The Opportunity Has Just Begun

"Cam, wait," I heard that familiar russian accent from behind me as I headed to my car.
I turned around to see Geno jogging up to me. The smile he had on as I walked out of the locker room was gone and he looked honestly a little scared.

"You going to see Sid?" He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, did you want to come?" 
"Um Dan say he and Ray going."
"I am sure Sid could use all the good company he get right now," I put my hand on his arm, feeling his muscles tense under my grasp, "... is everything ok?" I looked at him rather skeptical as he shifted back.
"Yeah just," he sighed, "worried is more and Sid hurt bad."
"Sid will be fine. Come on. I will follow you, I still get lost."
"You get lost finding hospital?" He looked like he was trying hard not to smile.
"Yeah, yeah shut up," I waved him off and unlocked my car.
"Remind me not to die with only you around," he chuckled.
"Just get in your car and drive," I gestured to his excuse for a vehicle before climbing in mine.

I get that Geno was worried about Sid and the whole concussion things, everyone was. I know that I hadn't been there when it happened but I cared about Sid. I was just as worried as anyone else about him.

Geno followed quietly behind me as we walked up to the nurses station. He didn't look all that happy about being in a hospital.
"Hi, we are here to see Sidney Crosby."
"Sure could I..." She looked up and realised who we were, "um sorry, floor 4, room 16."
"Thanks."

We headed to the elevators and Geno continued to look around like he hated everything about being here.
"You ok?"
"Not like hospitals," he took a deep breath as the doors opened and we stepped inside.
"Nobody really likes them G, just relax."
"Ok," he sighed as I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway.

We continued in silence until we reached Sid's room.

I knocked lightly on the door and peered in. He was lying peacefully in bed with eyes closed in the dark room.

"Sid," I whispered.
"Mmm," his eyes cracked open and a smile appeared on his face when he saw me, "hey."
"Hey, Geno's here too," I reached back and grabbed the russian's arm successfully yanking him into the room with me.
"Hi," he stumbled forward, "Sid ok?"
"Yeah G I am ok," Sid pulled himself to sit up as we moved over to his bedside.

I sat down on the edge of his bed and noticed the swelling right away. It looked worse then he was letting on. But that was just how Sid was, he didn't want us getting worried when he didn't see fit for us to.

"Um I got your phone for you," I searched around in my bag trying to find his connection to the outside world, "Megan texted you asking if you were alright. I hope you don't mind but I messaged her back letting her know what happened and that I would ring her when I knew more."
"Ok," he watched my hand rather intensely as I placed it in his lap before reaching for it himself.

He began mashing away at the keys on his dinosaur like blackberry that I had given him so much crap about that it just wasn’t fun to tease him anymore. He had insisted it was fine and didn't need to conform to the apple world like Geno and I had. I just thought he could do with some angry birds in his life, but he didn't agree.

He shoved the phone back into my hands and gestured for me to look at it.
'Can you ring Megan for me and ask her to come see me?'
"Of course I can. Are you just not going to talk anymore or are you saving your voice for her?" I teased holding the phone up.

He snatched it from my grasp and frowned as if his life depended on it. I was beginning to already like this no talking Sid.

He typed away on his phone again before thrusting it back at me clearly annoyed.
'My mouth hurts and talking hurts.'
"Silence is golden huh?" I taped his leg playfully knowing he couldn't do anything about it, "I will be right back."

I ducked out of the room and dialed her number.
"Hello?"
"Megan hi it's Cam."
"Hey, is he ok?"
"He is alright, can't talk much."
"I bet you love that," she laughed.
"I love it... Are you busy right now?"
"No."
"Do you want to come and see him?"
"Oh but won't there be lots of people there?"
"Our coach has already been to see him, just me and one of our teammates here now."
"I just don't want to get in the way."
"No it's fine, he wants to see you anyways."
"Ok, I will be there soon."

I walked back into the room and Sid's eyes shot straight to me. He looked like he could fall out of bed from all the anticipation and I just had to laugh.
"She will be here soon," I assured him as I handed the phone back.

Geno seemed a little more at ease once he knew Sid was fine. I guess being there when Sid went through his concussion had taken a toll on everyone he was close with too.

