My Hockey Alpha

Nina

“Nina… Taylor is in the hospital.”

I felt my heart drop as I registered what my mother just told me over the phone. Everything, from the Half- Moon Tournament to the Mad Wolf serum to Luke’s sudden transformation, seemed like nothing now.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” I said hastily, hanging up as a knot formed in my stomach.

“Nina? Is everything okay?” Enzo asked from behind. I turned around to see him still standing by the fire, looking at me with a concerned expression on his face. Luke was pulling on a pair of jeans behind him, but was also looking at me as he did so. It felt odd to see Luke with an actual expression on his face, and for there tobe meat and flesh on his bones, but right now it hardly registered to me.

“I-I have to go,” I said, taking a few steps backwards. “It’s my brother. He’s in the hospital.”

Both Enzo’s and Luke’s eyes widened. Enzo jogged toward me. “I’ll take you on the motorcycle,” he said.

“No,” I replied. “I’ll borrow Lori’s car I’ll keep you updated, though. Just focus on Edward and the Half-Moon tournament.”

Enzo nodded, and before either of them said anything else, I turned on my heel and ran back toward the campus. Lori was thankfully still awake when I got home, playing a video game on the TV

“Can I borrow your car for the night?” I asked breathlessly as I ran through to my room and began stuffing clothes and toiletries in my backpack.

Lori paused her game and turned around on the couch to face me. “Uh… Sure, I guess?” she responded. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s my brother,” I replied, running out of my room with my bag haphazardly packed already. “He’s in the hospital.”

jumped up and grabbed her keys out of her purse, her face drawn with worry. “Here,” she said,

my roommate a quick hug before sprinting out of the

the way, but thankfully there was no one on the roads with it being so late, so I managed to make it without getting into

the waiting room and jumped up when

time in my life, my mother’s usually-cold face was full of worry. I, however, was just angry with her for not getting Taylor the help he needed and for letting it get to this point. I was mad at myself, too, for not being there for

is he?”

over, who led us to the hospital room where

the pit

machines. There was a breathing tube down his throat, his eyes were closed, and his body was

whispered, dropping my bag on the floor and running over to the side of his bed. I gripped the bed rail

nurse said quietly “His symptoms were so severe that the doctor had

what’s wrong with

came back inconclusive. As far as we’re aware, he doesn’t seem to have any sort of tumor or anything like that I furrowed my brow as I continued to stare down at my brother. The

word of apology before leaving, shutting the sliding door behind her to give us privacy. Once we were

bubble up inside of me. “He’s been telling you for years that he’s been in pain, and

my mother responded, walking around the hospital bed and sitting in the folding chair across from it as the methodical beeping of the machines and the hum

repeated. I realized that my grip was tightening on Taylor’s wrist and I let go before I hurt him, my hands shaking. “You did nothing and now he’s in

There were tears in her own eyes and her lower lip was quivering.” It’s not

then?” I asked. “What’s so difficult about getting your son the medical

than he had been the last time I saw him. His cheeks were gaunt and his eyes were sunken in. As I reached out again to take his hand and stroke it

boy who I had grown up with, who had once climbed trees and played cowboys and bandits and given me piggy back rides when we were little, now looked as though he