Chapter 5- Accidents Happen

Haley stood in the doorway of the gym, watching the interaction between Abby and Nathan. She had a whistle on a string around her neck. Abby was a bit shy, especially around all the high schoolers, and Haley was worried how she was taking it. Haley watched, and Abby seemed fine, even blew the whistle a couple of times when Nathan told her to. Haley also worried about the fact that she was so small, that the tall basketball players wouldn't see her down there and run her over. Abby seemed to stay close to Nathan, who was tall, so she hoped that she wouldn't get hurt. Abby noticed Haley standing there, and ran over to her, across the basketball court, which is when Haley's fears came to a reality, as the possession of the ball switched and they ran back up the court, where Abby was knocked down. Everyone stopped at her shrieks. Nathan blew his whistle, and lashed out at the team and assigned them 500 laps around the track, outside, in the cold, in their practice uniforms.

Haley had already rushed over to her baby's side and was examining her. She was crying, and from what Haley could see, wasn't bleeding, but she wasn't sure. Nathan walked over, Andy and Alex hovering behind. Nathan turned around and looked at them, "I assigned 500 laps. Outside. Let's get moving, I didn't say everyone but you, move."

"I, um, we wanted to know if Abby was okay," Andy said, in a small voice.

"Yea, we're really sorry, and I bet the whole team is, too," Alex added.

"We didn't mean for this, we didn't see her," Andy finished.

"It doesn't matter what you meant for. What you meant for, didn't happen. I suggest you start on your laps, you might be here late, and the darker it gets, the sure as hell colder it's gonna get, and I don't know about you, but I don't like running in the cold, takes a lot out of you."

They silently walked outside, into the cold, knowing they probably would catch pneumonia doing it, but they did feel bad.

Nathan walked up to Haley, "I'm sorry, that's all I can really say, I should have watched her better, not let her get away, directed her around the game. I don't know, it's been a while since I've been around little, and I mean, little kids, and Alex, Andy, and Ally, all grew up with the game, and knew better not to run directly across the court, into a practice, or a game, and I guess, I, uh, assumed that Abby knew too. I didn't know that she didn't know not to do that, that she didn't grow up around the game."

"Nathan, don't, I don't want to listen to it right now, please, just let me help my child, help soothe her pain, and I can't really tell if something is wrong or not, and I'm going to take her to the doctor to make sure she is okay."

"Isn't that a little sheltered. Ally fell out of a tree a couple years back, it was about a five foot fall, I didn't see fit to take her to the doctor, she was fine in a couple days, nothing serious, Andy, fell down a flight of stairs, a little bruised, he didn't go to the doctor. Alex slammed his hand in the door, black and blue, and a bit swollen, told him to toughen up and be a man, he didn't go to the doctor."

"Abby is five. She got trampled by a team of basketball players. If I feel that my daughter needs to see a doctor, she will. I do not need your input because obviously you cannot tell when a situation is serious or not. They could have had broken bones, or internal bleeding, and you would have never known."

"But, Hales, the thing is, they didn't. Kids are going to fall down, and get hurt, but if you take them to the doctor every time, for some quack to tell you that they should be fine in a couple days, then they'll be sheltered and weak."

"Nathan, please, just let me take her to the doctor, I have that maternal instinct that something is wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but it's there," Haley said, got up, picking Abby up and walked out. They had been doing so good at getting along for this to go and happen.

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Haley took out her cell phone in Karen's café, after coming back from the doctor and called Nathan.

"Hello," he said into his phone.

"I was right," she said.

"What, about what?"

"About Abby. She broke her arm, and has a bright pink cast to show for it."

"Wow, Hales, I am so sorry, and I can guarantee to you that every single last one on my team is just as sorry, and I can get it in writing, and cards for her, if you like. I can't guarantee everyone will spell all the words right, or have any words at all, but it's a start."

"I think Abby would like cards."

"Then that will be tomorrow's practice, they just finished their laps not to long ago. I think they feel her pain, and if not, they could do it for a week, or two weeks."

"I don't think that is necessary."

"You sure, most of the team already hates me anyways, what's a couple thousand laps around the track in the middle of the night in temperatures just above freezing in warm-up clothes."

"Insane, that's what it is, and if you keep it up, all of your players will be benched with pneumonia or the flu come game day."

"Okay, okay."

"Um, Nathan, do you think that I could spend the night with you and Ally, Alex and Andy, it's late and I really don't feel like driving home."

"Sure, but the place is a mess, and I'm not going to try to clean it before you get here because it is impossible."

"That's okay. As soon as Abby and I finish eating we'll be right over," she said and closed her phone and set it on the counter next to her plate, smiling a little at Abby trying to eat with a cast on her arm.