#####OQ#####
After finishing the teams' laundry, he locked up and headed up the ramp toward his motorcycle when his phone rang. Glancing down, he frowned at the unknown number, but since it was this area code he picked up.
"Hello, Oliver."
"Mae?" He would know that voice anywhere now.
"Yes, it's Mae."
Now what did she want, he thought, but he said, "Well, hello, what can I do for you?"
"I'm just touching base with you. I was wonder how you are?"
Which instantly made him wonder if she had just talked to Riley?
"How are you feeling? Be truthful, Oliver."
He shut his eyes for an instant, as he thought about telling the truth, then said,"I'm fine, no side effects."
Mae so reminded of him of Raisa, who always knew when he was lying, when she said, "I can tell you're lying, Oliver. Try again. And don't you dare lie to me about your health again. I'm trying to keep you alive here."
He sighed, then admitted, "I'm a little tired. I feel like I'm dragging. Okay, I'm really tired."
"You're probably more like exhausted. That's a side effect of prazosin. It will pass. But have you felt dizzy?"
"No."
"Headache today?"
"No."
"Good. Now, Oliver, I wanted to talk about how much do you normally sleep at night?"
"Okay."
"So how many hours do you average a night?"
"Some."
"Which mean's what? Two hours? Four hours?" Mae voice had a censuring tone to it.
And he really wanted to lie, but he forced himself to tell the truth and say, "Lately maybe four."
"That's not enough. I'm starting to think your insomnia might have caused your high blood pressure problems. And maybe it's time you thought about going on medication to help you sleep?"
"No, I'm not doing that. I tried that last night and trust me I don't want to do it again." He couldn't keep the sharpness, the darkness out of his voice.
His chest tightened.
How could he explain that he had to be able to wake up? He had tried last night sleeping with medication and it hadn't worked. No, what being sedated had done was kept him from being able to escape the terror. Even now his heart had began to race. Just the thought of not being able to wake up raised his stress level.
He was never going to do that again. He had to be able to wake up to escape the pain, and to escape the dreams.
"All right for now, but I just want to reinforce what I said earlier about going easy the next week to ten days, and I realized maybe I needed to spell it out for you."
"Go easy?" Why did he not like the sound of that?
"I understand you're working with your soccer team but I mean it, no pushing yourself period. And yes, that means no running until you're soaked in sweat, no pushing yourself hitting a punching bag until you're soaked in sweat."
Now, he was sure Riley had talked to Mae and just ratted him out. Thanks Riley, he thought. Tattling to Mae is not exactly the way to get on my good side.
"And, Oliver, I understand that you're not going to like this but I mean no sex either."
Well, he had already broken two of those rules already, and he would be damned if he'd go without touching her for the next seven to ten days. It'd already been almost three days now, and he was past ready to have her.
He'd been looking forward to going home and having her not just tonight, but as soon as he came in the door and could get her clothes off. He had already planned out how he was going to take her the instant he got home and it was going to be hard, fast and hot, then he would work his way up to slow and easy, but now that fantasy was going down the toilet now.
"No, sex. Now you can't be serious. I'm fine. And I'm not going to go a week without sex. I'm just not doing it."
He didn't care if he sounded like a child that had just found a candy stash, and just been told he couldn't eat any of it.
Yes, he needed her and was hungry for her.
After just three days without having her, he didn't just want a piece of candy, hell no, he want the entire candy bar, the entire sack full.
Mae said dryly. "You're not fine. And if you die, you won't be having sex ever again. And I really don't think Felicity would appreciate you dying on top of."
"Stop, right there. Whatever you were going to say. Just stop. I can't believe I'm even having this conversation with you."
"I'm a doctor, Oliver, and you get my meaning. So, no sex at least for a few days."
"But?"
"But nothing. Look, I released you from the hospital when I'd have preferred to keep you a couple more days because you insisted. Since I'm not sure if your blood pressure's really under control or not, I need readings. Have you even taken your blood pressure lately?"
"No, not in the last few hours?" He frowned deeply now.
"Of course, you haven't. You're ignoring your health." He heard her sigh deeply before she said in a strong voice, "Okay, let me spell this out for you. I want you take your blood pressure reading and write it down at least every four hours during the day. You need to keep a log, and I want to see it on Thursday at 10 a.m. when you come into the office."
