Summary: A tale of our favorite Ducks and where their lives take them, beginning Senior Year at Eden Hall. Focuses on Adam, Charlie, Julie, Dean, Connie, Guy…and more to come!
Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks and all its characters belong to Disney. I do not own any of it!
Flying Together
By Rebecca
Chapter 12: Fallen Athlete
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
Connie sighed, "I didn't want you to think I was a…bad person, you know a rotten girlfriend…thinking about Guy almost the entire time I was dating Luis."
Julie gulped remembering exactly where her thoughts were when she was with Scooter…and even sometimes with Dean. "I wouldn't have thought that. You and Guy had something really special."
"I know…which is why I can't stop thinking about him. I mean even when I did it, I knew I'd made a mistake. I just…always thought…"
"He'd be there waiting?"
Connie looked down in affirmation. "I'm such a loser."
"No you're not. Believe it or not Con, I know exactly how you feel."
Connie looked up in surprise, "Whadya mean?"
Julie took a deep breath. She'd debated for months on whether or not to tell anyone about her feelings and various romantic entanglements she'd found herself in this year. Connie's confession about Guy actually made her feel better…she wasn't alone. As they drove, Julie gave her roommate a brief but detailed account of just how strongly she had felt, and still sometimes felt for Adam.
"And now we're going to celebrate this minor league thing of his, and all I can think of is how scared I am that I'll never see him again," Julie finished as they pulled into the parking lot of the club. Suddenly she laughed, "That sounds so dramatic doesn't it?"
Connie laughed with her, "Well that's us…the Mighty Duck Drama Queens."
"I'm glad you told me Connie, we'll talk about it at home tonight ok?"
She nodded as they got out of the car and met with the team who had congregated right outside the club…conveniently called the "Penalty Box." As they walked toward the doors, Charlie waved both hands in the air. "Where's your boyfriend and Banks?"
Connie chuckled at the comment, suddenly finding that combination of words amusing and strangely ironic. Julie hit her on the arm.
"They should be right behind us."
"Yeah, Portman had forgotten his wallet or something," Goldberg said.
"Yeah…or something." Les added devilishly. The group laughed as Julie put on a fake look of shock.
"All right, I say we go in anyway. I'm hungry."
"Goldberg you're always hungry."
"And you just love pointing that out don'tcha Russ?"
Mindless chatter continued as they team headed inside with the exception of Julie and Charlie. "Charlie what's wrong?"
He shrugged, "Nothin."
Julie looked out into the parking lot and started to really wonder now where the guys were. She had thought they'd been right behind her. The two stood for another 15 minutes before they were joined by Luis, Connie and Guy.
"I'm uh…kinda gettin' worried." Guy said bluntly. The others nodded in agreement.
"Maybe someone should go look for them." Charlie was just about to head for his car when Averman came bursting through the door of the "Penalty Box."
"Guys!" he called out of breath, "Dean just called the club and asked for one of us. They've been in a car accident."
Charlie and Julie made it to the hospital in record time while the others followed close behind. They rushed to the front desk to an elderly woman sorting through papers.
"We're here to see Dean Portman."
The woman looked up and gave a sympathetic smile, "Are you his fellow teammates?" They nodded hurriedly. She rose and stepped in front of the desk. "This way, he said you'd be here. They just finished casting his arm."
"How is Adam Banks? The other guy brought in?" Julie asked.
She turned and answered, "He's still in surgery. But last I heard he was stable." They breathed a minor sigh of relief but Charlie's hockey-oriented mind went straight to the word surgery. Oh God please let him heal ok.
They were led to an observation room where Dean was sitting solemnly on an exam bed by himself. He leapt off when he saw Julie and embraced her. "Thank God you're ok," she said.
Portman pulled back, "They said Banks was in surgery. Is he out yet?"
Julie shook her head.
"What happened Portman?" Charlie asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
Dean looked down. "I was…going too fast. Swerved to miss a truck…and smashed into a minivan."
Julie covered her hands over her mouth. Charlie stepped forward, "Do you know about the other drivers? Passangers?"
Dean nodded. "It was just one guy…heading home from work. He's ok…Adam was the only one…really hurt."
