A/N: This one's more like an interlude, a series of events that are
connected. I figured I couldn't jump straight to the playoffs, now could
I? That would be weird, because all of a sudden, characters would be there
who weren't supposed to be, and others would be absent. Hope y'all like
it, though I'm sorry it's so short.
I'm having a little trouble with the dialectical aspect of the accents. I managed to get the street, but I'm not getting the Icelandic, or the Texas twang, so just know who's speaking what and imagine it.
"Doing What's Right"
Maurae hesitated outside Bombay's office. She knew she had to do this, for Adam's own good, but it still felt like she was betraying her best friend. She took a deep breath and knocked.
"I was wondering if you were going to come in or stand there all day staring at the door," Bombay said from behind her. She jumped and turned.
"Coach!"
"Yes, I am. Come on in and tell me what's on your mind." She obeyed, sitting down in one of the visitors' chairs. "So..."
"Coach, it's about Adam. In the game with Iceland, Olaf Sanderson...when he hit Adam with his stick, something happened to Adam's wrist. I told him to wrap it and get x-rays in the morning...but I know he didn't. For...for two reasons. The first was...well, he didn't have the time, what with the extra practices, and being so tired and all. The second was...Adam's so worried about scouts seeing him play. He'd never do anything to jeopardize his future professionally, but he just doesn't see that maybe checking his injury would be better than playing for scouts, and only making it worse. "I don't think it's broken, but I know it still hurts him. He thinks I don't notice every time he winces removing a glove, or when he sticks his arm in a bucket of ice. Or when he pops three or four painkillers at once." She paused. "I don't want to lose his trust, but I felt that the worse betrayal would be not saying anything. I'm worried about him, and how far his stoicism will extend."
Bombay listened patiently and smiled when she had finished. "I'll talk to him. I won't mention your name, but I will make sure he gets his wrist x- rayed. I promise, all right?"
"All right."
"You did the right thing, coming to me."
"I know I did..."
***********************************************************
"Coach, I know with Banks out, we've got a roster spot open. Remember how I always told you I'd make a better coach than a player? Well, I did some scouting for us." Charlie straightened. "Come on in! Russ Tyler, meet Coach Bombay."
"Hiya, Coach," Russ said, sunny smiled. Bombay shook his head in amusement.
"Russ Tyler, huh? Well, Russ, what can you do for the team?"
"You've never heard of my knuckle puck?"
"Knuckle puck? No."
Russ and Charlie exchanged smug looks.
***********************************************************
Maurae knocked on Adam's door and pushed it open when he answered. "Free scribe service, reporting for duty, sir," she said, offering a mock salute. Adam's wrist had been bound immobile and rested in a sling. She smiled brightly and set her stuff down on his floor, seating herself cross-legged next to it.
"Now, I assume you have the answers for me written with your left hand?" He handed her the paper and she squinted at it. "Holy Cow, Ads, we need to work on your left-handed penmanship," she teased, setting about to copy the answers down legibly on a sheet of notebook paper.
"Thanks," he said when she'd finished copying all the homework in her neat handwriting.
"Any time. You're my best friend."
"No, not for that. Though, thanks for the homework copying thing, too. I meant, thanks, for telling Coach."
"What...How did you know it was me?"
"Because I know you. You wouldn't have been able to keep your mouth shut about it if you really thought it was a problem, and you've kept bugging me about getting it x-rayed. Then you stopped badgering me, and suddenly Bombay comes to talk to me. I'm the ace math student, remember? I put two and two together..."
"And came up with four. You're welcome."
I'm having a little trouble with the dialectical aspect of the accents. I managed to get the street, but I'm not getting the Icelandic, or the Texas twang, so just know who's speaking what and imagine it.
"Doing What's Right"
Maurae hesitated outside Bombay's office. She knew she had to do this, for Adam's own good, but it still felt like she was betraying her best friend. She took a deep breath and knocked.
"I was wondering if you were going to come in or stand there all day staring at the door," Bombay said from behind her. She jumped and turned.
"Coach!"
"Yes, I am. Come on in and tell me what's on your mind." She obeyed, sitting down in one of the visitors' chairs. "So..."
"Coach, it's about Adam. In the game with Iceland, Olaf Sanderson...when he hit Adam with his stick, something happened to Adam's wrist. I told him to wrap it and get x-rays in the morning...but I know he didn't. For...for two reasons. The first was...well, he didn't have the time, what with the extra practices, and being so tired and all. The second was...Adam's so worried about scouts seeing him play. He'd never do anything to jeopardize his future professionally, but he just doesn't see that maybe checking his injury would be better than playing for scouts, and only making it worse. "I don't think it's broken, but I know it still hurts him. He thinks I don't notice every time he winces removing a glove, or when he sticks his arm in a bucket of ice. Or when he pops three or four painkillers at once." She paused. "I don't want to lose his trust, but I felt that the worse betrayal would be not saying anything. I'm worried about him, and how far his stoicism will extend."
Bombay listened patiently and smiled when she had finished. "I'll talk to him. I won't mention your name, but I will make sure he gets his wrist x- rayed. I promise, all right?"
"All right."
"You did the right thing, coming to me."
"I know I did..."
***********************************************************
"Coach, I know with Banks out, we've got a roster spot open. Remember how I always told you I'd make a better coach than a player? Well, I did some scouting for us." Charlie straightened. "Come on in! Russ Tyler, meet Coach Bombay."
"Hiya, Coach," Russ said, sunny smiled. Bombay shook his head in amusement.
"Russ Tyler, huh? Well, Russ, what can you do for the team?"
"You've never heard of my knuckle puck?"
"Knuckle puck? No."
Russ and Charlie exchanged smug looks.
***********************************************************
Maurae knocked on Adam's door and pushed it open when he answered. "Free scribe service, reporting for duty, sir," she said, offering a mock salute. Adam's wrist had been bound immobile and rested in a sling. She smiled brightly and set her stuff down on his floor, seating herself cross-legged next to it.
"Now, I assume you have the answers for me written with your left hand?" He handed her the paper and she squinted at it. "Holy Cow, Ads, we need to work on your left-handed penmanship," she teased, setting about to copy the answers down legibly on a sheet of notebook paper.
"Thanks," he said when she'd finished copying all the homework in her neat handwriting.
"Any time. You're my best friend."
"No, not for that. Though, thanks for the homework copying thing, too. I meant, thanks, for telling Coach."
"What...How did you know it was me?"
"Because I know you. You wouldn't have been able to keep your mouth shut about it if you really thought it was a problem, and you've kept bugging me about getting it x-rayed. Then you stopped badgering me, and suddenly Bombay comes to talk to me. I'm the ace math student, remember? I put two and two together..."
"And came up with four. You're welcome."