Chapter Text
Beep. Beep. Beep.
It’s dark, but surprisingly warm. It feels like sunshine, but it is difficult to tell when Shane can not see what is happening around him. The only thing he does know is that something is beeping, and it is annoying. He tries to open his eyes, but fails at the task. He thinks that maybe it is ok to not try for a little while longer.
When he finally is able to open his eyes, he is a little disoriented. He can tell he is in the hospital, but does not remember exactly how he got there. Looking around, he can tell that someone has been to visit. There are flowers sitting on the bedside table, and there is a chair that has been moved to the side of his bed. The beeping is still present.
Wait. The game. He got hit. Slammed is more like it. He went down. The bright lights of the arena. The sound of the crowd talking in hushed whispers. The paramedics. It’s coming back. He can remember shouting over the whispers. Someone was calling his name. Ilya. Ilya was calling his name. What happened to him? Shane can’t remember anything after that. Obviously, he was brought to the hospital. He can see that his shoulder is in a sling, and he can see that the light has been blocked from the window, or maybe it is just nighttime.
The door opens, and a nurse walks in. Shane can’t see her name tag.
“Mr. Hollander, you are awake” She says. She seems happy about that fact.
“It would seem that way”, Shane says, trying to grin at her. She smiles back. “I was just coming in to check on you. Your parents are downstairs getting something to eat. I can go get them if you would like.” Shane nods. The nurse goes to leave, but then stops. She seems to think for a moment, but leaves the room to go get Shane’s parents.
A few minutes later, Shane’s parents enter the room. Yuna and David Hollander look like they have not slept, but also look relieved at the same time.
“Shane, honey. You are awake.” Yuna says, as she comes to the side of the bed to give him a hug. His father stands at the bottom of the bed, smiling at them. “You took quite the tumble.” Shane lets out a laugh. It hurts a little, but it feels good. “Everyone gets their bell rung eventually”, he says after a moment.
They talk for a while. His parents tell him what happened, and how long he has been in the hospital (less than a day). They tell him that he had to have surgery on his shoulder, and that he has a concussion. He will be out for the rest of the season, but otherwise will most likely make a full recovery.
The whole time they are talking, Shane still wonders about Ilya. How had he reacted? Was he worried about Shane? Did he come see him after the game? Shane figured there was still time, Ilya’s team would not have left to go back home yet.
About an hour later, Shane’s parents decide to let him rest. At some point, Shane’s meds had started to wear off, and he was given more. They made him tired, and he really wanted to stay awake, but his eyes kept drooping. He fell asleep almost the instant that his parents walked out the door.
A little while later, Shane heard the door to his room open, and softly clicked shut. Shane squinted his eyes. They had opened the curtains. It was way brighter in the room now than it had been. He could see someone standing by the door, silently watching him. It took him a second, but he was able to open his eyes fully.
“Ilyyyyaaaaaa”. Ilya had come to see him. He was there, in the room. This fact made Shane very happy. He smiled big, but Ilya didn’t smile back.
“I wanted to make sure you were ok”. Ilya said, after a second. “Marlow feels terrible, he did not mean to hurt you.” Ilya’s voice is calm, and very professional. “Are you ok?”
Shane looks up and down the bed. “Fractured collar bone. Concussion. A couple bruised ribs. All in all, it could have been worse”. The last part comes out very breathy. He smiles at Ilya again. He just looks so stern. “Hey.” He puts his hand out. “Heeeeyyyyyyy”.
“Shhh”, Ilya says, as he walks to the bed. He takes Shane’s hand that he has out.
“Yes”, Shane breathes. “Better”. He closes his eyes. Whoever made the decision to open the blinds is crazy. He feels Ilya’s hand on his cheek, almost like he is afraid to touch him.
“I am sorry I didn't text you after the game”, Shane apologies. “I had a plan to ask you something. I was excited”. He opens his eyes again. Ilya is looking down at him, his face still unreadable. He takes his hand away from Shane’s face. “Maybe you should focus on resting.” Ilya tries to reason. He can tell that Shane is a little high off the pain meds, and does not want him saying anything he will regret later.
