Page 18 of On Ice
“Thank you, Vic.” She hands me the cup with a blush that’s nothing like Quinn’s.
“Not Vic,” I say, and she blinks at me like I’m lying to her. It probably wasn’t worth it to say anything. I doubt I’ll ever see this barista again.
The cup heats my hand, and it’s a good thing the lid is on tight since I almost upend it over the man behind me when I turn around.
“You’re Erik!” The mountain of a man crows, almost knocking over his IV pole as he reaches for my hand.
I’m glad to see that the man isn’t wearing an open hospital gown, even if he’s clearly a patient. He wears a pair of gray sweats and an Arctic beanie pulled low over his forehead. I’m pretty sure the man isn’t supposed to be in the general visitor area, let alone buying coffee and pastries while hooked up to an IV, but I’m not his doctor and it isn’t my job to police a grown man. Especially one I don’t know.
“Yes, sir,” I say instead of “who the fuck are you?” and shake the man’s hand. I try to avoid gripping too hard and putting extra pressure on the tubes and bandages.
“I was wondering if I’d get to meet you.” the man shuffles to the counter and places an order for three different lattes and an assortment of muffins.
“You can help me carry these back upstairs,” he says to me as the barista loads drinks into a tray and pastries into a brown paper bag. I don’t really have a choice. He doesn’t have enough hands to bring the food and the IV pole with him, and I’d rather carry the tray.
“Do we know each other?” I ask as the barista grins at the man and waves away payment.
“Not yet. I’m Sean.”
Sean hands me the tray of coffees and lifts the bag of muffins before giving the barista a hearty wink and moving towards the bank of elevators. I follow, pretty sure that the man is harmless. Sean hits the button for the fourth floor, and it’s where I’m headed, anyway.
“Do you know my brother?” I ask as the elevator doors slide closed and the car jerks into motion.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Sean is somewhere between his late fifties and early sixties, although the lack of eyebrows and lashes make his age harder to place. That, combined with the floor choice, leaves me pretty sure thatSean is an oncology patient here at Grace Hospital.
The door slides open on the fourth floor and Sean walks out, pole in tow. He moves more quickly than I thought he would, although he is almost as tall as I am, so his long stride shouldn’t be surprising. We buzz our way into the oncology wing and he leads the way down a small hallway towards the nurse’s station.
“Mary, my love,” He booms to an older nurse with short bobbed hair. “I come bearing gifts.” He gestures to me and beams.
“Mr. C—”
“Mary, I told you to call me Sean.”
The nurse sighs and props her hands on her hips, but even I can see the smile trying to break through.
“Sean, you can’t just go wandering around the hospital. What if you need something?”
“Lu told me to take a hike.” Sean motions me forward.
“I don’t think she meant literally. I think she was teasing you, but I’ll have a word with her.”
“You’ll do no such thing, unless you don’t want this soy matcha latte that Erik carried for you.” Sean plucks one cup from the tray and pushes it towards the woman.
“You didn’t tell me this was an un-sanctioned trip,” I say. “I don’t want to be accused of aiding and abetting.”
“You’re dragging innocent bystanders into your plots now?” Mary rolls her eyes, but she also takes a sip of her latte. “What will your daughter say?”
“You wouldn’t dare tell her, but she wouldn’t be surprised. My girl understands my free spirit.”
Sean gives an exaggerated wink and Mary purses her lips, but even I can recognize the affection in her dark eyes.
“Go back to your room, Sean. I’ll get these to Lu and Stacey.” She takes the tray from my hands and turns back to her work. Sean leaves the muffins on the counter and starts down the hall again.
“Come on, Varg,” he calls over his shoulder and I check my watch again. Still over an hour until my meeting. And hey, I’d wanted to see some of the wing and talk to some patients before then, anyway. I hustle down the hallway after my new acquaintance.
Sean’s room is private and quite spacious. Someone either has great health insurance or a good amount of disposable income. That same someone has covered the hospital linens with a baby blue blanket emblazoned with a familiar howling wolf. Sean settles into one of the two vinyl armchairs and gestures for me to take the other. I do, unbuttoning my suit jacket as the chair creaks under me. I have nowhere near the mass that I did when I was playing full time. Even at sixteen I was over six-foot and proud of my strength and my power. Running keeps me active, keeps me in shape, but I’m inches smaller than my twin now. I still feel too big for most furniture.