"So soon. I . . ."
"Thursday! And I want you to take a reading at least three times a day. Plus, I want you to stop and think about what is going on with your body, about how you could stroke or die if you continue to ignore what's going on with your health."
He was trying but it was really hard, especially when he was still reeling from Mae's no sex and no hard exercise rules. What was he going to do with himself at night?
Mae went on . "Oliver, you don't need to push your heart rate up. It really isn't really a good idea right now. And you've never taken this medication before. I don't know how your body's going to respond to it. You do understand that what happened to you could happen again?"
"You haven't told Felicity that have you?" He was looking for a loophole here.
"Where do you think I got this phone number? So, yes, I have spoken to her about this. And she told me to tell you that no matter what you think you're not immortal."
His stomach dropped as he shut his eyes, his anger rising."Mae, you had no right to tell her."
"She has every right to know and now you've put a ring on her finger, which means you intend to marry her. You two love each other. Which reminds me, I still need to give you two an engagement party."
"That's really not necessary."
"No, I should introduce you both around. Let me write that down, so I don't forget again. I've got rounds now, so, I've got to go. I'll see you on Thursday at 10 a.m. sharp in the office for a checkup. I had an opening tomorrow, but I know you are having lunch with Riley and Anna, and I want you to go to that instead."
"Mae, stop pushing me. I don't like to be pushed." He couldn't keep the darkness out of his voice.
"No one likes to be pushed, Oliver but sometimes we need it. What you need to do is think about how lost Felicity would be without you. What would happen to her if you died? She loves you and would be crushed. I know you would never want to hurt her like that so you need to take better care of yourself."
He wanted to tell her that he wasn't going to die but knew he couldn't.
"And you need to give Riley a chance, Oliver. I still think you two would hit it off. You have both been through so much."
"I've agreed to lunch." His words sharp, his gut twisted.
"Good for you. And by the way how was the first soccer practice? Warren will want to know."
Now, he wanted to groan. Felicity would cut him off cold. Mae knew way too much about him. And this being sick thing sucked.
"First practice went pretty well. And we don't need an engagement party."
"No, it would be fun. I'll get back to you after I talk to Warren. Heck, and I think we should plan a fund raiser for your team. Your grant money's running out. And your team needs a name, Oliver. What do think about team Queen. I like that. Hmm."
"Mae don't blow this out of proportion."
"Oliver, have I ever told you that they call me B&P."
"B&P?"
"Yeah, bossy and pushy."
And he groaned.
#####OQ#####
He was so far from happy that he couldn't even find glad, as they crossed the dining room and headed to meet Riley and his wife, Anna, for lunch. Felicity had shut him down cold on the sex thing. And what had started out as a talk, quickly escalated into Felicity screaming at him and calling him names like selfish and self centered. He had lost it and had screamed back and then he hadn't gotten anything but a kiss for the making up part.
His current mood was still horrid, and he'd barely slept last night. In addition, when he had tried to creep from the bed around two a.m., she had grabbed his arm with the words, "I wouldn't if I were you. You need to sleep."
So he had been forced to lay there and think, and he was currently in a very dark place with his mood.
The pizza smelled good today, but he wondered if he would really be able to eat. He had skipped breakfast, so he could eat a reasonable lunch. However, his stomach was still pretty small, and he was still struggling somewhat with his weight, even though he was drinking energy drinks and eating what seemed to be constantly.
But, he knew he was burning too many calories versus calorie input and this lunch with the Clark's was tightening his chest and raising his heart rate. The man had said just lunch, no pressure, but still Riley was a therapist, a Dr. who knew he had . . . problems. His brain shied away from even thinking those letters. And he was pretty sure Riley had ratted him out to Mae.
Killing Riley Clark had crossed his mind repeatedly in the past sixteen hours.
And he hated those letters. Just like he hated that he couldn't exercise, hated having lunch with a therapist, and really hated that he couldn't have sex. He was beginning to think dying might be better after all.
