After the third try, the doctor finally said what Tyler had been desperately waiting to hear.

“We have a pulse.”

He collapsed against the wall. Bill came over and sat next to him.

“What the hell happened?!”

Tyler shook his head. He could barely speak.

“I got up for five seconds… it started going crazy… ran and got help.”

After the doctor had cleaned up his things and rewired Nicki to all of the machines, he knelt down to speak to them.

“You did a good job getting help,” he said, giving Tyler a pat on the shoulder. “I know how hard this is for you. I wish there was something I could say to make things easier.”

Tyler looked up at him. He knew he looked pathetic.

“Listen, kid. I’m no fool. I know this is going to sound strange, but I swear I’ve seen it work. You sit by that bed and talk to her. You can talk, read, sing, whatever. I’ve seen people do it all. I’ve been a doctor for nearly thirty years, and I can honestly say I believe it works.”

“Is it okay if I touch her? I’m afraid I’ll hurt her,” he admitted.

“She’s not as weak as she looks,” he said. “Just stay away from her stomach.”

Tyler nodded and pushed himself up. He sat back down in the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand. As stupid as it seemed, it was only seconds after he left her that she started to go under. He wasn’t letting go of her until she woke up.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. He noticed that her skin felt a little warmer.

“I’m on until six tonight,” the doctor said. “If anything happens, you know what to do.”

Tyler nodded as he walked out of the room. He let his head fall softly onto Nicki’s shoulder.

“I can’t lose you,” he whispered. He kissed her favorite spot, hoping that maybe somehow she could feel it.

** * * * *

A hand on Tyler’s shoulder woke him up.

“Tyler, I’m going to find some breakfast. Do you want anything?” Bill asked.

He looked around the room. The sun was up, and bright.

“Was I asleep?”

Bill nodded. “For a few hours. It’s almost nine. I think they have an Au Bon Pain downstairs. Pastries and stuff. Want anything?”

“Uh, sure, thanks. I’ll eat whatever.”

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Coffee would be great. Thanks, Bill.”

“No problem. Stay here with her. I’ll be back soon.”

When he left, Tyler checked Nicki’s skin. It felt warmer still. And her complexion was slowly returning. He had always taken for granted how pretty her skin was. She was always glowing. He wanted to kiss her, but the breathing tube made it impossible to get near her lips. At a loss for what to do, he grabbed her hand between both of his. It seemed so small.

Tyler turned his head when he heard footsteps. It was the doctor from earlier.

“How are you holding up?” he asked. Tyler liked this doctor. He treated him like an actual person.

“A little better, I guess. Her skin is starting to look normal again,” he pointed out. He hoped that meant something.

“I can see that,” he said, nodding. “Well, I can finally say she made it through the night. That’s good news, bud. That means the toxins from her appendix didn’t do any serious damage.”

Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. At least he could worry about one less thing.

“I have to change her bandage,” the doctor said. “You’re her fiancé, right?”

He nodded.

“Then there’s not going to be anything you haven’t seen before. I’m warning you though, the wound won’t be pretty. Can you handle it?”

“I think so,” he said. He was curious to see how bad it was.

The doctor pulled down the sheets and lifted up her gown. It made Tyler a little uncomfortable. He watched as the doctor slowly ripped off the gauze. It covered nearly half of her stomach. Tyler bit his lip when he saw the wound. It was a mess. He could see where the knife had hit. It made him feel nauseous all over again. The thought of someone doing that to her…

He felt his cheeks getting hot with anger. Suddenly, he wanted to beat the living shit out of the guys who did it to her. He honestly hoped that they would die. What sick fucks would stab an innocent girl over a hockey game?

The doctor explained everything he was doing to Tyler. It was comforting to have someone actually care about him, about Nicki.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never caught your name.”

He looked up from Nicki. “I’m Dr. Garrett. And you?”

“Tyler.”

“So it is you,” he said, grinning. “I thought I recognized you. My apologies; I’m not a very big hockey fan.”

Tyler smiled at him. “No worries. It’s actually nice not to be recognized once in a while.”

“I can imagine. So, I have to ask. What made Boston’s most eligible bachelor decide to get married?”

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He should probably just come clean.

“Well, I’m not exactly her fiancé.”

