifts during the week are the worst. I get off work at seven in the morning, head to my place for a quick shower, then go to a full day of classes. When I’m done, it’s basically time to be back at work. Despite the lack of sleep, I love my job. Totally worth the bags under my eyes.
“I’m fine. Let’s just hope it’s busy tonight or I might fall asleep on my feet.”
“You haven’t heard?” she asks as we stop to look at the board.
“Heard what?”
“We’ve got a VIP.” Her lips curve into a smile.
My brows lift at her excited expression. “That’s good news?”