“I was gonna ask you,” Shane starts. Ilya tries to interrupt, “Hollander-”
“Will you come to my cottage this summer?” Shane interrupts the interruption, as if Ilya hadn't even been speaking. The words come out a jumbled, quick mess, but Ilya understands them all the same. Shane continues, “Don’t go to Russia. Come to my house. Well have so much fun, its so private, no one will know.”
This time, Ilya interrupts. “Hollander, you know we can't do that.” Shane does not seem to care. “Hmmmmmmmm we could have a week or even two. We’d be completely alone. Together.” Much like his other sentences, the last word comes out breathy, almost like Shane was trying to whisper it to Ilya.
Ilya takes a second. Shane just asked him to come spend the summer. Ilya did not necessarily have any plans to go back to Russia, however he also did not have any plans to leave his apartment in Boston for two months.
“Maybe, maybe.” he tells Shane. Shane seems satisfied with this answer. Shane goes to say something else, but a nurse chooses that moment to walk through the door. She seems surprised by Ilya’s presence.
“You are not going to smother him with a pillow, are you Mr. Rozanov?” She says with a laugh. Ilya gives her a tight smile. “No, no I was just leaving. Good thinking though.” He turns to go. When he reaches the door, he turns to Shane, “Bye”. Again with a tight smile. Shane smiles at him, all the same. “Ok, Bye Bye.”. Ilya leaves the room, and the nurse comes to Shane’s bedside to start checking vitals and wires. Shane, still a little high on medicine, makes small talk. They chat for a second, until the doctor opens the door and sticks his head in.
“Can we have a second, Natalie?”. Natalie, the nurse, nods and leaves the room. The doctor sits down on a stool next to Shane’s bed, and flips through his chart.
“How’s it going doc?” Shane says, breaking the silence. “How’s my head?”. The doctor looks at Shane, and then down at his chart. He takes a deep breath. “Shane, you are an omega, correct?”. Shane stares at him. Only a few people in the world know that fact. Shane isn’t even sure Ilya knows for sure, although he probably suspects at this point.
Shane nods, not knowing what to expect after this. The doctor nods back. “And, you are on suppressants?” Shane nods again. He has been on suppressants since he was 12 when he presented. Playing hockey is not exactly something that is acceptable for an omega to do, much less professional hockey.
The doctor nods again. “And, are you on birth control?”. The question throws Shane for a loop. “My suppressants have birth control in them. Plus, I am on a couple different kinds at the same time, so I don’t even get a heat." The doctor looked surprised at this. “And, when was the last time you had a heat?” he asks. Shane has to think about it. “The last one I had was before I was drafted, so maybe 8 or 9 years ago?”
The doctor purses his lips. “What’s going on doc?” Shane asks, starting to feel anxiety. Is he broken? Is something wrong? The doctor can see the slight fear in his eyes. “Nothing is wrong with you, at least in terms of your health. Something concerning did come up in your blood work, though.”
Shane felt a pit drop into his stomach. What could be concerning? He eats right all the time, and never slips. He exercises like his life depends on it, never skipping a workout, even over breaks.
The doctor looks at Shane, as if trying to process how to tell him what he has to say.
“Sometimes, when an omega has not had a heat for multiple years, some would say around 7, their body forces them into heat. They may not even realise it.” The doc says, carefully.
Shane considers this. “I know my body better than most, I would know if I went into heat.” Shane finds himself saying. The doctor looks at him again. “I don’t think that is what happened this time.” He says, with way too much certainty.
“And how would you know that doc? Did it happen while I was here and unconscious?” Shane asks. Now, he is kind of scared. He thinks it would make sense, he hasn't been taking his normal suppressants for the day he has been here. Maybe one of the nurses complained.
The doctor looks almost sorry for him. “No, Shane, you didn’t have your heat while you have been here.” Now Shane is really confused. His confusion must show on his face, because the doctor lets out a louder sigh. “I am confident your heat came about five weeks ago.”
Shane is more confused. Five weeks ago he was playing hockey. Five weeks ago, he was doing what he is always doing. He doesn't remember any time in the last five weeks he didn't feel normal. In fact, things had been better. He has felt on top of the world.
“Shane, have you been with anyone in the past six weeks?” The doctor asks.
“Yea” Shane says automatically. He is surprised he responded so fast. Recognition starts to stew in his belly. He is starting to understand. He feels as if he might understand. “What did you find, doc?” He is more insistent now.
“You are five weeks pregnant, Shane.”