Dr. Garrett nodded. “I noticed the absence of a ring.”

“Oh. Yeah,” he said, not sure how to continue. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t want to. Honestly, I’d like to ask her the second she opens her eyes.” He looked at her. “If she does…”

“Try not to think like that. If it makes you feel better, we should know by about three o’clock what her status is. We have another MRI scheduled for noon to check her brain. I’ve predicted the swelling will go down, but I probably don’t have to explain concussions to someone who plays in the NHL.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty familiar with them. I got one a few months ago,” he paused, remembering. He shook his head. “She was so good to me. You should have seen it. Spent her whole spring break taking care of me.”

He knew the doctor could probably give two shits about his life, but for some reason he felt the need to tell him. He wanted him to know how amazing Nicki was, since she couldn’t show him herself. Dr. Garrett smiled at him.

“Sounds like you’re a really lucky guy.”

“You have no idea. There aren’t even words.”

“I really hope she pulls through for you, Tyler. In my experience, when people have something to live for, they fight with everything they have to keep going. Especially when they’re young. And it sounds like she has a hell of a lot to live for.”

“Thanks,” Tyler said. “For everything. Really. It’s making this a lot easier to have someone who seems to actually care about her. Those doctors last night were awful. They were so cold and casual about the whole thing.”

“I think I know who you’re talking about. Some people, they’re brilliant. But there’s more to this job than having a steady hand and a sharp mind. The brightest of us usually lack the empathy gene. Personally, I think that’s the most important part.”

“It really makes a difference,” Tyler responded.

He heard voices in the hallway, coming closer. His mother poked her head around the corner.

“Is it okay if we come in?”

Tyler looked to Dr. Garrett. “That’s my mother. And my two sisters.”

He smiled. “In-laws are fine. I have some other patients to tend to. I’ll see you in a few hours when we get her for the MRI.”

“Thanks.” He looked at his mom. “He said you can come in.”

She stepped around the corner followed by Candace and Cassidy. When they looked at Nicki, it was as if they had just seen a ghost.

“Oh my God,” Candace whispered under her breath. “Ty…”

They inched closer to her bed.

“I know,” he said, feeling choked up again. The comfort he had felt when Dr. Garrett was there had disappeared.

“Freddy told us everything. She’s in a coma?” his mother asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nodded. “They don’t know if she’s going to wake up,” he said quietly.

His mom started to cry. He noticed that Cassidy had tears falling silently down her face.

“Come here, Cass.”

She sat on his lap and he put his free arm around her. His other hand still held on to Nicki. Cassidy put her head on his shoulder.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“I am, too.”

“I’m sorry, Ty, but why did he call us in-laws?” His mother stared at him.

“Nothing happened,” he said, putting her wondering mind to rest. “Remember when you told the doctor that Nicki was my fiancé so she could stay in my room? Bill did the same for me. They weren’t going to let me see her.”

“I see,” she said.

“You sound disappointed.”

She shrugged. “I’m not going to lie to you, sweetie. I thought this whole thing would… I don’t know. Make you realize that life is too short to put things off.”

“Believe me, it did. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to wait for the right time. She’s barely twenty, mom.”

“Hold on a sec,” Candace said. “Are we actually talking about what I think we’re talking about?!”

Tyler didn’t answer her. “That reminds me, I need to talk to you. Later.” He figured she would know what it was about. Brad had probably been texting her about it.

She blushed. “Okay.”

Their mom looked between them, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Apparently, there were more pressing issues at hand.

“Well, then when do you think the right time would be?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t we wait and make sure she actually survives this first?”

He regretted the words once they were out. He didn’t mean to say it that way. For some reason, it weighed heavily on him. His eyes started to water again. Cassidy put her tiny hand on his cheek and wiped a tear away.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t apologize honey. I’d be alarmed if you weren’t upset.”

Tyler didn’t say anything. He looked at Nicki. She still looked so fragile; so broken. The life that always radiated from her was missing. He was beginning to notice all of the things about her that he took for granted.

“You guys can talk to her, you know. I dunno if I believe it, but the doctor says he thinks it helps.”

“Did you?” asked Cassidy.

“Yeah, I did.”

