Page 84 of The Callahan Effect

"That's it."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll bench you."

I laughed.

"You can't bench someone who isn't allowed to skate."

"I'll find a way," Coach quipped before again telling me to do as I was told and leaving.

For the first time since Dr. Juneau had delivered the news, I found myself believing that maybe eight weeks wasn't the end of the world after all.

Coach had barely disappeared out the door before Ryan's voice carried in from the hallway.

"I told you he wouldn't be asleep."

Laughter erupted outside the room a heartbeat later, followed by a flood of teammates squeezing through the doorway, ignoring the fact hospitals had visitor limits.

Ryan led the charge, followed closely by Ben, Caleb, Oscar, Luca, Ethan, Hunter, Harvey, Graham, and Cameron carrying a ridiculous collection of balloons, magazines, protein bars, and enough junk food to keep an entire floor of patients supplied for a week.

The nurse stationed outside looked genuinely horrified.

"You can't all…"

Ryan smiled his most innocent smile.

"We won’t be long."

She glanced at the number of people now filling every available space around my bed and sighed with the unmistakable resignation of someone who already knew she'd lost the argument.

"Five minutes."

"We promise."

Nobody believed that promise.

Ryan immediately claimed the chair beside my bed that Coach had vacated, Ben deposited an enormous gift bag on the table before announcing half of it had come from the freshmen because they were terrified Coach would make them do drills until graduation if they forgot me, and Caleb apologized profusely after accidentally bumping the side of my bed as he squeezed past.

"I'm fine."

"You definitely aren't."

"I will be."

"You look awful."

"So I've been told."

Oscar folded his arms.

"At least your face is still recognizable."

"Thanks...I think."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"I know."