Status: Uh....story kinda died. You can blame it on Bettman :P
While You Were Away
XX
As I made my way down to the locker room, I couldn’t help but grin at the result of the game. I heard some Wings fans complaining about how Jimmy had let in too many goals in the third period, but I didn’t care. The Wings had won 7-4 and I was proud of my friends.
As I found the hallway, I heard Babcock saying my name. I frown a little at this, wondering what it was he wanted. Making my way into the room, I noticed Danny point over to me and Babcock turned to look at me. From the look on his face, I could tell it was a serious matter, and that worried me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, glancing around the room at the guys, but from the looks on their faces, they were just as in the dark as I was.
“Come with me,” He said, leading me out to the hallway for some privacy.
“Coach, what’s wrong?” I asked, not liking the look he was giving me.
“It’s your sister…”
“Emily? What? I didn’t know she even knew I was here…”
“Well her boyfriend did, or just felt someone should contact you.”
“What happened?!” I demanded, not liking that he wasn’t just flat out telling me.
“She left the game early. They took her to the hospital. I haven’t heard any word other than the fact that before they left, Johnson told them to get ahold of you and let you know. He said they were going to Good Samaritan.” I froze at this.
“Why is she there? What happened?” He opened his mouth to respond but ended up kind of shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head slightly.
“I don’t know Amy, that’s all the information I’ve heard so far. I’m sorry.”
“I need to get there…I don’t even know where that is. I…I..” I trailed off, looking around as I felt panic rising.
“We have someone that’s going to take you there, he’s on his way. Val’s almost done changing, he’ll be out in a minute to go with you.” I looked up at him with huge eyes, feeling my lip quiver involuntarily for a second before I bit it.
“Thank you Coach,” I said quietly and he sighed before giving me a hug.
“Don’t worry about it okay, just don’t think to hard on it. It’s probably nothing.”
“Hey, are you ready to go?” I heard Val ask and I broke away instantly.
“Yes, is the ride here?” I demanded and he nodded.
“Thanks again Coach,” He said before grabbing my hand, leading me down the hallway.
-
We entered the hospital and I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw that there was hardly anyone in the waiting area. I rushed over to the information desk while Val hung back.
“I need to see Emily Payne,” I said as the woman looked up at me. She looked to be in her 40’s with dark brown hair and kind looking eyes.
“May I ask your name?” She asked in a sweet voice.
“Amy Payne,” I said, then it hit me that they might have told them not to let me in. At this thought, I groaned inwardly.
“Oh yes, Mr. Johnson said you might show up. She’s up on the third level, room 351. You’re going to go down this hallway, turn right and then the elevator will be on your left. After that, the signs will tell you where to go. There you go honey, good luck,” She said, handing me a slip with the floor and room number on it. I turned to look for Val to see he had taken a seat in the waiting area.
“Are you coming?” I asked impatiently.
“I think I’m going to stay back here. It wouldn’t help her out any to see me, she doesn’t like me.”
“Val…”
“She really doesn’t, at least now not. It’ll just stress her out. She doesn’t need that right now.” I took a breath before nodding and turning to make my way to her room.
-
As I made my way down the hallway, looking for room 351, I felt my stomach tying itself in knots. I had no idea what had happened and it was making me panic on the inside, though on the outside I looked totally calm. Seeing the room number made the knots even worse. The door was open, so I slowly made my way in. Jack looked up when he heard my soft footsteps and smiled smally at me.
“You came,” He said, sounding halfway surprised.
“Yeah…she is my sister after all,” I said quietly, looking over at Emily.
“She just fell asleep. We’ve been here for awhile. Left during the second period break.” I nodded, licking my lips as my gaze fell onto my sister. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest before looking back at Jack.
“So what happened?” I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“High blood pressure. Nothing too serious really.” I tried to swallow the lump in my throat before I spoke again.
“So she’s fine?” I asked and Jack’s head turned up sharply at the tone of my voice.
“Yeah, her and the baby are going to be just fine.” I looked around the room, trying to form a sentence, but I was at loss.
“I-”
“Yo dude, that blonde guy from the Wings is down in the waiting roo-” One of the Kings walked in the room and stopped when he saw me standing there. His eyes widened at the sight of me before he looked over to Jack with eyebrows raised. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and picked it up, speaking into it quietly while the Kings player walked over to Jack to talk.
“Hello?” I said, hardly above a whisper.
“So, I know I’ve only seen pictures of your dad before, but I’m pretty positive he just walked past me. He asked for Emily at the info desk, so I don’t know if you want to leave or not. It’s up to you, obviously.” At hearing what Val said, I felt my stomach drop.
“Okay, I’ll be down soon,” I said and hung up the phone.
“Was that Val?” Jack asked, looking up as I shoved my phone in my pocket.
“Uh yeah…I should get going. We have to uh…we have to fly back to Detroit tonight. I have to film tomorrow…”
“That’s fine. I’ll be sure to tell her that you came to see her,” Jack said, looking down at Emily as he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand and I looked down at the ground.
“Thanks for making sure I knew,” I said quietly and he nodded. I ducked out of the room and rushed to the elevator, wanting nothing more than to get out of the hospital without seeing my dad. As I got down to the waiting room, Val stood when he saw me.
