The raging heat that the radiated from the big yellow ball of sun in the sky, had gotten her office rather stuffy and she couldn't take it any longer, that's how she came to be sitting outside in the stands, oversized sunglasses protecting her eyes as she watched the players on the field go over drills, files in hands. She did want to know everything that there was to know on the players, which was her job, to keep them healthy. She sat far enough back that she couldn't hear what was being said on the field.
"Told ya, I had this in the bag," Wade smirked, squeezing some water into his mouth as he rested on the ground. Before he had snapped at her he was having fun with her and for a moment he regretted ever making this bet with his buddies. He was able to see who she was outside of work and she had been fun, but the second he snapped at her he was reminded of the sudden heartbreak he had just went through and he needed to have a little fun in his life and he would be winning this bet.
"You got nothing," Tyler laughed, motioning with his head to the stands. Wade whipped his head in the direction that he knew the Doctor was sitting.
"What's he doing here?" Wade growled. Pretty boy Tucker was going to ruin everything for him. He knew nothing was going to happen between Zoe and Lavon, but George Tucker was a whole other story. He grew hot seeing how easily George was able to make her laugh and keep her beautiful smile on her face; he blamed the heat for making him feel uneasy watching the scene in front of him.
"Kinsella, Hutson, you two going to play or stand around and gossip like two teen girls?" Their coach asked them in a yell. With one last heated look filled with hate towards Tucker, Wade pulled his helmet on again, his eyes connecting with hers. He smiled watching as her face flushed a pink color. "Kinsella," the coach bellowed bringing Wade back to the present, tearing his gaze from Zoe and jogging back to the field.
"He's the reason, huh?" George asked, bringing Zoe's attention back to him. At first when she had rejected him on his offer to go out, he had assumed that she had a boyfriend elsewhere, but now watching the heated gaze between Doctor and player he understood what Lavon had been telling him. There was something in the air between the two of them, if only Wade wouldn't screw this one up.
"What?" Zoe asked confused, looking away from the field where Wade had ran back to. She had appreciated George coming to her and introducing himself as one the teams' lawyers.
"Funny thing is I've known Wade my whole life." That statement had taken her back.
"I don't understand what that has to do with anything, George," she told him. She liked Wade, she could see that he was hiding behind this wall and that it was easier for him to be this person he wasn't because he was protecting himself, from what, she wasn't sure about. She did want to know, she wanted to help him, but she was a doctor and it was in her to help people out.
"Just be careful when it comes to him. He's had a rocky past and things have only just now worked themselves out."
"I have no intention in getting myself mixed up with any of the players on that field, George. This is my work and not my personal playground. I know the boundaries to keep and the limits to stay away from. The most I'm going to be to any of them is a friend and that is all," Zoe told him, collected her things. "It was nice to meet you George," Zoe flashed him a smile and walked away, sending one last glance at the field before heading back inside to her stuffy office. Pushing open her window she was able to hear the calls, the grunts and each and every tackle that was made out there.
She barely had sat down when the assistant coach burst into her office. "We need ya Dr. Hart," he told her. Getting up with a worried expression on her face she headed to where the injured player was sitting.
"What happened?" Zoe asked seeing the bare and swollen left ankle of Colton Baxter.
"I kicked the ball and I went to tackle spinning wrong on my foot and went down. Is it bad?" He asked with a hiss trying to move his foot.
"I'm not sure until I can get a better look at it," Zoe told him. "But I don't think it's broken, possible just a sprain or better yet just a twisted ankle and you'll be better in no time," she flashed him a smile, getting what she was going to need.
He relaxed back into the little bed he was on as Dr. Hart carefully examined his foot and ankle. He couldn't remember the last time he had a doctor examine an injured body part and yet be so delicate. She had soft hands that roamed over his tender ankle. For the first time since she had walked through the door yesterday he was happy to have a woman doctor working for them. He could imagine the pain he would be feeling if Dr. Lewis was still there, the man had been good at his job and you felt very little pain when he looked over your injury but compared to Dr. Hart, it was like he didn't know what he was doing; he felt no extra pain with Dr. Hart looking over his injury and he was grateful for that.
"You're in luck," she told him with a smile, wrapping his ankle up tight. "Just a small sprain, ice it and keep it elevated for a while longer yet. Just relax," she told him, wrapping an ice pack around his ankle. "I'll be back shortly to check on your ankle," she told him, walking off. Colton nodded, and let his eyes drift shut. He didn't agree with what Wade was doing, using the friendly Doctor in such a way, now that he had a chance to see just how sweet she was, maybe he'd have a talk with Lavon and see if he could have a little chat with Wade. If there was one person on the team Wade listened to it was Lavon Hayes.
