Rise Up (Jonathan Toews)

8| I Need You

Jonathan

For the longest time hockey was the only thing I cared about. I would give my all to hockey and it gave it back. I would do anything to see myself as the best and for a while I was. I was the face of the NHL and it was all good and dandy.

But the thing about sports is that it's pretty unforgiving. This lockout was proof of that. And I loved hockey, I still do, but for the first time since I was 6 Hockey was not what is most important to me, and for once I care deeply about someone who isn't myself. And I have never been more confused in my life.

So I stay home for a few days. I try to separate myself from Ariana so my feelings for her don't blind me from helping her get the help she needs. I was finally getting to be who I am supposed to be, I believe. She was every reason I was getting better too. But the things I would do just to be with this girl, to get her better, it was scary. And I couldn't heal her, I know that. And me being there every second of every day was making it harder for her to get better and me to stay focused on getting her better when her bright green eyes are always looking at me as a person better than I could ever be. I can't be that for her or for me or for hockey. For nothing. So I had to separate myself for a little, give us time to remember what's important here and that's getting her better.

I get woken up at 2:15 this fine morning by my phone going off. And I try to ignore it but it goes off again. So I roll over and take my phone off the charger. I see it was Thomas and suddenly I was wide awake. The only reason Aria's dad would call right now is if something is wrong. And I know it is.

"Hello" I answer frantically.

"Jon, we need you at the hospital. Now" he says barley above a whisper. I feel chills up and down my body as I jump out of bed to get some clothes on.

"What happened" I question.

"They think there's a hemorrhage in Ari's brain that reopened and its causing her to have seizures. She's not waking up and the doctors are trying to figure it out" he explain. 

"Shit... alright. I'm changed and I'm on my way. I'll be there in less than ten minutes" I promise.

"Okay. Thank you son" he replies.

I rush over to the hospital and find her parents standing in her room but she was gone, in emergency surgery I assume. As soon as I get in there they pull me into a hug as they cry. For the first time since all this started I did too. Because I know she was struggling already and this... this isn't going to help. She wasn't moving much but she was still moving forward and now she got knocked down again.

"I'm so sorry" I cry.

"It's alright son, it's going to be okay. We just wanted to let you know so can be here when she wakes up again, I know she'll really appreciate that" Jean explains.

"Where's Ray and Ty" I ask.

"We didn't tell them. They're with my brother and we said we were just coming to check on her. We couldn't tell them what happened" Thomas explains.

"I'm here for you guys" I promise. They nod their head letting me know that they knew I got them.

We end up falling get asleep in the chairs we always sat in. Eventually I wake up and Ariana was back in her room. She had a bandage around her head and her hair was spilling out of it. She was still asleep as a doctor looked over her.

"How is she" I ask as I sit up in the chair.

"She's better now, she'll wake up here soon. She had a bad episode last night but she'll pull through. Never stops fighting" he admits and I smile a little. That's my girl.

I let her parents rest until she wakes again. It's been a long night and I want them rested so they can be with their daughter for as long as they want once she gets up again. Until then I decide to go over and hold her hand as I watch her sleep. She looked so peaceful, like she wasn't in pain or she didn't want more to life than laying in bed.

"It's so crazy because I thought we were getting too close and that whatever is happening between us is getting in the way of you getting better. But then I leave for a day and you try and die on me. Obviously I was wrong which wouldn't be the first... or last time that happens.

I just, I need you. I need to hear you try to cheer me up even thought you're the one that's hurt. I need you to ask me to sneak you in fast food because you can't stand the food in here. I need to see your bright green eyes staring at me and making me rethink everything I've ever known" I beg.

The next second her eyes start to flutter and I jump up so I'm by her head. I softly caress her cheek as her eyes opens up. She looks up at me and smiles a little.

"Hey you" she says and I smile big. I lean over and kiss her forehead before resting mine on hers.

"You scared the shit out of me" I admit.

"Yeah well I wasn't having too much fun either" she teases.

"You've been awake for a while, haven't you" I accuse.

"Whaaaat? No" she claims.

"No one wakes up this coherent. You heard everything I said, didn't you" I accuse.

"Absolutely not? I have no idea what you're talking about" she smirks.

"Uh huh" I tease and she smiles.

"But let's just say, rhetorically, I heard what you said. Did you mean it" she questions.

"Every word of it" I assure her.

"Then why did you leave me" she whispers and I sigh.

"I thought I was helping. I thought that you could focus on yourself instead of me and maybe, just maybe you would get better. And I was scared" I list off.

"Scared of what" she questions.

"Scared of how much I want you around. Of how much I need you" I whisper.

"Oh baby" she says softly.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess" I sniffle. "When your dad called I freaked. I had a million things going through my head and none of them were good. And I thought that I could do this on my own but I can't. I need you" I insist.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I've fought like hell to come back every time something happens to me. And now I have a great reason to want to keep fighting and it's you" she says. I wipe a tear out of my eye as I let out a sigh.

"I'm staying. I promise. I'm going to fight with you and we're going to get you out of here" I insist.

"Yes sir" she smiles.