A/N: Thank you for all of the alerts! And the reviews.
Chapter 2
Zach and Caleigh got the twins fed and back into their shared crib after their five in the morning feeding. The couple fell back into bed and quickly went to sleep. Lexie curled up between them after getting her breakfast while the twins did.
After Trev and Tay summoned them again a little after nine-thirty later that morning, the family continued their routine with Lex getting her run in the backyard. Lexie had adjusted to the family schedule with her early morning trip outside. Zach smiled at Caleigh as they put their sleeping children to bed again. "At least they're sleeping almost five hours now. You go shower and get away for a couple of hours."
"Zach?"
"Caleigh," he smiled, "get out of the house for a couple of hours. Go to the Y. Do something. Just get away for a couple of hours."
"What about you?" Caleigh asked as they headed to the master bedroom.
Zach kissed her. "I get mine this afternoon. I need a workout session."
Caleigh smiled. "I'm in. You cook me some breakfast while I shower. And then I'll go shopping."
Zach shook his head. Caleigh laughed.
Caleigh came downstairs a half hour later. Zach looked and smiled. "Wow; even make-up," he said, kissing her.
"I'm sooooo ready," Caleigh said as Zach cracked four eggs into the pan after frying some bacon.
"I get it babe," Zach said. "While it's not tampons yet, the inch deep cotton pad is gone."
"And it's a relief," Caleigh smiled, rubbing his bicep. "What do you need me to do?" as Zach fried the eggs sunny side up. The bacon was keeping warm in the oven.
"Decide on toast or English muffins and get it done," he smiled.
Caleigh washed the frying pan after they finished breakfast and cleaned up the stove as Zach dried the pan and put it away. "You sure about this?" Caleigh asked.
"Go babe," Zach smiled, kissing her. "Get out and about," he said kissing her again. "Just make a stop for what you're going to fix me for dinner."
Caleigh kissed him. "Deal," she smiled, grabbing her purse and car keys heading for the garage.
Zach enjoyed a leisurely shower, shaved and got dressed. Getting back downstairs, he looked at Lex. "Call of Duty session girl." Lex barked at him and hopped on the couch to lie next to him as Zach played the video game.
Lex was snoring as Zach's cell rang. "Hey Uncle Dave," Zach smiled, pausing the game. "Welcome home. I heard the case was a bitch. Dad checked in last night after you all got back. And he gave me an update on Emily and Declan. It sounds like they're making big progress."
Dave smiled. "Your dad gave me the same report. Like you, I'm happy for them. I know Em will slip back into this team like a glove."
"That's good to hear Uncle Dave."
"And to the case? Our unsubs never cease to amaze us Zach," Dave said. "How are my great niece and nephew?"
Zach smiled. "Now sleeping almost five hours. They're growing. Cal and I can't wait for their next visit with Dr. Lisa to find out how much."
"I like that report," Dave smiled. "How's Caleigh doing?"
"Out shopping," Zach smiled. "She's physically ready to do it and I encouraged it."
"Atta boy," Dave smiled. "How 'bout you?"
"I get my turn this afternoon after the kids have their lunch. I get in a workout at the Y to get rid of the Thanksgiving pounds."
"I hear that kid," Dave smiled.
"Thanks for checking in Uncle Dave," Zach smiled. "But you interrupted a monster part of my Call of Duty session."
Dave laughed. "Have it Zach. Love ya."
"Love you too Uncle Dave."
-00CM00-
Zach was working out on the elliptical machine at the Y with his headphones on, listening to his music on his cell. Behind him, a person suddenly had an accident while working out. Zach heard it while taking a step on the machine. He jerked around at the noise. And something popped in his right knee. "Shit," he softly growled, getting off the machine. He stood for a second, hoping the pain in his knee was just a twinge. Five minutes later, he knew it wasn't as the pain grew.
Panicking a bit, he hit the speed dial to the first person he knew would help him.
"Hey Zach," Jose Campos said. "How's the kids?"
"They're great Jose," Zach said. "It's me. I need your help." Jose heard Zach gulp. "Big time."
"Talk to me kid," Jose worriedly said.
"I gave Caleigh a couple hours away from the kids this morning. She shopped and needed it. I got mine this afternoon. With a workout at the Y. But Jose," Zach said with Jose hearing the panic in his voice. "I just popped something in my knee. What do I do?"
"Trust me Zach," Jose said, "and calm down. Can you walk on it?"
"Yeah Jose, but it hurts like hell."
"Where does it hurt?"
"Behind my knee cap," Zach responded.
"Zach – relax," Jose said. "That's not an ACL or MCL. It's minor. But it needs to be addressed. You did the right thing calling me. I call Alex to report it. You call Snit."
