Sequel: Swimmers Story ›
My 3 Dedications And Me
Hospitals, Competitions And Training
She pushed the earplugs in her ears pulling her phone out the bag at her side 'Good luck Dolphin, don't forget your earplugs, earrings and relax. You've got this one, go out and do your thing. I'm watching you! X' she read before leaning back against the wall concentrating. She looked around the room taking in every girl in there and remembering everything Mikey had told her about them.
It was her time and she followed the others out going through the motions before waiting, she felt the noise through her feet before diving in. Her turns felt easier but she still felt like she was working at them and ended up second. Michael had her back in the pool again and she waited, she knew the girl on her right was the best chance of winning the race. The last 100 meters came and she kicked off the wall looking to see she was up with the others and on the final turn she saw she was ahead of them all. She kept moving but felt herself backing off, she glanced to see the girl on her right had gained on her and panicked knowing she had to kick again. She pushed feeling the girl at her side and reached for the wall as pain shot through her hand.
She climbed out the pool and the girl at her side shook her hand, Dolly tried not to cry out in pain and waited, she wished it'd hurry up but she smiled politely as the guy handed her a small trophy. She grabbed her stuff running to Michael's car and he was sat in it smiling, "Dolphin well done! You did it! Proud parent right now!" "Hospital Michael, go to the hospital" she ordered holding her hand.
"What?" "Take me to hospital, I think I broke my fingers" she explained and he looked at her "On the wall at the end? It looked close!" he admitted as they pulled out the parking lot and sat in hospital waiting. "It appears you have broken your fingers" the doctor explained and she groaned.
She spent the next 3 days at the gym and not in the pool, she arrived at the gym shaking her head as she saw Michael on the pool swimming lengths. She dropped her bag pulling her sweats off to reveal her swimming costume and went in her bag "You can't swim!" "Screw this! I'm tired of being out the water. I can put a surgical glove on and tape it on and I'll be fine, now help me tape it up!" she ordered and he pushed himself out the pool doing as she instructed.
She threw the tape down diving in the water and nodded to herself, "Right let's go! I'm ready!" she said and he sat on the side of the pool telling her what to do. The door opened as she pushed from the wall and saw Mrs Phelps walking towards her son as she came up for a breath pushing onwards.
"Phoenix! You're in trouble!" he called and she laughed as she pushed away from the wall "Be gentle I'm broken!" she called as she took to backstroke across the pool. He waited until she stopped at them again and leant down to her "We'll do the same again! But you can rest first I want to see how quick you recover, so out!" he ordered and she pushed herself out cursing.
"I'm sorry ma'am!" she apologised and Michael's mother grinned, "How are you Dorothy?" "In a small amount of pain when I put pressure on my hand but apart from that we're good thank you" she answered as she stood stretching and moving as they spoke. Michael noticed Dolly's breathing return and her relax before looking at her "Right in you get Phoenix, same again and when I shout sprint I want you to go as fast as possible" he instructed and she stood at the side of the pool waiting and stretching.
"Mom can you do me a favour? Time her for me, I want 50 meter splits and her full time. Everytime I do I get told off, she doesn't like to know, she won't shout at you!" he explained and his mom took the stopwatch whilst he kept hold of the pen and pad. "Ready?" she nodded "Right 1, 2, 3, go!" he shouted and Dolly dove in getting straight to work and his mom called times out and he wrote them down. "Sprint!" he yelled and Dolly pushed away kicking hard and she hit the far wall turning and going back to her normal pace, he ordered her to sprint on her last length and as she hit the far wall she stayed under the water before breaking the surface spitting water out her mouth.
"Cheeky cow! Look at her! Look at those times" he mumbled and his mom looked, "That's what she did at the start and I've been doing this every week. She's flying nowadays! Phoenix your done for the day!" he called and she jumped out. She warned down before heading over to them tying her long hair up and he smacked her shoulder his knuckles pounding on to her collar bone.
"Ouch!" "You take the piss again and I'll do worse! Spitting water out! You're not me and you should try harder if you're not tired!"he lectured and she laughed at him. "Oh chill your beans Mikey!" "No you chill" he cut back making her crack out laughing, "Stop laughing you!" he growled and she smiled. "Oh you need to take life slowly, have a laugh sometimes" "I do but don't do that!" he argued starting a lecture and she rolled her eyes hugging him. "I'm sorry Michael" she said moving and he walked backwards with her as she grinned against his shoulder "Okay, okay! Forgiven Dolly, we can stop...Jeez" he was cut off by a splash as they hit the water her arms still around his shoulders and his looped around her ribcage.