Crossing the restaurant, Felicity reached and took his hand and gave him her special smile before she said, "You're cranky and have grumpy face today. Would you just stop brooding? Could you just try to give him a chance, Oliver. It's just lunch. No big deal."
"Is my mood showing that badly?"
"Just to me. There they are. Come on, try to like him. Maybe he could help us. Paste that fake smile of yours on your face already. I know you know how."
"Okay, like this?" He tried to smile.
And she gave him a slight grin and shook her head no.
Riley had chosen the very back table, in a corner. And against his will, he approved of the man's selection.
The couple stood as he and Felicity approached the table. Riley's wife, was a dark headed tall woman with a sweet smile, and a smile she mainly aimed at Riley as a look passed between the couple.
Okay, he liked that. He liked that a man as damaged as Riley had a woman who's smile belonged only to him. It gave him hope that Felicity could love just him, that she could care about him and it wasn't just going to stop anytime soon.
And, it was nice to see that the two of them plainly adored each other.
Yes, he could see that Anna loved Riley, when he was so plainly damaged. There was no way he could forget the fact that Riley's leg were gone, blown off, and, the man had admitted he had other problems too.
The fact Riley was in a committed relationship, and they were making it work gave him pause, and he found that silly thing called hope, entering his mind again. Along with the thought that maybe, just maybe, Felicity could continue to love him as damaged as he was, crept into his mind.
"Oliver and Felicity this is my wife, Anna." Riley reached and gave him a firm handshake and then quickly released him.
Another point in his favor.
He hated guys who insisted on crushing his hand, in an attempt to prove they had to be stronger than him, especially when he knew he could best them if push came to shove.
The introductions made, Riley gestured to a chair. "Oliver, why don't you sit here with your back to the wall. I'm personally hyper vigilant sometimes, and I don't know about you, but in situations with a lot of people, I spend way too much time stressing about monitoring the room, especially if I sit with my back to people. And I'm not up for the stress today."
What Riley said was true. He normally choose to sit where he could see the crowd, if he had to sit with people behind him he chose the least people, and always he was watching and waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the next attack, and for the enemy to show themselves.
So, he sat in the chair with his back to the wall, and then ask, "What branch of the army were you?"
"Special Forces, who do you think paid for my education after I got my legs blown off? Graduate school is hardly cheap. But personally fifty grand wasn't enough for my legs."
"Riley!" Anna said with a frown. "Can we shoot for a good impression here? Just try for once."
"Well it's true. I'd have still gotten the fifty grand to go to school if I would have gotten to keep the legs."
"But you would have never met me." And Anna flashed Riley a nice smile.
"You were Green Berate?" Felicity asked.
"Yeah, I was. Hard to believe, huh?"
"That's got to be so hard. Going from. . ." He stopped himself before he said the words.
"You're right it was. I'll finish your sentence. I went from one of the most elite soldiers to this?" He gestured downward toward his legs.
"There's nothing wrong with what you have, Riley." Anna assured him.
"I never said there was. But yes, I went from having legs to not having legs. In the blink of an eye. And yes, it was hard for me. So I understand about trying to cope. And, yes, I'm coping. Everyday, I'm coping, and I had to learn coping strategies, and I had to learn to let people help me, which was and is harder than you'd think it is." He reached for Anna's hand for a second then released it and smiled.
No pressure. Right, he thought, as he frowned deeply.
But then Riley left it at that, as the waitress arrived and took their drink orders, and they all agreed to just do the buffet.
So, in a short time everyone was eating pizza and salad, though he knew he wasn't going be able to eat a lot, even though he had skipped breakfast, and he was trying NOT to think about what Riley had said about coping and people helping him.
No, instead, he thought about covering up, about how he would make a good show of eating. So, he made sure he spread his salad thin and wide on his plate and choose a couple of small pizza slices.
"So," Felicity broke the silence after they were all seated again.
Of course, she would talk first, he thought, for quiet and Felicity didn't go together. "Anna, tell me how did you and Riley meet?"
Riley groaned as he took a bite of pizza.
"Riley ran over my foot with his wheel chair, as I was trying to open the library door for him. Of course, he regretted it and bought me a coffee to make it up to me."
"And I'm never going to live that down am I?" And he watched as Riley's hand reached for Anna's.
