Chapter 65

The next couple weeks were a blur for Karen. She would go to work and whatever home games during the week and weekend. She avoided going out to Pops or anywhere else in hopes of running into Sidney. That also meant she was distancing herself from the other players that were her friends too. She couldn’t be reminded of being with Sidney by being around his teammates.

Saturday night, the Pens were playing the last game of a road trip in St. Louis. Karen decided to go to Pops to watch the game with other people around. If she stayed at home, she would just intently watch Sidney and get all depressed. She walked in and saw a familiar person at the bar.

“Whit? What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry and you are? I mean you look like someone I know, but I could be mistaken.”

“Haha, very funny.”

“Seriously though just because you and Sid broke up doesn’t mean you had to break up with the entire team.”

“I didn’t realize I was dating the entire team” Karen said with a laugh. “Let me think of all the possibilities for a second.”

Ryan laughed at what she said “you became our friend too and by avoiding Sid, you were avoiding us.”

“Sorry Ryan, I just didn’t think I could handle being around them when you guys would get together. I never meant for that to happen.”

“I know and the guys know as well. Just don’t be a stranger now that you know.”

“I won’t and anytime you guys want me to come hang out, I will answer when you call. So what are you doing here?”

“Well since I’m still recovering, I came here to watch the game. Better than watching it alone.”

“Yeah, I had the same feeling. Mind if I join you?”

“Have a seat.”

They watched the game and had fun together. Karen realized that Ryan was becoming a friend that she could hopefully talk to when she needed to, especially about Sidney.

As the game ended, neither of them was ready to leave yet and stayed to talk some more.

“So is the crotch jockey still around?”

“Unfortunately yes. Its weird how Sid just acts like she there and not like when he was with you. He won’t hold her hand and if she grabs his, he reluctantly holds it. I don’t even think I’ve seen him kiss her. He’s not happy with her Karen.”

“I’m not happy being without him. He brightened my world when we were together and that’s why I can’t see why he would do what his parents want to be unhappy then be with me and be happy.”

“That’s something you need to talk to him about.”

“I know, but it hurts too much right now.”

They sat there for another hour then left. Ryan walked Karen to her car and stood there as she unlocked the door.

“Are you ok to drive?”

“Yeah, didn’t have that much, how about you?”

“I think I’ll be ok too” Ryan said laughing. “You know, Sid’s not the only one that has taking a liking to you.”

“What are you talking about Whit?”

“Just that if you and Sid don’t work it out, there’s someone else right around the corner.”

Before Karen could respond Ryan had his lips on hers and he was kissing her. After a minute, he pulled back and looked into her eyes then went back in for another kiss.

“Ryan, stop. I can’t do this” Karen said as she took a step back.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying, sorry I thought maybe there was a chance.”

“If I didn’t still love him you probably did have one, but I’m not that girl.”

“And you just proved that you weren’t. If you were a puck bunny you wouldn’t have stopped me whether you were still into him or not. I’ve had my share believe me and I was one of the first ones to see you were different.”

“Thanks Whit, I really appreciate that. I better go home and I promise not to be a stranger anymore.”

“Good because next time, I will come find you.”

They both laughed and Ryan grabbed Karen into a hug. Saying goodbye, they got into their own cars and headed their separate ways.

Monday at work, Karen kept thinking about Ryan and the night at Pops. That night still plagued her but she knew she made the right call even if Sidney did break up with her. She had also replayed the night in Sweden over her mind a thousand times. She couldn’t concentrate on her work and it seemed to get worse as the day went on. Karen went into the warehouse to look for something and as she came around the corner of the aisle she didn’t see the forklift coming towards her. The next thing Karen knew, she was pinned up against the corner railing.

Everyone came to help out and carefully moved the forklift. Karen collapsed into a co-worker’s arms as they helped her to the ground. She felt the blood run down her head from the gash that she hit on the metal column of the bay. Karen couldn’t move her left leg and her left wrist was throbbing. The pain got worse and Karen passed out from it.

A little while later, Karen woke up in the hospital. She looked around and saw her wrist was in a cast and when she couldn’t move her leg she saw it was in a brace.

The doctor came in and told her that her wrist was fractured and her knee was smashed. They were waiting for the swelling to go down to see what the extent of her injury was and if surgery was a possibility. He told Karen that she could go home in a day and they wanted to keep her overnight because of the trauma to her head.

After Karen got released, she got everything taken care of at work. She went on a month of paid medical leave to give her knee time to heal and she was able to stand on it to do her job. Karen decided that instead of being in Maggie’s way at her house, she would go stay at her house in Pittsburgh. Since she was injured on her left side, Karen was able to drive to her house. Her wrist being in a cast wasn’t helping on the drive, but she still managed to get there in one piece.

