Chapter 22 - Please Forgive Me
Marie opened her eyes only to close them a second later due to the light in the room. She grunted in pain, and lifted her right arm up to rub her eyes. She felt a hand reach out to stop her, and when she looked over, she saw her mom in the chair next to the bed. Mrs. Harris was smiling down at her, but Marie saw the relief in her eyes. She smiled at her before looking around the room. She smiled when she saw her dad lying on the other bed. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"10 in the morning," her mom replied.
Marie closed her eyes. "Damn," she whispered.
"You've been out since you ran into the pole," Mrs. Harris told her. "The guys came by, Connie, Regan, Frankie, Josh, Josie, mostly everybody you know just to see if you're ok."
"What about Dave?" Marie asked quietly.
Mrs. Harris nodded. "He was really worried about you."
Marie closed her eyes again and sighed. "Stupid deer," Marie muttered.
"There were a few eye witnesses that said that's what happened," Mr. Harris told her stepping beside his wife. "I'm just glad you're ok. Scared the day lights out of me. I thought the worst when the hospital called."
"All I remember is hitting my head on the wheel."
Mrs. Harris swiped a piece of hair off of Marie's forehead. "You scratched your chin, and you hit your forehead pretty bad. A bruise is starting to form around your right eye. You broke your left hand in the impact as well. We're just really happy you're ok."
Marie faintly smiled before trying to sit up. With the help of her dad, she managed to. She saw flowers, a bear, three balloons, and a get well card. Her dad picked up the card and it was signed by everybody. Marie thought that was nice, but she felt sad when she didn't see Silk's name on it. Her dad put it down and picked up the flowers. Marie thought they were beautiful and smelled great.
"They're from Dave," her mom told her.
Marie looked over at her and then back to the flowers. "Did he say anything?" she asked quietly.
"No," she replied. "He gave me this to give you." She handed her an envelope.
Marie took it, but was hesitant to open it. She laid it in her lap and bit her lip.
"Did you two get in a fight?" Mrs. Harris asked, while sliding the chair closer to the bed.
Marie nodded. "Our first fight," Marie said. "I might have over reacted a little."
Mrs. Harris tucked Marie's hair behind her ear. "About?"
Marie licked her bottom lip before answering. "One of the guys got cut yesterday and he felt really sad. He kept thinking what ifs. What if it had been him, what will happen after the Olympics with us?"
Mrs. Harris nodded. "Well… both of you are from different states. Long distance can be tough. I don't really know what he's thinking. I think both of you need to sit down and talk."
"I said after I graduate, maybe I'll move to Boston."
Mr. Harris asked, "Is that what you want to do?"
Marie took her time and thought about it. She realized she did want it. "Would you miss me?"
Mr. Harris nodded. "You're my only girl."
Mrs. Harris said, "No matter what you do, I'll support you. I'll be behind it. It's not like we can't talk over the phone or take a plane."
Marie chuckled. "That's what I said."
Mr. Harris went out to tell the doctor that she was awake. Mrs. Harris and Marie kept on talking about Silk and the fight. Once the doctor came in, Mrs. Harris stepped out of the room, so he could examine her. Just to be sure she was progressing smoothly, he choose to keep her for the day and to let her go home the next day. Right after the doctor left the room she decided to take a nap due to the fact that she found herself getting tired. Her parents decided it was time to leave to get refreshed and call people to tell them she was fine.
She woke up about two hours later feeling hungry and that's when the nurse came in. While she ate the hospital food, her eyes landed on the flowers from Silk. She stared at them now knowing really what to think. He was concerned about her, that she knew, but she didn't know if he really was. She sighed and that was when she remembered the card. Reaching over to the table next to the bed, she picked it up and opened it.
Marie, I'm so sorry about what happened. I felt guilty for what I thought when Cox got cut and I guess I freaked out on you a little too much. When I got news that you were in the hospital, I thought I was going to loose you before I got to tell you how sorry I was. Please forgive me. I am so in love with you. I know we're forever, if you can believe it.
Marie bit her lip and smiled. She placed the card on the table again. They are definitely going to talk though next time they see one another. She was hoping he would come in soon so they could, but by the next morning she was disappointed and mad because he never did. She voiced her concern to Connie when she came to pick her up. Connie had made a plan the day before, but she was not going to tell her that.
"Maybe he didn't want to talk in a hospital," she suggested. "No privacy."
Marie said, "But he could have called or came by after practice."
"True," Connie muttered. Connie's mind was going a thousand miles a minute. The plan was to have him be at the apartment when they get there. She thought it was a good plan, but now she wasn't sure. Did she screw up big time?
When they entered the apartment building, Connie was worried that Marie wasn't going to be happy with him. Marie kept saying if he had been concerned he should have came by. If he loved her, he would have. She took a quick breath before she opened the door and watched Marie stop in her tracks when she saw Silk sitting on the couch with another bouquet of beautiful flowers. Marie's face softened, but she was still a little mad.
"Don't blame him. I thought it was a good plan to surprise you like this. When I came to the hospital yesterday, I thought it wasn't the right place for you two to make up," Connie explained. "Nurses and doctors running around, people hiding in places."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Thank you for letting me go on like that."
