‹ Prequel: My 3 Dedications And Me
Swimmers Story
Push It!
Dorothy collapsed on the bed asleep as Ryan left her to see Michael outside "Asleep, I'm heading that way. See you later bro" he smiled and Michael nodded going to his room next door. He heard banging on the door before opening it to see Nathan knocking on Dorothy's door.
"She's asleep, leave it!" "Oh I wanted to talk to her" he said "Well she's asleep! Look lets get things straight, I like you Nathan and I have no issues with you being friends but you will not come in the way of the swimming!" Michael warned.
"I don't want to!" "Then stop this, she has to train and swim and compete not be your friend. If she wants you she'll find you" Michael grumbled and Nathan stared at him. "Ryan just left" "Yes! But Ryan knows the score, stay away for a bit!" Michael snapped slamming the door.
The door opened later as Dorothy walked in using her spare key, "Michael, should I eat now?" "Yep! Lets get food now and then relax before warming up for tonight" he smiled and she nodded. Ryan sat next to them scarfing down his food before disappearing, it wasn't long before Michael had her back at the pool and warming up for the night.
"Coach?" she called and he nodded crouching down at the side "I don't feel very well" "Like?" he asked and she shrugged "I feel...wrong. I don't know why though, my chest hurts" she explained and he nodded. "I'll go speak to the doctor, did you bring inhalers?" she nodded and he walked off.
He was worried about her, recently she'd started struggling with temperature changes and she had complained of chest pains, the doctors back in Baltimore had determined she was experiencing slight breathing difficulties that could be related to some virus or over training. However Michael was terrified it was developing like her mother.
He walked over smiling "You can use these tonight and at this meet without breaching, so here" he handed one over and she took deep breaths before pushing off again swimming. "What's up?" Ryan asked as he walked past, "Talk in a minute" he smiled at him and Ryan nodded as he sat down stretching.
"Good work Phoenix!" Michael yelled before sitting at Ryan's side, "What's up?" "Dolly, her breathing is funny again. I'm worried Ryan, worried she's going to..." "Michael she will be fine! Really, she isn't worried about developing it. She says to me she feels okay and then it comes on, she doesn't want to worry her parents though. Just stay calm and she will, she needs your calm head" Ryan reasoned and Michael nodded. "I hope you're right!" he said standing up and she climbed out the pool, it was crowded in the pool and she hated swimming on top of people.
Michael stood waiting as it became time for her race, 100 backstroke semi final. They called her name and she walked out breathing deeply and he prayed she was feeling better, he watched as she stripped down to her costume before stretching. He watched her jump in the water and take her place and they set off, she moved so much better on the turns than the other girls!
She finished in 3rd and he was happy with it, she'd be in the final and all they wanted was finals. He managed to grab her as she went back to the back pool "I'm fine! I'll be fine, trust me" she smiled and he nodded.
Ryan saw her in the pool smiling "How's it going?" "Good, I need to make Michael not worry! Has he mentioned it?" she asked and Ryan nodded. "Just worried you're going to be ill, iller than he would wish you to ever be" "Well, I have to show him then don't I?" she laughed and he nodded smiling.
She sat in the side taking deep breaths when Michael looked at her "You okay?" he asked and she held her hand out signalling for him to be quiet as she kept her eyes closed continuing to breathe and he laughed sitting down. She finished sighing opening her eyes "How may I help?" "What you doing? he asked "Meditating...it helps sometimes" she smiled at him as Nathan walked past waving and she smiled at him making Michael grimace inside.
"She's asleep, leave it!" "Oh I wanted to talk to her" he said "Well she's asleep! Look lets get things straight, I like you Nathan and I have no issues with you being friends but you will not come in the way of the swimming!" Michael warned.
"I don't want to!" "Then stop this, she has to train and swim and compete not be your friend. If she wants you she'll find you" Michael grumbled and Nathan stared at him. "Ryan just left" "Yes! But Ryan knows the score, stay away for a bit!" Michael snapped slamming the door.
The door opened later as Dorothy walked in using her spare key, "Michael, should I eat now?" "Yep! Lets get food now and then relax before warming up for tonight" he smiled and she nodded. Ryan sat next to them scarfing down his food before disappearing, it wasn't long before Michael had her back at the pool and warming up for the night.
"Coach?" she called and he nodded crouching down at the side "I don't feel very well" "Like?" he asked and she shrugged "I feel...wrong. I don't know why though, my chest hurts" she explained and he nodded. "I'll go speak to the doctor, did you bring inhalers?" she nodded and he walked off.
He was worried about her, recently she'd started struggling with temperature changes and she had complained of chest pains, the doctors back in Baltimore had determined she was experiencing slight breathing difficulties that could be related to some virus or over training. However Michael was terrified it was developing like her mother.
He walked over smiling "You can use these tonight and at this meet without breaching, so here" he handed one over and she took deep breaths before pushing off again swimming. "What's up?" Ryan asked as he walked past, "Talk in a minute" he smiled at him and Ryan nodded as he sat down stretching.
"Good work Phoenix!" Michael yelled before sitting at Ryan's side, "What's up?" "Dolly, her breathing is funny again. I'm worried Ryan, worried she's going to..." "Michael she will be fine! Really, she isn't worried about developing it. She says to me she feels okay and then it comes on, she doesn't want to worry her parents though. Just stay calm and she will, she needs your calm head" Ryan reasoned and Michael nodded. "I hope you're right!" he said standing up and she climbed out the pool, it was crowded in the pool and she hated swimming on top of people.
Michael stood waiting as it became time for her race, 100 backstroke semi final. They called her name and she walked out breathing deeply and he prayed she was feeling better, he watched as she stripped down to her costume before stretching. He watched her jump in the water and take her place and they set off, she moved so much better on the turns than the other girls!
She finished in 3rd and he was happy with it, she'd be in the final and all they wanted was finals. He managed to grab her as she went back to the back pool "I'm fine! I'll be fine, trust me" she smiled and he nodded.
Ryan saw her in the pool smiling "How's it going?" "Good, I need to make Michael not worry! Has he mentioned it?" she asked and Ryan nodded. "Just worried you're going to be ill, iller than he would wish you to ever be" "Well, I have to show him then don't I?" she laughed and he nodded smiling.
She sat in the side taking deep breaths when Michael looked at her "You okay?" he asked and she held her hand out signalling for him to be quiet as she kept her eyes closed continuing to breathe and he laughed sitting down. She finished sighing opening her eyes "How may I help?" "What you doing? he asked "Meditating...it helps sometimes" she smiled at him as Nathan walked past waving and she smiled at him making Michael grimace inside.