Come To Life

Zoey paced around Marc's apartment waiting for him to come home. He had been in the hospital for a few hours and she hadn't heard much from him. After the injury to his eye Marc had been taken off the ice and to the doctor's. He had basically yelled at Zoey to leave, he wouldn't allow her to see him like that.

Zoey would say she was hurt by Marc yelling at her and not letting her be with him in a time of need, but she was too worried about his eye. The puck to the face was so incredibly close to his eye it could go either way.

She wished she could say she had been bugging him about getting a visor, but she hadn't. It had crossed her mind a few times, but she never knew how high of a risk Marc had of getting hit. She thought it might be one of those "struck by lightning" kind of scenarios. It was stupid and naive of her to think he was safe out there.

The phone at Marc's house rang for the fourth time indicating it was probably Eric calling this time. She had already received a call from Jordan, Linda and a separate call from Henry.

"Hello," She answered.

"Zoey? Hey, it's Eric."

"Eric, how are you?" Zoey asked, as if she needed to. Of course Eric was probably just as freaked out as the rest of the Staals about Marc's condition.

"I'm okay," Eric replied. "A little on edge, but that happens. How is he?"

"I wish I knew," Zoey sighed. "Between you and I? Marc hasn't let me see him all night. I went to go and see him right after the hit and he screamed at me to leave and wait for him at home. I've been getting texts from him all night long, but he's still at the hospital."

"Jesus," Eric sighed heavily. "He seriously told you to leave?"

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. "I mean, I can understand where he was coming from, but I want to help. Why didn't he want me back there with him, Eric?"

"He's a hothead like that," Eric replied softly. "He's always been like that. Jared is like it, too. He doesn't like anyone seeing him weak, especially someone he has to be strong for."

"Okay, but I'm not you guys. I can understand that he would put up a front around you guys- you're his brothers. But why me? What's so bad about him being vulnerable like that in front of me?" Zoey asked, distressed.

"I don't want to sound mean or anything, but he probably isn't even thinking about you. He would probably have been mean and cold to you if you were there with him," Eric replied. "That's what we do. He'll come home soon and be begging you for love and sympathy. It's just right now he needs to distant and worry about his career. This could be really big, Zoey."

"I know," Zoey nodded. "You're right. I guess I was just a little hurt by it."

"I can understand that," Eric replied. "Well, give my little brother my best and I'll give him a call tomorrow sometime. The wife is on my ass about wearing a visor, so you can thank him, too."

"Okay," Zoey laughed softly. "Tell the family I said hey."

"For sure," Eric replied. "Talk to you later, Zoey."

"Bye, Eric." Zoey hung up the phone and put it back on the line. She sighed and decided to go and get ready for bed. She hadn't heard from Marc in close to an hour, so she figured he was probably on his way home.

The house phone rang again and Zoey assumed, by process of elimination, that it would Jared calling up Marc.

"Hello,"

"Babe, it's me. Can you help me in?" Came Marc's tired and raspy voice. He sounded so sad.

"Be right there," Zoey hung up again and walked out of his apartment and outside to help him in.

Marc stood in the lobby of his apartment looking lost, ashamed and angry all at the same time. He had his hands in his coat pocket and an already bloody circular bandage taped to his eye.

"Baby," Zoey sighed when she saw him. Marc smiled weakly and offered her a one-armed hug. His other hand was in his pocket holding onto more bandages.

"I'm sorry," Marc breathed out when her body came in contact with his. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I feel like such a dick."

"I understand," Zoey replied softly. "Did Coach bring you home?"

Marc nodded as they walked to the elevator. Marc let out a frustrated sigh.

"Doctor said we'll have the keep changing the bandage," Marc mumbled as they reached his floor and Zoey led him towards his apartment.

"I can do that," Zoey smiled softly, unlocking his door and leading him into his apartment. Zoey and Marc walked to his bedroom and through to his bathroom.

Marc sat on the ledge of the his bathtub while Zoey gently pulled the circular bandage off of his eye.

"Oh, baby." Zoey sighed, looking at his swollen and cut eye. "That looks so painful."

"It is," Marc nodded, wincing. Zoey cleaned his wound before applying another bandage.

"Does that feel okay?" Zoey asked, running her fingertips over the tape to make sure it was on firmly.

Marc nodded and stood up. He kissed her forehead, uttering a small "thank you" before going back to the room to change out of his clothes.

"Do you want a bath or anything, Marc? You were in that hospital for so long," Zoey asked, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. "I can run you a bath if you'd like."

"I just want to try and sleep, baby." Marc sighed, taking off his clothes. He pulled on pajama pants and climbed into bed. Zoey nodded and shut off the bathroom light, walking to him and climbing into bed with him.

Zoey sat on the bed and Marc laid between her legs, with his back against her chest. Zoey ran her fingertips through his hair and watched as he struggled to sleep.

Around six in the morning the house phone rang.

"Shit," Zoey mumbled, getting up. She hadn't slept at all. She'd been up all night, cleaning blood off of Marc's face as he drifted in and out of sleep.

Zoey gently got out from behind Marc and laid his sleeping body down flat on their bed. She bolted for the closest phone in the office.

"Hello?" Zoey asked, out of breath.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong number," Came a woman's voice on the other end of the line.

"That's no problem. May I ask who you're looking for?" Zoey asked, prepping a pen and paper to take a message for Marc.

"I'm looking for Marc Staal," The woman stated.

"You're in luck!" Zoey smiled. "This is his place. He's just asleep right now. May I take a message?"

"This is Alaya," The woman stated. "I heard about his injury and I was just calling to see how he was."