Geno and I sat with Sid giving him the down low on the game and how everything went. Geno was happy to talk up how well I was playing which brought a smile to Sid's face.

“Yeah yeah I wasn't that great, shut up,” I waved my hand dismissively at them.
“No she was,” Geno moved forward as if Sid really did have to believe him, “maybe be new captain.”
“What?” we both looked at him like he was crazy.
“I joke, Sid captain, maybe Cam have my A.”
“Geno just sit there and be quiet,” I frowned at him.
“Fine,” he grumbled finally letting me give Sid the real review of what happened.

There was a knock at the door and Megan peered in looking a little uncertain about where she was.
“Sidney?”
“Hi,” our captain looked rather relieved that she was here.
“Hey Megan, come in,” I got up and moved over to the other side of the bed.

“Megan this is Geno, Geno Megan,” Sid gestured between the two of them.
“Hi,” she smiled shyly as Geno stood up to shake her hand.
“Hi.”

I was hoping to steal Geno's seat but he beat me to it. He scowled at me as I shoved his elbow out the way so I could sit on the arm of the chair.
“Suck it up princess,” I ruffled up his hair as he folded his arms across his chest.

Sid was eying us like a disapproving parent as Geno and I continued to nudge each other before he cleared his throat and I knew we were over staying our welcome.

“Right sorry,” I got up and brushed myself off, “we will leave you two alone. Come on,” I tugged on the sleeve of Geno's jacket.
“Yes sorry,” Geno apologized stumbling to his feet.
“It's ok, you don't have to,” Megan shook her head.
“No it's fine, it's getting kind of late anyways,” I insisted, “we have to be up early for practice.”
“Ok it was nice meeting you Geno and Cam, look after yourself,” she winked as we walked out the door.

Megan knew all about what had happened between Geno and I but she was the only person encouraging me to actively do something about it though I knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

I turned back to say goodbye one last time but held it in as Megan lent forward to kiss his forehead. They were perfect together, she was everything he needed and more and he adored her like she was a princess. Sid looked truly happy for the first time in ages and I wasn't about to ruin it just so I could say goodbye.

“Come on,” Geno whispered taking a hold of my hand so I would budge from the doorway.

I was left feeling a little down seeing Sid happy. Even if he had just broken his jaw and was going to be out of the game for a while everything seemed like it was perfect with the help of just one person.

It made me begin to miss Adam. Just being with him, in his arms made everything perfect. He would have known exactly what to do with what happened the other day at the rink. He would said something that it made it all not matter in an instant. But I had given that up and whether or not it was the right thing to do I was going to have to deal with it.

"You ok?" Geno put his hand on my back as I stood staring at my car trying to think of what to do, "you look lost."
"I don't know, I kind of don't want to go home."
"Why?"
"It's a big house and Sid's in there. It's kind of lonely sometimes."
"You can stay, lots of guests room or couch," he shrugged as if it would be that simple."
"No, I think I might go out for a drink or something, maybe just walk around a bit."
"Not go on your own, not safe," he shook his head, "I come, not need to talk still silence for you to think," he offered.
"I don't know," I was beginning to feel restless even with myself as we stood in the hospital carpark, Geno waiting for me to decide what I wanted to do.
"Something you want talk about?" He pressed, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"I don't really want to talk about it..." but with the way he was looking at me I knew we wasn't going to let me get away with it.

"Just seeing Sid and Megan, they look so happy together and I guess it makes me miss Adam. I miss our late night talks on the phone, I miss his hugs, I miss having someone special," I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket knowing I was treading on thin ice talking to Geno about this but he asked and once I started I wasn't going to stop.
"I want to know that they are thinking about me while I think of them. I want a smile to come onto my face every time I think of something they said because as lame as it was everything they say is perfect... I just want to feel like I mean something to someone again."
"You mean something to me," he offered lightly pressing his lips to my forehead.
"Yet we still can't be together," I laughed but only so I could stop myself from crying.
"Sometimes life not make sense, but it always work out," he wrapped his arms tightly around me like he was trying everything in his power to protect me. Even if it was from myself and my own crazy mind.