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Jackie Pike sat reading a magazine next to Shane’s hospital bed.
Yuna had gotten an urgent call from work, so Jackie was watching Shane in hospital for the day. She’d taken over an hour ago and he’d been asleep the entire time. She made some small talk when the morning nurse came in and had been instructed to call for her when Shane woke up. She was half focused on an article about whatever new movie Gloria Grey was doing, but mostly she was just enjoying the quiet of the room. There wasn’t a lot of quiet in her life these days between three kids (and the one on the way) and hockey season. She was almost thankful this was giving her an excuse to slow down.
“Jackie?” Shane looked around confused from where he was propped up on the bed. “Where- where is?”
“Hey! Good morning. Your parents are at work and Hayden is at practice. The kids are with my parents, so I said I’d hang out with you today.” Jackie smiled at him. She pressed the call button next to his bed. “The nurse said to let her know when you woke up.”
“Did he- is he coming?” Shane still seemed confused.
“Yeah Hayden will stop by later don’t worry. He’s got some treats for you from the team.”
Shane looked like he was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by the nurse.
“Mr Hollander, how are we feeling today?” She looked at his chart and began her checks.
“Less tired. Still a lot of pain in my collarbone.” Shane reached with his other arm to show her where.
“That’s to be expected. I can give you something for that through your iv. Real good. It should kick in in about 5 minutes.” She added something to his iv bag and finished checking his vitals. “Ok vitals are good. Those meds should be starting to kick in. Anything else you need?”
“Can you just… let me know if I get any visitors?” Shane seemed to be struggling to pick his words.
“Of course honey. I'll be back to check in around lunch.” She smiled at Jackie and left.
“Jackie?” Shane looked at her.
“What’s up?” She smiled.
“I don’t remember everything. Who’s come to visit me?” Shane looked like he was thinking hard.
“Well your parents, obviously, and me and Hayden. Jj, Mitty, and few of the guys came by last night. Rose Landry called JJ and had him FaceTime her to you while they were here. That was fun. Theriault and Marcel checked in. Oh, apparently Rozanov came by.” Jackie made a face at the name. “The girls want to come but I keep explaining to them that they’re too young to be in the hospital.”
“Rozanov came?” Shane’s eyes lit up.
“I know! Can you believe it! Who does he think he is?” Jackie looked at Shane ready for him to match her look of annoyance and he… did not.
“He came.” Shane whispered.
“Hayden said it’s not super uncommon for the other captain to check in” Jackie searched Shane’s face for what was going on.
“Yeah yeah of course.” Shane tried to keep a smile off his face and failed.
“How are things with Rose?” Jackie changed the subject.
“Ya know. Good. Good. Good. Um… We broke up in January.” Shane laughed a little.
“Oh sorry. Hayden didn’t mention that” Jackie made a mental note to smack her husband for the oversight.
“Nah, it's cool. We’re friends now. Best friends. Shit. Don’t tell Hayden I said that” Shane tried his best to look serious.
“Your secret’s safe with me” Jackie held up her pinky and Shane clumsily took it. “So you’re not seeing anyone? What about that Boston girl Lily?”
“Lily” Shane sighed, his face lighting up.
“So you’re talking again.”
Shane nodded, his face bright red.
“Oh shit, does she know you’re ok? If you give me her number I can get in touch with her. We should probably add her to the group chat at this point anyway.” Jackie fumbled for her phone. She tried her best to keep the WAGs chat informed and up to date so that nobody felt alone.
“Lily knows” Shane smiled.
“Oh did- did your parents call her?”
“No! No no. They don’t know.” Shane whispered.
“Oh ok.” Jackie put her phone down.
“Lily visited me.” Shane said matter of factly.
“I think whatever they gave you might be getting to you.” Jackie smiled.
“No! Why?” Shane seemed offended.
“You just asked me who visited because you didn’t remember.” Jackie giggled.
“And Lily visited.” Shane looked at Jackie like he had made the perfect point.
“Ok buddy.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Jackie could tell something was dancing around Shane’s head. She should really tell the nurse to lower his dosage when she came in next.
“Jackie?” Shane said again.
“Shane”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Always” Jackie smiled at him.
“About Lily?”
“Of course” Jackie was intrigued. As far as she could tell nobody knew anything about this mysterious Lily.
“Her name isn’t Lily.”
“Oh?”
“It’s Ilya”
“What?” Jackie was sure she heard him wrong.
“Ilya Rozanov. Is Lily” Shane smiled.
“Shane-“
“The names are similar. Right? Ilya. Lily. Lilya. Get it?”
Jackie definitely got it. She just wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I do- that’s very clever Shane.”
“I’m Jane in his phone.” Shane continued.
“Jane like Shane. Cute.” Jackie decided to put her confusion aside for the moment.
“Ilya came up with it. He’s soooo smart.” Jackie had never seen Shane drunk, but she’s pretty sure it would sound like this.
“He sounds like it.” Jackie knew he was one of the smartest players in the league.
“He is and so funny.” Shane went on.
“You know I’ve never actually met him”
“Oh you gotta. He’s the best.” Shane looked at her. “Can I tell you another secret?”
“As many as you want Shane.” Jackie said, unsure where this was going.
“I love him.” Shane said it like it was nothing.
