Chapter 73 Even if it takes a while

Chapter 73 Even if it takes a while

The silence that followed Julian’s departure was heavy. The white lilies lay scattered on the linoleum floor, their petals bruised and broken under the harsh hospital lights.

Jaxson’s chest was still heaving, his eyes fixed on the elevator doors as if he expected Julian to come back for more.

Before I could say a word to calm him, the main doors of the waiting area swung open. My father, Arthur Vance, walked in.

He wasn't rushing. He didn't look panicked. He moved with a slow, cold grace that made the nurses at the front desk sit up straighter. He looked at the mess on the floor, the flowers and the scuff marks from the fight and then his eyes settled on me.

"Elena," he said. His voice was calm, but it had that edge that always made me feel like I was ten years old again.

"Father," I replied, stepping away from Jaxson.

My father looked at Jaxson. He didn't say anything to him. He didn't even acknowledge him as a person. He looked at him the way one looks at a smudge of dirt on a window.

Jaxson felt the tension. He looked at me, then at my father. He knew this was a family moment, and as much as he wanted to stay by my side, he knew his presence was only making the air thinner.

"I’ll be outside, El," Jaxson whispered. He squeezed my hand quickly, a small act of rebellion and then turned to walk out.

My father watched him go, his lip curling just a fraction of an inch. Once the doors closed behind Jaxson, he turned back to me.

"I heard about the injury," my father said. "I’ve already spoken to the Chief of Surgery. Leo is in good hands. I’ve made sure he has the best room in the private wing once he’s out."

"Thank you," I said, surprised that he wasn't yelling about the presentation this morning. "I thought you’d be angrier about... everything."

"There is a time for discipline, Elena, and there is a time for family," he said, though his eyes remained cold. "Leo is a Vance. His career is an investment. I will not have it ruined by a clumsy accident on the ice. We will discuss your behavior later. For now, we wait for the report."

He sat down in one of the chairs, looking perfectly out of place in his expensive suit. He didn't offer me a hug or a kind word. He just sat there, waiting for the results like he was waiting for a business meeting to start.

Outside the waiting room, the atmosphere was completely different.

When Jaxson stepped through the double doors, he stopped. The hallway wasn't empty. Almost the entire Vipers team was there. They were leaning against the walls, sitting on the floor, and pacing the small lobby.

Some were still in their tracksuits; others hadn't even washed the dried sweat from their faces.

The room went quiet when they saw Jaxson. They all looked at the blood on his jersey.

"Any news, Miller?" Toby asked, his voice low.
Jaxson shook his head. "He’s still in surgery. Elena’s dad is in there now."

A heavy sigh went through the group. These were tough guys, guys who spent their lives hitting each other for fun, but right now, they looked small.

Leo wasn't just their Captain; he was the one who kept them together.

"Miller. A word."

Jaxson turned. Coach Reed was standing near the exit, gesturing toward the quiet parking lot outside. His face looked older than it had two hours ago.

Jaxson followed him out into the cool night air.

The parking lot was mostly empty, the streetlights humming overhead. Coach Reed leaned against a brick wall and pulled out a whistle, spinning it around his finger, a nervous habit he only had when things were bad.

"How’s your hand?" Coach asked, nodding toward Jaxson’s bandaged knuckles.

"It’s fine, Coach," Jaxson said. "I don't care about my hand. How is Leo? Tell me the truth. I know you talked to the medics before they loaded the ambulance."

Coach Reed sighed, a cloud of white breath escaping into the air. He looked away, staring at the empty stadium lights in the distance.

"The break was clean, but the ligament damage is the real problem," Coach said. "And the head hit... that’s the wild card. The medics said his pupils weren't reacting right."

Jaxson felt a pit form in his stomach. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that for a guy like Leo, who plays with his whole heart, a hit like that changes things," Coach said. "Even if the surgery goes perfectly, the recovery for a snap that high up the leg is a year. At least. And with the concussion history... the league scouts are going to be hesitant."

"He’s the best player we have!" Jaxson argued. "He’ll work harder than anyone. He’ll be back."

"Maybe," Coach said, finally looking at Jaxson. "But I’ve seen this before, Jaxson. A kid gets to the top, he’s the hero, and then one bad night takes the floor out from under him. Leo might walk fine. He might even skate. But the speed? The fearlessness? That might be gone."

Jaxson gripped the railing of the ramp. He thought about Leo’s C jersey. He thought about the way Leo had protected him since day one.

"Julian says he’s the Acting Captain now,"
Jaxson said, his voice full of disgust.

Coach Reed winced. "By the rules of the school and the athletic board, the Assistant Captain moves up. I don't like it any more than you do, Miller. Julian has the talent, but he doesn't have the soul. The team knows it. I know it."

Coach stepped closer and put a heavy hand on Jaxson’s shoulder.

"Leo’s future is a big question mark right now," Coach said. "But yours isn't. With Leo out, the eyes are going to be on you. Julian is going to try to bury you to make himself look like the leader. You can't let him. You have to play for Leo now. You have to be the heartbeat of this team because Julian sure as hell won't be."

"I don't know if I can play with him, Coach," Jaxson admitted. "Knowing what he did."

"You have to," Coach said firmly. "Because if you quit, or if you get kicked off for fighting him, then Julian wins everything. He gets the girl’s brother out of the way, he gets the Captaincy, and he gets rid of the only guy who can outplay him. Is that what you want?"

Jaxson looked back at the hospital doors. He thought of Elena inside, facing her father alone. He thought of Leo on a table, fighting for his career.

"No," Jaxson whispered. "That’s not what I want."

"Then go back in there," Coach said. "Be there for Elena. And when Leo wakes up, you tell him the Vipers are still his team. You tell him we’re waiting. Even if it takes a hundred years."