51 - Vancouver Sickness

The plane ride to Vancouver was brutal. Anna spent the majority of the time in the small washroom, alternating between washing her face and throwing up. Pregnancy had made her motion sick quite often, and the airplane was complete torture.

Holding onto the silver bowl like it was her best friend, Anna shivered as she felt a pair of hands pull back her hair.

"Everything ok, baby?"

Anna groaned. No.

"Yeah," she said breathlessly, "I'm good."

Ryan rubbed her back as she leaned forward to hurl again.

"I hate airplanes," Anna mumbled, "I hate them, I hate them..."

"We'll be there soon," Ryan told her reassuringly, "Here, I've got some water and Motrin. Take some and you can sleep the rest of the way."

True to his word, Anna passed out shortly after he lead her back to their seats. Thomas Vanek raised an eyebrow at him, "Is she going to be ok?"

"Hope so," Ryan said, "I really do."

"You sound pretty unsure about that."

"I just get the feeling that she's not telling me something..."

Ryan was right- Anna had kept a small secret from him that stemmed just before the trip began. Quietly, she'd brushed it off and said that the doctor said she was good to go. But the truth was that she'd been advised not to fly with the condition of the placenta, and that if she risked taking the trip, the condition could worsen. But Anna knew Ryan wanted her to be there, and he needed her support greatly. So, disregarding what she was told, Anna hopped on the plane.

Things were only going to take a turn for the worse.

-

The Olympic Village wasn't anything special. Not that any of the athletes cared. The Village was bustling with people from all over the world, Swedes to Czech and Americans to Slovaks. Ryan put his Team USA jacket on Anna's cold, exposed shoulders. She smiled at him.

"I have to go claim my uniform," he explained, "I've arranged for Kirsten and Jaro to take you back to our room, if that's ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Anna replied, giving him a quick kiss, "See you there?"

"Of course. They'll meet you by the Russian tent."

Ryan disappeared into the Team USA crowd. Anna slowly lowered herself into a seat by the Russian flag, groaning. Her stomach was aching something terrible. It was an odd feeling, since she'd only experienced the pain during her menstrual cycle. One she wasn't supposed to experience when pregnant.

"Miss Anna?"

Anna whirled around and saw a familiar face looking down at her.

"Geno..." Anna mused, as though he was someone from a past dream, "You're here too?"

"Playing hockey for home country," he stuttered, his wide brown eyes watching her stomach curiously, "Is Miller playing hockey for home country?"

"Yeah, he is..." Anna nervously scratched the back of her neck, "Are there any more Penguins here?"

"Seeed-ny, Flow-air...." Anna's heart sank when she heard Geno mentioned Fleury's named, "Brooksy...yes. And Geno."

"Yes, Geno," Anna nodded, "Well, I'm actually waiting for Jaroslav Halak and his girlfriend, so..."

"Jaroslav Halak?" Geno frowned, "Is friend?"

"Yes, he's taking me to my room in the Team USA quarters."

"I take," Geno insisted, "Miss Anna look tired."

"It's ok, Geno, I-"

Anna trailed off when she saw an old familiar figure standing just a few feet away. Carrying his red Team Canada hockey bag, Marc-Andre Fleury's eyes met Anna's for a brief second beneath his black toque. Wetting her lips, Anna tried to speak, but couldn't. She just could not face him, not here and not now.

Geno touched Anna's shoulder, "Miss Anna..."

A sudden cramping pain erupted in her stomach. Anna shrieked and collapsed to the ground, clutching her pregnant belly. Malkin put his arm under her left arm, but someone different had lifted Anna beneath her right. She started to cry as Geno let her go and she embraced Marc-Andre.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she sobbed into his shoulder, "I shouldn't have asked him to drive all that way in that weather...I''m so sorry..."

Marc held onto his friend and whispered softly, "Shh, little darling. Don't be sorry. Was not your fault."

Anna groaned, "I just...argh..." The pain came back, only this time it was much worse.

Fleury felt her grip him uncomfortably tight, "Are you hurt?"

"I don't know, I just...I wasn't supposed to fly, but I did...doctor said it was dangerous...but I didn't listen..."