"Got it," Zach said.
"And then Zach," Jose said, "get home and get it iced down. I'll set up a conference call later tonight with Alex and Snit. We'll go from there. When will the kids be sleeping?"
Zach, his head in a fog, shook it and then thought clearly. "After eight tonight."
"Trust me Zach," Jose said. "We'll address this. Just get home and ice down that knee."
"Thanks Jose."
-00CM00-
Zach was sitting on the couch with his knee elevated, wrapped in ice after dinner and getting the kids fed. Rachel was there. She looked at him and smiled. "Zach, I know you're scared. But I don't think this is major." Zach looked at her. "I really don't." She looked at him. "But you do need to get it checked out by an orthopedist."
"Thanks Rachel," Zach smiled. "I've got a conference call around eight with Alex, Snit and Jose."
Rachel rubbed his shoulder. "Hopefully they'll take care of it. In the meantime, keep that knee iced tonight and give it some rest for the next couple of days."
"Yes Nurse Rachel," Zach smiled back. "Thanks for coming over."
Rachel smiled. "I like the excuse to see my grandchildren. Especially when they are starting to be a little more alert after they are fed."
Caleigh came into the living room. "It just amazes us the little changes we see every day," she smiled.
"They're growing," Rachel smiled back.
Caleigh got her out the door with a hug as Zach's cell phone rang. "Hey Zach; it's Alex. I'm here with Snit, Jose and Dr. Lourie. Tell us what happened." Zach recounted what happened.
"Zach," Dr. Lourie said, "please be exact with me. When did you feel the pop?"
"I was mid-step on the elliptical," Zach said.
Lourie looked at Alex and Snit and smiled a bit. "That type of popping Zach usually signifies a loose patella, your kneecap. I did your physical at the start of training camp last year. I didn't notice any indication of that. Did something happen during the season that you didn't tell us?"
"Come on guys," Zach said. "You know better."
"We sorta figured that Zach," Lourie said. "And since you were mid-step and made a quick turn to look at what was happening, that could allow for the injury with the patella moving a bit."
"So now what?" Zach asked.
"We'd still like you to see an orthopedist," Anthopoulos said.
"My mother-in-law, the RN, told me the same thing tonight just before she left," Zach reported. "But guys, I can't fly to Atlanta. My wife and I have newborns twins. I can't leave Caleigh alone with them."
"We get that Cob," Brian Snitker said. "Hell, we don't want you to. It's the off-season and your first responsibility is to Caleigh and the kids. We appreciate you finding time for a workout."
"Caleigh gets mornings off to do her thing Snit," Zach said. "I get the afternoon sleep time to do mine."
"That works," Alex smiled.
"Guys, there's an ortho doc in the area that I've used before. And trust with my life. She's the one that fixed my finger and ankle."
Dr. Lourie smiled. "I've met Dr. Carlson at a medical conference and she is good Zach. But you need a specialist in sports orthopedics."
"Sooooo?" Zach asked.
"We've contacted the Nationals Zach," Alex said.
"Say what?" Zach said.
Alex laughed. "It happens around the league all the time Zach. If a player gets hurt during the off-season, MLB teams send them to the sports ortho nearest their home. It can be any pro sports team or a D-one college team. Hell, Dr. Karas, our ortho specialist, helped Brain McCann out last year during the off-season when he was back here in Atlanta. You can trust Dr. West."
"And you have an appointment with her Thursday afternoon at two," Jose said. "The three of us have already talked. And if that doesn't work with the kids, she's has a three-thirty opening. I already emailed you her contact number, email address and location. They've got both spots reserved for you. Please just let them know which one works ASAP. You can send her an email."
"Ummm guys," Zach said. "I can really trust her."
"When did you become a conspiracy theorist?" Alex laughed.
"Boss, if you knew the job my dad and his team does, you wouldn't ask that question."
Alex shook his head. "Schuerholz filled me in Zach but only in broad strokes. He wouldn't break the trust you two have with all the details about losing your mom. I get that. Please Zach, trust us; pro teams help each other like this."
Zach looked at Caleigh who was listening to the conversation and softly smiled. Caleigh smiled, rubbing his left thigh, sitting next to him. "I'm in. And Jose, I'll check out your email and finalize the appointment when we're done with this convo."
"I'm done," Jose smiled.
"I'm done," Snit added.
"Get it done Zach and relax," Alex added. "If your mother-in-law the RN called it, it's just a basic check-up."
Zach laughed. "You don't argue with your mother-in-law either do you boss?"
Alex laughed. "Hell no. Thank your God you don't have a mother-in-law of Greek descent."
"I'll take the RN mother-in-law for a thousand Alex," Zach laughed. "I'll keep you all in the loop," Zach said.
