Cold as Ice (21 page)

Eva’s chin rose. “I’m not leaving his side, just so you know. Not even when we get to the hospital.” Luc was so proud of her and the strength of character she was displaying. If possible, he loved her even a little more. Mushy, but true.

“Understood.” The man began to unlace Luc’s skates and he just lay there passive for the most part while Eva and the trainer removed his equipment, leaving him in his Lycra pants and a team T-shirt. Soon he was being put on a stretcher and secured before being wheeled out the service entrance and directly into the ambulance. The trainer gave him a nod. “I’ll be right behind you in my car.”

Luc nodded. He was glad someone had realized the seriousness of the situation and made him face it, too. “You’re a good man. Thanks,” he told the trainer, and then the doors closed and Eva settled down on the other side of the paramedic, who began the routine of checking him over. After starting an IV line and giving him some aspirin to swallow, he put an oxygen mask over his face and nose.

“I’m going to start two drips in addition to the saline. One is nitroglycerin and the other is morphine. I want you to get my attention if anything changes or feels wrong.” The paramedic went about his business, and Luc focused on Eva. Love shone in her eyes, and he had no idea how a guy like him had gotten so lucky. And sharing her with his two best friends just made it sweeter. Some may say that was a messed up way to look at it, but for him it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

The paramedic took a blood sample and hooked him up to a heart rhythm monitor, all the while explaining what he was doing. “We don’t have an EKG machine here in the rig, so they’ll do that as soon as we get to Buffalo General. I’m going to take your blood pressure, and if it’s high I’ll add another drip to your IV.”

His blood pressure, thankfully, was normal.

At least one thing about my freaking body is normal.

They arrived at the hospital and he was whisked inside. Leo saw what looked like news trucks outside and groaned. How did they even know already? He didn’t want this to become some huge story, but understood why it was.
A triage nurse came right over and, as the EKG was hooked up, asked him a battery of questions about when he’d felt the pounding
and the fluttering, whether or not he was in pain, and what exactly the different sensations felt like.

When he admitted his heart had raced on a couple of other occasions, the triage nurse frowned and Eva gasped. “You didn’t say anything? You promised me you would!”

“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t wanna worry anyone. I figured it was a fluke.”

“Chest pains and abnormal heart rhythms are nothing to ignore, Mr. Fletcher,” the triage nurse answered. “The doctor will be in after a little while to read the EKG. Just rest and be quiet.” With that, she disappeared out the curtain and Eva turned to him.

“I’m not gonna yell at you right now, but when you get better you’re in for it.”

He smiled. “I can’t wait.”

“Now, the nurse told you to be quiet and rest, so that’s what you’re going to do. Close your eyes, Luc. I’ll be here.”

Obediently Luc closed his eyes and tried his best not to freak out about what was happening. Amazingly, he must’ve dozed off, because what seemed like a few seconds later a doctor arrived to look at the EKG. The man’s eyebrows pulled down. “Mr. Fletcher, I’m seeing some abnormalities. We’ll wait for the blood work to come back before making any decisions, but at least for right now, you’re not going anywhere.”

He left and Luc turned to Eva. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he croaked out, “This is really freaking me the hell out now. I don’t wanna die, baby.”

He saw a flash of what could only be called absolute determination in her eyes. “You are
not
going to die.”

“I hope not. I’ve got someone pretty important to live for.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and then lifted it to his lips. “I love you. I can’t believe how easy that is to say.”

She smiled and his chest constricted again, but this time he was sure it had nothing to do with his malady. “I love you, too, Luc.”

“Hey, can you find out the score of the game?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Because if they’re losing you’ll get all riled up.”

“Babe, at this point the game is secondary. I know I need to try to keep calm. But I’m the captain. I need to know what’s going on.”

Eva stared at him for a minute and then nodded. “I’ll check on my phone. I just downloaded this new app today from the NHL so I could follow your games when I’m not there. It’s really cool.”

Luc couldn’t stop the little smile at the thought of her sitting with her friends having drinks or at a play and then pulling out her phone to check the score of their game. Then he wondered how many of her friends and family she’d tell about their relationship. He didn’t want to hide it, but certainly wouldn’t flaunt it either. Her friend Louisa obviously knew, but what about everyone else? What about her family? How many friends and family did she even have? He was chastened that he didn’t know the answers to those questions, but at the moment they were questions for another day. Right now he had to concentrate on just living through the night.

“It says it’s three to one with about ten minutes left in the game. The Intimidators are losing.”

Luc sighed. “Not too surprising. The guys are distracted.”

“With good reason.” Eva’s eyes filled with tears.

“Hey, hey, baby, what’s wrong?”

“I knew those supplements were bad news. I
knew
it and I didn’t do anything about it.”

“Now hold on,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “For one thing, we don’t know for sure if the supplements are responsible for this.” He took a deep breath and was amazed when he was able to do it without difficulty. Maybe whatever they’d given him was already starting to work. “And two, what were you gonna do? Why would anybody believe you even if you’d tried to warn them? Doc’s been practicing for twenty-something years and he’s well respected in this town.”

