The End of Regulation (A Gabriel Landeskog fanfiction)

Chapter 8

The locker room didn't look any different than it had before the accident. Everyone was here and not just the staff and team- literally everyone. I saw Matt and his girlfriend, Jahnessa, talking to Ryan o' Reilly and his wife. I walked over to them with Ashley and asked them what the occasion was.
"Ashley called us up while you were doing something and said that you guys were coming down here so we wanted to do something for you."
"Well thanks guys I really appreciate it."
Ashley and Jahnessa wanted to talk about "girl stuff" so Matt kissed Jahnessa and I did the same to Ashley.
A few moments later, Ryan o' Reilly's wife joined them. I told the boys about what happened at the hospital and what the doctor said but mostly the things that have happened with Ashley and I.
Later on in the afternoon, Nathan encouraged me to put on some skates and go out and go ok the ice with them. Ashley didn't quite agree with this. "Gabe, you haven't been cleared by the doctor yet."
"Come on! It'll be fun and you can be my "protector" if you want." I winked at her.
"Fine." Ashley grunted. "But if you just so happen to get hurt again then it's your fault."
"Deal." Instead of sealing the deal with a handshake, it was sealed with a kiss.
Everyone helped me onto the ice knowing that I was still unstable.
I didn't actually skate though- they pushed me around the arena.
When we were done disobeying the nurses' rules, Ash and I went back to my apartment. We scheduled an appointment at the hospital for tomorrow.
After 30 minutes of waiting in the hospital chairs in the lobby, I was finally called in by a middle-aged looking nurse. We walked down a long hallway filled with doctors walking much faster than us and families crying for their loved ones. Hospitals weren't for the dead- they were for the living to grieve over the dead.
"Young man, will you please sit up here for me?" The nurse asked gesturing toward the bed. I sat down onto the uncomfortable bed and the memories came rushing back...
Ashley being the first thing I saw when I woke up and the last thing each time I fell back to sleep. Her hand comfortably wrapped in mine overnight. The day we went to the rink and she told me she loved me and we shared that passionate kiss... Knowing that she still loved me was reassuring and I hoped she felt the same way about my feelings towards her. The night I slept peacefully knowing that her arms were wrapped tightly around me and mine around hers...
The nurse brought me back to reality when she asked how I was feeling.
"Great. Better than before that's for sure."
"That's wonderful, Gabe." the nurse said in a calm nurse voice. "So, how about we see how that neck of yours is looking?"
"Ok." I responded not entirely sure I was ready to see my neck for the first time since the incident.
The nurse carefully cut the fabric off and began to unwrap it away from my neck. What I saw horrified me and from my point of view, the same could be said for Ashley.