"No, you're not." But her smile was for Riley alone and he realized that. Yes, he saw that Anna loved Riley and like Felicity rocked his world, Anna rocked Riley's.
"And do you know how hard it was going to school in a wheel chair?" Riley's face darkened. "Do you know how handicap unfriendly some campuses are?"
"Don't get on your soapbox, Riley. We have company. We all get that you had it hard."
"I just feel that the campuses could do a better job for the handicap."
"Then donate some money to them and earmark it. We've discussed this before. Repeatedly, Riley."
"After we pay off the house." Riley gave her a small smile and his hand reached and touched her face, so softly.
"And after we pay for the first child, we can't afford." She reached out and smiled, as she touched his hand and then pulled away.
And he watched Riley inhale sharply, and Oliver could tell that Anna wanted that with Riley, that she really wanted to have babies with him. And he watched Riley press his lips hard together before he said, "Yes, Anna, you know I want to have babies with you."
"You have children?" Felicity asked brightly, and Oliver imagined them having a child together and the idea took his breath away.
Yes, some day, he wanted that, someday in the future. But how did he tell Felicity that when he seemed to have so many problems?
"Heavens no, but someday soon."
Oliver almost smiled, as he watched them play off each other, and his eyes darted to Felicity and with her normal sixth sense, she winked at him.
Anna continued, "So, back on topic, yes, we met in grad school. Riley was working on his doctorate and after literally running my foot over, he hired me to help him with editing his dissertation. I have a minor in English and was working on my masters. And he's a terrible writer."
"I'm not that bad." Riley rolled his eyes, and Oliver almost smiled at the way the two of them had a natural rapport with each other.
Yes, they were a couple. A nice couple, but of course, they were.
Mae had said he'd like Riley, and he was unhappy, for he was finding out she was right. Yet, he didn't want to like Riley. It would be easier to say no if he disliked the man.
"Says you? You'd have never gotten your doctorate without me." And Anna gave him a look that made Riley duck his head, and Oliver couldn't help it, he grinned a little and almost felt sorry for Riley, since he had been on the receiving end of that certain look himself. Felicity had a look just like that meant "Bull, you're lying and I know it."
"So you got your doctorate. What did you write your dissertation on?" Felicity asked.
"Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Behavior in Veterans," said Anna.
He watched Felicity whiten, as Riley quipped, "Sincerely, I was looking for a reason to live."
"Don't joke like that. They don't know you." Anna shook her head at him. "Don't take him seriously. Riley handles his situation with bluntness and bad jokes to cover his PTSD. He enjoys shock value. Last Halloween he used one of his old prosthesis legs to hold the candy and then took his legs off. Needless to say, he scared the trick or treaters away from our door."
Okay, the man liked to shock people, he realized that was the reason Riley had worn shorts the first time he met him. He'd wanted to shock, wanted him to know right off he'd lost his legs.
And somehow, he wasn't entirely sure Riley was joking about not wanting to die, but the moment passed, as he kept his silence not wanting to encourage any more use of those letters. He hated those letters. Realizing he was frowning, he schooled his face and then he noticed Felicity had touched his arm, giving him an are you here look?
"And the rest is history, as they say." Riley reached and took Anna's hand and looking her in the eyes, he kissed the palm of her hand, and Oliver appreciated a cool move when he saw one.
Maybe he needed to try that move sometime on Felicity, as he watched Anna just about melt, and the smile she gave Riley, he could tell rocked Riley's world. Yes, Anna belonged to Riley. And he wondered if he looked like that when he looked at Felicity.
And kind of hoped he did.
"I would guess you two are newlyweds?" Felicity smiled as she reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his for an instant then released him.
"Yes, but no. We've been together for five years, but we've only been married for the last six months." Anna gave Riley one of those looks, the look that said "you're an idiot" before she added, "It was hard to get Riley to commit."
"Anna! I'm sure they don't want to know that."
Riley looked uncomfortable, and he found himself enjoying the man's discomfort. Well, maybe they did have some things in common, things like taking years to commit even when it was clear Riley loved his wife.
