We Build Then We Break
No one understood how much the accident had destroyed her. Hockey was her life, her dream, her everything, and now it was gone. Nothing made sense without it. A year, if everything went right? That was way too long, and even if it all went well there was a chance that she'd never play again. What would she do for college without hockey? Nothing. Her grades and SAT scores were great, but hockey was her calling, her career.
Feeling the tears begin to come, Emmalin let out a breath and put her pillow over her face, groaning into it. Life wouldn't be the same, nothing would. On top of that she was scared; Surgery. The army doctors were going to cut her leg open and put in metal plates and screws. She didn't want that; She didn't want to have all scars, and she didn't want to have a practically fake knee. It was going to screw up her chances of playing again.
As the tears cake more freely, she felt her phone vibrating on her bed next to her. Putting the pillow onto her lap, she picked it up, and saw Jeremy's name flash across the screen.
"Hello?" Emmalin said into the phone as she tried to breathe and calm down.
"Emmalin? It's Jeremy. I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Jeremy had heard from Denise about the accident. He knew that she would be upset and he wanted to be there for her as a friend.
"Hey. I'm alright...Actually, that's a lie. I'm far from being okay. I have to have surgery, and I might not be able to play or be the same anymore. Hockey is my life. I don't know what to do." Emmalin leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment, still holding the phone to her ear. She heard Jeremy sigh on the other end of the phone and she bit her lip.
"You just have to have faith, and think positive. Things can surprise you." He paused, "I'm really sorry but I have to go. I'll call you sometime tomorrow to check in and we can talk more. I promise. Get some rest, and take care of yourself."
Emmalin didn't get a chance to say goodbye before she heard the click and then the dial tone. She hit the 'end' button on her phone and then placed it back beside her on her bed. At least she got to talk to Jeremy, even if it was only for a few moments. Leaning back, the brunette pulled the small blanket over herself and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep.
It was around nine in the morning when Emmalin woke up. She hadn't gotten much sleep that nice, having tossed and turned every half an hour. She couldn't count how many times she accidentally twisted her leg the wrong way, and felt the sharp pain go up her whole spine.
Slowly sitting up in her bed, she lifted her leg up and swung it carefully over the edge of her bed, grabbed her crutches, and stood up on her good leg. Having to use crutches was such a pain in the ass, and having to rely on other people to help you get dressed was just plain embarrassing. Hearing a knock at her bedroom door, Emmalin rolled her eyes , trying to get herself ready for the babying.
"Come in." She called out, hopping over to her closet. She opened the door, and began looking for what she was going to wear; Sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. Claudia Joy slowly opened up her daughter's door and stepped inside, carrying a small tray of food.
"Hi honey. How'd you sleep last night?" Her mother asked, her voice obviously filled with concern and worry. She walked over and set the tray on Emmalin's bed, and then sat down on the edge, watching as the teenager made her way back over, her outfit for the day draped over her shoulder.
"How do you think I slept, mom? How would you sleep with this huge thing on your leg? How would you sleep when you can't turn or lay on your side? I slept horrible, okay!" Emmalin growled. She was sick of being babied. Her life, her dream was gone. She had nothing left. She would never play hockey again, or feel the breeze on her face as she skated along the ice.
Claudia took the hint, and stood up, nodding her head. Within another minute, she had stood up and stood in the doorway.
"I'll leave you alone then. I have an event to tend to. So Dad said he would stay here and hang out with you. Be careful and take it easy. I love you." And with that said, she was down the hall and walking down the stairs. Emmalin heard the front door open and close. A few minutes after the door closed, she could hear her father walking around downstairs.
It took her about twenty five minutes to change her clothes, and then leaving her food on her bed, she started her adventure down the stairs. About half way down, she called out to her dad.
"Dad! Can you help me?" Emmalin called out and let out a breath. It took a lot of energy to get down the stairs using the crutches. A second later, Michael Holden was by his daughter's side. He grabbed the crutches from her and held onto her as he leaned them against the wall. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist, and gently lifted her up into his arms, being careful not to touch her injured leg. Michael walked down the last few steps and set her down on her good leg, reaching to get her crutches again. He handed them to her and smiled softly, kissing the side of her head.
"There you go, sweetheart." Emmalin couldn't help but smile. For some reason, she had a better connection with her dad, then with her mom. She was daddy's little girl, and always would be; Just like Amanda would always be her mother's favorite.
"Thanks, daddy." Emmalin then began making her way into the living room, where she sat down on the couch, and laid her leg out, putting a pillow underneath it. Michael walked into the living room behind her, and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder's, turning the television on low. The brunette cuddled against her father, and closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest; Maybe she would finally get some sleep in the comfort of her daddies arms.