The video began. In slow motion, Vlad watched himself try to stand before falling back to the ice, face twisted in agony. “So, I made it worse,” he said.
“Yes, but also no.” Dr. Lorenzo turned away from the TV. “Ironically, your recovery would have been a lot longer with the simple fracture. We would have had to cast you and let the bone heal on its own with almost no weight-bearing activity for twelve weeks. With this kind of break, we place a metal rod into the bone to hold it in place. Believe it or not, this means you’ll be up walking and rehabbing a lot sooner.”
Dr. Lorenzo checked her watch. “I have to prep for another surgery. I’ll check back in before I head out for the day.”
Vlad didn’t even wait for the door to close before he looked at Madison. “When will I play again?”
“You know I can’t tell you that yet.”
“Please, Madison. Give me an idea of how long I will be off the ice.”
She pursed her lips and exhaled a reluctant sigh. “If you were an average person, it would be a year before you could return to normal activity.” Madison held up her hand at the look on his face. “But you are not average. You’re a professional athlete in top physical condition who will have access to round-the-clock care, nutritional support, and a detailed rehabilitation plan.”
“So how long?”
“Our goal is to get you back on skates by October.”
Vlad let his head fall against the pillows. Four months off the ice. He pressed his fist to his forehead. How could this be happening?
“But there is a lot that happens between now and then,” Madison said. “Most people with this kind of break wouldn’t be allowed to put any weight on their leg for at least a month. You? We expect you to stand for a few minutes every day starting next week.”
“What happens next?” Elena asked in a voice that managed to be both quiet and determined. She had inched closer to his side as she spoke. As much as it pained him to admit, there was something comforting about her presence and her journalistic skill for pushing through the panic of the situation to ask the important questions.
“He’ll stay here again tonight,” Madison said. “Barring any complications, he should be able to go home tomorrow.”
Elena made a noise. “Tomorrow? You can’t send him home tomorrow!”
“We’ll make sure he has everything he needs,” Madison said.
“But this was major surgery. What if something goes wrong?”
“Elena,” Vlad said, trying to redirect her attention, because the look on her face was the same one she’d given him when he was sixteen and had the boneheaded idea to jump into the frozen Om River.
“The trainers will be in contact every day,” Madison said with a patient smile. “Probably more than Vlad would like. We’ll equip the house with mobility assistance and training tools, and he’ll have a detailed rehab plan. If you have any questions—”
“Of course I have questions! Can he go up and down stairs? Can he get his leg wet? How often does his bandage need to be changed? Does he need to ice it? Will he get painkillers? What if he falls down?”
Madison smiled again. “I know how worried you must be. But all of those questions will be answered, I assure you. Trust us to do our jobs, okay?” She nodded without waiting for a response and turned her attention to Vlad. “One thing I do need right now is access to the house. The team needs to deliver several things before you can go home tomorrow.”
“One of my neighbors has a key to the house. She can unlock the door for you.”
“That will work. Let her know we’ll be there this afternoon.” Madison folded the iPad against her stomach and winced, as if her next words were going to hurt. “I don’t mean to pry, Elena, but I need to know if we should hire someone to take care of Vlad for a while or if you are planning to stay—”
“She’s leaving.”
“I’m staying.”
Vlad dragged his gaze from Madison’s confused and uncomfortable expression to gape at Elena. He switched to Russian. “What—what did you say?”
Elena held his stare. “I’m going to stay and take care of you.”
“Why?” He hadn’t meant to sound so incredulous, but he was.
“Because you need me,” she said. At his answering silence, she blinked rapidly and shrugged. “I mean, you need someone.”
Madison cleared her throat. She didn’t speak Russian, but she obviously understood tone of voice. Her own conveyed a desire to get out of there as quickly as possible. “Why don’t I leave you two alone to discuss things, and you can let me know what you decide tomorrow?”
Vlad spared her barely a glance as she ducked out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Vlad ran a hand over his hair. “Elena, what are you doing?”
“You need someone to take care of you.”
“The team can hire someone to help.”
“But they don’t have to, and why would you want a stranger? I can cook for you and—”
He cut her off before she painted too tempting a picture. “What about your classes?”
“They’re over. I defended my thesis last week.”
Vlad’s lips opened and closed twice as he searched for something, anything to change her mind. Anything short of I need you to go, because that would be just as cruel as what he’d said about his family. He didn’t want to hurt her. He just wanted to protect himself from getting hurt. And that’s what would happen if she stayed. “It’s going to be a lot of work. I don’t want to be a burden on you.”
Her lips thinned in annoyance. “You’re injured, Vlad. Taking care of you is not a burden.”
“Elena—”
She held up her hand. “Look, I know we haven’t talked in a long time, and things have not been good between us, and I hate it. I don’t want us to be enemies. I want to do this for you. I owe you at least this much.”
His eyebrows tugged together. “Owe me? What are you talking about?”
“You’ve done so much for me, and someday I hope I can pay you back for my tuition and everything else, but for now this is what I can do.”
He jolted as if she’d nailed him in the nuts. “When have I ever asked you to pay me back?”
“Never, but only because it would never occur to you. So let me do this for you. Please.” She blanched suddenly and backed away from the bed, arms once again wrapped protectively around her chest. “I mean, unless . . . unless you don’t want me here.”