She got off of his lap and squeezed herself onto Nicki’s bed.

“Careful of her stomach,” he warned.

Cassidy just looked at her. “Nicki, you have to be okay. Just wake up already. My big brother needs to ask you to marry him. I want another sister.”

“Really, Cass?” Tyler said. “You guys need to leave this alone.”

“Sorry Ty.”

Bill walked back into the room, arms full with paper bags and coffee.

“Oh, hello. I didn’t know you would be here. I would have gotten more food,” he said to Tyler’s mother.

“Hi Bill. Don’t worry about us, we grabbed breakfast on the way here. How are you doing?”

He shrugged after putting down the food. “Considering the circumstances, I guess I’m holding up okay. It’s good to have Tyler here with me.”

Bill grabbed a muffin out of one of the bags and handed it to Tyler. “Hope you like chocolate chip.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks.” He felt the lump rising in his throat again. God damn it.

“Tyler, what is it?” his mother asked, concerned.

“Nothing,” he said, trying to shake her off.

A few days ago, Nicki had surprised him with chocolate chip muffins. It seemed a little too ironic that Bill had gotten him one for breakfast. Her face when he woke up had been priceless. She was so happy just to see him. She was like that every morning. He missed seeing her smile. Tyler set the muffin down. He’d lost his appetite.

Just before noon, Dr. Garrett came into the room to get Nicki for the MRI.

“I’m sorry, Tyler. As much as I’d like to tell you to come, only patients and doctors are allowed where I have to go. You’ll have to wait here.”

Tyler nodded, disappointed. What if something happened to her? He leaned back into the chair.

“How long will it be?”

“About an hour,” he replied before he left. “I’ll see you then.”

“Honey, why don’t we go out to lunch? Get you out of here for a little while. It’s on me,” his mother offered.

“I guess,” he said. He really didn’t want to leave. But he knew it wasn’t going to do him any good to stay in an empty hospital room.

** * * * *

“Now that I have you alone, we need to talk,” Tyler said to Candace.

He had grabbed her before she went into the restaurant and told his mom they’d meet them inside. Tyler didn’t know when the next chance would be.

“Is this about Brad?”

“You know that it is,” he said.

“Well just get it all out.”

Tyler stared at her. “You know, at first I was pissed. Mostly at him. That just crosses so many lines.”

Candace looked down at the ground.

“But, the other day at practice, he talked to me about it. And he seemed really serious. So I told him I would talk to you. Candace, do you really like him?”

“Of course I do,” she said. “I’ve been trying to tell you that forever.”

He sighed. “I still don’t think it’s right. But with everything that’s going on, I’m not gonna stand in your way of being happy.”

“Really?!”

Tyler nodded. Candace bear hugged him.

“You’re the best brother ever!”

“Just so you know, if he hurts you, I have no problem tearing off his – “

“Okay, I get it,” she said. “I know you’ve seen some of his bad sides. But he has good ones, too. He’s really nice to me, Ty.”

He held up a hand. “Rule number one, I do not want to hear anything about it.”

She giggled and grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

** * * * *

Tyler waited impatiently for Dr. Garrett to bring Nicki back. It had been an hour and a half, and he was getting worried.

“Tyler, you’re making me anxious,” his mother said.

“Sorry. I am anxious. Where is he?”

Bill put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s gonna be fine. Sometimes these things just take a little longer than expected.”

On cue, the doctor returned with Nicki.

“Thank God,” he whispered under his breath.

“I have to apologize for taking so long,” Dr. Garrett said as he hooked her up to all of the machines. Tyler tried not to watch. Something about it disturbed him. “But, I do have a good reason. I rushed her results for you.”

Tyler felt his heartbeat pick up as he tried to prepare himself for whatever the doctor was about to tell him.

“The swelling has almost completely subsided. From the looks of things, she won’t have any lasting damage.”

He let out a breath. “So does that mean she’s going to wake up?”

Dr. Garrett put a hand on his shoulder. “Unfortunately, only time will tell us that. If she’s under for more than two weeks, I’m afraid she’ll probably stay under.”

Tyler hung his head. Two weeks didn’t seem very long.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours to check her wound again,” he said before exiting the room.

