SoulBound To The Hockey Captain

3|| Traveling Spin

My breathing became uneven as I looked from the documents to the investigator, desperately trying to tell him they had the wrong person. I pointed frantically toward the door, tears streaming down my face, but all that escaped my throat were broken, painful grunts. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t say the one name that would explain everything.

Agent Cross watched me quietly.

“Your coach, Gerald Russell, has already provided a full statement. He informed investigators that you were the one obtaining the drug, distributing it to other athletes, and using it yourself. According to his statement, he repeatedly begged you to stop, but you refused. His statement has also been corroborated by Miss Rebecca Volkov, who claims you approached her several times and even tried to sell her the drug.”

My entire body went still as his words echoed through my head.

He had blamed me for everything? He had handed me over to the police and used Rebecca to back up his story?

My mind raced as I tried to understand why. Gerald and Rebecca had nothing to do with each other. I have never seen them say as much as a word to each other so how…

Then Rebecca’s voice suddenly echoed inside my head. “It’ll be your last time, after all.”

My eyes widened in horror realizing that she wasn’t mind games with me. She had known exactly what was going to happen to me before I ever stepped onto the ice.

The realization hit me so hard it made my stomach turn. Gerald and Rebecca had done this together.

A broken, desperate cry caught in my throat as I fought against the handcuffs with every bit of strength I had. The metal dug painfully into my wrists while the chain rattled violently against the bed. I shook my head so hard my vision blurred.

The police officer stepped closer to the bed.

“You are not under arrest at this time because of your condition,” he said. “However, you are the primary suspect in an international criminal investigation involving the manufacture and distribution of a prohibited performance-enhancing substance. Once you’re medically stable, you’ll be questioned.”

I couldn’t think, I was having a full mental breakdown.

Everything I had ever worked for is gone. It’s all gone because of the man I trusted.

The doctor finally stepped between us. “That’s enough.”

Agent Cross frowned, about to argue “Doctor—”

“I said that’s enough. She’s just regained consciousness, she’s suffered catastrophic trauma, and she has barely processed the fact that she can no longer speak. This interview is over.”

The investigator hesitated before closing his folder.“We’ll continue when she’s stronger.”

He turned and walked out with the police officer, leaving only the doctor and me inside the room.

I just sat back crying into my hands as the doctor pulled a chair beside my bed and sat down.

“There are a few more things you need to know. The fall you had caused multiple fractures throughout your body, including severe damage to both knees, your pelvis, and several vertebrae. Even if those injuries heal…the damage caused by the drug has permanently weakened your muscles, joints, and nervous system.”

He looked at me with genuine sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Selena.” His voice broke. “You will never skate again.”

####

“Miss Hart, it’s time for your medicine.”

The nurse gently slid the door open but I didn’t even look at her.

I sat curled up on the wide windowsill, staring blankly through the floor-to-ceiling glass. Below me, the river flowed quietly through the heart of the city, its dark water reflecting thousands of lights from the tall buildings on either side. Cars drove across the massive steel bridge stretching over the river.

The city looked so alive and it felt strange because just a few weeks ago, I had been one of those people. I had somewhere to be and I had something to look forward to. Now it felt like the whole world was moving forward without me.

The nurse walked into the room with a small paper cup in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “It’s time for your pain medication,” she said gently. “The doctor doesn’t want you missing another dose.”

I didn’t move or blink. I just kept staring at the river as another boat slowly drifted under the bridge.

After everything I’d lost, the pain was the only thing that reminded me I was still alive, it was a punishment I felt I deserved for allowing myself to be a blind victim who had everything in her life ruined because of a man.

The nurse let out a quiet sigh before placing the medicine on the table beside me. “Miss Hart,” she said more softly, “you have to take them.”

The room fell silent except for the distant hum of traffic outside and the soft beeping of the monitor behind me.

The nurse stood there for another moment, watching me with sad eyes before quietly pulling a notepad from her pocket.

Since I couldn’t speak, everyone had started carrying notepads around me. She carefully wrote a few words before holding the notepad where I could see it.

‘Please eat something. Please take your medicine.’

My eyes stayed on the words for a few seconds before drifting back toward the river. The water looked so dark from this height, almost black under the city lights, and I found myself wondering how cold it would feel at this time of night.

The thought should have scared me.

Instead, I found myself staring at the river for longer than I should have, feeling something inside me grow strangely quiet. I didn’t want to die. I knew that much. I was terrified of dying. I was terrified of the pain and the darkness and the thought of never opening my eyes again, but I was even more terrified of waking up tomorrow and having to live this life.

A life where I couldn’t skate or speak.

My eyes burned as I suddenly reached for the pen. The nurse looked surprised when I pulled the notepad toward myself and slowly wrote something with my shaking hand.

‘I want to eat something.’

She read it twice, then her entire face changed. “Oh, sweetheart.” Her eyes immediately filled with relief as she looked at me. “You want something to eat?” I gave her a small nod.

It was the first time I’d communicated with anyone since the day I woke up, and the nurse looked so happy that for a second I almost felt guilty for what I was about to do.

“Of course,” she said quickly. “I’ll get something brought up right away. You just stay here, okay? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She hurried toward the door, so excited that she didn’t notice she hadn’t properly locked it behind her. I watched her disappear down the hallway then I looked at my wrists knowing that I wasn’t handcuffed yet.

I’d only just showered, and they hadn’t restrained me again as the police man was on his break.

For the first time since waking up, I was completely alone so I slowly pushed my palms against the mattress and tried to stand.

Pain ripped through my body so violently that my knees almost gave out immediately. I bit down hard, trying to keep the scream trapped inside me, but a broken sound still escaped through my ruined throat as tears poured down my face.

I stopped for a moment, breathing heavily while my entire body trembled. Then I forced myself upright again, gripping the bed until my fingers turned white. Every step felt like my bones were being pulled apart, and by the time I reached the door, I felt like I was about to faint

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I slipped into the hallway and kept moving, leaning against the walls whenever my legs became too weak to hold me. I didn’t know where I was going at first, but somehow my feet carried me toward the hospital exit.