“I should’ve said something, though.” She wiped at her eyes, and he wished he could take her into his arms, but they were currently occupied being hooked up to a million different machines. “I’m so sorry, Luc. I feel terrible.”

“None of this is your fault, Eva. None of it.” He lifted his hand enough to cup her chin. “Do you understand me? None of it.”

She nodded, but he doubted she believed him. He’d just have to make her see there was nothing she could’ve done about this. Luc hadn’t even taken the whole thing seriously until a few hours ago. How could he have expected her to?

They sat in silence. Well, silent except for the beeping and whining of the machines around him, the announcements over the PA system, and the constant, low chatter of voices. Luc hated hospitals.
They visited area hospitals at least a couple of times a year, and though he always went—he was the captain, after all—he felt nervous and shaky the whole time.

A while later the ER doctor came back in with the team trainer in tow. “We’ve gotten the blood work results back. There’s nearly twice the amount of Madol, the so-called ‘designer’ steroid that forms the basis for this supplement, in your system than is supposed to be there according to the directions. Were you taking more than the recommended dose?” Luc shook his head, and the doctor’s expression darkened further. “In fact, with the recent news about Madol, there shouldn’t be any at all in your system, but I saw Madol is one of the ingredients in the supplements your team doctor prescribed. He should’ve known better. The trainer has brought a sample of the drug here, and we’re going to test it. One of the problems with drugs like these is that the FDA isn’t able to keep good tabs on what’s in them or how they’re being produced. You’re sure you were only taking the recommended one pill a day, Mr. Fletcher?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, it appears likely the concentration of Madol in those tablets is far higher than indicated by the manufacturer.” The man ran his fingers through his hair and frustration fairly radiated from him. “Anyway, we’re going to admit you and kick up the saline drip to try to flush the Madol out of your body as quickly as possible.”

“Thank you.” Luc looked at Eva, who was sniffling and trying her damndest not to cry from the looks of it. “Hey, baby. Come on, don’t cry. I’m in the hospital and they’re gonna get this shit outta my system.”

“I know.” She sniffled again. “I just…”

Luc let her think for a moment and then prompted her, “You just what?”

“I just wish I could’ve done more. I wish I could be doing more now.”

“You’re doing the most important thing you could be. You’re here with me.”

He and Eva talked quietly until Jake and Carter arrived. “Hey, man, how’re you feeling?” Jake asked, giving Eva a kiss on the cheek.

“All right. Apparently Madol is the steroid that forms the basis of the supplement and the doc said my blood had twice as much as it was supposed to.”

“Yeah, that’s what Tom and Keith said after the game. The whole team is here. They’re gonna do EKGs and blood work on all of us,” Carter told him. He pulled Eva out of the chair, sat down, and settled her on his lap. “How’re you holding up, chica?”

“I’m not the one in the hospital bed.”

“I know that. But this has to be hard for you. I mean, it’s hard for me, and I don’t even like the guy that much.” That comment got a genuine smile from Eva, and though it was at his expense, Luc was grateful to Carter for lightening the mood a little.

He pointed at Carter. “I can have you replaced on my line, you know.”

“You could try to replace me, but then who would score all the goals?”

Luc grinned. “Me and Jake would, no problem.”

Jake stroked the side of Eva’s face. “Could you give us a minute, honey?”

Eva looked from man to man. “Sure. I’ll go grab a cola. Looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”

She left and Jake faced him and Carter. “I dunno about you guys, but I’m pretty nervous. This is fucking dangerous. I didn’t even want to play. I couldn’t help feeling like as soon as my heart rate got up the stupid thing would burst.”

“I know what you mean,” Carter answered. “But hopefully they’ll test us and flush us out and it won’t be a big deal.”

“Why aren’t you guys getting tested now, by the way?” Luc asked.

“They only have six EKG machines, so they’re staggering us,” Jake explained. “We should probably go get our blood drawn, though. Before we do, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page with Eva. If some serious shit goes down I don’t want her wondering what the fuck is going on or who she can depend on.”

Luc cleared his throat. “I told her I loved her.”

Both Jake and Carter’s eyes widened. “You did?”

“My situation is different from yours. Neither of you are having symptoms, are you?” Both men shook their heads. “I was scared. But I meant what I said. I love her.”

“So do I,” Jake echoed. “That leaves you, Carter.”

Carter blew out a loud breath. “I’m in this thing, guys. I’m all in. This stuff’s been a wake-up call for me. A totally shitty wake-up call, but a wake-up call nonetheless. She’s it. She’s ours.”

“Glad to hear you say that, bud,” Jake replied, slapping Carter on the back. “When she gets back I think we should all tell her we love her and see what happens.” He looked at Luc. “What did she say when you told her?”

“She said she loved me back, of course.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Of course.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking between his two teammates. “We’ll need to talk about living arrangements. I think we should buy a big house for all of us to live in. None of us have the room right now.”