-00CM00-
Zach walked into the clinic in Fairfax Thursday afternoon, looked around, shaking his head and walked to the front desk to check in. The receptionist looked at him. "Too high tech in my world," he smiled. "I'm Zach Hotchner. I've got a two o'clock appointment with Dr. West."
The receptionist looked at him. "We're taking care of the enemy now?" She smiled. "You're all set Zach. Just take a seat in the green waiting room down the hall," she pointed.
He was in his seat less than two minutes when a nurse walked up and smiled at him. "Hi Zach. I'm Monica, Dr. West's nurse. We like to keep this private for our athletes. Please follow me Zach." He followed her to an exam room. Monica looked at him and nodded at his left hand. "You came prepared," she smiled.
"I'd rather wear sports shorts than a gown," he smiled. "But with the current weather, I'm smart enough to wear jeans and be bundled up," he said, hanging his winter coat on a hook in the room.
Monica smiled back. "I hear that. This current cold spell sucks. Get into those shorts. Robin will be in to see you in a couple of minutes."
"Thank you Monica," Zach smiled.
A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door and then it opened. "Hi Zach. I'm Robin West," the doctor said, sticking out her hand.
Zach shook it. "Good afternoon Dr. West. Thanks for seeing me."
West smiled. "Relax kid. I've done this for more opposing teams than you'll ever know. For nearly fifteen years. My loyalty is to you as my patient. Hop up on the table."
Zach complied. "I've already read Dr. Lourie's detailed report of what happened," she smiled. "I don't need to hear it from you. I just need to check out that knee." She looked at him. "And I'm going to be thorough about it. We all do this as courtesy to other clubs. Zach," she said, looking at him, "I will check everything."
She delivered. Dr. West pushed and tried to contort his knee in every way possible. She shook her head at Zach. "I can feel the area of the cartilage that popped on you. But other than that, there's not a damn thing wrong with your knee. Dr. Lourie pointed out his suspicions about when it happened. I occur. It was an anomaly. That can happen with any knee. Your knee is solid."
She looked at him. "That said, you've got to take care of that cartilage or this will come back and bark at you."
"How so Doctor?" Zach asked.
"First off, you shut down your workout schedule for two weeks. You let that cartilage settle down."
"OK, I'm in," Zach said.
"What's your normal off-season workout routine?"
"I swim Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday are elliptical and lifting days."
Dr. West shook her head. "I wish you'd teach that to some other players I know."
"I don't give away my secrets to my enemies," Zach said, giving her his bullshit smile.
West laughed. "You had a run-in with Natalie the receptionist." Zach laughed with a nod of his head. "After that, get back on the swim program. That's the best rehab and workout you can do."
"Why I do it Doc," Zach smiled.
"You can re-start your Tuesday and Thursday workouts in five weeks."
Zach looked at her. "That puts me five weeks out from the start of pitchers and catchers camp. You sure you aren't working for the enemy?"
Robin laughed. "Zach, you're in too good of shape. And forget about how much you're eating during the holidays. You'll be fine by the time you report to camp. Hell kid, if it were me, I'd stay off the damn elliptical machine all together and just lift weights those two days. You're a swimmer. That makes you heads and tails in better shape than any other athlete walking into camp."
Zach looked at her. "I hate that god damn machine."
Dr. West laughed. "Just keep up with the swimming Zach. That's the best workout you can possibly do with the least pounding on your body."
"Thank you Mike," Zach smiled. West looked at him. "Mike Jeffries. He taught me how to be a catcher when I was a kid. Then he was my position coach at Mason."
Robin smiled at him. "I know Mike. He's good." She looked at Zach. "And his advice is better. The pool is your friend." She looked at Zach. "That knee has had some stress. Just let it rest. If you start to get antsy next week," she said looking at him, "which I have no doubt you will, go for a long walk. That won't hurt either."
"Thanks Doc," Zach smiled. "I trust the enemy. And Lexie our dog thanks you too."
West shook her head, pulling the exam room door open. "I'll send my report to Gary. Get the hell out of here," she smiled.
Zach laughed. "Thank you again Doctor," he smiled back at her.
###
A/N: Alex is Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves GM (General Manager). Snit is Brian Snitker, the Braves manager aka coach of the team. Gary is Dr. Lourie is the Braves' team doctor.
The goal of this chapter was to get across that even though Zach is in his "off-season" he's still an employee of the Atlanta Braves. Like all pro athletes.
ACL and MCL are the major ligaments of the knee. If one of them gets torn, it's usually a year rehab after surgery to get back to playing pro sports.
And yes, that is one of the risks of playing any sport at any level above the middle school age (11-15 YO). Boys and girls. The biggest at risk players are college and pro level.