Status: just have to post
Forever Changed
Chapter 003
Three months passed and Alana had grown closer to Niklas. She reminded him so much of his cousin he’d lost to cancer five years earlier. In fact, on the arms of their jerseys, there was a sown circle with the words ‘A.W: Deep in Our Hearts’ in the middle. Niklas loved Alana: she was always encouraging him whenever he felt down and told him never to stop fighting, a phrase which both of them took to heart. Niklas was in his hotel room in San Jose, thinking about Alana when he heard a knock on his door. He got up to open it and shock filled his face when he saw his old teammate, Brad Stuart.
“Stewie! What are you doing here”, he asked.
“I came to see you. I just wanted to know how you were doing, buddy”. Niklas grinned and allowed Brad inside.
“I’ve been doing great, Stewie. The team’s doing good, too”. Brad smiled and sat on the edge of Niklas’s bed.
“That’s great, Nik. That’s really good. Now I was watching your game against the hawks the other day and I noticed that patch on your jersey. What’s that all about?” Niklas smiled and sat next to his friend.
“It’s a long story, Stewie, but I think it’s worth listening to.” He told his friend everything: about the first meeting he’d had with Alana, about her illness, about her love of hockey and how he was her favorite player, how she always said he was helping her and lastly about how encouraging she was even though she was going through hell. There was silence when he finished.
“Wow, bud, that’s… amazing. I feel really sorry for her and her parents: she’s way too young to have something like that. But it sounds like you’re helping her, even if it is just making her happy.” Nik nodded.
“She’s a great kid. I…” He was cut off by the sound of his text ring going off. It was a text from Carol. Alana wants to face time you. Is that okay? Niklas smiled and sent her a text back. That’s perfectly okay! Just let me get my laptop set up! He grabbed his laptop out of the bag and turned it on.
“Was that Alana”, Brad asked.
“Her mom, actually. Alana wants me to face time her and she asked me if it was okay. I said it was fine.” It was minutes later that Alana’s face appeared on the screen. Niklas couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face when he saw his younger friend. She was in her hospital room and she looked pale and weak, but that didn’t stop her eyes from lighting up when she saw him.
“Nicky”, she said. “Hi, baby girl”, he whispered.
“When are you coming home? I miss you.” Niklas readjusted the laptop so that Brad could see as well.
“I miss you too. I’ll be home tomorrow I think.” Alana smiled.
“I’m glad. Who’s your friend”, she asked, pointing at Brad. Niklas laughed: Alana was adorable.
“Brad Stuart. You remember, he was my defensive partner.” His smile grew when Alana’s face lit up with light she got when she talked about hockey.
“Oh, yeah, I remember him. He wore number 23 I think. Hi, Brad.” Brad stayed and talked with Alana for a while before he said he had to leave. “Bye, Brad. Oh, and don’t hit Niklas too hard tonight. We need him.” Brad laughed.
“I’ll try, Alana”, he said before messing up Niklas’s hair and leaving. Niklas and Alana talked for a little bit more before Alana grew tired.
“I’ll let you get some sleep, Lannie. You’re getting tired, I can see it. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Kay. See ya later. And, Nicky? I love you”. Niklas felt tears in his eyes and quickly wiped them away.
“I love you too, Lannie”, he whispered before hanging up.
Niklas smiled as he walked down the hallway to Alana’s hospital room. He’d just gotten back three hours before and he really wanted to visit her. He spotted Carol out in the hallway. “Carol”, he called. Carol looked up and smiled when she saw him.
“Hi, Nicky! How was your trip”, she asked, hugging him.
“It was good. How is she? She seemed really happy yesterday.” Carol shrugged.
“She’s good… or as good as she can be with her cancer. She got sick this morning, but that was just from the chemo.”
“Is she awake?”
“She should be. Come on in”. Niklas followed Carol inside and the smile again appeared on his face when he saw Alana. She always seemed to make him smile, even on his worst days. He loved this little girl more than she knew… and that was quite a bit.
“Lannie, wake up. Nik’s here.” Alana’s eyes shot open and they lit up when she saw Niklas.
“Nicky”, she said, pushing herself up in bed. The Swedish defenceman sat on the edge of the bed and took Alana’s hands in his.
“Hi, Lannie.”
“Win. Did you guys win last night?” Niklas smiled and rubbed her hand.
“Yes, we did. Four to three in overtime.” Alana made a face.
“Ew. I don’t like overtime.” Niklas laughed.
“I don’t either, baby girl. But we’ve got to play in there sometimes.”