"What in the hell is wrong with you?" Charlie asked, his voice suddenly a 100 decibels louder than before. Dean didn't argue. He had no snappy retort…no lashing out. He just sat favoring his broken arm waiting for Charlie to dish it out.
But Charlie didn't bother. He walked back out to the front desk and checked on whether or not Adam's parents had been called.
Julie stood a few feet from Dean, hugging herself as if she was cold. Dean looked up but she wouldn't meet his eyes.
The team waited for another hour in the waiting room with Adam's mother who had come as soon as she was called. His father had been in Seattle at the time and was flying home as soon as possible. Dean had been discharged and stood in the corner, talking to no one but refused to leave.
Charlie kept looking from his spot by the vending machines from Dean to Julie. From Connie to Guy. From Luis to Connie. Boy, all we need is someone to get pregnant here and we've got ourselves a hit soap opera. He shook the thought off right away. What was he thinking?!…he went back to praying for Adam.
Julie sat closest to Adam's mom trying her best to assure her that he'd be just fine. Finally the nurse came out and announced that he was out of surgery. The team cheered and the nurse told Janet Banks that she could see him when the doctor had finished talking to him, and in time the rest could see him too.
Adam belongs in district 5…whatever, I just wanna play hockey…I didn't know about it Charlie I swear…hey cake-eater wanna play some real hockey?…I made varsity?…all the scouts are here watching me…this is Julie the Cat Gaffney, won the state championship for her team in Maine…cake-eater…don't tell me how to talk rich boy!…my dad's counting on me…Adam this is Brett Carr from the Cinncinati Cyclones. We caught your game last night…Scooter and I are just fine…Her name is Julie, not babe!…her name is Julie…we wanna sign you for the coming season…come on Banks, we're gonna head downtown after practice and celebrate…Portman look out!
His eyes shot open and almost instantly closed again at the bright lights scorching down from the sterile white ceiling above him. Instinct forced him to move his arm, but he stopped immediately as pain shot up from his wrist.
"Doctor, he's waking up," he heard in the distance.
"Thank you. Mr. Banks?"
"H-hello?" he managed. He shuddered as he felt his bed being raised slightly. A tall skinny man with a scruffy black beard and glasses came into view as the rest of his sight came into focus.
"I'm Doctor Williams. Do you know where you are?"
Adam looked around still groggy, "Hospital?"
"Do you remember what happened to you?"
Adam closed his eyes. Portman look out! He opened them again. Yes, he remembered. "We hit another car…a-a minivan."
Doctor Williams nodded.
"Portman," he thought, "Dean Portman is he-"
"Dean is fine. He's already been released. The car slammed into the passenger side. You've been in surgery for almost two hours."
This was the first time Adam actually noticed the state he was in. He looked down at his arm- casted. His legs were covered but it hurt to move them. Concern swept over him as he looked back up.
Reading his thoughts, the Doctor smiled, "You're going to be just fine Adam. Most of your injuries will heal perfectly."
"Most?"
"The surgery repaired the damage done to your side when the glass from the window shattered. Some of the shards punctured your skin and we had to remove all of it. It's not serious though because the cuts weren't that deep.You also fractured your wrist which we had to cast-"
"How long?"
"Hmm?"
"How long will I be out? I mean how long will it take to heal?"
"The cuts in your side and your wrist will heal in a matter of weeks actually. Two months at the most."
Adam did some mental math. Two months. February now…March…April…they want me in June, yes! Then he remembered his leg. "What about my leg? It hurts to move it."
"Yes, it will for some time. It seems you tore a ligament in your right knee and damaged most of the cartilage. It'll take several sessions of physical therapy for it to get strong again."
Adam's heart sank to his throat, "How long?"
"Oh I'd say no sooner than a year. Maybe a year and a half and you'll probably need a few more treatments to the remaining cartilage…Wound like that needs time to heal…"
But Adam had stopped listening at the word "year." A year? A year? Oh my God.
Doctor Williams had stopped talking and studied the face of his patient. He sat down in the chair beside the bed, "Son, are you an athlete."
He nodded. Williams drew back, knowing full well what he'd really just told Adam Banks. His career had just died.
"Doctor Williams?"
"Yes?" he asked not taking his eyes from the boy.
"Mrs. Banks is here to see her son."
Adam looked back and nodded. The good doctor turned around, "Ok we're ready for her."
* * *