It's all about the game, and how you play it
All about control, and if you can take it
All about your debt, and if you can pay it
It's all about pain, and who's gonna make it...
–"All About the Game"-Theme music for Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Notes: Before anyone asks, I don't know if there's a hockey team in White Bear being there. Road atlases are great for people that have never been to the place. The lyrics at the beginning of this part really fit this fic.
Pain in July
Adam walked into rehab on July 1. The Ducks had all separated for their month break. Dwayne went back to Dallas, Julie went back to Bangor, Kenny Wu went back to San Francisco, Russ back to Los Angeles, Portman back to Chicago, Luis back to Miami. Even some of the original Ducks from Minnesota were spread around. Charlie, Jesse, and Guy decided to spend part of their summer break as counselors at a hockey camp at White Bear Lake. Larson went with them. Fulton decided to spend the summer up in Chicago with Portman. Connie, Averman, and Goldberg were staying home.
"Hey Adam. Ready to work?" Wallace asked. Adam nodded. "Okay you know what to start with. I need to finish with someone and I'll be right back."
Adam started with his first exercise. He heard the door open and presumed it was Wallace or some other person here for physical therapy. His back was to the door. He didn't look up until he noticed the person was standing right behind him. He turned around. Standing there was Rick Riley. "What are you doing here?"
"Wallace is my cousin." Riley said.
'Great. I'm always surrounded by a Riley. But I like Wallace.' Adam thought. "That still didn't answer my question."
"Just visiting my cousin. He said you were here. So how's physical therapy going?"
"Okay." He was uncomfortable with this conversation. "You know Mikah said you cut up Jesse's jersey." He said continuing his exercise.
Riley took a seat in an empty chair. "Payback for the graduation prank. It was nothing that couldn't be replaced. Besides, he's on Varsity now. I think Cole won't continue in my direction unless it's against JV."
"What do you mean Cole won't continue? He's not on the team."
"Wilson reinstated him. As long as Cole gets tutored from Averman that is."
"Does Averman know about that?"
"Don't think so." Riley picked up one of the rubber balls off the table. "My brother got demoted from Varsity to make a spot for Cole. My dad wasn't too happy about that. He went up to Wilson and said that there were 15 places on the team. Why does Mikah have to be demoted? And you know what Wilson said? He said that the spot had to stay open in case you came back in time. Which no one was really surprised to hear." Adam suddenly forgot all about the exercise and looked at Riley in shock. "Don't sell yourself short Banks. You are one heck of a player injured or not. We just never gave you credit for it."
Wallace came back into the room. "Sorry to interrupt but I've got to work with Adam. I'll see you at three Rick." Rick said goodbye and left the room.
"I didn't know you were cousins." Adam said as he started the exercises again.
"You didn't ask." Wallace said laughing. "We are going to start something different today. You are making great progress and I think it's time you tried to lift very light weights with your right hand. It's not going to be easy but I have faith in you."
Adam tried and was frustrated by how he did. "Take it easy Adam. You are doing fine." Wallace said.
He spent most of the morning lifting that weight. When they stopped for lunch Adam's wrist didn't feel stronger, it felt very sore. After lunch, they went back to Adam's normal exercises.
By the time, it was all over and he had re-wrapped his wrist, Wallace talked to him about the progress. "Adam you shouldn't feel disappointed with how you are doing. It may not seem like much but your wrist is getting stronger. I'm going to talk to your doctor but I think we can cut back on physical therapy. A couple hours two days a week should be enough."
"But I want to play hockey."
"I know you do but you are making progress and I have a good feeling you'll be back on the team before September. Okay you can go. Don't forget to put ice on your wrist when you get home. See you Wednesday."
Adam said goodbye and walked out the door. Jeffrey was there talking to Riley. Adam didn't think they had known each other. And they were talking about hockey. Then he realized something. They had probably played hockey together. Riley was only three years younger then Jeffrey. They stopped talking when Adam came up. He started to wonder if they had been talking about him before that. Riley walked back into the pt room.
"I didn't know you knew Riley."
"I do. He was on JV when I was on Varsity. We weren't friends or anything. He asked about the college I attend. Seems he's taking the year off."
Adam sighed. That meant he'd probably be seeing more of Riley.
***
End notes: I have about a zillion things due Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so don't expect much from me this weekend. I may post something depends on how much procrastinating I do.
