Rise Up (Jonathan Toews)

22| Like A Dream

Ariana

I've had twelve different major surgeries since I got here, and that doesn't include the times they went in for one thing and found other things they had to fix. I broke 86 bones in my body and was completely paralyzed from the neck down for a while. I had a concussion that would have scrambled my brain if it wasn't for the airbags. I have metal plates in my hips and screws in my shoulder. I don't really think there's much in my body that's been untouched, I felt like a scarecrow with how much of me is no longer originally mine.

But I did it. It's been 100 days since my accident, and 100 days after I got rushed to the hospital on life support I was leaving it under my own power. It was over with and I was done. I can start getting back to my old life and try to be as normal as possible. I might not ever be as crazy active as I was before but soon enough I'll be able to run and jump and climb as my heart so desires.

So I pack up my stuff and I shed a tearful goodbye. For the people like Sam and my doctors I know this isn't goodbye forever. They're my friends now and I always keep my friends close. Without them I wouldn't be here and I will never forget that. They fought for me and now I'm walking out of here on my own two feet thanks to them.

"What am I supposed to do without my joke of the day" Sam sniffles as she wraps her arms around me. "Thats been my favorite part of my day for almost 100 days now. What if I need a laugh" she asks.

"I can still text you every day and give you a joke. And I can even do the dark ones now that I'm gone and I can't get in trouble" I say.

"You promise" she smiles as she wipes a tear away.

"I promise" I smile back.

And with that my time here came to a end. I've wanted to get the hell out of here for so long and it's so crazy because now that I have to leave I'm sad. Really sad, actually. I wasn't going to miss the food or the freezing cold room or that damn death chart that always seemed to be filled with shit for me to do. But I was going to miss being forced to spend time with my family or only being able to use my sarcastic whit to connect with people instead of some athletic feat or my looks.

"Hey babe, you okay" Jon asks as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. I smile as he rubs it and I look up at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just gonna miss some pieces of this puzzle" I admit.

"I know what can cheer you up. Your brother is at Johnnies waiting to play with you. We can go see him skate" he claims.

"I did promise to play with him once I got out" I recall.

"Okay, lets go! Then we can grab Lady and go for a walk in the park afterwards. I know it's cold but I also know you don't care because you want to see the bean after all this time" he accuses.

"I do" I giggle.

"Then let's get going" he insists.

So we throw what was left of my stuff in his car and we head over to the rink. I missed it dearly so I wasn't complaining that this is the first place I went to after everything that's happened. We get there and Jon opens my door for me like the gentlemen he was. He grabs my hand and we walk into the ice arena.

As soon as we do a bunch of people pop out and I nearly let out a horrifying scream as they yell "surprise". But I quickly notice these weren't just random people. I knew them. They were coworkers and friends and family and the kids from the hockey class I teach. It was my whole world coming together in one place and it was incredible.

"Oh my god, what is this" I gasp.

"It's you Ari. Isn't it beautiful" Jon asks and I smile big.

"It's amazing, I can believe all these people are here. Did you do this" I question.

"It was my idea but your parents pulled it off. They got in contact with everyone and I just had to make sure we got you out of the hospital in one piece" he chuckles.

I quickly pull him into a kiss and I feel him smile. I grab his hand and introduce him to everyone since most people didn't even know we were together. It's not like I went on twitter and said "I almost died but Jonathan Toews swooped in and saved me" and everyone lives happily ever after. It was just a tad bit more complicated than that. But they knew who he was and once I introduce him he knew about them too.

"You're dating the Jonathan Toews and you didn't tell anyone" my good friend and coworker Lisa shuns. I worked with her where I did personal training and she was a bundle of energy. Lets just say she's lucky the physical part of her is so gifted because the mental side of her seems to be on layaway.

"I'm not dating the Jonathan Toews. I'm dating Jonny" I defend.

"Oh boy, here she goes with her all mighty spiritual talk" she mumbles and I laugh.

"No, none of that. Just simple facts" I assure her.

"How did you keep all that a secret" my other friend Michelle questions.

"Easy. You get locked in a room together for almost four months" I say making her chuckle.

"I can't believe you didn't tell anyone or that no one figured it out" Lisa claims.

"It was kinda like we were in our own little world together. There was no hockey so no one asked where he was and everyone knows that I was going to be in there for a while. But somehow he got stuck with me and it's been like that ever since. It feels like a dream, like he was my Prince Charming coming to rescue me. But he was hurting too, in a different way. Turns out all the answers we needed to get better we had in each other" I claim.

"You turned him soft didn't you" Michelle accuses.

"Like butter in Texas in the summer" I say making her laugh.

"I should have known you were his weakness. Like you're every mans weakness" she says.

"Not true. Up until Jonny I never loved a boy" I insist.

"Oh but I'm sure they loved you" she claims.

"Maybe so, maybe not. I guess I'll never know because it doesn't matter to me anymore. I truly believe Jonny is the one for me" I say.

"You don't even know what he's like outside the hospital" Lisa reminds me.

"I don't. But I know what he's like when he's so low he doesn't know if he can go any lower. I know what he's like when he's so scared he breaks down. I know what he's like when he can't rely on hockey to make himself seem better. I know what he's like with my family and my friends. I know what he's like I need him the most.

And to me that's more than enough for me to know that no matter what lies in front of us, sometime in the future it's going to be what's behind us once again and we can keep moving forward knowing we're strong enough to do so" I say.

"Damn... you guys really are going to last" Michelle admits and I smile.

"Damn right."