“It’d be so much less nerve-racking if we didn’t have to”, she said. Niklas reached into his pocket and pulled out a puck.
“Here, Alana. I scored a goal last night and got the puck for you”, he said, handing it to her. She smiled.
“Thank you, Nicky!” Niklas smiled and gave Alana’s hand a squeeze.
“You’re welcome, baby girl”.
“Stewie! What are you doing here”, he asked.
“I came to see you. I just wanted to know how you were doing, buddy”. Niklas grinned and allowed Brad inside.
“I’ve been doing great, Stewie. The team’s doing good, too”. Brad smiled and sat on the edge of Niklas’s bed.
“That’s great, Nik. That’s really good. Now I was watching your game against the hawks the other day and I noticed that patch on your jersey. What’s that all about?” Niklas smiled and sat next to his friend.
“It’s a long story, Stewie, but I think it’s worth listening to.” He told his friend everything: about the first meeting he’d had with Alana, about her illness, about her love of hockey and how he was her favorite player, how she always said he was helping her and lastly about how encouraging she was even though she was going through hell. There was silence when he finished.
“Wow, bud, that’s… amazing. I feel really sorry for her and her parents: she’s way too young to have something like that. But it sounds like you’re helping her, even if it is just making her happy.” Nik nodded.
“She’s a great kid. I…” He was cut off by the sound of his text ring going off. It was a text from Carol. Alana wants to face time you. Is that okay? Niklas smiled and sent her a text back. That’s perfectly okay! Just let me get my laptop set up! He grabbed his laptop out of the bag and turned it on.
“Was that Alana”, Brad asked.
“Her mom, actually. Alana wants me to face time her and she asked me if it was okay. I said it was fine.” It was minutes later that Alana’s face appeared on the screen. Niklas couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face when he saw his younger friend. She was in her hospital room and she looked pale and weak, but that didn’t stop her eyes from lighting up when she saw him.
“Nicky”, she said. “Hi, baby girl”, he whispered.
“When are you coming home? I miss you.” Niklas readjusted the laptop so that Brad could see as well.
“I miss you too. I’ll be home tomorrow I think.” Alana smiled.
“I’m glad. Who’s your friend”, she asked, pointing at Brad. Niklas laughed: Alana was adorable.
“Brad Stuart. You remember, he was my defensive partner.” His smile grew when Alana’s face lit up with light she got when she talked about hockey.
“Oh, yeah, I remember him. He wore number 23 I think. Hi, Brad.” Brad stayed and talked with Alana for a while before he said he had to leave. “Bye, Brad. Oh, and don’t hit Niklas too hard tonight. We need him.” Brad laughed.
“I’ll try, Alana”, he said before messing up Niklas’s hair and leaving. Niklas and Alana talked for a little bit more before Alana grew tired.
“I’ll let you get some sleep, Lannie. You’re getting tired, I can see it. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Kay. See ya later. And, Nicky? I love you”. Niklas felt tears in his eyes and quickly wiped them away.
“I love you too, Lannie”, he whispered before hanging up.
Niklas smiled as he walked down the hallway to Alana’s hospital room. He’d just gotten back three hours before and he really wanted to visit her. He spotted Carol out in the hallway. “Carol”, he called. Carol looked up and smiled when she saw him.
“Hi, Nicky! How was your trip”, she asked, hugging him.
“It was good. How is she? She seemed really happy yesterday.” Carol shrugged.
“She’s good… or as good as she can be with her cancer. She got sick this morning, but that was just from the chemo.”
“Is she awake?”
“She should be. Come on in”. Niklas followed Carol inside and the smile again appeared on his face when he saw Alana. She always seemed to make him smile, even on his worst days. He loved this little girl more than she knew… and that was quite a bit.
“Lannie, wake up. Nik’s here.” Alana’s eyes shot open and they lit up when she saw Niklas.
“Nicky”, she said, pushing herself up in bed. The Swedish defenceman sat on the edge of the bed and took Alana’s hands in his.
“Hi, Lannie.”
“Win. Did you guys win last night?” Niklas smiled and rubbed her hand.
“Yes, we did. Four to three in overtime.” Alana made a face.
“Ew. I don’t like overtime.” Niklas laughed.
“I don’t either, baby girl. But we’ve got to play in there sometimes.”
“It’d be so much less nerve-racking if we didn’t have to”, she said. Niklas reached into his pocket and pulled out a puck.
“Here, Alana. I scored a goal last night and got the puck for you”, he said, handing it to her. She smiled.
“Thank you, Nicky!” Niklas smiled and gave Alana’s hand a squeeze.
“You’re welcome, baby girl”.