“Wow” Jackie was stunned.
“He- he doesn’t know that. Or maybe he does but I haven’t told him” He looked at Jackie, a little more serious.
She nodded at him.
“It feels right. He makes me happy and he’s funny and he is so hot. I mean Jackie he’s so hot right?”
“I mean I guess I don’t really-“ Jackie tried to dodge the question.
“Jackie. It’s me. You can say he’s hot.” Shane doubled down.
“Ok yes he is. He’s hot.” Jackie relented.
“Hes SO HOT. And he likes me. Me!” Shane
“Don’t sell yourself short Shane.”
“I wanna be around him all the time. He feels like home.” Shane said, serious again.
“Wow. Thats big.” Jackie agreed.
“ItsjustsoComplicatedwithus. Ya know?” Shane’s words blended together a bit.
“I can imagine” she kept her tone gentle.
“I just wish it wasn’t. I want it to be easy. Like you and Hayden.”
Jackie looked at him tenderly. She wasn’t sure if Shane would remember this but she wanted it to go well either way.
“Well I can’t pretend to understand your… situation. I don’t think any relationship is easy, but if you love each other that’s a good start. You can figure out the rest.” She left out the particular hardships they might face, she didn’t think Shane needed that right now.
“If he visited me in the hospital he loves me too right?” Shane’s voice was small, he looked nervous.
“I think that’s probably a good sign.” Jackie gave him a reassuring smile. And when that didn’t seem to shake Shane out of it, she took his hand. “Ok. Tell me all about you two.”
“What about?”
“When did it start?”
“Juniors.” Shane smiled.
“Juniors???” Jackie couldn’t hide her shock. That long?
“Well kind of. I had a crush on him in Juniors. And then after the draft there was like… a moment? And then at the CCM campaign-we did a CCM campaign- in the showers and then in the hotel.” Shane started rambling “Waaait do you want the details or pg?”
“Tell it to me however you want to tell it.” Jackie said cautiously.
For the next hour, Shane told her everything. From kisses on Vegas rooftops to tuna melts to Rose to their Russian phone call to the promise of a cottage getaway. He tried to gloss over some of the more graphic moments but Jackie learned a fair amount about Ilya Rozanov. She listened to it all because Shane was family and he clearly needed to get this out. She could process it later.
By the time the nurse came in to check his vitals and reup his meds, Jackie had learned everything about their 8 year relationship.
“I guess I just don't know what happens next. Ya know?” Shane’s words came slow and slightly slurred. Jackie could tell he was starting to lose his battle with the pain meds.
“I think that’s part of the beauty of it. Anything can happen.” Jackie offered.
“Thats scary.” Shane looked small.
“I know. But from how you describe him he sounds like a pretty great guy. You two will figure it out. I can feel it.” Jackie smiled.
“You promise?” Shane held out his pinky.
“I promise” Jackie held it with hers.
“You should meet him.” Shane smiled, eyes half glazed.
”I’d love to” Jackie said, and she meant it.
Shane started to say something else but the door opened and Hayden walked in carrying a get well balloon, some flowers, and a teddy bear in a Montreal jersey.
“Hey how’re we doing today?” He smiled
“Hayden!” Shane half yelled.
“Wow you sound high!” Hayden laughed putting the gifts down on a chair.
“We’re talking about my love life!” Shane slurred.
“What? I want to hear!” Hayden pulled a chair up next to Jackie.
“I think that’s enough girl talk for one day. Don’t you Shane? I know those meds are making you tired. Is it time for a nap?” Jackie cut in before Shane could reveal anything he’d regret.
“Maybe.” Shane yawned. “Just gonna close my eyes for a minute.”
Jackie smiled softly at Shane and he returned it before closing his eyes and almost immediately falling asleep.
“Babe. Really?”
“He needs to sleep”
“He was gonna tell me about Lily!” Hayden whispered a little too loud.
“Another time. He’s on a lot of meds and he needs to recover.” Jackie gave her husband a look that told him to stop talking.
“Fine.” Hayden took his wife’s hand “we’ll talk about this later.”
Jackie nodded and thought back on everything Shane had told her. She wasn’t sure if he’d remember or if he’d want to talk about it again but she was happy he trusted her. She definitely had a lot to process.
Eventually Yuna came to replace them and the Pikes went home. A rare night to themselves with the kids all out of the house. Between dinner and a foot massage Jackie tried her best to steer conversation away from her day with Shane. She knew Hayden wouldn’t let up but she wasn’t sure the best way to respond. Finally he got her while they got ready for bed.
“I can’t believe he told you about Lily. I've been trying to get him to tell me about Lily for years. YEARS!” Hayden said as he changed into his pajamas.
“Don’t feel too offended. I don’t think he would’ve told me if he hadn’t been all drugged up.” Jackie said, putting up her hair.
“Well?” Hayden said expectantly. “Tell me about her.”
“No.” Jackie got into bed.
“No??”
“No.”
“What about no secrets in a marriage?” Hayden pleaded, joining her in bed.
“When Shane is ready to tell you about Lily he will tell you about Lily. It's not my place.”
“But-“
“Leave it.”
“Do we like Lily at least?”
“We like Lily.”
“Do you think she’s gonna stick around?”
“I think so.”