“She’ll wake up, Tyler. She has to,” Bill said from across the room. He hadn’t gone near Nicki since they had first gotten into the room.

He was starting to feel hopeless again. He moved his chair closer to the bed and rested his head on Nicki’s shoulder. Someone started to rub his back. Tyler closed his eyes. Maybe he could just sleep through the entire thing.

** * * * *

Three Days Later

“Ty, sweetie, are you sure you don’t want to go to our hotel and take a nap? It’s right down the street,” his mother offered.

Tyler hadn’t left Nicki’s side once since Dr. Garrett brought her back from the MRI, except to occasionally use the bathroom. He hadn’t eaten or drank, so there weren’t many trips.

“I slept through most of last night. I’m fine. I’m not leaving her,” he said stubbornly.

He heard her sigh. “Alright, I tried.”

Tyler’s phone went off across the room. He got up to check it. It was from Lisa.

Lisa 11:14:48: Hey, is it okay if Zach and I come now?

Yea thats fine. ill be here

Lisa had stayed most of the day yesterday. She was devastated. Tyler had never seen just how much Nicki affected the people who cared about her.

“Ty.”

He ignored his mother. He was going to text Freddy and see if he wanted to come.

“Tyler.”

“What?” he said, turning around. “Oh my God.”

“Hey, love.”

Tyler dropped his phone and ran over to the bed. He wrapped his arms around Nicki’s shoulders and buried his face in her neck. He didn’t want her to see how upset he was; he didn’t want to scare her. But he couldn’t hold back the sobs. Nicki put a hand on the back of his head.

“You’re awake,” he choked.

“Course I’m awake. Why wouldn’t I be awake?”

He lifted his head to look at her. When she looked at him, she became confused.

“Jeez, Ty. You look awful. Why are you so upset?”

Tyler shook his head and pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her. And kissed her. He could feel the tears streaming down his face. He thought he’d never be able to do that again.

When he finally pulled away, Nicki looked around the room. Her cheeks instantly turned red. An enormous smile broke out on Tyler’s face.

“I didn’t know you guys were here…” she said awkwardly. “I wouldn’t have,”

His mom put a hand on the top of her head. “Don’t worry about it. That was the best thing we’ve seen in days.”

Nicki’s eyes widened. “Days?”

Bill approached the bed, sitting on the opposite side of Tyler. He held her hand.

“Sweetie, I don’t know how to tell you this. You were in a coma. For four days.”

“WHAT?!”

Tyler brushed a hand against her face. “Shh,” he cooed. “It’s okay.”

Her expression softened and she leaned her head into his hand.

“Nicki, what do you remember?” Bill asked.

She closed her eyes. “Uhh, I remember those two guys. One of them pushed me. Oh my God. No. He stabbed me! He fucking stabbed me!”

“Hey,” Tyler said. “You can’t freak out like that. Nicki, you were really hurt.”

“No shit I was really hurt. I got stabbed. By a friggen Flyers fan,” she said, pissed off.

He felt more tears coming. She had no idea what happened to her.

“Nicki, you died. Twice.”

Tyler watched as her face dropped. “I what?”

Bill took over for him. “Your heart stopped beating twice that night. If Tyler hadn’t reacted so quickly the second time, you might not be here right now.”

She stared at Tyler. “You were there?!”

He nodded. “Oh, Ty. I’m so sorry. If that had been you…”

She was interrupted by Dr. Garrett. “I see someone’s awake,” he said, smiling. He walked closer to her bed. “I’m Dr. Garrett, I’ve been looking after you the past few days.”

“Oh, hi.”

He smiled again. “So how do you feel? Any pain? Nausea? Dizzyness?”

“Um, no. Not really. I’m a little confused. And I’m really hungry. Can I eat?”

Tyler laughed and gave her a quick kiss. The relief he felt was unparalleled. Every single thing she did was making him smile.

“You can eat whatever you want.”

Bill got up from her side and walked across the room. They had been frequenting Au Bon Pain. Tyler would be fine if he never saw another pastry for the rest of his life. Nicki’s face lit up when she saw the Danish her father was bringing to her.

“Oh, dad! You’re the best!” she said before biting into it.