And yes, he'd loved Felicity for years too. He just hadn't thought he could keep her safe if he allowed himself to love her openly, but he was glad that he could love her openly now. His eyes scanned the full room and tried not to think about the time they'd been blow up in a restaurant not unlike this one.
"Well, Oliver, what do you think of coaching soccer?" Anna asked pulling him away from the memory.
"I've only had one practice. It's a little early to tell yet." He pushed his food around on his plate and took a small bite, and he noted that Felicity had given him a look that said, "I see what you are doing there." And again, her hand reached and touched his then moved away.
"So how many teens do you have on your team?"
"Twenty."
Anna waited to give him time to continue the conversation, and when he didn't she ask, "And how long before the season starts."
"About six weeks."
Again, she paused before she said, "Not much time to work with them."
"No."
Felicity gave him a dirty look and a small kick to his shin, then she turned. "And what do you to fill your time, Anna?"
"I'm a counselor and work with the court system. Actually most of the teens on Oliver's team are court ordered to come and see me, though I visit most of them during school."
"Well that's going to be awkward," Felicity pointed her finger at Anna and then him and then herself. "Really awkward, since I know about these kids too. How many of them can we officially not talk about? Privacy act and all that and then you added in doctor patient confidentiality. It just blows the mind that we can't discuss these kids. When what we really need to do is to talk about how to help these little juvenile delinquents because some of these kids, let me tell you, are not nice kids. No, not nice at all. Way on the other side of nice."
And she was pointing her finger, talking with her hands and Oliver couldn't help it, he laughed, as he shook his head. And so did Riley and Anna.
Trust Felicity to break the tension at the table.
"Well that's an excellent question. And I don't have a clue how to the answer it. But, Oliver, I can tell you that you have your work cut out for you."
He nodded.
Felicity sighed then said, "Riley, so you do therapy work too?"
He wanted to growl knowing she was doing this on purpose.
"Yes, I specialize in patients with. . ." He cringed as Riley said, "PTSD. It helps that I understand their problems first hand."
Laying, his fork down, he clinched his hands into fists as his stomach knotted.
"And I've heard that you're working on upgrading the hospital network, Felicity?" Riley said.
And again that was a point in Riley's favor for that would have been the perfect time to push and he hadn't. No, instead he'd changed the topic.
"I am. It's in terrible shape."
The meal continued and it wasn't long until they finished eating.
"Do you play darts, Oliver?"
"No." And he couldn't say that he liked anything to do with them, since he hated darts.
"Go on and learn, Oliver. I'd like to visit with Anna for a little bit." Felicity waved him away.
#####OQ#####
"Your man and you have caused a lot of talk in this town." Anna said, as she watched Oliver and Riley walk away.
"Have we?" Felicity wondered where this conversation was going.
Anna turned back to face her. "Yes, but that's small town. Gossip makes the world go round. Look I'm going to cut straight to the point here. Mae would really like Oliver to come in and see Riley in the office."
"Mae's pushy, I've noticed."
"So am I. But look, I get that you're protecting him. I protect Riley too. My man has had a hard time, a really hard time and has real problems. And for some stupid reason I love him dearly. So I understand that loving a man with PTSD is hard sometimes. Riley spends way too much time deep into his own head. So, if you ever want to talk, I'd love to get together."
"Wow, do we have stuff in common or what?"
And both of them laughed then Anna asked, "Does Oliver avoid questions?"
"Like a champ. Answer a question with a question?"
"Lie by avoidance? I just won't tell you and hopefully you'll forget to ask?"
"Angry?"
"Guilty?"
"Moody?"
"Broody?"
"It's like living with the seven dwarfs of PTSD."
Both of them giggled and Felicity said, "Give me your phone number. You and me are going to be new best friends."
They exchanged phone numbers and then Anna said, "But really, Riley wants to work with Oliver. Mae has put a buzz in his ear over your man. And she wants Oliver to go and see him, to get help with his PTSD. She's worried about him."
"Mae's a force to be reckoned with that's for sure."
"And I know you're new in town but let me tell you what Mae wants she normally gets. I would know. She's a major influence in Riley's life. She pushed him hard to go back to school, to get his doctrine, and to stop wallowing in self-pity especially after her son died. I would guess you know her son died?"
