He Took Me Home

How Could You?

Recap

The whistle blew once more and the coaches shouted that they could spend the rest of their practice playing shinny, as a reward for their hardwork. I smiled, Or to see how Axel will interact in a game situation. I smiled, I knew they're ploy, but I wasn't afraid. I knew Axel would deliver just as he always did. 

They started their game, Black jersies against White jersies. Axel was a left wing. The boys dropped the puck and skated about, passing easily, hard shots where taken and playful checks where made. None with enough vigor to actually hurt someone.  

Finally, a good pass was made to Axel for a breakout and he had room, so he took off. Faster than he'd been going all game, he skated, handling the puck easily and maneuvering around the opposition. He angled around the first defenseman, then banked it off the bourds and deeked the second defenseman. He was skating up along the bourds, head up and flying towards Flower in net. Even if he held his head a bit higher, there is not way he couldn't seen what happened next.

Flying out of no where, #87 slammed Axel hard into the boys. After that, everything went in slow-motion. There was a sickening crunch and the glass along the bourds exploded into millions of shards. His elbow was raised into Axels jaw and I didn't miss the splatter of blood that went flying from his mouth where the elbow pat made it's blow.  Axel's head angled back from force and slammed into the next panel of glass from the momentum of the hit. His body then plummeted to the ice and another splattered of blood exploded from his mouth as his helmet made contact with the ice. He lay there on the cold surface. Face down.

And he wasn't moving.

Oh God. 

There was silence on the rink. The only sounds where of the heavy breathing of the players and the clattering of the last few pieces of glass from the bourds falling to the ice from the impact. It was like we all thought if we where quiet enough, we could try and hear if Axel's heart was still beating. And then there was one thing heard.

A loud, panicky sound of a woman screaming.

It took me a moment to realise it was me. I screamed. And it wasn't just a scream, "Axel!!!" 

I turned on heal and ran toward the stairs. I took them three at a time practically jumping down the stairs altogether and making my way swiftly toward the bourds behind the bench. Tears where building in my eyes and my breathing was heavy- not because I was winded, but because I was terrified. There was no way Axel would escape that hit unscathed. And clearly he didn't because when I reached the ice, he still hadn't moved. 

The coaches on the bench where the first ones to move. The players where still in shock. What happened was totally uncharacteristic of Sid. He was not a dirty player. Ever. So why now? Why did he do this to Axel? Someone who would be a member of his team?  And a great member at that? What was going on with him? Axel would change hockey for us just like he had when he started playing. Sid was the one of 'The Greats' of hockey, he scored the Golden Goal for the Canadian's in 2010 Winter Olympics! But never in his career was he ever a mindless goon! 

But he did this. He did this to Axel. But I still couldn't wrap my head around why he would do this? Why?

The words swirled around my head over and over, making me dizzy as I surveyed the situation.  I moved closer to Axel, though I forbade myself from touching him. I never saw Axel as a delicate person, but the last thing I wanted to do right now was worsen his injuries- whatever they may be.  

I could hear the coaches calling an ambulance and I knew it wouldn't be long before they where here but the longer I watched Axel's motionless body stay on the ice, the more panicked I became. I couldn't take much more after only 2 minutes. 2 Minutes that felt like an eternity.