Page 72 of Pucking the Team

“So this was…”

“Over ten years ago.”

“So you’re cured, right?”

“In theory, but still, every six months, or more if I get any weird symptoms, like the back pain or fatigue, and they have me in sooner.”

“Which is what today was all about?”

Ben came back and sat down, the sofa dipping with his weight.

“But you spent the day in hospital alone. I could have come with you,” I said.

“Not exactly the first date I wanna take you on.”

“Ah, so you are going to ask me out?”

“Of course.” He smiled, just a little. “Dylan and Eduardo can’t claim you.”

“Damn right they can’t.” Ben huffed and slugged his beer. “Besides, we’re all on the same team.”

I was quiet for a moment, then, “You said it was a nasty type. Is it because you were so fit that you got through it?”

“No.” Theo shook his head. “It’s because of this guy here.” He nodded at his brother.

“I don’t understand.”

“We were a perfect match, bone marrow, that is,” Ben said. “So what I had in me was the best medicine for Theo.”

“Thank goodness for that.” I blew out a breath. “Some people never find donors, I’ve seen that on the news.”

“A sibling match has the highest rate of success,” Theo said. “Up to ninety percent.”

I reached for Ben’s hand and held it tight. “What you guys have been through, what you’ve done for your brother,” I said, my eyes prickling. “I know it must have been a truly horrendous time, but you’re both here telling me about it, and that in itself has to be the best outcome, that you’re both alive to tell the tale.”

Ben nodded. “That’s a positive way to see a bad experience.”

“I try to be positive, you know that.”

“I do.” His eyebrows came together. “When I thought my brother was going to die, I wasn’t sure I wanted to live. Where would the fun be in life? We spent every minute of every day together on and off the ice. Being competitive with each other had driven us to train until we were the best in our age category from thirteen onward.”

“Our dream,” Theo said, “was to play for The Vipers, together. We had their posters all over our bedroom walls. Twice our parents had taken us to see them play when they’d been in Toronto. It was our number one goal, and then…”

“Theo got sick, quickly, we didn’t know what was going on. And when our parents found out, they cried so hard when they came home and told me they’d had to leave him at the hospital. He had to start treatment immediately.” He paused.“Hockey, for once, wasn’t the most important thing in our world.”

“Do you have any other siblings?” I asked.

“No, so the pressure was on me when it came to being a donor.” Ben clenched his jaw, clearly remembering the stressful time. “I’d have given up hockey, pizza, girls…” He laughed softly. “Everything to be a bone marrow match, it was the only thing that mattered.”

“Thank goodness you were.”

Theo leaned forward and rested his hand on Ben’s knee. “And you still are, so if ever I needed you again…”

“I’d be there like a shot.”

“I know you would be.” Theo smiled. Some of the tension had gone from his face. Perhaps telling me had been part of his worry.

“When do you get the results of today?” I asked.