"Yes, I read that somewhere. Are they related?" No way was she saying that she knew he had killed himself.
"No, but she loves Riley like a son, and she has known him since he was kid. And Phillip's death was so sad and unexpected."
"So you knew him?"
"No, but Riley was still dealing with his grief when I first met him. He felt guilty that he had missed the signs. Blamed himself, because he thought Phillip was fine when he came home from his two tours in Afghanistan."
"But he wasn't fine was he?" She could stop but look Oliver's way.
"No, he wasn't, and Riley was his best friend. They'd enlisted together. They were going to be Special Forces together, but then Phillip washed out of the program and ended up in the regular infantry. And I think Riley has always felt guilty that he made it through, that somehow it was his fault, and if he would have washed out too, then he would have just stayed with Phillip and it would have changed something."
Anna looked toward Riley. "Of course, everyone thinks like that. We regret and wish we could change things but the reality is today is what we have. And the question is what do we want from today? I have a master's in Psychology, and I have issues dealing with Riley's problems. And I know I am being forward since we just met but Felicity, the question is what do you want for Oliver? And what do you think? Does he need help? Do you need help dealing with his PTSD?"
She swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, he does and so do I. So how do we get him to accept Riley's help?"
"You start counseling to learn how to deal with his problems, and so he sees that going to counseling isn't threatening. And we'll start going out together as couples. You know I'll invite you over for dinner and you invite me back, so that he gets comfortable with Riley and me."
"Take out okay? I don't really cook. Bad at it. Oliver cooks not me."
"Then get Oliver to cook for us."
She could see that happening like never.
"He'd do it for you. Felicity, everyone in this town knows the man is crazy about you. He fought the tide to save you. Ask nice and if that doesn't work you can always pull the no sex card."
And Felicity choked on her drink.
#####OQ#####
Riley pulled the darts out of the board and handed him three darts.
"So you've never played darts before?"
"No." He'd thrown a lot of knifes, shot countless arrows and was pretty good with a gun but had never throw darts for fun. And he didn't like darts since they brought back bad memories. He shut that thought down.
"Well, then let's not get to far back to start with. You go first. I'll help you score and we'll just play for fun."
"Okay, I would guess you shoot for the middle."
"Yes, the red dot is a bulls-eye, and gets you 50 points. The green circle around it is called the bull and scores 25 points, though see this small inner ring of red and green, if you hit that it triples the number. See if you hit the 19 here it would triple to 57, which is more than a bulls-eye."
He threw his first dart and hit the triple 19, then threw the second to the bulls-eye and then the third he hit the triple 20 mark. "I would think that would be 60 so that would be 167 right?"
"And you have never played this game before?" Riley raised an eyebrow at him.
"No, but it doesn't seem too hard. Your turn, Riley."
"I'm thinking you win, Oliver. So what have you thrown, knifes?"
"A time or two."
"Maybe more?" Riley threw his darts and scored 69 and said, "You win and I can see I'm no competition. Hey, but I have a question for you."
"All right."
"I'm positive I didn't make any noise yesterday when you were punching that bag and still you knew I was there. I get that you're probably can't stop yourself from being like that but how did you know I was there?"
"The air changed because you were breathing."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I knew the air had changed."
"You're too much did you know that?"
"Yeah, I probably am. But Riley if you rat me out to Mae again, legs or no legs, I'm going to beat you up."
"You could try. And let me tell you something about losing your legs." He pulled his sleeve up and made a massive muscle. "I've had five years to build my arms up, so you might be surprised how hard it would be to take me."
"So might you. But I mean it about telling Mae what I do."
"Point taken, but I haven't talked to Mae lately, so if someone ratted you out then maybe you should look a little closer to home."
Riley nodded back toward the table, and he sighed as he thought yeah, it had probably been Felicity who had ratted him out to Mae.
#####OQ####
It was the third day of practice and he didn't know if he should laugh or swear. His team was testing him. Not just one or two but all of them had forgotten to bring their soccer balls. They were waiting on the field to see how he handled it. Some of them were looking at him with defiance and others looked guilty at their feet.
Well if nothing else they were working as a team to defy him.
"Coach you didn't tell us to bring our ball back to practice." said Tyler.
