2nd Intermissions

I arrived at the arena early and was prepping my office when Adam walked in, fresh out the pre game skate.
He sat on the table and said, "Sam? Take a look at my knee?" I barely glanced over my shoulder and said, "You're pushing yourself too hard. You won't be able to play after the Olympic break. You need another two months. One month at the least."

Adam stood and walked over to me, "Why are you such a bitch to me?" Turning to face him, my eyebrows furrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"Just check my knee." He retreated to the table and sat again, extending his brace-free leg. I stepped across the distance and crouched near the knee. Grabbing underneath, I kneaded my fingers into the side above the crease. I felt swelling underneath the skin and muscle. I continued kneading the swollen lump and looked up at Adam's face. He had a wince affixed to his features and I dropped his leg, standing up straight.
"Like I said before." I walked back toward the cabinet I was organizing and packing things into. We started an eight-game road trip Saturday and we left tomorrow, so I needed to make sure everything was accounted for.
"I can play, Samantha!" I heard him climb down from the table and come up behind me.
"No, you can't. You'll end up hurting yourself more." I turned and saw how close he was. Looking up at him he whispered, "Take me back."
I smiled a bitter smile and slid out from between him and the counter. "No, Adam. The answer was no last night, and it sure as hell isn't yes today." I fished the bracelet out of my purse and tossed it at him.
He caught it and said, "Know what? Fuck it! I'm finished with trying to console you! Screw this! You won't let me play because you hate me now."
I strode over to him and put my finger against his sternum, poking him. "Don't you dare call me unprofessional. I'm a doctor. I give medical advice. If you want to heal correctly, you- don't- play." I sat down in my chair, leaning back and looking at him with an eyebrow up. The ball was in his court. He looked at the jewelery in his hand and walked off.
I closed my eyes and rested my elbows on the desk, massaging my temples with my fingers. A headache was quickly coming on and I heard someone step into the room.
Looking up, I saw Torchetti.
"Check Huet's leg again, will you? He'll be starting tonight if you give him the okay."
I nodded my head and watched him walk away. Standing, I followed him and stepped into the locker room, glancing around for him.
"Huey!" I caught his attention and beckoned him with my finger. He stood and dutifully walked with me back to the room. Before I left the locker room, I noticed Antti flash a smile at me and to my regret, Adam had seen it too.
Huet took Adam's place on the table and sighed, extending the leg that looked like it bent the wrong way the last time he played during a shoot out.
I knew that it would be fine for him to play, but I evaluated him anyway. Before shooing him away, I asked him to pass the message onto Coach Q that he could play.
Sitting in the coach's room alone was nice, and I didn't have to deal with Adam for the rest of the night.
Huet had a brilliant shut out and I was beaming when the guys would trickle into my office. We were all in such a jubilant mood, and no one was left, Torch allowed me to go home before all the other guys did, because there was nothing left to do.
I made sure everything medical was packed and drove home, utterly glee-filled.
As I slid into bed, I had gotten multiple calls on my cell, but I was already in bed and comfortable- I didn't get out to grab my phone.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw I had two missed calls from Antti, one from Tomas, and a couple from Angelina.
I decided to call Gina back first and she answered on the second ring.
"Hey Angelina, what's u-" She cut me off, practically yelling in the phone, "ADAM IS SUCH A DOUCHE."
I laughed and said, "You just realized this?"
"You didn't hear what he did?" She sounded worried.
"He..did something new?" I finished packing my bag and threw it in my car, locking up my house and getting ready for the drive to the airport.
I started the ignition and Angelina said, "He told the locker room that he had sex with you. Did you have sex with him?"
I couldn't answer her question. My phone fell through my fingers and I sat there in the warming car, scared for my job.
I quickly grabbed the phone and yelled, "Of course not! We hadn't gotten past second!" I resorted to using the high school terminology.
"What's going to happen?" Angelina asked.
"I...I don't know. How did you find out?"
"Troy told me."

We hung up with each other and I drove to the airport in silence. Who heard it? Did the staff? Did the coaches hear Adam's lie? I figured that I would find out soon enough and decided not to call Antti or Tomas back. I knew why they had called me. The streets blurred together and I found myself taking the same route I always had to the airport. I got off the expressway and parked, not even thinking to remember which lot I was in.

Hauling my bag into the airport, I scanned for the place we usually waited. I saw the mass of suits and I knew that it was them. My rollie bag and I made it over to the guys and I sat down next to Troy Parchman. I noticed that Dr. Harper was in the corner, reading the newspaper. Troy looked at me sideways and kept his headphones on.
My heart sank into my stomach. I can't believe that he believed Adam. Yanking his headphones off, I said to him quietly, "You don't honestly believe him, do you?"
He stared at me for a while and paused the music that was still flowing through the headphones around his neck.
"No."
A breath whooshed out of my lungs and I said, "Thank god." Before he added, "But Q does."
The swift descent of my heart into my feet left me unable to breathe.
I groaned out a, "No." as Haviland walked up to us and asked me to come talk with him, Torch, and Q.
I took my bag with me and stepped towards them. I noticed that Rocky Wirtz, the owner of the franchise was standing with them, chatting.
Numb, I entered the group and the conversation stopped.
Coach Q, always to the point, said, "Burish told us you slept with him."
"Are you aware that that is against company policy, doctor?" Wirtz added, rocking on his heels.
My eyes cast downwards and they offered a pause for me to speak.
"You probably expect me to deny this, Mr. Wirtz, and I will, because it's not true. I do know that you are always in charge of the..consequences." My eyes were transfixed on his tie pin as I finished, "I am telling the truth when I say that I never slept with him, but I leave the judgment to you."
I hoped I had said the magical combination of words that unlocked Rocky Wirtz's heart as I waited for a reply. Instead of his voice, I heard Coach Q say, "We plan to evaluate the situation. Until we reach a decision, you are relieved from your duties and will not be accompanying us on this trip. Dr. Harper is here to assure of the health of the players."