7// Make It Better

"Damn it, Derick! We have to get to UIC! Hurry the fuck up!" I shouted upstairs to him.

"I thought we couldn't curse in front of Hales?" Kristen asked me as she helped get Haley ready.

"Fuck off."

Derick finally was ready and came running down the stairs. "Sorry, I had to shave real quick."

"No you didn't, asshole," I told him.

"Calm down," Kristen told me from behind.

"Damn it, I gotta get to her appointment."

"We know, and we're gonna get there."

I sighed, "whose car are we taking?"

"Mine," Derick said, "now lets go."


It was a fifteen minute ride, but it felt like a million minutes. Haley kept her head on my shoulder the whole time; if anyone was morr scared than me, it was her. She doesn't like doctors or hospitals, and the thought of surgery would be too much to handle. I just need the best to happen for her.

Jamila met us at the hospital to help. Haley went for an x-ray first thing, which wasn't too bad since the technician wasn't one of her doctors from earlier. Afterwards, we waited in the Pediatric waiting room for the images to be read. The waiting room was kid heaven: a flat screen tv that was on Disney Channel, a fish tank full of small little fish, a bookshelf and a small little coffee table for other stuff. Haley found a book she was into, so she sat by the fishtank reading.

"So..." Derick began, "home openers next week. If she needs surgery, you guys still gonna come?"

"Shut up," I told him, "this is about Haley, not you."

"Yeah, Kat doesn't wanna think about her little hockey crush right now," Jamila said with a sly smirk.

"Shut the fuck up," I silently gritted through my teeth.

"Ew," Derick commented.

"Which one?" Kristen asked me with a huge smile.

"None of them," I said.

"The Haley look-a-like," Jamila said.

"You need to learn how to shut up right now," I quickly told her.

"Wait...who?" Derick asked.

"Oh! That Kane guy, right?" Kristen asked. Ever since Haley met Patrick, Kristen's thought it would be funny to tell everyone he's her dad, and Jammy has gotten in on it as well.

"Guess Kat loves everyone with blonde hair and blue eyes," Jammy snickered.

"Not if he's my teammate she won't," Derick said.

"I hope both of you go to-"

"Ms. Stevens?"

All our heads turned to the door, where Dr. Ramirez stood asking for me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know her father was here today as well, I don't believe we've met," she said while looking at Derick.

"He's my brother-in-law," I quickly explained.

"My apologies," she quickly explained. "If I could please get a moment with you," she said before she led me back with her.

One I left, Derick left out a big sigh. "Guess I can add her to the list of people who think I'm Haley's dad..."

Kristen shot him a hard look. "Now's not the time to be a judgemental prick."

Jammy picked up a magazine and started flipping through it. "A man isn't an essential part in a young woman's life." Derick turned towards her coldly, then rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ramirez took me back into an office and showed me a computer with x-rays.

"These are Haley's from a few days ago," she explained, then moved ahead a couple images, "and these are the ones from today."

"What's the difference?" I asked her.

"Exactly: there is none," she told me, causing me to sigh. "There's really no other option than surgery."

I rubbed my temples. "How early will it be?"

"I have an opening at 2:30 tomorrow."

"That early?"

"I'm afraid so," she said. "I'll give you a few minutes to explain this to Haley, but I'd like you both back in here to go over the plan for surgery soon."

"Will do," I said sadly before I walked out.

Upon walking out, Jammy, Derick and Kristen quickly stood up. They looked at me with hopeful eyes, and I just shook my head, before walking past them and sitting next to Haley.

"Hi mommy," she said once she saw me. She put the book down and I picked her up and placed her into my laugh, then sighed: this was going to be so hard.

"Hey, sweetie...we really need to talk."