"Guess practice is over for the day," said Scott smugly.
Smart ass, he thought, for he was sure that Scott had planned this. Yes, they were testing him. Okay, today he'd teach them a lesson.
"No practice is not over. Not even close. All right. Let me make this crystal clear. You WILL bring your soccer ball to every practice. I will let this time slide but not next time. The next time any of you," he made air quotes with his fingers when he said the word, "FORGETS" then he looked in Scott's eyes before he said, "your soccer ball. Everyone will run the entire practice."
"That's not fair," said David, "You can't punish me because someone else doesn't bring their ball."
Several other voices protested too. Nothing like the true partner effect. If one person will stand up then others will join him.
He turned on David and said, "Life's not fair. Not even close and the sooner you realize that the better off you will be. And yes, since I'm your coach, I CAN make you run you because you're part of a team and if all of you can FORGET," again he used the air quotes, before he said, "your soccer ball on the same day, then all of you can remember your soccer ball on the same day."
That knocked the smile right off their faces. No, he was smart enough to know they had gotten together and planned this.
This was true passive aggressive resistance.
"So today only, I will forgive this but not next time. Now, It just happens that I have some extra equipment. Phillip, come and help me. Tyler, I want you to start stretching the team out. Start with an easy jog around the field then do shoulder stretches, and by that time, I'll be back."
"Okay."
"Listen up, you will all address me as Coach or Coach Queen."
"Yes, Coach," said, Tyler, though his tone was hardly respectful.
As soon as he and Phillip headed to the locker room and gotten out of the rest of the team's hearing, he turned and looked the teen in the eyes. "Phillip, if you come to practice drinking one more time, I'm sending you to rehab. I WILL lock you up."
He visibly colored red. "Drinking? I'm not drinking. Coach."
"Don't insult me by lying about it. I've made the mistake of drinking a lot when I was young, and I smell the whiskey on you. And you're pretty lit today, just like every day. Do you get up and drink, Phillip? Or do you just never sober up?"
The teen looked at his feet but the guilt was on his face.
"Can you stop or do you need help?"
Silence.
"I'm not going to do anything about it today, Phillip or do you prefer Phil?"
"Phil." He said in a quiet voice.
"Coach!"
"Coach."
Okay, Phil, when is the last time you didn't drink?"
"I don't know," Phillip said in a small voice, with a shrug of his thin shoulders. "Coach, it's no big deal."
"No, it's a very big deal. Drinking is what landed you here. Does your dad know you're drinking every day?"
"He doesn't care. And who's booze do you think I drink? COACH!" Now, his tone was defiant.
He took in Phil's, blonde hair with blue streaks, the holes in his nose and lip from his piercings and the skull tattoo on his wrist before he looked him in his green eyes and, he remembered that Phil's mother had died of cancer, so he softened his voice. "Well, I care. So, no more drinking before practice unless you want to go to rehab. But maybe that's what you need? So you choose. Stop drinking yourself, or I'll make sure you get help."
"Why would you care, Coach? I'm nothing to you." The look Phillip gave him was filled with surprise and his voice earnest but it almost accused him of lying.
Suddenly, he knew he did care. He could care about each of these teens, well most of them, so, he stood straighter. "Because I'm your coach now, and you're part of my team, so you're important to me." He pointed a finger to his chest and said, "And I take care of my own."
And he pointed at the young man. "And you're destroying your brain with alcohol and you're smart, Phil. Smart enough that you have a chance to make something of yourself, to be something. I see it in you."
"You do?" The disbelief clear in his voice.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Yeah, I do, now let's get that equipment and start practice."
"Okay, Coach."
Returning to the field, he commented to Tyler what a good job he had done stretching the team out and then took over and finished stretching them out.
"Now we are going to work on stopping the soccer ball with the foot. Some call it trapping the ball. Now remember how you figured out Monday if you a right or left footed? A nod here, guys? I do expect feedback some times."
Okay, he got a few nods.
"Now, I'm right footed so if I want to trap the ball, I use the ball of my right foot. Right here." He raised his right foot and tapped the inside of his heel. "Now remember this is going to take practice because the reflex is going to be for you to try to kick the ball back and that isn't what I want. I want you to learn to control the ball and stop it."
