Some things you just know. And Charlie Conway just knew.
Something was very wrong. Adam Banks always showed up for practice. Their argument had been big, but not that big. Nothing stood between Banks and hockey.
Charlie led the conditioning exercises but his heart wasn't in it. In fact, there was total silence. Nobody was joking around or goofing off. Every single one of them was aware that they were missing an integral part of their flock.
"Hold two, three, four." Charlie said. Then, he stood up and checked his watch. They had started conditioning over an hour ago. And he made a decision.
"Alright, gang. we need to talk. I need to know what you want to do. Adam's not here. You all know we had a disagreement earlier and that Adam went blow of steam. But you also know it isn't like Adam to miss a workout. He's had an hour. I need your input? What should we do?" Charlie asked.
It was like the floodgates broke wide open. The silence ended and everybody started talking at once.
"We have to tell Coach." Connie volunteered. "No way," Fulton said, "We'll just get him in trouble. Let's go look for him first."
"Forget it, man." Russ told Fulton. "We GOTTA tell Coach. I don't think we should have waited this long. Banks isn't here, don't you get it? Banks is ALWAYS here." His determined tone seemed to get through to Fulton.
"Whatever, man," Portman said, "The guy probably just wanted to be alone. You're gonna get him in trouble just because he went for a walk?"
"No way, Portman," Julie said, standing up to him by the firmness in her voice. "Russ and Connie are right. I say we go get Coach Orion now. What do you think, Guy?"
Guy Germaine waited a few seconds and answered slowly. "I've known Adam practically forever. He would never, ever miss a practice. I'm sure of it. I say we go get Coach."
"Who thinks we should go get Coach Orion?" Charlie asked democratically. Everyone raised their hand except Portman and Fulton. "Alright, it's decided then. Come on, team, lets go get coach."
But they didn't have to go find Orion, he found them. And as soon as Charlie saw his pasty white complexion, his heart skipped a beat.
"Team, you guys," Orion said quietly, "I have some really bad news."
Charlie could feel the blood pounding in his ears.
"Adam. Adam is in the hospital." Orion said slowly.
"Why?" Connie asked quickly. "Is he going to be okay?"
"I. they think so. He's not in good shape. I just spoke to the doctors, though. Thankfully, his injuries don't seem to be too severe. Bumps and bruises, a sprained ankle, a sprained wrist, but they are cautiously hoping there are no broken bones. As I understand it, he has one pretty bad black eye." Orion said. He was avoiding something and Portman was the first to connect the dots.
"Black eye??" Portman questioned angrily. "There is only one way you get a black eye."
"How?" asked Averman.
"A fight, brainless," Portman snapped.
"But Adam would never get in a fight off the ice. Heck, he almost never gets into fights on the ice." Averman said logically.
"Ambush." Charlie said coldly.
The entire team started talking at once. "Those guys in the lobby. They were gunning for us." "What were their names?" "Darryl." "Last year's champs." "The black jackets."
"Hey, hey!" shouted Coach Orion. "We DON'T know that! I know you are all upset. So am I. But you also have to know the Tournament Committee is taking this very seriously. They are committed to finding out who did this."
"So he really did get beat up by a bunch of punks?" Dwayne asked, surprised.
"He was in an. altercation." Orion explained. "That's all I know. We don't know who did it. Yet. But trust me, we will. But this brings up a really important issue. You all are pretty well known here. A lot of people might think your goons, hot shots, bullies. I should have seen this earlier. I'm sorry I didn't. But I need you guys to stick together. Nobody goes anywhere alone. Hotel, practice, game, tutoring. Nobody goes anywhere if I don't know about it."
"I don't believe this." Guy said. "How could somebody do this? It's just a tournament."
"I know. I agree with you." Orion said. "Actually, we don't even know that this was hockey related. Adam could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But if it was hockey motivated. there are some people here who want to win. Badly. They might have seen you all and Adam as a threat. It's not right, but that's how it is."
"Can we go see him?" Connie asked.
Coach Orion shook his head. "Visiting hours are over for tonight. And you guys need your rest. You're first game is tomorrow. We can't forget why we are here. Adam is going to recover. This tournament is three weeks long. He might even be able to come back before it's over. So concentrate on the game. I'm going to try and get your tutoring cancelled for tomorrow so you can go see Adam after the game."
He was silent for a moment then added, "Stay focused. Don't let this keep you from doing what I know you can do. Adam would want you to WIN."
It was the first time Charlie smiled since he heard about Adam. Even in this awful situation, Coach was still motivating them.
From his team mates faces, he could tell any of them would walk over hot coals barefoot for Adam at this point.
Coach Orion turned to leave. "Get back to your rooms. Stick together. I'll see you tomorrow at ten in the locker room to get ready for the game."
As he walked away, everybody started talking.
"Let's go beat up those jerks." That could only be Portman.
"I really want to go see him." Charlie raised his eyebrows. Julie. That would make Adam's day.
"No." Charlie said. "If you've ever listened to me, listen to me now. We're going to our rooms to get some rest until the game. And after we whip up on whatever team we play, we'll go see Adam."
"What about retaliation, Charlie?" Fulton asked. "We HAVE to."
Charlie nodded silently. "First we need the facts. But we will get revenge. All in good time, trust me." His eyes were cold and hard.
Fulton nodded in solidarity.
And together they turned away. The weight of the world was on their minds but they were ready to take in on together.
