Winter Hawk Star by Sigmund Brouwer Read Free Book Online Page B

matter, why does my heart keep beating? Every night since then, I haven’t been able to fall asleep becausewhen I think about my heart stopping, I think about dying and what happens after that.”
    The Jeep door was still half open. I closed it. “Don’t get me wrong,” I said, “but is that why you’ve played the last two games so badly?”
    Riley had managed only one assist in two games. Both games had been against the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. We’d won 8–2 and 10–4, and Riley had only scored one point out of the combined eighteen goals. Even the newspaper articles had begun to question his slump.
    â€œMy confidence is gone,” he said. “Can you blame me? If my eyes can go, anything else can go. I half expect to go blind during a shift. Or keel over from a heart attack as I rush up the ice.”
    â€œIt was a freak thing,” I said. “Like getting hit by lightning.”
    He snorted. “Let me ask you this. If you got hit by lighting once and survived, wouldn’t you be nervous to be outside in a thunderstorm again?”
    I was beginning to understand his fear.
    â€œYou didn’t get any warning about losing your sight, did you?”
    â€œNo,” he said, “and I’d give almost anything to know why it happened.”

chapter ten
    â€œListen up, guys,” I shouted to get the kids’ attention. “Weather looks good out there today. Anyone want to play some street hockey?”
    As expected, they cheered. I didn’t blame them. The Youth Works playroom was small and crowded. Normal kids would go crazy in here. And as Riley and I had learned during our visits here, this bunch was definitely so hyperactive they were beyond normal.
    â€œRiley’s got the sticks,” I shouted. “Let’s not tear down the hallways as we go outside. Zip your lips and line up in single file.”
    I couldn’t believe what happened next.
    The kids stopped shouting and laughing and screaming and began to line up in single file.
    Riley gave me a surprised look.
    â€œThey must like hockey,” I said.
    I stayed at the door, and Riley led them out.
    I watched Ben, Samantha’s brother. He was in the middle of the line. When he passed me, I patted his shoulder.
    â€œHow you doing?” I said. What I really wanted to ask him was if anyone had tried to kidnap him for the second time. I really wanted to ask him if he knew why the director of Youth Works was threatening his sister.
    â€œI’m doing good,” he said. “Can I be a goalie today?”
    â€œSure,” I said. “Hey, what’s with the cotton ball?”
    He was wearing a T-shirt, and a cotton ball was taped to the inside bend of his elbow.I’d had the same thing myself after donating blood to the Red Cross.
    â€œBlood tests,” he said, like it was no big deal. “We all get them. Samantha says I have to leave it on until after dinner.”
    â€œOh.”
    He marched onward. I followed him out of the room and down the hallway. I kept my eyes open for Samantha. She was always running around and doing different things around the building. If I was lucky, I would run into her and find an excuse to ask her to the dance. There was only a week left. I didn’t have the courage to call her on the phone.
    But I didn’t see her.
    Fifteen minutes later, I had bigger things to worry about.
    Joey, my favorite little, redheaded, monster kid, stopped in his tracks in the middle of the courtyard. He toppled to his side as one of the other kids fired him a pass.
    His head made a horrible sound as it hit the pavement. His body began to flop around. I got there just as his face was turning blue. Riley arrived a half second later.
    â€œAmbulance?” Riley asked.
    â€œYes, hurry!” I said. This was no time to ask any other questions or think about anything else.
    Riley dashed toward the Youth Work offices.
    I dropped to my