Page 4 of Must Love Hockey
“I was fine for most of the game,” she wheezes. “But then my palms felt tingly. And my throat itches.”
“Do you have any food allergies?” Doc asks.
“No.” She gives her head a shake. “Never.”
“She has hives,” I break in. “On her wrists. And I see them on her neck.” I give her collar a little tug, and Emily’s eyes widen. “Hey, I’m sorry,” I babble. “But they’re really bright now.”
“Send me a photo, Jimbo. And Emily,” Doc asks. “Do you feel any swelling, especially in your mouth?”
She puts a hand to her face. “My lips. It’s so weird.” She drops her hand to her sweater and pulls the turtleneck away from her skin. “I’m scared. It’s hard to breathe.”
“Jimbo, are her lips blue?”
I squint. Usually when I’m staring at a pretty girl’s lips, it’s not for this. “Maybe?” I say, wishing I knew how Emily’s lips are supposed to look.
“But I have lipstick on,” she wheezes.
Well, fuck. “What do I do, Doc?”
“The best course of action is an emergency room,” he says. “But—”
“It’s carmaggedon outside the stadium!” I explode. We’d be lucky to get to an ER in under an hour, unless I carry Emily down the subway steps. She doesn’t look like she could make it.
“I know, son,” he says. “I’m thinking. She should really be seen by a professional. But if I were there, I’d probably administer epinephrine. If she’s going into anaphylactic shock, that would stop it. And even if she isn’t, the odds of it harming her are pretty low.”
“Okay. So—”
“If Wilson is still around, he can get one of the EpiSticks we keep on hand for him.”
“Oh,right.” I should have already thought of Wilson and his tree-nut allergy. “WILSON!” I holler toward the dressing room.
The door opens. “Who needs Wilson?” It’s Leo Trevi. “You sound like Tom Hanks in thatCast Awaymovie.”
“Omigosh ish Leo Trevi,” Emily says. Her words are slurred, and her eyes are half-mast.
“I need him!” I yell. “Ask him to bring an EpiStick out here.”
Leo’s a sharp guy, so he disappears immediately. And thirty seconds later Wilson bounds into the room carrying an EpiStick. “What’s a matter? Ooh! Got some hives there, honey. Damn. What’s your allergy?” He uncaps the pen.
“She has no idea,” I say, watching him.
“Wilson, do you have a spare?” Doc’s voice asks from my phone. “Can’t leave you without a dose.”
“It’s fine, Doc,” the big center says with a smile. “I got two in my locker and a third somewhere in my equipment bag. And she needs it, Doc.”
“Emily, are you okay with this?” I ask.
She nods fiercely. “Make it stop.”
Wilson hands me the device, probably assuming that Emily and I actually know each other. “Just swing your arm, planting the tip against her thigh.” He mimes the motion. “The needle will do its thing automatically.”
Swing it?Gulp. That’s not intimidating at all.
But Emily is watching me with frightened eyes, so there’s really no choice. “Usually I get to know a girl before I grab her thigh, but…” With one hand, I push up Emily’s skirt, revealing a few more inches of her black stockings. And then I plunk the EpiStick firmly against her thigh, just like Wilson said to do.
There’s a loud, mechanicalclick,and Emily’s eyes widen in shock.
“That’s it,” the big forward says encouragingly. “One banana…two bananas…three bananas…” After three seconds, Wilson reaches down and pulls the device away. He checks an indicator on the side. “Okay. You’re dosed. It takes a minute or two. You might feel a little rush. But then it starts working pretty fast.”
