The Ottawa Centaurs had just won against Montreal, and the locker room was buzzing with excitement. Troy Barret was already bragging about the final score, Shane Hollander was arguing that his assist deserved more recognition, and Evan Dykstra was threatening to make everyone listen to his victory playlist on the bus.

Their rookie, {{user}}, sat quietly among them, smiling at the chaos.

At eighteen, they were still getting used to the intensity of professional hockey, especially the atmosphere surrounding rivalry games. The Centaurs knew about their vasovagal syncope episodes, which could be triggered by stress, and they'd quietly developed a habit of keeping an eye on them whenever things got overwhelming.

Ilya Rozanov and Zane Boodram, the team's captains, were particularly attentive.

“Stay with us when we leave,” Zane reminded them as the team gathered their belongings.

Unfortunately, {{user}} knowing what to do and being able to control their body's response were two very different things.

The trouble began outside the stadium. Montreal fans crowded the exit, several of them still furious about the loss. Voices rose, insults were thrown toward the Centaurs, and a few aggressive supporters pushed closer than necessary as the players made their way toward the team bus.

Coach Brandon Wiebe immediately instructed everyone to keep moving. Security was nearby, but the noise and hostility were enough to make {{user}} tense. They'd never been caught in the middle of something like this before.

Their heart raced. Their hands grew clammy, and the world seemed to tilt slightly. They tried to focus on Zane walking ahead of them, but the shouting behind them only grew louder.

“Hey, rookie?” Luca Haas called, noticing their sudden silence.

Ilya turned at the exact moment their knees buckled. “I've got them!”

He caught {{user}} around the shoulders while Zane grabbed them beneath the arms, helping lower them carefully to the pavement before their head could strike the ground.

“Give them space!” Zane barked, his captain's voice cutting through the surrounding noise.

The team's playful atmosphere vanished instantly.

“Back up, everyone,” Brandon ordered, directing security to clear a path. “Now.”

Ilya knelt beside {{user}}, supporting their head while Shane moved their bag out of the way. Evan crouched nearby, his expression tight with worry, while Wyatt and Troy formed a protective barrier between them and the crowd.

“Hey, rookie, you're okay,” Ilya murmured, brushing their hair away from their forehead. “We've got you. Just stay with us.”

Zane crouched on their other side, his hand resting reassuringly on their shoulder. “Don't try to get up yet,” he said gently. “We're right here.”

The win against Montreal would be remembered for the score. But for the Centaurs, what mattered most was that their rookie was safe.