"I'm sorry. I'm leaving. I'll leave you two alone," Connie said before heading out.
Marie turned to Silk. She wanted to tell him how stupid he was to listen to Connie, but she didn't. "They're beautiful," she said about the flowers.
Silk got up and walked over to her. He handed her the flowers and she smelled them before placing them on the coffee table. Turning back to him, she wrapped her arms around him without saying a word. They stayed like that for a long time, just hanging onto each other like their life depended on it. When they finally parted, he ran his fingers over her bruised eye lightly and carefully took her left hand. He kissed her fingers before he finally kissed her.
"I'm sorry. I knew I should have gone to the hospital yesterday. Connie insisted this was a good idea," he told her. "I won't do that again. I love you."
"I love you, too. I'm sorry that I over reacted," she said. "Why did you freak out like that?"
Silk lead her over to the couch. "On Sunday, I had called home. My mom told me that the Rangers had called."
"That's cool," Marie said.
"I guess they kept sending a scout to the games and he mentioned how well I was playing to the GM. They want to talk after the games."
Marie smiled. "They're going to offer you a spot on the team."
"They might. I might be playing for the AHL team before I go to New York," he told her. "If that happens, I won't be staying here and I won't be going back to Boston after. I'll be traveling even more with a hockey team."
Marie asked, "And you were worried that if you weren't in one place, we'd end up breaking up?"
"Yeah. Also, you'd find a guy that could give you everything you wanted," he told her. "Stability… a marriage…"
"All within three months of you being gone?" she asked. She gave him a funny look like he was crazy.
"Well… you never know."
"You're thinking of what happened with your ex, right?" Marie asked. He nodded. "I'll be right back." She got up and went into her room. "When you said everything about me not following you around the country, I freaked out because of this."
Silk took the note she brought out and read it. "Will?"
"No, Justin. I should have mentioned that I saw him a week and a half ago at the bar. Three days later I got this in the mail. I ignored it until…"
Silk ripped it up while looking at her. He smiled when he saw her surprised look. "It's bullshit."
"You didn't let me rip it up," Marie whined. "Thanks a lot. I guess it was more dramatic if you did it."
Silk laughed. "You know everything in that was bullshit? You are so beautiful, smart, and you are so worth it."
Marie smiled. "Every time I'm in your arms, I feel special. I never had that with those guys."
Silk cupped her left cheek with a hand and kissed her. "When you left, I called here and asked Connie to tell you to call me. Why I didn't go after you, I'll never know. I think it was because I was scared you wouldn't talk to me again. When the phone rang, I was really nervous because I wasn't sure what you were going to say. It was three or four hours after you left, and the moment Connie said you ended up in the hospital because of an accident, I thought the worse. When I got there and your parents explained that it was because of a deer…"
"You didn't feel responsible for what happened did you?" she asked, "because it was my fault. Remember question number 207 on the psychology test you guys took?"
Silk took a moment to think back to the test. "Was there a question about a deer in there?"
Marie nodded. "I made the mistake of hurting myself by not hitting the deer. It was a second decision and the deer scared me."
"When I was there, they gave me a few minutes alone with you," he told her.
"Oh yeah?"
"I sat there holding your hand, praying to God to have you wake up then, but you didn't," he said.
"Did you say anything?" Marie asked.
He shook his head. "Well… before I left I said I loved you."
Marie smiled before wiping the single tear that started to fall off her face. "See… those guys wouldn't have done that. Sat there, praying for me to wake up."
Silk leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For not being there before you met those losers," he said.
Marie smiled. "You're here now. That's all that matters. And next time don't listen to Connie."
Silk smiled at her. "I won't."
"How's Cox?"
"Fine. He was worried about you."
"He's fine with the whole being cut from the team?" she asked.
"I talked to him and he is. He's going to try to come to Lake Placid," he told her.
Marie said, "Cool."
"February 9, you gotta be in New York," he told her. "We're playing the Russians."
"Before the games?"
"Yes. It's messed up."
"Maybe it's a way to see what you guys can do against them. The game doesn't count."
"It's crazy though."
Marie shrugged. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't."
Silk shrugged as well. "I guess."
"Just believe in the team. Believe in yourself. I believe in all of you," Marie told him. "I believe in you."
Silk nodded. "Where would we be if you weren't apart of this whole experience with us?"
"I don't know. Scary thought."
For the rest of the morning and afternoon they hung out at the apartment talking and watching TV. Marie fell more in love with Silk that day. They talked about the next few months, about their future. They felt securer in the relationship knowing the "plan".
Since it was Friday, the team wanted to get together to have dinner and then go to the movies after. So with Marie being hesitant about what happened, they went out. She suggested putting a sign on her saying she got into a car accident. He brushed it off and told her that if someone said something, they'd set it straight. The guys were all supportive, and Marie told Connie she wasn't really mad at her, just a little.
When they entered the apartment that night, she asked him to stay the night. She didn't want the day to end. He was surprised, but realized she didn't mean them "sleeping" together, just sleep in the same bed as they held each other. When they entered her room, she went and got her PJ's and headed to the bathroom. He took off his shoes and jeans, and got in the bed. After she came back, she turned off the lights and climbed into the bed. She wrapped her left arm around him, while he wrapped his arm around her as they closed their eyes.
