CHAPTER SEVENTEEN803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45kHatnPhk
(Seth’s PoV)
There was something wrong with Ashantee. Even Liz noticed it by the way she kept staring at her best friend’s figure. Her pass were sometimes sloppy. Her defense was weak and she have fallen to the ice more times than her target.
What happened to her?
She skated towards the Ice Rogue who had the puck in her stick when she suddenly fell to the ice. Gasped filled the rink and Alexis skated towards her to help her stand while the others rushed towards the one with the puck.
I don’t feel good with what I was seeing. What was wrong with my Ashantee? Even Sarah had this worried look in her eyes but there was nothing we could do. Ashantee would never leave the rink when the game’s not finish.
She and Alexis talked for a second before they quickly joined the others just as the Ice Rogue made a wrist shot towards the net. Liz, the amazing goalkeeper she was, easily knocked the puck out of the air with his blocker and he immediately went down to cover it with her gloves.
DevilSaint quickly placed themselves between the other players and the net. Alexis got the puck and raced towards the other side of the rink with the others protecting her. Someone tried to deck Ashantee and she almost went down if it wasn’t for the wall supporting her. Then, she started to join the others but there was an awkwardness in her movements.
Alexis have passed to Chloe who was closer to the net but two Ice Rogue blocked her way. In her rushed, she passed the puck to Ashantee who looked like she was shocked.
There were only five seconds left in the game.
The whole place was quiet. As if holding their breathe as they waited for her shot that would decide the fate of the game.
Four seconds left, the DevilSaint cleared the middle of the rink. Holding the Ice Rogue on the side as best as they could.
Three seconds, she raised her stick up in the air and spin a 360 degree to gather the strength and force she needed. The puck raised to the air with a loud thud. Everyone stopped as they followed it.
Two seconds. . .
The goalkeeper dived towards it and she almost reached it. But with a miracle, the puck slide out of her hands to the net.
Then the buzzer sounded.
Everyone jumped to their feet, including me and Sarah as we rejoiced with their winning. Ashantee stayed in place, as if she couldn’t believe she had successfully pointed from the other side of the rink. DevilSaint started to skate towards her and Sarah and me ran towards them. Stopping at the small wall separating the ice. Before her team mates even reached her, she started to fall straight to the ice. The cheering stopped abruptly as they stare.
“Ashantee!” We all shouted as she met the cold hard ice.
She didn’t moved.
I hopped over the wall and ran inside the slippery ice to get to Ashantee. Before I arrived, Liz was already holding her with the coach at her side. She removed Ashantee’s helmet and we saw that she was sweating hard despite the cold air in the rink and the cold weather.
“My gah!” Her coach exclaimed. “She’s burning with a fever.”
“I’ll ran her to the hospital.” I said and the coach let me take her.
I carried her bridal style and the DevilSaint skated with me until the door, I noticed the scratches on her face and neck. Sarah opened the door and I came out. Liz and the other said they would go to the hospital after the whole program because they can’t leave just yet.
I nodded at them and I rushed towards the parking lot. I sat her gently on the back seat and Sarah went to sit besides her. I started the car and quickly set off for the hospital. I could hear Sarah removing Ashantee’s skates, chest protectors and pads. She gasped as she saw a few bruises and more scrapes in her body.
Damn, I think she pushed herself too hard this time.
I stopped in front of the emergency room door and I opened the door of the back seat and gently carried her out of the car. I left Sarah the keys so that she could park the car properly.
Nurses met me as soon as I entered the ER. I put her on one of the bed and the nurses closed the curtains to keep me away.
Sarah came to the ER and together we waited for the doctor to open the curtain. I couldn’t calm down. I kept pacing down the room and I couldn’t stop myself from worrying. I knew something was wrong. Why didn’t I do something?
“Seth, calm down.” Sarah’s voice shook me out of my thoughts. “I’m sure it’s just a fever.”
The curtain opened and the doctor asked for the person who brought her here. I stepped up and Sarah was behind.
“What is your relationship with the patient?”
“I’m her boyfriend.” I said without second thoughts.
“What about family members?”
“None that I know of.”
The doctor nodded. “I just got a call from the police station to watch for an Ashantee Avery. Apparently, she was attacked earlier and suffered from a few small wounds and a sprained ankle.”
Sarah gasped behind me. Her hands flew to her mouth and I felt my world stop. I wasn’t there when she was attacked. I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t leave in the middle of my exam.
I should have.
“The good news is, she’s not in a life-or-death situation.” The doctor continued calmly. “But her sprain worsened and her bone was fractured. So, we are going to put a cast on her. After that, we shall move her to a room. Please go to the nurse desk to sign some papers and fix everything she need.”
Her team mates were there the moment Ashantee was delivered in her room. She was still unconscious but her fever has dropped.
I couldn’t forgive myself for not being there when she needed me the most. I failed her.
Before her friends arrived, I have asked Sarah to keep the information we heard because it was Ashantee’s decision to make.
After an hour of endless torture, Ashantee woke up and she smiled when she saw all of us gathered around her bed.
“Why do I feel like I’m in my death bed?” She joked and everyone laugh. The tension in the air vanishing at the sound of her voice.
“Be thankful I’m not sending you to your death bed for making me worry.” Liz growled at her but we could see the relief in her eyes.
“Sorry for making you worry, guys.” She apologized.
“Why did you play when you sprained your foot?” Chloe demanded.
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Because she knows we’re useless without her.”
“How can you say that?” Ashantee gasped. “The DevilSaint have won all its game because of you guys. You are far from useless. I may be the captain but without my team I would be nothing.”
All of them gave her a hugged and then gave her the medal they won and the trophy while I was asked to take a photo of them. As a memory of their 4th consecutive win and last game together.
Liz suddenly conjured a pen out of thin air and was the first one to write on Ashantee’s cast. And the others followed her lead.
After everyone left, and Sarah was being dropped by Liz, Ashantee and I were left alone in the room. And I couldn’t helped but overthink again. Suddenly, a warm hand touched my cheeks.
“I can see you blaming yourself, Seth.” She said.
I nodded at her but before I could speak, she continued. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. It was my family’s problem and it was mine to fix.”
She explained the relevance of her attacker earlier from her attacker in the past. Insanity must have really ran in their blood because even the son was definitely crazy and her story made me want to kill the man who hurt her.
“I just. . . “ My voice broke. “I just. . . I should have been there for you.”
Ashantee smiled at me. Her spell-binding smile. “You can’t.”
My eyes darted towards her. Shocked at her answer. Is she breaking up with me?
No way, we’re not even together yet.
“You can’t always be present at my difficult times, Seth. You have your own life and your own problem.”
“But Asha-“
She put a finger on my lips. “Shss. Seth. You see, you don’t have to be there to help me.”
She laughed at the ignorant expression I had on my face. She poked me on the forehead. “Thoughts of you is enough to push me going.”
I knew that my cheeks were red because I felt all the blood rushed to it. And I couldn’t help but rubbing the bad of my neck. Laughing, she pulled me towards her and kissed me.
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