“It’s good to see you have an appetite,” Dr. Garrett said.”That’s a good sign. Most people don’t eat for days after coming out of a coma. You must be healing fast.”

He explained to her everything that had happened. Tyler watched the expressions on her face change with each new piece of information. “Do you have any questions?” he asked when he finished.

“When can I bring her home?” Tyler asked. It was all he could think about.

“As long as she stays awake and stable, you can take her home tomorrow. But she is going to need constant care. I don’t want her walking until the end of the week.

Nicki pouted. Tyler was sure she hated the idea of being bedridden for a week. He would do his best to make it okay.

“Now, if you don’t mind,” he said, addressing everyone in the room, “Tyler and I need to change her bandage.”

Bill and Tyler’s family took the hint and left the room.

“So you’re a doctor now?” Nicki asked him playfully. He couldn’t believe she was in such a good mood.

“I’ve been teaching him how to change it properly, so that when you go home he knows what to do,” Dr. Garrett explained. “He’s a natural.” He turned to Tyler. “Why don’t you do the honor?”

Tyler nodded and got up to wash his hands. He sat back in the chair and Dr. Garrett prepped the gauze and disinfectant.

“You might not want to look,” he warned Nicki. “I know how queasy you get about this stuff. It’s not pretty.”

She smiled. “Okay. I’ll just look at you then.”

Tyler moved the sheet out of the way and lifted her hospital gown. He ran his fingers softly across her skin, and felt her shudder underneath his touch. He had missed that. Tyler slowly peeled off the gauze. The stab wound had already gotten noticeably better, but he could already tell it would leave a grotesque scar. Once it healed he would offer to get it removed for her. He doubted she would want to look at that for the rest of her life.

He got the new bandage on and covered her up. She was still looking at him.

“While I have the two of you here, there are just a few things I need to go over with you.”

They both looked at the doctor. Tyler grabbed Nicki’s hand.

“Tyler tells me he’s going to be the one taking care of you while you heal. I’ve been over mostly everything with him. You aren’t going to be happy about any of this, and I apologize in advance.”

“Oh, joy,” she said sarcastically.

“As I mentioned earlier, no walking until the end of this week. We’ll send you home with a wheelchair. I suggest spending as little time in it as possible. You really should be in a reclined position until that wound heals. Also, no showers or baths. You can’t get anything in or around that cut. If that gets infected, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. If you feel the need to bathe, a sponge bath would be fine, as long as you steer clear of your stomach.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so terrible,” she said.

“And no sex.”

Tyler watched as Nicki’s face turned gravely serious. “For how long?”

“Until you’re completely healed.”

“And when will that be?”

“I’d estimate about four to six weeks.”

Nicki threw her head back onto the pillow. Tyler chuckled. She was pissed that they couldn’t have sex. He was thrilled that she was alive.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” Dr. Garrett said. He winked at Tyler. “I’ll tell your family to wait until you come out and get them.”

When he left the room, Nicki glared at Tyler. “This is so unfair. Ty, I’m so horny.”

He laughed. “I know. He warned me that you would be.”

“How would he know that?!”

“I guess it’s really common in comatose patients.”

“Fucking awesome.”

Tyler smirked at her. “He did tell me there was one thing I could do…”

** * * * *

“Jesus... H... Christ,” Nicki said, panting. “This might not be so bad after all.”

Tyler wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “How’d I do?”

She shook her head. “I might have to get stabbed more often.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Please don’t. All you have to do is ask.”

“You’re gonna hate me by the time this is over,” she said, grinning.

“I really don’t see how that’s possible.”

Nicki smiled at him. She tried to catch her breath. “Just give me a sec before you get them. They really don’t need to know what just happened.”

Tyler chuckled. “Take as long as you need.”

She noticed it was taking her way too long to steady her breathing. She started to get frustrated.

“Tyler, I like, can’t breathe.”

“Do you need me to get the doctor?”

“I don’t know,” she said. She started to cry. “What the fuck is happening to me?”

Tyler cupped her face in his hands. “Breathe with me, okay?”

He took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out through his mouth. Nicki copied him. He kept going until she settled down. She closed her eyes and felt his lips against hers. A last, stray tear slipped down her cheek.

