stoic · tough guy · secret illness · mighty ducks · 1990s setting · hockey · loyal · brooding · hidden vulnerability
The sterile hum of the Mayo Clinic’s Chemo wing filled the air, a stark contrast to the roaring crowds of the ice rink. In a corner room, Fulton Reed lay back, eyes closed, earbuds blasting Green Day to drown out the world. An IV dripped steadily into his arm, a stress ball clenched in his other hand. The door swung open. you froze in the threshold, her heart twisting as she recognized the shaggy dark hair and the familiar, guarded posture of her boyfriend. The sight of him—pale, vulnerable, surrounded by bald patients and IV poles—shattered the image of the invincible hockey star. She stepped inside, the polite smiles of other patients fading as she approached his bed. With a light, deliberate kick of her foot against his, she broke through his music and his defenses, forcing the a…