The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 174

The sterile, fluorescent–lit waiting room was suffocating, and the atmosphere was thick with tension. I couldn’t sit still; my foot tapped a restless rhythm on the worn linoleum floor. Timothy was still beside me, his jaw clenched so tightly that I could practically hear his molars grinding together.

Olive clung to my leg, her little fingers digging into the fabric of my jeans. She was too young to understand the gravity of the situation, but she could sense the unease that permeated the room. I tried to keep her distracted with a small coloring book I’d found in the corner of the room, but her eyes kept drifting to the swinging double doors that led to the trauma bay.

Every time those doors swung open, our hearts leaped into our throats, hoping for news, dreading what we might hear.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the nurse emerged from behind those doors. Her face was grim, and she looked worn out, like she’d been through a battle of her own. Olive immediately perked up, her wide eyes fixed on the nurse as if she held the answers to all her questions.

I knelt down to Olive’s level, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you color a bit more, sweetie? We need to talk to the nurse for a

moment.”

Olive nodded and went back to her coloring, her little face scrunched up in concentration.

I turned my attention to the nurse, who had approached Timothy and me. “Please, tell us how she’s doing,” I implored, my voice trembling with fear. and anger.

The nurse sighed, her eyes filled with empathy. “We’ve stabilized Scarlett,” she began, and I felt a surge of relief wash over me. The bullets didn’t cause

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Chapter 174

as much damage as we initially feared.”

Timothy’s hand found mine, and we held on to each other as if our lives depended on it. In a way, they did.

“But,” the nurse continued, and my heart sank, “we’ll need to transfer her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further care and observation.”

“How long will she be in the ICU?” I asked, my voice quivering.

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The nurse hesitated for a moment before responding, “It’s hard to say for sure, but it may take a week or more before she’s ready to be discharged. We want to make sure she’s stable and on the road to recovery before we release her.”

A week or more. The words echoed in my mind, and I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest. A week of waiting, of not knowing, of fearing the worst. It was going to be excruciating.

Timothy’s grip on my hand tighterfed, and I could feel his frustration and helplessness emanating from him. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Olive, who had abandoned her coloring and was tugging at my sleeve.

okay?” she asked,

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure

and I couldn’t help but admire her resilience. She was only six

should.

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Chapter 1741

stepped closer to Timothy. “Do you two have

hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing. “She was…she

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note of his choice of words- “ex–fiance“. The wounds from his broken engagement still ran deep, and Scarlett’s condition only added more layers of complexity to an already

nurse nodded understandingly and handed Timothy a clipboard with paperwork. “I’ll make you an immediate contact so you can stay updated on Scarlett’s condition. Please fill out these forms

inside me ever since Scarlett had been. wheeled into that trauma bay, Anger at the shooter, at the senselessness of it all, and at the unfairness of life. Scarlett didn’t deserve this, especially if she’d been caught in the crossfire of Bruce and

me,

someone do this?” I muttered under my breath, more

didn’t respond. He was lost

the completed paperwork back to the nurse and then joined me by the window. Olive had

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passing minute, the sterile hospital waiting room grew colder, and my anxiety soared higher. Time seemed to slow to

should get

pierced through my spiraling thoughts, and I felt a sudden wave of panic wash over me. I hadn’t even considered what to do next, and the reality of the situation was starting to

myself together, but the dam of emotions was about to break. “I don’t know what to do, Timothy,” I admitted, my voice cracking with despair. “I

to me, his strong arms enveloping me in a comforting hug. “Evie, it’s going to be okay, he whispered,

my tears soaking into his shoulder. The weight of the situation was unbearable, but in that moment, his

words still echoing in my mind, I nodded and gently disengaged from his embrace, “You’re right. I’ll take her back to my apartment for

my hand. “I’ll stay here with Scarlett for a little longer, see if I hear

a renewed sense of purpose. I couldn’t change the circumstances, but I could take care of Olive, and that was a small comfort in

only Chapter

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who had been engrossed in a picture book, looked up at us with wide, curious eyes as we approached her. Her innocent gaze was a stark

level. “We’re going to take you home for a bit, okay? Aunt Scarlett is going to be okay, but

some rest.