Natalie had made arrangements with work so she could be up with Karen to help her out for the first few weeks. Karen knew it was to already be close to the arena to go to the games. The Pens had a home game and Karen really didn’t want to go. She told the girls to go without her and she could forgo a game.

During the game on Thursday night against Edmonton, Sidney kept looking in the stands for Karen. He saw Sheril, Diane and Natalie but for the whole night, Karen was never there. He had hoped she wouldn’t do that and not go to games to avoid him. Ever since the Sweden trip and what happened at Pops with Sophia, he was hoping to try and work things out with her.

After the game, the Pens were going on a two game road trip and wouldn’t be back at Mellon until next Thursday. Sidney prayed that Karen would be at that game so he could maybe talk to her afterwards.

When the girls dropped off Natalie at Karen’s before heading back to Wheeling, they told her about how Sidney kept looking for her.

“I’m telling you, the boy was possessed trying to find you” Sheril told her. “He wouldn’t be doing that if he was still with Sophia.”

“Really Karen, you still love him and from tonight his actions clearly shows he still loves you” Diane reassured her.

“I just don’t want him to see me like this.”

“Karen, you wouldn’t be like this if you weren’t preoccupied by thoughts of Sidney” Sheril said then went to hug her. “Look, we’ve got to go but just remember what we said and you will be going to the game next week with us.”

“We’ll see. Talk to you guys later.” Karen hugged her friends and they left. She saw Natalie’s look “don’t say it alright?”

“I won’t need to unless you decide to be stupid then I will be saying it everyday from here on out. I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

“Night Nat.”

Karen sat there for a little bit longer. She felt the need to text Sidney but decided against it. She got up as best as she could and headed to bed.

The week went fast and it was Thursday again. Karen didn’t really feel like going to the Pens game, but the girls insisted that she go and have fun. Karen took off the brace and only had her knee wrapped and used her crutches. She was glad the bandage from her head was gone, but her forehead and around her eye was still bruised and very noticeable.

“I don’t know if I can do this” Karen said as they walked up to the doors.

“You’ll be fine” Natalie reassured her.

“Everyone’s looking at me.”

"Let them look they have no idea what happened. You’re here to enjoy a hockey game" Sheril told her.

“Yeah ok”

They got inside and headed to their seats. Karen didn’t fully sit down in the seat yet knowing she’d have to get up for others coming in to the row. She was leaning against her seat and heard the crowd cheer as the players took the ice. Karen dreaded seeing Sidney or just dreaded Sidney seeing her like this. She kept her head turned and was talking to the girls until Diane told her she was being stared at. Karen closed her eyes and sighed looking at the ice to see Sidney, Jordan, and Max looking up at her. She could tell they were talking to each other probably wondering what happened. She gave them a small smile and got up, grabbed her crutches to head inside the Igloo Club with Diane following her.

“You ok?”

“I thought I could handle seeing him but it still hurts.”

“Well, they all three seemed concerned when they saw you. I think Sid was more concerned than the other two.”

“Doesn’t surprise me one bit”

“Come on, let’s go sit down and you’ll feel better.”

“Ok”

Meanwhile on the ice, Sidney tried to keep his head in warm ups but he couldn’t, not with Karen in the stands and all banged up. Max skated over to Sidney to calm him down.

“Sid? There’s nothing you can do right now. At least she’s here, be thankful for that and play your heart out for her.” Max began to skate away “considering she still has a place in there.”

Sidney just smiled to himself and got back into warm ups. Before he got off the ice, he saw Karen come back to her seat then skated off. During the game, Sidney would look up at her before face offs and any stoppage during the game. He wanted to make sure she was still there and he wasn’t dreaming. When first intermission came, Sidney got out his phone and texted Karen. He was hoping she would talk to him in some form.

As the second period started, Karen felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She reached and opened it seeing she had a text from Sidney. She looked at him on the ice before reading what it said.

Would you be able to talk after the game? I think we need to.

Karen couldn’t text with one hand so she asked Sheril to reply for her. She told her what to say and sent it off to him. During the second intermission, Sidney checked his phone and saw he had a reply from Karen.

Sorry, can’t. They need to head back after. Maybe come over to the house tomorrow?

It wasn’t what Sidney wanted but he’d take it. At least she was up to seeing him. He was going to make this right with her no matter what. He sent a reply then got ready to hit the ice for the third period. Karen’s phone went off and she looked at it.

Ok. I’m glad you’re giving me a chance again. See you then.

She sat there in thought for a minute before closing her phone. ‘What did he mean by another chance?’ Karen thought to herself. She went over what happened in Sweden when he kissed her and started to say something when they were interrupted. Karen shook the thoughts from her head and watched the last period of the game.

When the game was over, the girls took Karen home and then they headed to Wheeling. Natalie went back too since Karen was moving around better. Besides, Natalie told her that she and Sidney needed privacy to talk. Karen decided to just take a pain pill and go to bed since all that walking got her knee throbbing.