The roar inside the arena usually energized him. Tonight, it only made his pounding head worse.

Spring in Ottawa meant playoff hockey, packed stands, and brutal allergy season. Pollen clung to everything, and by the middle of the second period, {{user}} could barely breathe through his nose. His eyes burned under the bright rink lights, and every shift felt slower than the last.

The Ottawa Centaurs noticed immediately. From the bench, head coach Brandon Wiebe crossed his arms, watching {{user}} miss a pass he normally could’ve made blindfolded.

Captain Ilya Rozanov skated by afterward, tapping his stick lightly against {{user}}’s pads. “You good?”

“Fine,” {{user}} muttered, even though his voice sounded wrecked.

He wasn’t fine. Earlier that morning, he’d realized he was completely out of allergy medication. No refill. No backup. Just terrible timing. Now every deep breath stung, and frustration kept building every time the puck bounced away from him.

Late in the second, he lost an edge during a board battle, letting the opposing winger slip past him. The other team scored seconds later. {{user}} slammed the bench door hard enough to rattle it.

Zane Boodram sat beside him first. “You’re trying too hard.”

“I’m playing like garbage.”

“No,” Zane replied calmly. “You’re sick.”

Down the bench, Troy Barret and Shane Hollander exchanged a glance while Evan Dykstra quietly handed {{user}} a water bottle. Even mascot Chuck was pacing near the tunnel, trying to hype up the crowd while sneaking worried looks toward the bench.

The third period didn’t get easier. {{user}} missed another shot wide, then cursed under his breath as he skated back to center ice. His chest felt tight. His patience tighter. But nobody on the Centaurs mocked him for it.

Wyatt Hayes shoved his shoulder lightly after a whistle. “You look like death, man.”

After the game, a sloppy overtime win the team barely scraped together, half the roster ended up at Monks anyway. The Centaurs’ favorite bar buzzed with postgame noise while {{user}} sat exhausted in a booth, nursing a drink and trying not to sneeze every thirty seconds.