By now Danielle has a new schedule. During the four weekdays she'll work all her shifts in the medical Bay. During the weekends she'll have shorter morning shifts, but then the rest of the day will be on training for field combat. With the objective to start off slowly, but work the way up.
Day One, she is trained in self defense, and tests her reflexes. Danielle works with Thom on defense, while she works with Marcel on offense.
Day Two, weapon training. Danielle is taught by the commander himself how to use Pucklaunchers and Ice Shields, both essential weapons for a combat medic.
And Day Three, obstacle training. Danielle needs to get to a patient and tends to different injuries, all in a frenzy situation. She trains with Abby, the latter having field experience.
The obstacle course was professionally advanced, due to the handiwork of S.F. Technologies, and a special thanks to the chief engineer, Ms. Vanderflock.
One afternoon, Danielle decided to head down to the Ice Rink now that her morning shift was over, and had an hour before her training session. When she entered, she spotted Greybeak, Wally and Canard playing Hockey with a few other soldiers. Danielle shyly hid behind the bleachers, but watched the drakes play.
"You guys spread out!' Canard called out to his team, then turned to the stout gander. 'Wally, pick up the pace!"
"Quit playing backseat coach, man!" Greybeak shouted as he swiped the puck away from an opposing player.
Gaining her confidence, Danielle came out of her hiding spot to properly see the game. She sat down on the bench and looked up in time to find Canard had noticed her. Danielle shyly waved, Canard doing the same. He quickly returned to the game at play, skating up to the opposing team's goalie. With a smooth skate around the net, he motioned for Greybeak to send the puck his way. He got it there without interference, and Canard slap-shot the puck into the net so hard, it sent the goal posts sliding back a foot. The buzzer sounded, indicating a goal.
"Nice, Captain!" Wally exclaimed, coming up to high-five him.
"Hey, I thought I was the one supposed to hit it in," Greybeak called, also skating up.
Canard shrugged. "I was open."
Wally elbowed Greybeak, causing the latter to look at him. Wally used his head to motion toward the bleachers, where Danielle was watching. "Aah, I see."
"Alright, that's two out of three games. Congradulations, Captain." One duck on the opposing team said skating to the center. "This will be the tie breaker, folks!"
Wally and Greybeak gave each other a wicked grin, one that Canard did not see.
"All right guys, let's mop the floor with their jerseys!" Canard called, skating up to them. More quietly he said, "Let's do the trifecta."
"You got it." Wally and Greybeak said simultaneously, skating into position. Once the puck was on the ice, Canard hit it first then skated toward the opposing net. A few times, the puck was stolen, and stolen back. Wally skates up to Canard, panting. "Hey look, Angelwing's cheering you on."
"Er, what?" Canard asked, glancing up. Doing so, he failed to realize where his skates were, and Wally 'accidentally' got his stick in the way, tripping the Captain to the ice.
"Don't worry cap, I'll get it there!" Wally called frantically, pulling the puck away and shooting it over to Greybeak. Greybeak captured it smoothly and sent it flying into the net for a goal. However, the goalie side stepped, and blocked the puck with his foot. "Nice try!" He teased.
"Oh!' Greybeak groaned frustratingly, smacking his stick on the ice. 'Give me a big fat break!"
Canard scrambled back up, and skated over to Wally. "What gives?!"
Wally, still annoyed at the missed point, startled at the captain's sudden presence. "Uh, Cap! Sorry about that. I just saw Danielle-"
"No more fooling around!" he commanded, getting into position for the next play.
"Yes, sir." Wally replied, nervously. Once the puck was back in place, they played again. This time, Greybeak passed the puck to Wally, only for him to be checked by one of the other players. But Canard got the puck and with one powerful hit, the puck flew toward the net. With a shriek, the goalie ducked his head out of reflex and the puck went in. Canard's team won!
Danielle, still in the bleachers, clapped excitedly, and Canard grinned at her, even giving a melodramatic bow. Wally and Greybeak, standing off to the side, rolled their eyes at his antics but smiled nonetheless. The young female stood up from the bleachers and walked toward the doorway to the ice, where Canard skated toward her. "That was fantastic!' Danielle smiled up at him. 'You play magnificently, Captain."
"Thanks!" Canard replied to her on the other side of the rink's barrier. "Didn't know you liked watching hockey at all."
Danielle shyly smiled but shrugged. "It's the most popular sport on the planet, I suppose it's hard to not like it, right?" She frowned slightly as she saw Wally in the distance, talking with some other team members. "Why did Wally trip you?"
Canard blinked, looking where she was, and waved it off. "He was just fooling around, trying to make me look like a rookie."
"Oh, well I guess it's a good thing my brother's not here then, so he wouldn't witness that." She commented. Canard looked at her, a tad intrigued. "What's the problem with that?"
"Derek wouldn't approve of 'foul play' so to speak. He would have the player do exercises they're weak at."
"Huh, sounds like we'd get along," Canard offhandedly commented. Clearing his throat, he nodded back to his other teammates. "Speaking of, I was going to do some practicing with Wally and Greybeak before our shifts tonight. You're welcome to join us, if you would like?"
That offer did sound tempting."Gee,' Danielle replied shyly. Then her timidness melted away into a smile. She's always happy to be with him. 'I'd love to." The drake gave her a slight smile in return. Excusing herself, Danielle left the rink to prepare for training. But what the two of them didn't realize at the time, that fate is going to send Danielle another chance to prove herself, but in a frightening way.
