Chances Risked

“I never here before,” Geno said as he, James, Vero and I jumped out of my Escalade, I had just parked it in the nearest Denny’s parking lot.

“It’s pretty known for their hangover cure food,” I said and James chuckled, “No one tell their trainers that we’re here!”

“Not uttering a word, mine would murder me,” James said and I nodded my head, knowing the feeling.

We all walked into the restaurant and the waitress walked the four of us to our table, she tried the booth, but with James and Geno having long legs, it just wasn’t working. The three of us were immediately recognized and I started to wish that I had asked for the table in the way back, because we were attacked by drunk fans finishing up thirty Thursday.

Geno, James and I signed a lot of napkins, shirts and even shoes during our time at Denny’s. I ended up just getting a plate of pancakes, Vero got some oatmeal and two pancakes, while James and Geno ordered a meal fit for some Kings.

“So what store are we hitting up first?” James asked and Vero and I smiled towards one another.

“What meaning of Black Friday?” Geno asked and I looked back at him, I was stopped at a red light.

“It basically means that all the stores have just about everything at a discounted price,” I said and he looked at me, “Most people use this time to shop for personal things, or Christmas presents.”

“Oh, are we doin’ thing like last year?” he asked and I had to think of what he meant.

“Oh, you mean secret Santa?” I asked and Geno nodded his head, “Probably not, not all of the guys are in town, but we can exchange between you, me, Sid, Nealer, Duper, Kuni, Cookie- Who else is in town?”

“Tanger,” James said and I looked at him in the rearview mirror, “Got in the other day.”

“Why wasn’t he at Mario’s?” Vero asked from the front passenger seat, Mario had his annual Thanksgiving party, even though not everyone was in town.

“He said that Catherine didn’t want to go,” James said and I nodded my head.

‘…Which means that she knew I was going to be there and didn’t want to see me…’ I translated on my own, ‘…Oh well…’

-Sidney-
Kasey and I drove over towards Emma’s home; she had called me saying that she wasn’t feeling well and asked if Kasey could come over. When we arrived, Nick answered the door and gave me a worried look.

“How is she? Where’s Maggie?”

“She refuses to call Maggie to tell her that she’s in pain,” Nick said and I sighed, “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Where is she?” Kasey asked.

“In the living room,” he said and Kasey walked into the house quickly.

“You want me to call Maggie, you know she’ll drop everything and come straight here-“

“I think that’s why Emma doesn’t want to call Maggie-“

“Yeah well, she’s gunna have to,” I heard and saw Kasey looking at me wide eyed, “Because Emma just went into labor.”

“What?!” Nick yelled and pulled out his phone

It was about two in the afternoon, Maggie, Vero, James and Geno had left to shop at one, they’ve been gone for a long time and I wondered how long they planned on going, knowing that the guys were probably begging Maggie to let them go home by now.

“She’s not answering!” Nick panicked and I pulled out my phone and dialed James’ number.

“Hello?” he answered tiredly after the third ring.

“Nealer! Where are you guys?”

“Man, I don’t fuckin’ know, these two have been draggin’ our asses all over the place and I just want my bed right now!” he whined and I chuckled because I tried to warn him.

“Well, I’ll be your savior, get Maggie,” I said and then waited.

“Hello?” I heard, knowing it was Maggie’s voice.

“Mags, it’s Sid-“

“What’s up?”

“Emma went into labor!” I said and there was a silence on the phone, “Mags?”

“WHAT?!” she shouted, “It’s too soon Sid! She’s got like two more weeks!”

“Well, tell the baby that because apparently he’s coming!” I said and then looked towards Kasey to see her waving her hangs, “Hold on, hold on,” I told Maggie, “What?”

“False alarm,” Kasey and Nick and I looked at her confused, “You don’t want to know- Just give me the phone.”

“All right,” I said and Kasey snatched my phone away and walked into the living room.

“Fuckin’ women,” Nick grumbled and I chuckled and nodded my head.

-Maggie-
It was the middle of the night, two weeks had passed, more of guys were back in town in hopes of the lockout being over soon. Pat was back in town, he and I were currently in bed, my back against his chest and his arms wrapped around me.

We were both woken up to a cell phone ringing, I was too tired to tell whose it was, they were both on vibrate. Pat groaned my name into my head and I groaned right back, not wanting to move and a little annoyed.

“Who’s calling?” Pat growled and picked his head up, “It’s two in the morning.”

I sighed and saw that it was my phone. The phone stopped going off, and right when we thought it was over, it picked right back up again. I growled and snatched my charged phone and answered it, “Hello?”

“Mags! Emma’s in labor!” I heard my brother’s voice, but I was so tired it didn’t process, “Did you hear me?”

“What?”

“Wake up! Emma’s in labor!” he yelled again and it clicked.

“I’m coming!” I jumped out of bed, scaring Pat and flicking the lights on, “Is her bag ready? Are you ready? How much pain is she in? How far apart are her contractions?”

“Yes, Yes, A lot and few minutes,” he answered and I held the phone with my shower as I threw on my jeans from the previous day and looked towards Pat.

“Get dressed, Emma’s in labor!” I said and he nodded his head, “We’re comin, Nicky, we’ll be there in a few.”

“All right, take your time, not like anyone’s pushin’ a baby out of their v-“

“We’re comin’ Nicky!” I growled and then hung up the phone to throw my shirt on. I sent a text to Sidney, James, Marc and Geno saying that Emma was in labor, because they wanted to know to be there for their friend.

Pat and I were out of the house and in front of Emma’s place before no time. I received texts from everyone saying they were on their way to the hospital. I jumped out of the car with Pat and he and Nick helped the screaming woman into my car and I drove off towards the hospital.
-Kane-

I was in the waiting room with some of the Penguins and their wives or girlfriends, Letang was even here and I just looked at him. Maggie and Nick were with Emma, she wanted them with her, everyone else was in the waiting room and we’d been there for hours.

We finally got there just before three and it was well after eight right now, we were all tired. But our spirits were brought up when Nick walked out of the waiting room doors with a smile on his face.

“How is she?” Vero asked.

“She’s fine, so is little Troy,” he said and we all smiled, “Ya’ll can go back now, I was told to come and get you.”

Crosby and his girlfriend, Neal, Malkin, Letang, Fleury and his wife, Dupuis and his wife, Kunitz and his wife and even Mario Lemieux were here. I followed them through the doors and back towards the room where Emma and Maggie were. We walked into the room and I saw an exhausted Emma on the bed and then smiled when I saw Maggie holding the little bundle of joy.

“He looks like Mikey,” Sidney said and Maggie nodded her head.

Her teammates crowded around her and leaned over her to see the little baby, I stood in front of her and saw her smiling down at the boy, he was awake, he was looking around at everyone’s smiling faces. The baby let out a little squeal and then brought his hand up and grabbed the necklace around Maggie’s neck.

“Oh, no, no, no, no,” she giggled and pulled his hand off and kissed it, “One day, Auntie Maggie is going to give you this, it was your Daddy’s,” she said and I saw her eyes tearing up, “Don’t you worry kiddo, Auntie Maggie is gunna teach you how to play hockey.”

“Oh no, here we go again,” Emma giggled from the bed and I looked to see Nick sitting next to her still holding her hand.

“Hey, hey, hey, we agreed that I would teach him to play hockey, Nicky would teach him to play football and he would decide,” Maggie said and Emma smiled and nodded her head, “But you’re gunna play hockey, aren’t ya, Troy Michael Marshall.”