It Takes Someone Special to Be a Dad

Kate’s POV
As much as I knew I wanted to trust him, as much as I wanted him to be in that part of my life permanently I couldn’t help but think he would leave.

He was right though, I was wanting him to stay but as soon as he agreed and we could see it becoming more I freaked out and pushed him away not wanting anything more from him.

I had managed to successfully avoid him all morning getting as much work done before the game against Buffalo.

There was a knock at the door and I was expecting him to walk in but the knock was too soft, “Vero?”
“Kate, I just wanted to apologize for the other day. I should have just stayed out of it…”
“He loves me,” I stopped her.
“He what?” I could see the smiled wanting to cover her face.
“Go on,” I gestured and she began screaming and cheering before hugging me.

“This is good right, it’s what you want?” she questioned as she collected herself.
“Well that’s what I thought.”
“He’s not Jack.”
“Do you guys talk because that’s what he said?”
“No, because it’s true. Look we all know you have a problem when it comes to trusting someone but Evgeni isn’t going to hurt you.”
“I know, I know,” I sighed, “but what happens if Jack comes back for Asher?”
“Evgeni will kill him,” she looked at me seriously, “he isn’t going to let anything happen, ok?”
“Ok.”

Evgeni’s POV
I let her have her space for a few days to give her some time to process what I had said to her and let her make her decision. Ultimately I couldn’t force her to let me in but I had to everything in my power to convince her it was a good idea.

“Hello,” she smiled as she walked passed me in the locker room.
God did she look beautiful, even in that tracksuit she was still amazing. Her perfume followed behind and I was gone thinking about all the times we laid in bed together.

I felt like I should have gone to talk to her but something told me there would be plenty of time for that later.

I was trying to get ready for the game but my mind kept wondering to her in the room next door helping the other guys get ready.

Kate’s POV
My heart was racing a million miles a second as Evgeni got into a fight, he tripped over and everyone was getting tangled up, “Dan they have to stop it, someone is going to get hurt!” I pleaded.

In those next few seconds I saw Evgeni flinch and then his hand go straight to his neck. The blood began trickling through his fingers and thankfully Sid was there to drag him out from under everyone.

“Oh god, no… Evgeni!” I screamed as I ran out onto the ice my towel in hand.

Sid dragged him to his feet and helped him to me where he collapsed into my arms. He looked at me, his eyes full of terror but the only reassuring words that would come out of my mouth were, “You’re going to be ok.”

I couldn’t believe what was happening. I hadn’t had the chance to tell him how I felt, how he was one of the only people I did trust and how I was just scared to tell him. But here he was in my arms and he was slowly slipping away and there was nothing I could do to help.

By the time we had reached the medical room his body was limp and I was practically dragging him. His face was as pale as a ghost and his lips that I loved to kiss had gone blue.

The room was full of different medical staff, people I had never seen before in my life but they were all here to help Evgeni so I felt a little safer.

They had him lying on the bench but I wasn’t allowed to move, according to them my hand on his neck could be the only thing keeping him alive.

“Kate,” his voice was weak and choppy.
“Evgeni, shhh,” I ran my hands through his hair as the chaos continued on around us, “it’s going to be ok. I promise.”

I guess if I kept telling myself that he would ok I would eventually believe it.

My hands began shaking and I was beginning to feel the pressure that I was under get to me, “Chris,” I begged, “can you please,” I gestured to the towel.

We swapped spots and I took Chris’s seat on the other side of Evgeni. I knew I needed to get some air but I couldn’t deal with leaving him, letting him face this alone.

My heart stopped when his fingers that were intertwined with mine began losing their grip and his eyes slipped shut.
“Evgeni?” I could feel the tears catching in the back of my throat.
“Just rest eyes,” he spoke slowly and barely above a whisper.

I had to tell him, I couldn’t take the chance that it would be now or never. I lent down and whispered the few words in his ear. I looked at him for some kind of response but nothing. I had no idea if had heard me or not.

I pushed his sweat drenched hair from his forehead and placed a soft kiss to the exposed skin before I physically couldn’t handle being in the room anymore.

The second I got into the locker room I was being pulled into Dan’s arms, “you did good, you tried, ok?”
“What if…” I couldn’t finish my sentence as the tears took over.

I felt another warm reassuring hand on my back and pulled away from Dan to see Sid. I couldn’t help but cry harder as Sid pulled me into his chest. My body convulsing in shock as his arms held me tight. “He isn’t going to leave you,” Sid whispered in my ear.

I eventually mustered up the courage to go back to the medical room to help Chris clean up after they had taken him to hospital but I stopped at the door in shock.
Evgeni had been lying on the table only moments before, he was in pain and I was slowly losing him.

His discarded gear that had been cut off of his body in the panic was all over the floor, there was tape and towels everywhere but the only thing I could only see was his lifeless body on the table all on its own.