“Thanks, Ty.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, pulling her forward to kiss her forehead. “Nicki, I know you don’t want to believe it, but something really bad happened to you. Things aren’t going to be easy.”

She sighed. “I really… died?”

Tyler nodded. She could see the grief in his face. “And you had to watch it happen?”

He just stared at her. She watched as tears brimmed in his eyes. “Come here, love,” she said, opening her arms as wide as she could. There was a slight ache in her side, but she ignored it. Tyler wrapped his arms around her upper torso and rested his head on her shoulder.

“I can’t even imagine. If that had been you…” She started to cry just thinking about it. “Oh God, Ty. I’m so sorry.”

Nicki rubbed his back. She felt nauseous when she thought about what it must have been like for him. Even the memories she had of the night Mark died didn’t compare. If she had to watch Tyler like that, she would never recover.

“What the hell went through your head?”

He shook his head and breathed into her neck. “Everything. And nothing. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever been through. When we were waiting in the lobby, all I could think about was what life would be like without you. I totally lost it,” he said, laughing a little. Nicki could feel her neck becoming wet. “But, when you flat lined, it was like this out of body experience. I couldn’t feel anything. It was like a dream. Well, more like nightmare.”

Nicki ran a hand through his hair. She could tell he hadn’t washed it, which meant he hadn’t left her side. She wouldn’t have left his, either. But something about it gave flight to butterflies in her stomach.

“I know exactly what you’re talking about. You went into shock,” she said.

“Is that what it was?”

She nodded, leaning to press her lips against his forehead. She felt horrible; it was gut wrenching to see him so upset.

“I don’t know if it happens to everyone, but it happens to me. When something like that happens, it’s too painful for your body and mind to handle. So everything just shuts down.”

“So that’s what you were talking about that time I took you out for breakfast. When you said you hadn’t felt anything in months?”

“Yeah. That’s exactly what it was. Aw, Ty. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

He didn’t respond. Nicki could feel him breathing heavily against her skin. She let him have his moment.

“I’m just so glad you’re okay.” He paused, squeezing her lightly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

His words hit home. Tyler never really told her things like that. But Nicki knew. The way he treated her; the way he acted around her. He made it clear how he felt about her. It was almost better than hearing the words.

“I love it when you get all sappy on me,” she said playfully, trying to cheer him up a little bit.

There was a knock on the door. “Shit, I totally forgot about them,” he said, getting up to let their families in.

“What were you guys doing in here?” asked Candace, raising an eyebrow.

Nicki couldn’t stop herself from blushing.

“Sorry,” he started, “We were talking and I spaced out.”

“So why is Nicki’s face all red?”

Tyler glanced over at her. His lips curled into a smile. She gave one back. There weren’t any more questions.

“How do you feel, sweetie?” her father asked her.

She shrugged. “My stomach hurts a little. Things definitely don’t feel normal. I really just want to go home.”

He came over to her and sat down on the bed where Tyler had been before. “I know, hon. I think we all want that. Do you want me to see if the doctor’s can give you anything to help you sleep? It’ll be a lot easier if you’re asleep.”

Nicki thought it over. It didn’t seem like a bad idea. All she really wanted to do was talk to Tyler, but it would be better to wait until they got home. Then it would be just the two of them. As much as it meant to Nicki that everyone had come, she just wanted to be alone with him.

“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.”

** * * * *

“Are you comfortable?” Tyler asked, fixing the pillows behind her head.

“No complaints. Thanks, babe.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Please tell me we aren’t going to those people who only call each other weird pet names.”

Nicki looked up at him, trying to act serious. “What’s wrong with those people, pumpkin?” She couldn’t suppress a giggle.

“Cute,” he mocked, covering her with the blankets.

Nicki wriggled around in the bed, trying to find the best spot.

“It is so good to be home. I never realized how comfortable our bed was until now.”

“Believe me, it isn’t nearly as nice when you aren’t here,” he said frankly.

Ever since Nicki had woken up, Tyler had been constantly saying things to let her know how much he cared. It was different, but she liked it. She was always the one getting emotional. She had never taken Tyler for that kind of person. Even after they started dating, he was more or less always cool and collected. It made the times he got romantic that much better.

“Will you lie down with me?” she asked.