"What did golden boy Tucker want?" Wade asked the second Zoe walked into her office. She groaned to herself seeing him sitting in her chair with his feet propped up on her desk.
"I don't think that matter concerns you, Mr. Kinsella," she told him with a tight smile on her face. "Move your feet," she hissed through her teeth, shoving his feet from her desk. "Shouldn't you be out there on the field for practice?" She questioned, putting a few files away.
"I was told to come check on Baxter," Wade told her with a smug smirk.
"He'll be fine, it was nothing major," she told him, finding Colton Baxter's file to write up his injury report. "He'll be ready to play for the big game on Sunday," she confirmed for him, tapping her foot, needing him to move from her seat.
Wade walked to the door, hovering there for a moment, turning around to see Zoe was back at work, quickly typing something up on the computer. "I'm sorry about the abrupt end to dinner last night."
"Okay," Zoe told him glancing from the computer screen to him for a second. Lightly rapping on the metal frame with his knuckles he was gone. Zoe leaned back in her chair and watched the spot he was just in. She couldn't understand the way he thought. George's words about Wade having a rocky past spun around in her head, maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt but there was something about Wade that made her want to put these walls up and break them down all at once. With a quick shake of her head, she got back to what she was doing. She still needed to get the examine room set up for the line of physicals that she would be doing on the defensive line today. "How are you feeling Colton?" Zoe asked, walking up to him and removing the wrap and ice.
"Better," he shrugged.
"Good," Zoe smiled at him. "It looks good; the swelling has gone down quite a bit. Just rest your foot tonight and take it easy tomorrow, I can always wrap your foot up for you tomorrow before practice if you want," Zoe offered him.
"Thanks for that, Dr. Hart," Colton told her with a smile of his own as he watched her rewrap his ankle up.
"You're welcome, but a little secret between the two of us, it's my job," she told him. "Remember to rest," she told him changing the joking tone in her voice to the strict Doctor tone.
"Will do," he assured her walking off with a slight limp. "Defensive line my office," she called walking into her office. She heard the grumblings and the groaning coming from the main part of the locker room.
One by one they entered her office wanting their physicals to be over with.
Lavon was sitting near Wade's locker when he walked out of the showers, a towel wrapped around his waist. "What do I owe this pleasure, Lavon?" Wade asked with an amused smile, pulling his clothes from his locker to get dressed. Lavon stared straight in front of himself watching the second hand tick around the clock as Wade got dressed and took a seat next to him on the benches. Lavon liked Zoe and as a friend to both of them, he didn't want to see either one of them get hurt over something so stupid and childish. Wade needed to man up and call this little bet off.
"We all make bets Wade, but making a bet on whether you can bed the Doctor is just ridiculous. We're not in school anymore," Lavon told him shaking his head at his friends actions. "Do the right thing and call this whole thing off," he pleaded with him.
"What's it to you?" Wade asked in a half snarl pulling his socks and shoes on.
"Wade I've been looking out for you as long as I can remember, we've been friends a long time now, I'm trying to look out for you now," Lavon explained with a soft sigh. "Who was the one that had your back in high school?" Lavon questioned him.
"For one year Lavon, don't forget that, you were there for one year and I had three more years to deal without you around. You had my back until you left and yeah sure you've got it now that we're on the same team, but the thing is you don't know what I'm feeling or what I'm doing," he hissed. "You need to stay out of my business," he snapped.
"But I know what's right and what's wrong. Do you?" Lavon asked, pushing himself up.
"You know as well as the rest of us that doing the right thing isn't always the right thing to do," Wade responded, getting up himself.
"That isn't the case now, is it?" Lavon asked taking a deep breath. "I don't want to see you hurt Wade or hurt anyone else because you were being stupid," Lavon finished walking away, leaving Wade to his thoughts.
Zoe frowned locking her office up to see Wade sitting in the now empty locker room. She walked to the door passing Wade in the process, she spun around his name on her lips, only he was no longer sitting there and she was the sole person in the locker room. With a soft sigh, she exited the locker room and walked the halls to the exit, where she got a glimpse of Wade walking out into the cooling air of the early evening. Stepping foot into the parking lot she allowed to see him driving off. The concern that had built up for Wade she had no choice but to push it away climbing into her own car, ready for her night to be over with.
