The Opportunity Has Just Begun
Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things
“Are you sure you want to try today? Was can always wait another day?” Kadar sat down next to me as I put my skates on.
“We’ve spent the last two days working out in the gym, I can handle it,” I assured him.
“Well have you talked to the doctor yet?” he still didn’t look convinced.
“Dan and I had a meeting with him yesterday and he said everything was fine I can start upping my workouts, I just have to make sure I eat properly and watch my insulin on days we have games.”
“Did he say anything about you being able to return?”
“Next week maybe but he wants to have another meeting before then.”
“Ok just don’t push yourself too much for now.”
I continued putting my skates on in the empty locker room. None of the guys were due for the optional skate for at least half an hour so when the doors opened I was a little surprised.
“Hey Cam, how you?” Geno walked in and dumped his gym bag down in his stall before coming over to sit next to me.
“Hey, I am good. Yourself?”
“Good.”
“I didn’t think you would be here. Sid said you weren’t coming,” I frowned.
“I not but then thing happen at home so I come,” he shrugged getting up and headed back to his stall.
“Oh is everything ok?”
“Yeah is fine.”
Of course there was something wrong and it wasn’t fine but Geno never said anything. He always kept to himself, especially when it came to things that happened at home. I mean for a start it took over a month to finally meet his girlfriend while all other guy’s partners I was well aware of.
“You come to practice?” he looked up from sifting through his gear bag.
“No not for a few days, but at least I get to skate today for a bit.”
“Want company?”
“Uh well Kadar is coming out but I don’t see why not,” I smiled as I got up grabbing my gloves and stick, “see you out there.”
I stepped onto the ice and at first I was a little unsure as to whether I was maybe rushing myself back but I didn’t want to be sitting around doing nothing about it anymore.
“Cam you forget these!” Geno called out holding up my diabetes kit and bag of candy.
“Oh thanks,” I skated over to the bench, “I had them out ready I just forgot to pick them up.”
“Here,” he handed them over.
“Come on Cam. You wanted to do this, let’s go,” Kadar called out.
“Let me get stick, be back,” Geno said before heading off back to the locker room.
It was nice to have some company other than Kadar for practice. Although Sid had said he would come and help out, I didn’t want to be a bother. This was my problem and I was going to have to deal with it.
“Cam lazy,” Geno laughed as I missed yet another one of his passes.
“Oh shut up,” I collected the puck and passed it back.
“Where are you going?” I frowned as he skated behind the goals.
“Kadar defense, you skate for goals,” he pointed with his stick.
“Geno,” I sighed.
“Just go,” he insisted.
“Fine.”
Geno always had a thing for playing behind the goals and he was good at it. He could be behind them one second and then the puck was in the goal the next.
I went with whatever plan he had that he never told me about and somehow the puck was on the tape of my stick and going in.
“See tell you,” Geno smiled wide as he tapped my back.
“Yeah, yeah,” I shrugged it off. He already had a big head and he didn’t need me encouraging him anymore than the guys did.
More of the guys started arriving and I took it as my cue to head off. I had a meeting with Shero before I had to see Chris about my nutrition and then I would finally be allowed to get out of this place.
“How was it?” Dan walked in as I sat in the locker room hoping to god the media would just walk passed me.
“Yeah it was good, little more tiring than usual but I am fine.”
“Good, keep going at this pace and being back next week is more than possible ok?” he put his hand on my shoulder.
“Ok cool.”
Getting back to playing was something I was dying to do. I wanted some kind of normality back in my life and hockey really was the only constant thing.
“We’ve spent the last two days working out in the gym, I can handle it,” I assured him.
“Well have you talked to the doctor yet?” he still didn’t look convinced.
“Dan and I had a meeting with him yesterday and he said everything was fine I can start upping my workouts, I just have to make sure I eat properly and watch my insulin on days we have games.”
“Did he say anything about you being able to return?”
“Next week maybe but he wants to have another meeting before then.”
“Ok just don’t push yourself too much for now.”
I continued putting my skates on in the empty locker room. None of the guys were due for the optional skate for at least half an hour so when the doors opened I was a little surprised.
“Hey Cam, how you?” Geno walked in and dumped his gym bag down in his stall before coming over to sit next to me.
“Hey, I am good. Yourself?”
“Good.”
“I didn’t think you would be here. Sid said you weren’t coming,” I frowned.
“I not but then thing happen at home so I come,” he shrugged getting up and headed back to his stall.
“Oh is everything ok?”
“Yeah is fine.”
Of course there was something wrong and it wasn’t fine but Geno never said anything. He always kept to himself, especially when it came to things that happened at home. I mean for a start it took over a month to finally meet his girlfriend while all other guy’s partners I was well aware of.
“You come to practice?” he looked up from sifting through his gear bag.
“No not for a few days, but at least I get to skate today for a bit.”
“Want company?”
“Uh well Kadar is coming out but I don’t see why not,” I smiled as I got up grabbing my gloves and stick, “see you out there.”
I stepped onto the ice and at first I was a little unsure as to whether I was maybe rushing myself back but I didn’t want to be sitting around doing nothing about it anymore.
“Cam you forget these!” Geno called out holding up my diabetes kit and bag of candy.
“Oh thanks,” I skated over to the bench, “I had them out ready I just forgot to pick them up.”
“Here,” he handed them over.
“Come on Cam. You wanted to do this, let’s go,” Kadar called out.
“Let me get stick, be back,” Geno said before heading off back to the locker room.
It was nice to have some company other than Kadar for practice. Although Sid had said he would come and help out, I didn’t want to be a bother. This was my problem and I was going to have to deal with it.
“Cam lazy,” Geno laughed as I missed yet another one of his passes.
“Oh shut up,” I collected the puck and passed it back.
“Where are you going?” I frowned as he skated behind the goals.
“Kadar defense, you skate for goals,” he pointed with his stick.
“Geno,” I sighed.
“Just go,” he insisted.
“Fine.”
Geno always had a thing for playing behind the goals and he was good at it. He could be behind them one second and then the puck was in the goal the next.
I went with whatever plan he had that he never told me about and somehow the puck was on the tape of my stick and going in.
“See tell you,” Geno smiled wide as he tapped my back.
“Yeah, yeah,” I shrugged it off. He already had a big head and he didn’t need me encouraging him anymore than the guys did.
More of the guys started arriving and I took it as my cue to head off. I had a meeting with Shero before I had to see Chris about my nutrition and then I would finally be allowed to get out of this place.
“How was it?” Dan walked in as I sat in the locker room hoping to god the media would just walk passed me.
“Yeah it was good, little more tiring than usual but I am fine.”
“Good, keep going at this pace and being back next week is more than possible ok?” he put his hand on my shoulder.
“Ok cool.”
Getting back to playing was something I was dying to do. I wanted some kind of normality back in my life and hockey really was the only constant thing.