Tyler leaned over her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“In a little while. I’m gonna make you lunch. Dr. Garrett drilled it into my head how important it is that you eat. What do you want?”

She grinned at him. “Wow, so you and Freddy are going to have to do all the cooking for a while. Promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“You have to wear my apron when you cook,” she snickered.

“Fine. Maybe I’ll finally get a kiss from Freddy.”

“Gross, Ty! I don’t want to think about that,” she said, laughing. She grabbed her side. “Ow. Remind me not to laugh. Along with the million and one other things that I’m not allowed to do.”

“At least you can still do this…” he said, leaning in to kiss her.

Nicki put her hands on the back of his head and pulled him closer. His kiss was slow and soft. She sifted her hands through his hair which, to her delight, was starting to grow longer. When Tyler tried to pull away, she brought him back. She wasn’t done with him. Not yet.

When she finally let him go, he kept his face close to hers. It looked like he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Nicki was having the same issue. The kiss had sedated her, making her eyelids heavy.

“Wow,” was all he managed to get out.

Nicki ran her hand along his jaw. His usual scruff had morphed into a full on beard. There was something about it she liked. She could spend hours staring at his perfectly chiseled face. It wasn’t fair.

He dropped his forehead onto hers and let his eyes shut. Nicki closed hers, too. She could feel his breath in her open mouth. It sent a shudder through her body. It was hard to believe that after all the time they’d been together, she still couldn’t hold herself together around him.

“I should really make you lunch,” he said, lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

“Make the easiest thing you can think of. Then come back here so I can kiss you again.” It seemed like an okay resolution to her.

“I won’t argue with that. What do you want?”

He finally lifted his head. Nicki fought the urge to pull him back.

“How about peanut butter and jelly? How fast can you make that?”

Tyler chuckled. “Pretty fast. I’ll be right back.” He left one more kiss on her forehead.

As helpless as Nicki felt, she couldn’t deny that she loved that Tyler was taking care of her. He was wonderful.

Minutes later he came back with a plate and a glass of milk. Wearing her “kiss the cook” apron.

“You’re so cute,” she said, beaming. “Thank you.”

She stuck out her lips and he bent down to meet her. “I’m gonna shower while you eat, okay? I feel disgusting.”

Nicki nodded and moved the plate onto her lap. He had cut the sandwich into triangles and removed the crust. She wasn’t picky, but it made her day that he did it for her. That was the only way she would eat it when she was little. She couldn’t believe he actually remembered her telling him that. Nicki picked up the remote off of her bedside table and turned on the TV.

She nearly choked on her sandwich. “Ty! Ty, I’m on TV!” she called to the bathroom.

He opened the door and stepped out, naked. Nicki covered her eyes with her arms.

“Tyler you promised!”

“Oh. Sorry,” he said, laughing. “K, you can look now.”

He’d put on his bathrobe. It was better, but not by much. Nicki had made him promise that he would wear clothes all the time until they could have sex again. She couldn’t handle it. Whatever self control she had before she met him was completely gone. When your boyfriend looks like a Greek god, that tends to happen.

She turned back to the TV. “See, there I am!”

Tyler sat down next to her. “Why are you excited about this? Nicki, that’s horrible.”

“Excuse me, Mr. I’monTVeveryothernight. This is my fifteen seconds of fame,” she joked.

She watched as her interview ended and they showed the one they had with Tyler.

“This is so wrong,” he said angrily. “Have you even considered the fact that if you weren’t my girlfriend, if those guys didn’t know about it, you never would have gotten hurt in the first place? Now they’re just fucking spewing it out to the world. Insensitive pricks…” He shook his head. “I’m calling my agent. There has to be something we can do.”

Nicki grabbed his hand. “Hey, calm down. It’s fine, Ty.”

“How could you even say that?! Nicki, I almost lost you. Forever. And it was my fault. If it wasn’t for me…” His voice grew too soft for Nicki to hear. He buried his face in his hands.

“In no way was this ever your fault. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most people I’ve met love me because of you. Those guys were just psychotic. Tyler, you can’t blame yourself for this. That’s ridiculous.”

He got up and walked back into the bathroom without a word . Nicki leaned back into the pillows and let out a breath. It was like everyone in the world was out to make them unhappy. Just when things started to get good, everything spiraled out of control.

