Page 5 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Noise.

I hit hard enough to bounce. For one impossible second, I can't tell which way is up.

I suck in a breath. Nothing. My lungs refuse. I try again and a knife drives through my ribs.

Not breathing suddenly feels far more frightening than the pain.

Whistles scream. Skates carve sharp arcs across the ice. Someone grabs the player who hit me before he can say something I won't hear anyway.

***

"Cap! Wake up! Come back here!” It's Liam. His voice sounds farther away than it should.

"I didn't see him!" It’s Ethan. His words crack apart. "I swear—I didn't.."

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Coach insists. His words are firm and certain.

I force my eyes open. Everything swims. The scoreboard above center ice blurs into streaks of light.

I can't feel my left arm.

Not pain.

Nothing.

That scares me more than anything else.

Out of the corner of my vision, Ethan takes one step toward me before Coach catches his shoulder. "Stay where you are."

The kid looks devastated, like he wishes he could trade places with me.

No.

Absolutely not.

I manage one tiny shake of my head. Not your fault. He sees it. His shoulders drop. Not because he believes me. Because I gave him permission to breathe.

Good.

That's all I wanted.

Another wave of pain rolls through me. Much stronger this time.

The lights above me begin to fade.

The ringing inside my ears grows louder.

The last thing I remember...

...is wondering whether we held the lead.

Then everything goes dark.

***

The first thing I notice when the darkness thins is the sound.

Not the crowd. Not anymore. The building has gone strange around me, like somebody turned the volume down on everything except my own breathing. Or what is trying to pass for breathing. Air catches halfway down my chest and stops there.