He glanced at Roberto Luongo, who stood behind her, "We need to get her to a medical centre."

Luongo nodded, "There's one by the Czech area."

-

"It was just aftershock from the plane. She'll be just fine. As long as there is no flying for the duration of the pregnancy." Sidney Crosby confirmed, crossing his arms as he sat on the edge of Anna's bed.

Anna looked at him shamefully, feeling embarrassed that he had to be called when she passed out on the way to the medical center. Marc was seated next to Veronique in a chair by the wall, while Luongo had somehow explained to Malkin how to get back to the Team Russia tent.

"Where...where is Ryan?" she asked Sidney.

Sid fussed with the loose threads on his Canada sweater, "He'll be here soon to collect you."

Anna sat up, "But I told you not to tell him."

"Tell me that my fiancee was sick? Or that she lied to me?"

The room fell to an eeire silence as Ryan Miller walked in. His cheeks were flushed, clearly he'd run the entire way. Pulling off his toque, Ryan looked at Anna forlornly. She couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes, so she turned away.

"Ryan..." Anna began.

"Miller, I have to report to Lindy Ruff in about ten minutes-"

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Sid. You too, Flower."

Fleury nodded, "You have my cell phone number, and Vero's?"

"Yes, and Sid's," Ryan nodded, "Thank you, and good luck at practice."'

Sid nodded as they exited, leaving Anna alone with Ryan.

"Well?" he asked after a moment, "Don't you have anything to say?"

Anna pursed her lips, feeling numb, "I'm...sorry..."

Ryan sighed, "Annie, honey, I told you from the start I wanted to be there..."

"I know..."

"Then why didn't you tell me you weren't supposed to fly?"

"Because I didn't want to be a bother."

"It's not being a bother. It's being responsible for the baby, and for you."

Anna looked down at her sheets, "I don't want to be in the way of you and your dreams."

Ryan sat down on the edge of her bed, "So that's what this is about."

Anna still couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, "I never wanted a baby this young, and I know that your career is starting to take off, and I just feel like I'm ruining that for-"

"Stop," Ryan put a finger to her lips, "That is not true and you know it."

Anna said nothing.

Ryan reached over and touched her hand, "I'm not very good at this stuff, but if I didn't love you, I wouldn't be doing this."

Anna felt her heart jump into her throat. She looked up at him, seeing the dead seriousness in his face.

"You...you love me."

"Yes," Ryan said, his voice a bit shakey, "I love you."

Anna gently took his other hand, "Ryan...I-"

"Jaro!"

The moment was broken by the sight of a familiar, short redhead, dragging the blue-eyed Slovak into the hospital room. Anna smiled and so did Ryan. Kirsten and Jaroslav.

"Čo robíš?" Kirsten gestured to the digestive cookies and apple juice Jaro was currently snacking on, "Tí nie sú pre vás!"

Jaro sighed, "Ja som hlad. Nikto nepovedal, že som nemohol."

"Guys, we have no idea what you're saying." Anna cut in.

"Oh, sorry," Kirsten chirped, "Is everything ok, Anna? We ran into that big Russian guy in the Village. He didn't make a lot of sense, but Joe Thornton gave us the information we needed."

Ryan frowned, "Joe Thornton?"

"Yeah, he's on Team Canada," Kirsten explained, "He heard about you from Dany Heatly, or was it Ryan Getzlaf?"

"All of Team Canada knows."Anna said quietly.

"Tím Slovensko a tie otravné Fíni si príliš," Jaro said through a mouthful of cookie. Kirsten shot him a look.

"So what if they know," Ryan said, brushing it off, his engagement ring flashing in the light, "Let them know."

Kirsten snatched Ryan's hand, "What the shit is this?"

Ryan smiled, "It's my engagement ring."

"Since when do men wear engagement rings?"

Ryan eyed Anna, "Since the second I walk out of here and I have to be interviewed by the press, I will casually scratch behind my ear and the entire world will know that I am going to marry my pregnant girlfriend." He chuckled, "And finally shut up that dirty mouth in Philadelphia."

Kirsten shrugged, clearly not understanding what he was talking about. But Anna did. And that was what really mattered.