All about control, and if you can take it
All about your debt, and if you can pay it
It's all about pain, and who's gonna make it...
–"All About the Game"-Theme music for Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Notes: Before anyone asks, I don't know if there's a hockey team in White Bear being there. Road atlases are great for people that have never been to the place. The lyrics at the beginning of this part really fit this fic.
Pain in July
Adam walked into rehab on July 1. The Ducks had all separated for their month break. Dwayne went back to Dallas, Julie went back to Bangor, Kenny Wu went back to San Francisco, Russ back to Los Angeles, Portman back to Chicago, Luis back to Miami. Even some of the original Ducks from Minnesota were spread around. Charlie, Jesse, and Guy decided to spend part of their summer break as counselors at a hockey camp at White Bear Lake. Larson went with them. Fulton decided to spend the summer up in Chicago with Portman. Connie, Averman, and Goldberg were staying home.
"Hey Adam. Ready to work?" Wallace asked. Adam nodded. "Okay you know what to start with. I need to finish with someone and I'll be right back."
Adam started with his first exercise. He heard the door open and presumed it was Wallace or some other person here for physical therapy. His back was to the door. He didn't look up until he noticed the person was standing right behind him. He turned around. Standing there was Rick Riley. "What are you doing here?"
"Wallace is my cousin." Riley said.
'Great. I'm always surrounded by a Riley. But I like Wallace.' Adam thought. "That still didn't answer my question."
"Just visiting my cousin. He said you were here. So how's physical therapy going?"
"Okay." He was uncomfortable with this conversation. "You know Mikah said you cut up Jesse's jersey." He said continuing his exercise.
Riley took a seat in an empty chair. "Payback for the graduation prank. It was nothing that couldn't be replaced. Besides, he's on Varsity now. I think Cole won't continue in my direction unless it's against JV."
"What do you mean Cole won't continue? He's not on the team."
"Wilson reinstated him. As long as Cole gets tutored from Averman that is."
"Does Averman know about that?"
"Don't think so." Riley picked up one of the rubber balls off the table. "My brother got demoted from Varsity to make a spot for Cole. My dad wasn't too happy about that. He went up to Wilson and said that there were 15 places on the team. Why does Mikah have to be demoted? And you know what Wilson said? He said that the spot had to stay open in case you came back in time. Which no one was really surprised to hear." Adam suddenly forgot all about the exercise and looked at Riley in shock. "Don't sell yourself short Banks. You are one heck of a player injured or not. We just never gave you credit for it."
Wallace came back into the room. "Sorry to interrupt but I've got to work with Adam. I'll see you at three Rick." Rick said goodbye and left the room.
"I didn't know you were cousins." Adam said as he started the exercises again.
"You didn't ask." Wallace said laughing. "We are going to start something different today. You are making great progress and I think it's time you tried to lift very light weights with your right hand. It's not going to be easy but I have faith in you."
Adam tried and was frustrated by how he did. "Take it easy Adam. You are doing fine." Wallace said.
He spent most of the morning lifting that weight. When they stopped for lunch Adam's wrist didn't feel stronger, it felt very sore. After lunch, they went back to Adam's normal exercises.
By the time, it was all over and he had re-wrapped his wrist, Wallace talked to him about the progress. "Adam you shouldn't feel disappointed with how you are doing. It may not seem like much but your wrist is getting stronger. I'm going to talk to your doctor but I think we can cut back on physical therapy. A couple hours two days a week should be enough."
"But I want to play hockey."
"I know you do but you are making progress and I have a good feeling you'll be back on the team before September. Okay you can go. Don't forget to put ice on your wrist when you get home. See you Wednesday."
Adam said goodbye and walked out the door. Jeffrey was there talking to Riley. Adam didn't think they had known each other. And they were talking about hockey. Then he realized something. They had probably played hockey together. Riley was only three years younger then Jeffrey. They stopped talking when Adam came up. He started to wonder if they had been talking about him before that. Riley walked back into the pt room.
"I didn't know you knew Riley."
"I do. He was on JV when I was on Varsity. We weren't friends or anything. He asked about the college I attend. Seems he's taking the year off."
Adam sighed. That meant he'd probably be seeing more of Riley.
***
End notes: I have about a zillion things due Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so don't expect much from me this weekend. I may post something depends on how much procrastinating I do.