“Did you see him?” He asked as we left the hospital quickly.
“No.”
As I found the hallway, I heard Babcock saying my name. I frown a little at this, wondering what it was he wanted. Making my way into the room, I noticed Danny point over to me and Babcock turned to look at me. From the look on his face, I could tell it was a serious matter, and that worried me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, glancing around the room at the guys, but from the looks on their faces, they were just as in the dark as I was.
“Come with me,” He said, leading me out to the hallway for some privacy.
“Coach, what’s wrong?” I asked, not liking the look he was giving me.
“It’s your sister…”
“Emily? What? I didn’t know she even knew I was here…”
“Well her boyfriend did, or just felt someone should contact you.”
“What happened?!” I demanded, not liking that he wasn’t just flat out telling me.
“She left the game early. They took her to the hospital. I haven’t heard any word other than the fact that before they left, Johnson told them to get ahold of you and let you know. He said they were going to Good Samaritan.” I froze at this.
“Why is she there? What happened?” He opened his mouth to respond but ended up kind of shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head slightly.
“I don’t know Amy, that’s all the information I’ve heard so far. I’m sorry.”
“I need to get there…I don’t even know where that is. I…I..” I trailed off, looking around as I felt panic rising.
“We have someone that’s going to take you there, he’s on his way. Val’s almost done changing, he’ll be out in a minute to go with you.” I looked up at him with huge eyes, feeling my lip quiver involuntarily for a second before I bit it.
“Thank you Coach,” I said quietly and he sighed before giving me a hug.
“Don’t worry about it okay, just don’t think to hard on it. It’s probably nothing.”
“Hey, are you ready to go?” I heard Val ask and I broke away instantly.
“Yes, is the ride here?” I demanded and he nodded.
“Thanks again Coach,” He said before grabbing my hand, leading me down the hallway.
-
We entered the hospital and I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw that there was hardly anyone in the waiting area. I rushed over to the information desk while Val hung back.
“I need to see Emily Payne,” I said as the woman looked up at me. She looked to be in her 40’s with dark brown hair and kind looking eyes.
“May I ask your name?” She asked in a sweet voice.
“Amy Payne,” I said, then it hit me that they might have told them not to let me in. At this thought, I groaned inwardly.
“Oh yes, Mr. Johnson said you might show up. She’s up on the third level, room 351. You’re going to go down this hallway, turn right and then the elevator will be on your left. After that, the signs will tell you where to go. There you go honey, good luck,” She said, handing me a slip with the floor and room number on it. I turned to look for Val to see he had taken a seat in the waiting area.
“Are you coming?” I asked impatiently.
“I think I’m going to stay back here. It wouldn’t help her out any to see me, she doesn’t like me.”
“Val…”
“She really doesn’t, at least now not. It’ll just stress her out. She doesn’t need that right now.” I took a breath before nodding and turning to make my way to her room.
-
As I made my way down the hallway, looking for room 351, I felt my stomach tying itself in knots. I had no idea what had happened and it was making me panic on the inside, though on the outside I looked totally calm. Seeing the room number made the knots even worse. The door was open, so I slowly made my way in. Jack looked up when he heard my soft footsteps and smiled smally at me.
“You came,” He said, sounding halfway surprised.
“Yeah…she is my sister after all,” I said quietly, looking over at Emily.
“She just fell asleep. We’ve been here for awhile. Left during the second period break.” I nodded, licking my lips as my gaze fell onto my sister. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest before looking back at Jack.
“So what happened?” I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“High blood pressure. Nothing too serious really.” I tried to swallow the lump in my throat before I spoke again.
“So she’s fine?” I asked and Jack’s head turned up sharply at the tone of my voice.
“Yeah, her and the baby are going to be just fine.” I looked around the room, trying to form a sentence, but I was at loss.
“I-”
“Yo dude, that blonde guy from the Wings is down in the waiting roo-” One of the Kings walked in the room and stopped when he saw me standing there. His eyes widened at the sight of me before he looked over to Jack with eyebrows raised. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and picked it up, speaking into it quietly while the Kings player walked over to Jack to talk.
“Hello?” I said, hardly above a whisper.
“So, I know I’ve only seen pictures of your dad before, but I’m pretty positive he just walked past me. He asked for Emily at the info desk, so I don’t know if you want to leave or not. It’s up to you, obviously.” At hearing what Val said, I felt my stomach drop.
“Okay, I’ll be down soon,” I said and hung up the phone.
“Was that Val?” Jack asked, looking up as I shoved my phone in my pocket.
“Uh yeah…I should get going. We have to uh…we have to fly back to Detroit tonight. I have to film tomorrow…”
“That’s fine. I’ll be sure to tell her that you came to see her,” Jack said, looking down at Emily as he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand and I looked down at the ground.
“Thanks for making sure I knew,” I said quietly and he nodded. I ducked out of the room and rushed to the elevator, wanting nothing more than to get out of the hospital without seeing my dad. As I got down to the waiting room, Val stood when he saw me.
“Did you see him?” He asked as we left the hospital quickly.
“No.”