‹ Prequel: The Ice Queen
Pursuit of Happiness
002:
-Alyssa-
“Auntie AJ, how long are you staying with us?” Dylan asked and I looked down at him and then bent down.
“Just for a little while, Aunite AJ needs your Daddy’s help,” I said and gave him a little wink.
“Where is Daddy?”
“He had a doctor’s appointment for his shoulder, he should be back soon though,” I said and Dylan nodded his head and then ran off into the living room to watch his cartoons. I turned around and went to head to the kitchen, when a pain shot through my leg. I gasped, leaned against the wall and gripped my leg; I was getting these spurts of pains a lot, one of the many reasons why I was forced to retire.
“Alyssa?” I looked up and saw Nathan, he had the front door opened and he was walking in. Nathan rushed over towards me and made me sit on the ground; he bent down in front of me and looked at me, “Where does it hurt?”
“My thigh,” I said and rubbed the area, sighed and leaned my head against the wall, staring up at the ceiling, “I hate this.”
“I know,” he said and started to rub where the pain was, “Are you taking your medicines?”
“No-“
“Alyssa-“
“They make me feel sick,” I said and Nathan sighed.
“Because you’re probably supposed to eat something with them,” he said and I sighed, “Where are they?”
“In my bag upstairs,” I said and Nathan held out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me up. I hissed and kept weight off of the leg as Nathan helped me up the stairs towards the room that I had been staying in for the last two days.
“Which bag?” he asked as he sat me on the bed and I sighed and pointed towards the little bag on the dresser, “You really need to take the medicine that the doctor prescribes you.”
I just looked down and listened to Nathan move around the room, hearing him dig through my little bag, hearing the rattle of the pill bottle, “You’re supposed to take three a day, AJ- How many have you taken?”
“In general or just today?”
“In general.”
“Zero-“
“Alyssa! You’re worse than Looch when he’s injured,” Nathan growled and I sighed and looked down.
“But at least his injuries- He’ll come back from them,” I said and Nathan looked at me sadly, “I’m never going back, am I Horty?”
“No,” he breathed and I felt his arms around me, “I’m sorry, but your time is up.”
“I don’t want it to be up,” I said and Nathan hugged my head and kissed it.
“Have you called Looch yet?” Nathan asked and I shook my head, “You know, he’s probably really worried about you.”
“I know.”
“You should call him-“
“I’m not ready,” I said and Nathan rubbed my back.
“I’m not asking you to see him or anything- Just call him,” Nathan said and I saw my phone appear in front of me.
“He probably hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you- He couldn’t hate you, Red- Milan loves you!” Nathan said and I looked at him, “And I could tell you that if I was in his shoes right now, he’d be freaking out and want you to call him,” I took it from Nathan’s hand and turned it on, “Just give him a call, tell him where you are- That you’re all right.”
I nodded my head and Nathan stood up and headed for the door, “I’ll get you something to eat so you can take that medicine.”
“All right,” I breathed and then unlocked my iphone, seeing the picture of Milan and I as my background. I sighed and went to contacts, found his name and pushed it, placing the phone to my ear and listening to it ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri-
“Alyssa! Are you all right?!” Milan asked quickly and I bit my lip, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arm around them, “Alyssa?!”
“I’m here,” I croaked out, feeling my tears watering up.
Milan sighed, “You scared me you know- Where are you?”
“Please don’t hate me, Milan.”
“Aw, baby, no- I don’t hate you- I’m just worried,” he said and then sighed, “Where are you?”
“I’m in Ohio- With Nathan,” I said and Milan sighed again, “I’m sorry I left.”
“It’s all right- Let me come get you-“
“No,” I said quickly, “No, I’m not ready to come back to Boston yet-“
“Babe, please-“
“NO, just, just let me stay here for a- I can’t come back yet-“
“Alyssa, I saw your emails,” Milan said and I looked at the ground, “You’ve been talking to so many doctors and they’re all telling you the same thing.”
“I’ll find one-“
“There’s not going to be a one,” he said and I sniffled, “Baby come home so I can take care of you.”
“I need time Milan, please, just- just give me time,” I said and ran my fingers through my hair.
“How much time?”
“I don’t know,” I said and sighed, “I’m sorry Milan- I shouldn’t have left.”
“You ran away, Alyssa- Running isn’t going to help you get through this- You need to talk to me, let me help you!”
“What can you do?!” I didn’t mean to snap, I instantly regretted it.
“I can be there for you, love you- I do love you, Alyssa!” Milan said and I choked out a cry.
“I love you too, Milan,” I said and then wiped my tear stained cheeks.
“I’m not going to rush you to come home,” Milan said and I ran my fingers through my hair, “But just keep in contact- Call me.”
“I will,” I said and he sighed.
“Call me every day, and when you’re ready, come home,” he said and I nodded my head and sniffled.
“I will, I love you Milan,” I said heard the door open and looked up to see Nathan.
“Love you too, Alyssa- Get some sleep,” he said and I sighed.
“All right.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I’ll leave my phone on,” I said and we both said our goodbyes and I then hung up the phone and looked up towards Nathan.
“See,” he said and then sat next to me, “He doesn’t hate you- It’s going to be all right, Alyssa.”
“What am I going to do with myself since I don’t play hockey anymore?” I asked and looked at my friend.
“We’ll figure something out- You could always Coach,” he said and I snorted, “I’m serious!”
“I would be a horrible Coach.”
“Don’t knock it ‘till you tried it! You never know- You might be the best out there,” he said and then kissed the side of my head and headed for the door, “Here’s a sandwich- Eat it and take your medicine.”
“You’re gunna be on my ass to take my medicine, aren’t ya?”
“You better believe it,” he said and I gave a small smile.
