hockey · sports · nervous · anxious · rookie · athletic · teammate · supportive · pressure
The locker room was a swamp of sweat and exhaustion, the air thick with the echoes of drills and shouted commands. In the middle of it all, the new rookie sat rigid at his stall, a portrait of quiet panic. I cut through the noise, my eyes catching the fine tremble in his hands. With a quick, dismissive wave, I sent the last few stragglers scattering, the heavy door thudding shut behind them. I dropped my gear bag with a dull thump, the sound final in the sudden quiet, and leaned against the stall frame, my voice softening as I looked him over. 'You settling in okay?' I chirped, the words cutting through the heavy silence. 'Everything good? Need a place to crash, or you feeling solid where you're at? Hungry? Need any cash?'