"You're mean. A real friend would find me some coffee." Rod sulked at his ice pack, but his lips curved, ruining the effect.
Leo rose and ruffled Rod's hair like he occasionally still did to Ryan. "Don't you have a can of iced coffee in your locker? The period just ended so we should head back anyway. Coach will want to talk to us. Or yell at us."
"That's fine. I'm telling him that you and I are leaving with Dylan."
Leo followed Rod into the hall. It had taken both of them standing up for Dylan for their own friendship to fully feel comfortable and real. And while he was grateful it had finally happened, he hated the circumstances.
They entered the locker room and he met Coach's gaze. Coach didn't say a word, but then again, he didn't have to—Leo understood the look loud and clear.
You were supposed to keep him safe.
HOSPITALS ALWAYS SMELLED the same. Kelsey clutched Leo's hand and then laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her temple. He'd been quiet, but a solid, steady support as she and Rod had spoken to their parents and other relatives and friends.
In the row facing them, Rod and Arielle sat together, talking quietly. Blair sat beside Rod, her head buried in a medical journal, reading an article on concussions.
They'd waited over two hours in the small waiting room while Dylan had an x-ray and a CT scan and other tests. The waiting room was better than the busy ER, and now empty aside from themselves, but she was tired, uncomfortable, really scared, and just wanted to take Dylan home.
At the squeaky tread of the nurse's shoes, everyone shifted upright. She came into the room. "He does have a concussion. The tests came back fine but we're going to keep him overnight for observation."
Relief washed away some of the worry. Kelsey sent up a silent prayer of thanks. "Can we see him?"
"He's sleeping now, but you can look in on him before you go. Just don't disturb him." She led them through the quiet hall to his room.
Kelsey crept in. Her strong and tough older brother lay in the darkened room, looking so vulnerable in sleep. She gently touched the bed rail and swallowed hard against the sting of tears forming behind her eyes.
Leo's hand curved over her shoulder and squeezed. He'd been so strong, for her, for Dylan. She raised her hand to cover his and offered him a smile. On the other side of the bed, Rod, Arielle, and Blair huddled together, their expressions as worried as her own. Kelsey met Rod's gaze. They'd already agreed to arrive before visiting hours the next morning so they could see Dylan first-thing. Their parents would be home by early afternoon. She and Rod would do everything they could to take care of their older brother.
Memories of Dylan kept her preoccupied as they made their way through the building and into the parking garage. He had always been the voice of reason for Rod and her whenever they needed advice, had always defended her from the neighborhood boys who hadn't wanted to let a girl play hockey with them, and had always been so proud of anything she did. He was always so strong. What if he couldn't recover, or couldn't recover enough to return to the game he loved?
She said goodnight to the others, but wasn't ready to be alone with her thoughts, and leaned into Leo's side as they walked to their cars. "Do you want to come over? I know I'm not going to sleep any time soon."
"Yeah. I... That would be good." Tension lined his face. "I'll follow you to your apartment."
She switched on the sports station to keep her company for the drive. Callers were worried about Dylan and angry at Bertuzzi. Hopefully, he'd get a suspension. A few were angry that Rod had jumped in to the fight, leaving the team without their number one net-minder, but most supported his actions, and everyone supported Leo for laying into Bertuzzi. It was the first time she'd listened to a show where not a single person bashed him.
She told him so as they rode the elevator to her floor, but his smile was weak and he seemed preoccupied.
As soon as the door cracked open, an excited bark greeted them. Anticipating the enthusiastic greeting that awaited her each time she came home, she eased the door open wider. "My dog is friendly. You'll see."
The Yorkie immediately jumped onto Kelsey's legs, tail wagging so fast it was nearly a blur.
"Hey, girl." Kelsey picked her up, accepting puppy kisses. She brought the dog closer to Leo. "This is Icing."
"She's cute." He rubbed his hand over the furry head and allowed the dog to sniff him. Then he brushed his finger over the sparkling collar and personalized tag. "Pretty fancy. Amethyst? I'm surprised you didn't pick sapphires for Bedlam blue."
"They aren't real stones. I like purple, and she has a February birthday so I thought she'd like it too."
"Suits her." He raised his gaze. "And you."
"Thanks, I think."
"It was a compliment." He ruffled the dog's fur again. His knuckles were red and still looked swollen.
"Do you need to ice your hands again?"
He flexed them slowly. "I couldn't protect him."
Frowning, she set the dog on the floor. "What are you talking about?"
"Coach put me on Dylan's line to keep him safe. I failed at that tonight. I'm sorry."
"No. No way. Stop that." She gently grasped his hands. "You're not responsible for what happened. He attacked my brother completely out of nowhere and well after play had stopped."
"Still."
"No. You defended Dylan, and I'm grateful for it. When I saw the hit, I wanted to jump on the ice and beat the crap out of Bertuzzi. You handled it right away." She kissed his knuckles one by one. "I always feel safer when you're out there with him. Players shy away from you. They play differently when you're on