"Now watch as I lock my ankle, put my toe up and my heel down, and I will use sole of my foot to almost stop the ball, to absorb the ball's energy."
"David, kick me a ball." He demonstrated the move ending up with his foot on top of the ball and stopped it pointing his toes up. "It's important to learn to trap the ball since this is a skill that controls the ball. And you want to stop the ball in front of you when you trap, since it gives a player a better chance to keep possession of the ball. Because trust me every player on the other team is going to try to steal the ball away from you. But we'll get to that later."
Breaking the team into five groups of four, he had them work on passing the ball back and forth to each other and trapping the ball for a while, while he encouraged them and corrected them, as they worked on learning to stop the ball. Afterwards, he called them back into a group and they ran laps, and then he sent them to the showers, as he wondered what they were going to pull next.
#####OQ#####
Checking his watch, he locked the door and headed up the ramp and out of the building when the hairs on the back of his neck rose.
Yes, something felt wrong. He could feel it in the air.
Shoving the door open hard, he caught the metal pipe before it connected with his stomach and twisted, smoothly taking it away from his attacker, a thin tall man who wore a ski mask, black hoodie and jeans and who bolted and ran.
Spinning on his heel, he used the pipe to deflect the blow of another of his attackers, who was also armed with a pipe and dressed the same as the first attacker, who was now long gone.
One of them was out for blood, as he avoided a head blow by reaching and catching the pipe in midair as he tapped the hand that held the pipe with a sharp rap.
He fully intended to leave a good bruise.
His attacker released the pipe, with a sharp cry and grabbed his now injured wrist. Now he had two pipes, as he smacked the other one on his forearm. "Now unless you two want to take this to the next level, you'd better drop the pipe and get out of here. And remember next time, I'm not going to go easy on you. Spread the word, you attack me like a man, you better be ready to fight like a man."
The pipe clattered to the sidewalk and they both ran, and both of them were wearing team running shoes.
Smooth move, he thought, as he shook his head and gave a small laugh.
Bending, he picked up the metal pipe and headed toward his bike. Well at least he knew now how the other coach had gotten his arm broken. Then he cursed when he reached his bike and saw he had two flats. Felicity was right these were not nice kids. They had planned to beat him up and then leave him stranded, no doubt bleeding on the sidewalk.
Sighing deeply, he reached and pulled out his phone and thumbed his way to Felicity's number and hit connect.
"Hello," came her sing song voice. "You'd better not be calling to say you're going to be late. I texted you that we were eating with the Clark's tonight."
He frowned.
Okay, he'd known Felicity planned to spend the day with Anna and was enjoying her new friendship. Breathing out, he couldn't stop the ugly thought that Felicity wanted to spend more time with Anna then with him right now, but he tamped his hurt feelings down, for he liked how happy Felicity had seemed about her plans this morning.
"Feel free to start without me because I'm sorry, but I'm going to be late. And I need a wrecker."
"What happened?" He heard her distress. "Did you wreck the bike? Are you okay?"
"No, no, nothing like that. I just have a couple of flats. And since the tires were slashed, I don't think leaving my bike overnight would be a great idea."
"Oliver, be careful. That sounds like they're setting you up."
"Yes, they were."
"Okay, now my question is are they okay?"
"Let's just say I'm going to be able to single a couple of them out at next practice."
"Hold on. What did you say, Anna? Really? That'd be great. Hey, Riley's coming to get you. He's driving the pickup today."
"Isn't that awesome."
"Oliver, your sarcasm's showing."
"Probably."
"I'll see you in a little while. I love you."
"Love you too. Bye."
Just great. He'd get to spend more time with Riley.
What more could he want?
This day just getting better and better. And tomorrow he had a doctor's appointment with Mae and according to his log his blood pressure was still high.
Well wasn't life grand?
And he needed to figure out how to get rid of three metal pipes before Felicity saw that his team members had tried to hurt him.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
No, there were not nice kids at all.
#####OQ#####
Okay, my readers you know the drill. Hope to hear from at least a few of you. And as always thanks for the read. I love it when you take the time to take to me. So do it. Review. So many read and so few talk. Be the one!