by purpleatheist
Rating: PG
Fandom: RPS-NHL-Atlanta Thrashers
Pairing: Ilya Kovalchuk/Dany Heatley
Disclaimer: I don't own Ilya, Dany, or the Thrashers.
Summary: Ilya got hurt today, so I naturally got a plot bunny. Here's the
result.
Note: Please read the asterized (I know that asterik should not be made into
a verb, sorry) note at the end. I tried. Lenox Hill Hospital does exist,
the address is 100 East 77th Street New York, New York 10021 which I know
because I looked it up on Yahoo Maps. It is where Ilya is spending the
night. All the stuff I said about SC joints and their separations are true
'cause I looked it up as well.
As soon as the slaughter by the New York Islanders was complete, everyone
was hurried to get dressed. I know everybody was pretty worried about Kovy,
and wanted to go over and learn what had happened, but no one was more
worried than me. It was hard not to think about it during the rest of the
game, hard to worry that it wasn't just his shoulder, but maybe something
more serious. Hard not to think of the ramifications even a simple shoulder
injury could have on his season and career.
I didn't want to think about it. The bus took us to Lenox Hill Hospital,
and we all filed out and into a waiting room. Most people sat down, knowing
we would only be here a few minutes to find out what happened, and then we'd
go back to Atlanta. I paced, up and down the length of the waiting room.
Until Ray stuck out his arm, halting me. "Dany, relax. It isn't serious."
"You don't know that," I muttered, and continued to pace. Ray shook his
head at me, but didn't say anything. They all know we're close. Best
friends. They don't know we're lovers. They don't understand why I'm so
worried.
Finally, the doctor came into the room. He called over the coaches to talk
to them, but I was close enough to hear. "The x-rays on his clavicle were
negative, but there's no way to check for structural damage to the joint and
sternum. I want to keep him overnight and get a CT in the morning for a
definite answer."
"He can't be moved?"
"It's in his best interests to leave him here."
Curt sighed. "Yeah, ok." He turned to the assistants. "Go on. Get back
to Atlanta. I'll stay with the kid and fly back when they let him out."
Looking over the whole team, he raised his voice. "Ok, boys, Kovy's ok so
far, they want to CT him, so he's stuck here for now. We'll let you know at
practice tomorrow what the long-term situation is."
Looking relieved, everyone but Ray and I shuffle back to the bus, looking
forward to getting home. Ray eyed me as he stepped to Curt's side. "Want
me to stay, coach?"
"No, Ray, you go home. I'll stay with him. He'll be fine, anyway."
"Sure," Ray said, leaving.
Curt looked at me. "Go, Dany."
"I'm staying."
"You're not staying. You're going to Atlanta and getting some sleep and
going to practice tomorrow morning."
"I'm staying here."
He expelled his breath. "Why?"
"Because. I'm staying. He barely speaks English, he'll have no idea what's
going on, and I want to stay."
"Dany, you can't handle the language barrier any better than I. What good
will you do?"
"I'm staying," I said, looking steadily at him.
He threw his hands up and sighed. "Fine. Stay here."
The doctor was watching us both and looking amused. "He's awake, if you'd
like to see him."
Still glaring at me, Curt nodded. "Thanks."
He was awake, sitting up, his arm immobilized against his body. To me, he
looked to be in a lot of pain, but his eyes met mine and he smiled. "Hey,
Dan."
"Hey, Kovy. How are you feeling?" I sat in the chair next to him.
"Bad because we lose very badly. Good because you score." He grinned at
me, deliberately misunderstanding the question.
"How's your shoulder, Ilya?"
He looked at it like it was a minor annoyance. "Is ok. Hurts some, mostly
ok. Will be better soon."
I could tell he was lying and that it hurt a lot. I could also tell that he
was as worried as I about when exactly it would get better. "That's good."
"They're keeping you overnight, kid," Curt said from behind me.
"They tell me," Ilya replied, still looking at me.
Curt's gaze flicks between Ilya and me. "I'm going to track down the doctor
and see if she knows more than she's telling," he growls.
As soon as the door shut behind him, I leaned over and kissed Kovy softly.
"I'm sorry you got hurt."
"I was hoping you would do that," he said, smiling.
"So, did they tell you what happened?"
"They say it was 'separation of sternoclavicular joint' and I ask what that
is and they say it is 'only attachment of upper extremity to axial skeleton'
and leave, so I am confused."
I couldn't help a laugh. You'd think they doctors would know better than to
use medical jargon, especially when the patient doesn't even speak English,
much less Doctor. "Mm." I traced my finger along his left collarbone, the
uninjured one. "This is your clavicle." My hand moved gently down the
center of his chest. "And this is your sternum. The sternoclavicular joint
is where they meet. They'll probably call it an SC joint from here on out."
The fingers of his good hand reach up to cover mine, which are hovering
about where his left SC joint is. "SC joint," he muttered.
"The second part just means that it's where your arm is attached to the main
part of your body."
"Oh," he said, sighing, then wincing. "I am glad you are here to translate.
The rest of team goes back to Atlanta, yes?"
"Yeah," I told him.
"Thank you for not going home."
I squeezed his fingers. "Well, home would be pretty boring without you,
Kovy."
"Doctor says I am lucky, that injury can be worse." He reached over and
pushed my shoulder back gently. "She say I am lucky shoulder do that, not
other way."
"If the bone came out of the joint the other way, it could damage your lung
or blood vessels in your chest."
"How do you know?"
I shrugged. "I learned somewhere, I guess."
"This bad, though. Hurts to breathe."
I kissed his lips again. "I'm sorry. Do you want more pain medicine?"
"No, it is hard to speak English with small medicine...more make it harder."
"Ok," I said, taking his hand again. "You should get some sleep, though.
Do you want to lie down?"
"Doctor says stay sitting up. Hurts more to be on back." His eyelids
drooped. The medicine was making him tired. "You will stay, Dan?"
"I will," I told him, rubbing my thumb along his knuckles.
"Ya lyubyu tebya, Dany," he muttered, eyes drifting shut.
"I love you, too," I whispered back, kissing his fingers and getting another
smile from him before he fell asleep.