Something was very wrong. Adam Banks always showed up for practice. Their argument had been big, but not that big. Nothing stood between Banks and hockey.
Charlie led the conditioning exercises but his heart wasn't in it. In fact, there was total silence. Nobody was joking around or goofing off. Every single one of them was aware that they were missing an integral part of their flock.
"Hold two, three, four." Charlie said. Then, he stood up and checked his watch. They had started conditioning over an hour ago. And he made a decision.
"Alright, gang. we need to talk. I need to know what you want to do. Adam's not here. You all know we had a disagreement earlier and that Adam went blow of steam. But you also know it isn't like Adam to miss a workout. He's had an hour. I need your input? What should we do?" Charlie asked.
It was like the floodgates broke wide open. The silence ended and everybody started talking at once.
"We have to tell Coach." Connie volunteered. "No way," Fulton said, "We'll just get him in trouble. Let's go look for him first."
"Forget it, man." Russ told Fulton. "We GOTTA tell Coach. I don't think we should have waited this long. Banks isn't here, don't you get it? Banks is ALWAYS here." His determined tone seemed to get through to Fulton.
"Whatever, man," Portman said, "The guy probably just wanted to be alone. You're gonna get him in trouble just because he went for a walk?"
"No way, Portman," Julie said, standing up to him by the firmness in her voice. "Russ and Connie are right. I say we go get Coach Orion now. What do you think, Guy?"
Guy Germaine waited a few seconds and answered slowly. "I've known Adam practically forever. He would never, ever miss a practice. I'm sure of it. I say we go get Coach."
"Who thinks we should go get Coach Orion?" Charlie asked democratically. Everyone raised their hand except Portman and Fulton. "Alright, it's decided then. Come on, team, lets go get coach."
But they didn't have to go find Orion, he found them. And as soon as Charlie saw his pasty white complexion, his heart skipped a beat.
"Team, you guys," Orion said quietly, "I have some really bad news."
Charlie could feel the blood pounding in his ears.
"Adam. Adam is in the hospital." Orion said slowly.
"Why?" Connie asked quickly. "Is he going to be okay?"
"I. they think so. He's not in good shape. I just spoke to the doctors, though. Thankfully, his injuries don't seem to be too severe. Bumps and bruises, a sprained ankle, a sprained wrist, but they are cautiously hoping there are no broken bones. As I understand it, he has one pretty bad black eye." Orion said. He was avoiding something and Portman was the first to connect the dots.
"Black eye??" Portman questioned angrily. "There is only one way you get a black eye."
"How?" asked Averman.
"A fight, brainless," Portman snapped.
"But Adam would never get in a fight off the ice. Heck, he almost never gets into fights on the ice." Averman said logically.
"Ambush." Charlie said coldly.
The entire team started talking at once. "Those guys in the lobby. They were gunning for us." "What were their names?" "Darryl." "Last year's champs." "The black jackets."
"Hey, hey!" shouted Coach Orion. "We DON'T know that! I know you are all upset. So am I. But you also have to know the Tournament Committee is taking this very seriously. They are committed to finding out who did this."
"So he really did get beat up by a bunch of punks?" Dwayne asked, surprised.
"He was in an. altercation." Orion explained. "That's all I know. We don't know who did it. Yet. But trust me, we will. But this brings up a really important issue. You all are pretty well known here. A lot of people might think your goons, hot shots, bullies. I should have seen this earlier. I'm sorry I didn't. But I need you guys to stick together. Nobody goes anywhere alone. Hotel, practice, game, tutoring. Nobody goes anywhere if I don't know about it."
"I don't believe this." Guy said. "How could somebody do this? It's just a tournament."
"I know. I agree with you." Orion said. "Actually, we don't even know that this was hockey related. Adam could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But if it was hockey motivated. there are some people here who want to win. Badly. They might have seen you all and Adam as a threat. It's not right, but that's how it is."
"Can we go see him?" Connie asked.
Coach Orion shook his head. "Visiting hours are over for tonight. And you guys need your rest. You're first game is tomorrow. We can't forget why we are here. Adam is going to recover. This tournament is three weeks long. He might even be able to come back before it's over. So concentrate on the game. I'm going to try and get your tutoring cancelled for tomorrow so you can go see Adam after the game."
He was silent for a moment then added, "Stay focused. Don't let this keep you from doing what I know you can do. Adam would want you to WIN."
It was the first time Charlie smiled since he heard about Adam. Even in this awful situation, Coach was still motivating them.
From his team mates faces, he could tell any of them would walk over hot coals barefoot for Adam at this point.
Coach Orion turned to leave. "Get back to your rooms. Stick together. I'll see you tomorrow at ten in the locker room to get ready for the game."
As he walked away, everybody started talking.
"Let's go beat up those jerks." That could only be Portman.
"I really want to go see him." Charlie raised his eyebrows. Julie. That would make Adam's day.
"No." Charlie said. "If you've ever listened to me, listen to me now. We're going to our rooms to get some rest until the game. And after we whip up on whatever team we play, we'll go see Adam."
"What about retaliation, Charlie?" Fulton asked. "We HAVE to."
Charlie nodded silently. "First we need the facts. But we will get revenge. All in good time, trust me." His eyes were cold and hard.
Fulton nodded in solidarity.
And together they turned away. The weight of the world was on their minds but they were ready to take in on together.
