Chapter 4

Later that day

"So when are you getting out of here?" asked Lisa

"Tomorrow but I'm not allowed back at school till next week. Which is so good a whole 'nother week off school no homework or classes to try not to sleep though." replied Zack sitting back in bed now that the pain had died down a bit he could sit back and enjoy being waited on and missing school.

"Oh, by the way Mr Dewey send you all the work we did today and your homework, he says he will send you all the work until you get back so you don't get behind." said Torii taking the wad of paper out of her bag.

"Geez, I am in hospital recovering from a near-fatal car accident and I get send Math homework, anybody else got some good news for me." Zack said with sarcasm creeping into his voice.

"Near-fatal is a slight exaggeration and yeah sorry Mr Heimlich sent you some physics work too." said Slater rubbing his shoulder.

"Your shoulder still sore? Oh and you phoned your dad yet." asked Torii

"Yeah it's still achy but it's getting better. No, thanks for reminding I need to call him haven't called him since the crash, he will be getting slightly worried if I don't call him soon though." replied Slater "Do you guys mind if I call him I'll be right back after that though"

"Yeah go right ahead," they all agreed.

Slater went out into the hall and asked the nurse where the pay-phone was, he continued down the hall to where she had said dialling the number for his dad.

"Hey Dad" said Slater when his dad picked up.

"Hello son, nice of you to call. So what have you been up too?" asked his father

"Not much really, school mainly then hanging out with the gang," he didn't want to tell his dad about the accident but knew he would have too at some point; his dad would be back tomorrow and would wonder why Slater wasn't playing in the Homecoming game.

"Well tomorrow should be good, the team are sure to win with you as captain. Oh and I heard there are college scouts coming to your next wrestling state match look for scholarship worthy players. So if you do well you could end up at a college with a good education and wrestling."

This had been his dream but he knew that the next match was next week and there no way his shoulder would be healed by then let alone strong enough to wrestle. The doctor said he had to wear the sling for 5 weeks and then had to take it easy for another 2-3 weeks. He had asked how long before he was allowed to play sports and was told not for a long time maybe even up to 4 months for sports like wrestling or football.

"About that dad there is something I haven't told you ... I was in a car crash,"

"What are you ok?????" asked Slater's dad, trying to cover up the fear in his voice.

"Yeah mostly, broken collar bone and a couple of cracked ribs but apart from that I am perfectly fine" replied Slater trying to reduce his father's fears.

"Was anyone else in the accident, what happened?" asked Major Slater

"Yeah Zack, Lisa and Screech, Screech and Lisa are fine but Zack is pretty banged up he is still in hospital but should make a full recovery with physio. Screech was driving tried to avoid a lorry and crashed." trying to give him only the facts and nothing else and the story they had agreed on.

"So no sport for a while then," Slater could hear the slight sadness in his voice, when Slater had told him that he wasn't going to join the army, the Major had told him he had to follow his dream till his end. "So ... I'll see you tomorrow, you still going to the game I presume" asked the Major.

"Yeah, I am the captain after all, you don't have to come though if you have unpacking to do though." replied Slater attempting to hide the disappointment (that he couldn't play) from his voice.

"I'll see how tired I am, well I need to go, see you tomorrow." with that he hung up.

Going back to Zack's room slightly more dejected than he had left it, Zack was sitting trying to write the answers to his Math homework with an IV attached to his hand which seemed to be causing him some problems. Screech offered to write the answers for him then he could write the correct answers for Zack and just say Zack had been struggling to write due to being still hooked up to a bag of pain meds . This seemed to be causing much laughter with the gang, but even this couldn't lighten Slater's mood. Visiting Hours soon were over and the gang left for what would be the last time as Zack was discharged the next day.