“Hey Nate,” I called as he was about to leave.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“Auntie AJ, how long are you staying with us?” Dylan asked and I looked down at him and then bent down.
“Just for a little while, Aunite AJ needs your Daddy’s help,” I said and gave him a little wink.
“Where is Daddy?”
“He had a doctor’s appointment for his shoulder, he should be back soon though,” I said and Dylan nodded his head and then ran off into the living room to watch his cartoons. I turned around and went to head to the kitchen, when a pain shot through my leg. I gasped, leaned against the wall and gripped my leg; I was getting these spurts of pains a lot, one of the many reasons why I was forced to retire.
“Alyssa?” I looked up and saw Nathan, he had the front door opened and he was walking in. Nathan rushed over towards me and made me sit on the ground; he bent down in front of me and looked at me, “Where does it hurt?”
“My thigh,” I said and rubbed the area, sighed and leaned my head against the wall, staring up at the ceiling, “I hate this.”
“I know,” he said and started to rub where the pain was, “Are you taking your medicines?”
“No-“
“Alyssa-“
“They make me feel sick,” I said and Nathan sighed.
“Because you’re probably supposed to eat something with them,” he said and I sighed, “Where are they?”
“In my bag upstairs,” I said and Nathan held out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me up. I hissed and kept weight off of the leg as Nathan helped me up the stairs towards the room that I had been staying in for the last two days.
“Which bag?” he asked as he sat me on the bed and I sighed and pointed towards the little bag on the dresser, “You really need to take the medicine that the doctor prescribes you.”
I just looked down and listened to Nathan move around the room, hearing him dig through my little bag, hearing the rattle of the pill bottle, “You’re supposed to take three a day, AJ- How many have you taken?”
“In general or just today?”
“In general.”
“Zero-“
“Alyssa! You’re worse than Looch when he’s injured,” Nathan growled and I sighed and looked down.
“But at least his injuries- He’ll come back from them,” I said and Nathan looked at me sadly, “I’m never going back, am I Horty?”
“No,” he breathed and I felt his arms around me, “I’m sorry, but your time is up.”
“I don’t want it to be up,” I said and Nathan hugged my head and kissed it.
“Have you called Looch yet?” Nathan asked and I shook my head, “You know, he’s probably really worried about you.”
“I know.”
“You should call him-“
“I’m not ready,” I said and Nathan rubbed my back.
“I’m not asking you to see him or anything- Just call him,” Nathan said and I saw my phone appear in front of me.
“He probably hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you- He couldn’t hate you, Red- Milan loves you!” Nathan said and I looked at him, “And I could tell you that if I was in his shoes right now, he’d be freaking out and want you to call him,” I took it from Nathan’s hand and turned it on, “Just give him a call, tell him where you are- That you’re all right.”
I nodded my head and Nathan stood up and headed for the door, “I’ll get you something to eat so you can take that medicine.”
“All right,” I breathed and then unlocked my iphone, seeing the picture of Milan and I as my background. I sighed and went to contacts, found his name and pushed it, placing the phone to my ear and listening to it ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri-
“Alyssa! Are you all right?!” Milan asked quickly and I bit my lip, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arm around them, “Alyssa?!”
“I’m here,” I croaked out, feeling my tears watering up.
Milan sighed, “You scared me you know- Where are you?”
“Please don’t hate me, Milan.”
“Aw, baby, no- I don’t hate you- I’m just worried,” he said and then sighed, “Where are you?”
“I’m in Ohio- With Nathan,” I said and Milan sighed again, “I’m sorry I left.”
“It’s all right- Let me come get you-“
“No,” I said quickly, “No, I’m not ready to come back to Boston yet-“
“Babe, please-“
“NO, just, just let me stay here for a- I can’t come back yet-“
“Alyssa, I saw your emails,” Milan said and I looked at the ground, “You’ve been talking to so many doctors and they’re all telling you the same thing.”
“I’ll find one-“
“There’s not going to be a one,” he said and I sniffled, “Baby come home so I can take care of you.”
“I need time Milan, please, just- just give me time,” I said and ran my fingers through my hair.
“How much time?”
“I don’t know,” I said and sighed, “I’m sorry Milan- I shouldn’t have left.”
“You ran away, Alyssa- Running isn’t going to help you get through this- You need to talk to me, let me help you!”
“What can you do?!” I didn’t mean to snap, I instantly regretted it.
“I can be there for you, love you- I do love you, Alyssa!” Milan said and I choked out a cry.
“I love you too, Milan,” I said and then wiped my tear stained cheeks.
“I’m not going to rush you to come home,” Milan said and I ran my fingers through my hair, “But just keep in contact- Call me.”
“I will,” I said and he sighed.
“Call me every day, and when you’re ready, come home,” he said and I nodded my head and sniffled.
“I will, I love you Milan,” I said heard the door open and looked up to see Nathan.
“Love you too, Alyssa- Get some sleep,” he said and I sighed.
“All right.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I’ll leave my phone on,” I said and we both said our goodbyes and I then hung up the phone and looked up towards Nathan.
“See,” he said and then sat next to me, “He doesn’t hate you- It’s going to be all right, Alyssa.”
“What am I going to do with myself since I don’t play hockey anymore?” I asked and looked at my friend.
“We’ll figure something out- You could always Coach,” he said and I snorted, “I’m serious!”
“I would be a horrible Coach.”
“Don’t knock it ‘till you tried it! You never know- You might be the best out there,” he said and then kissed the side of my head and headed for the door, “Here’s a sandwich- Eat it and take your medicine.”
“You’re gunna be on my ass to take my medicine, aren’t ya?”
“You better believe it,” he said and I gave a small smile.
“Hey Nate,” I called as he was about to leave.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”