33 - Accident

Irma Tremblay watched Victor nervously. He was back on the ice for the pregame warm up for the first time in months. She knew that the morning skate went well for him, but she still worried. Victor insisted he was a big boy and could handle any minor pain, but that wasn’t going to stop her from watching him constantly.

Tonight the Vancouver Canucks had a game against the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Irma knew she’d have to deal with seeing that grungy fleabag Ryan Miller again, though at least he’d be wearing a mask. She secretly hoped Victor would score one on him- no, two. That would show him.

The week before, Irma had received a phone call from Julia and discovered she was going to be a bridesmaid at Julia and Carey’s wedding. Which, shockingly, would be in one month. Irma thought it was a bit soon, but the couple was so excited that they couldn’t see waiting any longer.

Irma felt like vomiting as she watched Miller stretch by the blue line. She crossed her arms, wondering how much time she’d spend behind bars if she jumped over the boards and castrated him. He deserved to lose his man-parts for what he did, she thought. She laughed to herself.

Victor waved at Irma as the two teams filed off the ice, and she nodded. He wanted to speak with her before the game. Sometimes he just needed a little bit of her love to get him in the game.

But Irma was not prepared for what she was going to see that night.

Standing outside of the dressing room with Victor, he confided in her.

“I am afraid,” Victor said quietly, “That I am not going to do as good as they think.”

“Babe, you’ll be great,” Irma assured him, “Coming off injury is always hard.”

“The Sabres can play aggressive, though...”

Irma smirked, “Oh, and who’s gonna try to check you? Pat Kaleta? Please. That guy’s a pipsqueak compared to you.”

Victor blushed, “Right.”

As Irma stood on her tiptoes so Victor could kiss her, she was shoved forward. Irma was ready to throw a punch as she saw a stick-thin blonde medic walk by her.

“Don’t stand in the middle of the walkway, bitch,” the girl said icily.

Irma was ready to pound the girl’s face in when Victor picked her up and kissed her quick. The pint-sized scout was left dazed as Victor put on his helmet and went to join his teammates. Irma whispered a good luck verse under breath as she turned away to go to her seat when she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

The blonde was standing with one of the Vancouver Canucks players and holding a wad of cash. She gestured to the Sabres net and pointed to his skate, then to the cash she was holding. He nodded and she handed him the money. Irma’s heart sank as she watched Alex Burrows walk away, clearly having made a deal with the blonde. Something was not right.

“Alex!” Irma grabbed him just before he went out onto the ice, “What was that blonde girl talking to you about?”

“Oh,” Alex smirked, “You’ll like this. She gave me a couple grand to run Ryan Miller over. That bastard’s pissed me off ever since he made that comment about Vic. Weird thing is, she’s one of the Sabres medical people...and she says Miller’s her ex boyfriend.” Alex laughed. “Honestly, I’d run that asshole over for nothing, but getting a few extra bucks is alright with me.”

Irma bit her lip and went to sit with Victor’s parents, who were visiting that very weekend. But before she could get back to the seats, she saw the blonde girl again- and this time she was carrying Miller’s mask. Irma blended in with a couple of the players and followed. She watched as the girl placed it in the equipment room on a table. She removed the strings holding the neck guard and replaced them with a different material- something thinner. After tying them she handed the mask to one of the equipment managers who delivered it to Ryan.

Irma felt very uncomfortable throughout the opening ceremonies. She had no idea what to make of what was going on. Why was Burrows being paid to bulldoze Ryan in his net? And what was the deal with the strings on the mask’s neck guard? Irma knew there was only a standard kind. It wasn’t a way of cheating because it would have no effect on the play. But still, something wasn’t right.

And then it hit her.

Irma jumped out of her seat the second the national anthem ended and apologized to the Hedmans, saying she forgot something. Racing through the Canucks arena was a rush of adrenaline and a challenge at the same time. Irma made her way down to the ice surface, pushed her way to the penalty box and grabbed one of the Sedin twins by his jersey.

“You have to stop this game!” Irma screamed.

Henrik frowned at her, “What?”

“They’re going to hurt Miller!” Irma exclaimed, “We have to get him out of there!”

Henrik just looked at her and the coach told Irma to leave. Frustrated, Irma pushed her way out of the box, past the media and headed to the Sabres box. There someone would listen to her. Even if it had to be Lindy Ruff.

But the sound of the gasping crowd told her it was too late.

Irma looked on in horror as she saw the blood pour out on the ice. Alex Burrows stood up and skated back, unable to believe what had just happened. Ryan’s neck guard had fallen off, just as the blonde girl had planned, when Alex and his teammates crashed into him, and Alex’s skate cut Ryan right open. The Buffalo goaltender grasped at his throat, trying to stop the blood from coming as the medics from both teams rushed out onto the ice. Irma felt sick to her stomach, and sicker still when she realized Anna was not among the medics on the Buffalo side.

Jason Pominville and various others tore off their jerseys to put pressure on the wound and stop the flow. Members of the audience began to vomit, some of the children were escorted out by horrified parents. Only Mercedes, the tall blonde, looked pleased.

“Anna?” Irma’s voice cracked into her cell phone, “There’s been an accident...”