** * * * *

Tyler stared at himself in the mirror, trying to calm himself down. Nicki was right. It wasn’t his fault; but it sure felt like it was. What if she hadn’t pulled through? She would be dead. And it would be because of him. If they had never met, those guys wouldn’t have touched her. If something like that ever happened again…

He heard Nicki calling his name. He made sure to put on his robe before he left the room. When he opened the door, he saw Nicki writhing in pain, gripping her side.

“Tyler, it hurts,” she groaned.

He rushed over to her. “What hurts?”

When she didn’t answer, he lifted her shirt. The bandage was soaked in blood. Tyler ran back into the bathroom and got two towels; one to put underneath her and one to put over the gash. He peeled back the gauze.

“Fuck, Nicki. You ripped your stitches. Come on, you have to go back to the hospital.”

** * * * *

Nicki kept a death grip on Tyler’s hand as Dr. Garrett stitched her up. He always underestimated how strong she was; it was actually hurting him.

“You know, most patients are dying to get out of here,” he said, chuckling. “They usually don’t come back the same day they leave.”

“No offense,” she said, grinding her teeth. “I’d rather be anywhere else right now.”

“None taken. So how exactly did this happen?”

She sighed, frustrated. She’d had to tell ten other people the same story. Tyler jumped in, trying to help.

“My dog got on the bed with her and laid down. So she pet him. She’s allergic to pet dander and it made her sneeze.”

“Ah, that will do it,” Dr. Garrett said. “The thread I used this time around is about five times stronger. They should stay put if you happen to sneeze again.”

“Thank you,” she huffed. Tyler could tell she was just happy it was over.

“You’re welcome. Here,” he said, taking a card out of his pocket. “This is my personal card. If anything comes up, you can try to give me a call before coming in. It might save some time and money.”

“I really appreciate it,” said Tyler, reaching to take the card.

“Hopefully I won’t see you again until your appointment in two weeks. Have a good day.”

Tyler turned back to Nicki. Her face was slick with sweat. He used his shirt to wipe it off.

“You okay?”

She made a noise and he laughed. He guessed she didn’t feel like talking.

“Let’s get you home. Again.”

** * * * *

“Yeah, dad, I’m fine,” Nicki said into her phone.

“Yup. I promise I will. I will. Okay. Okay dad. Uh huh. Love you too. Bye.”

“My dad says hi,” she said to Tyler.

He nodded.

“So…”

“What?” he asked, looking up from his laptop. Claude had sent everyone a message. It was back to the grind for him tomorrow.

“What did you and my dad talk about while I was out?”

Tyler felt his face get hot. He tried to hide it by leaning closer to his screen.

“Not much. Why?”

“I dunno. He just gets all weird whenever your name comes up. But like, in a good way. Whatever you said to him, it really won him over.”

He let out a breath. Tyler trusted Bill not to say anything to her. He shut his computer and put it at the foot of the bed.

“I have practice at ten tomorrow,” he said, trying to change the subject.

“Ty, how are you gonna take care of me? You’ll be gone for half of the next two weeks.”

He rolled over on his side and ran a hand through her hair.

“I know, I’m sorry. I already worked everything out with your dad. He’s gonna stay here while I’m gone so Freddy doesn’t have to look after you all by himself.”

She pouted anyways. “I want to go with you.”

“I wish you could,” he said longingly. “I could really use the support. I gotta admit, I’m nervous as fuck.”

Nicki went to put a hand on his face, but winced when she got halfway there. He grabbed her hand and brought it down over her chest, keeping his on top of it. It earned a weak smile from her.

“Don’t be nervous, love. You’re one of the best young players in the entire league. And your team chemistry is unbelievable. You guys are hungry. You’ll do fine.”

“That’s what I mean. I need to hear that before every game.”

“Then I’ll call you before every game and tell you,” she said, squeezing his hand.

Tyler shook his head and looked at her. “Do you have any idea how much I love you”?

Nicki grinned, face lighting up. “Nope. Why don’t you tell me?”

He nudged his lips between hers, doing his best to show her how much he cared. In his experience with Nicki, sometimes a kiss said more than a thousand words ever could.