It was her time and she followed the others out going through the motions before waiting, she felt the noise through her feet before diving in. Her turns felt easier but she still felt like she was working at them and ended up second. Michael had her back in the pool again and she waited, she knew the girl on her right was the best chance of winning the race. The last 100 meters came and she kicked off the wall looking to see she was up with the others and on the final turn she saw she was ahead of them all. She kept moving but felt herself backing off, she glanced to see the girl on her right had gained on her and panicked knowing she had to kick again. She pushed feeling the girl at her side and reached for the wall as pain shot through her hand.
She climbed out the pool and the girl at her side shook her hand, Dolly tried not to cry out in pain and waited, she wished it'd hurry up but she smiled politely as the guy handed her a small trophy. She grabbed her stuff running to Michael's car and he was sat in it smiling, "Dolphin well done! You did it! Proud parent right now!" "Hospital Michael, go to the hospital" she ordered holding her hand.
"What?" "Take me to hospital, I think I broke my fingers" she explained and he looked at her "On the wall at the end? It looked close!" he admitted as they pulled out the parking lot and sat in hospital waiting. "It appears you have broken your fingers" the doctor explained and she groaned.
She spent the next 3 days at the gym and not in the pool, she arrived at the gym shaking her head as she saw Michael on the pool swimming lengths. She dropped her bag pulling her sweats off to reveal her swimming costume and went in her bag "You can't swim!" "Screw this! I'm tired of being out the water. I can put a surgical glove on and tape it on and I'll be fine, now help me tape it up!" she ordered and he pushed himself out the pool doing as she instructed.
She threw the tape down diving in the water and nodded to herself, "Right let's go! I'm ready!" she said and he sat on the side of the pool telling her what to do. The door opened as she pushed from the wall and saw Mrs Phelps walking towards her son as she came up for a breath pushing onwards.
"Phoenix! You're in trouble!" he called and she laughed as she pushed away from the wall "Be gentle I'm broken!" she called as she took to backstroke across the pool. He waited until she stopped at them again and leant down to her "We'll do the same again! But you can rest first I want to see how quick you recover, so out!" he ordered and she pushed herself out cursing.
"I'm sorry ma'am!" she apologised and Michael's mother grinned, "How are you Dorothy?" "In a small amount of pain when I put pressure on my hand but apart from that we're good thank you" she answered as she stood stretching and moving as they spoke. Michael noticed Dolly's breathing return and her relax before looking at her "Right in you get Phoenix, same again and when I shout sprint I want you to go as fast as possible" he instructed and she stood at the side of the pool waiting and stretching.
"Mom can you do me a favour? Time her for me, I want 50 meter splits and her full time. Everytime I do I get told off, she doesn't like to know, she won't shout at you!" he explained and his mom took the stopwatch whilst he kept hold of the pen and pad. "Ready?" she nodded "Right 1, 2, 3, go!" he shouted and Dolly dove in getting straight to work and his mom called times out and he wrote them down. "Sprint!" he yelled and Dolly pushed away kicking hard and she hit the far wall turning and going back to her normal pace, he ordered her to sprint on her last length and as she hit the far wall she stayed under the water before breaking the surface spitting water out her mouth.
"Cheeky cow! Look at her! Look at those times" he mumbled and his mom looked, "That's what she did at the start and I've been doing this every week. She's flying nowadays! Phoenix your done for the day!" he called and she jumped out. She warned down before heading over to them tying her long hair up and he smacked her shoulder his knuckles pounding on to her collar bone.
"Ouch!" "You take the piss again and I'll do worse! Spitting water out! You're not me and you should try harder if you're not tired!"he lectured and she laughed at him. "Oh chill your beans Mikey!" "No you chill" he cut back making her crack out laughing, "Stop laughing you!" he growled and she smiled. "Oh you need to take life slowly, have a laugh sometimes" "I do but don't do that!" he argued starting a lecture and she rolled her eyes hugging him. "I'm sorry Michael" she said moving and he walked backwards with her as she grinned against his shoulder "Okay, okay! Forgiven Dolly, we can stop...Jeez" he was cut off by a splash as they hit the water her arms still around his shoulders and his looped around her ribcage.