Chapter 9

Brad was in enormous pain in his right shoulder. Domenic led Brad past the dressing room to the trainer’s examination room. Having him sit, he placed his hand inside Brad’s padding pad, gingerly feeling his shoulder.

“We’ll take off your sweater and pads to have a better look at you.”

His left arm was taken out of the sleeve, then over his head and down his right arm. Domenic separated the velcro strips that held his upper pads closed. Brad’s undershirt was stained from sweating and refreshing sprigs of water. With his shirt off, Domenic began to examine his shoulder.

“Do you think anything is broken?”

“I don’t know. At least your collar bone seems intact. I’m surprised it didn’t break from the impact with the boards.” He lightly touched Brad’s shoulder, gently massaging it. Brad flinched in pain, looking at it and seeing it turn red.

Moments later, the door opened, and entering was the team physician, Doctor Aubry.

“What’s your early assumption, Domenic?”

“His collar bone seems to be still in one piece. The shoulder seems normal, so it’s unlikely it was separated. I was probing the tissue.”

“Let me have a look,” Doctor Aubry said, donning a pair of blue gloves.

Brad watched his finger press his skin, moving around his shoulder. He flinched again as the doctor began to test his range of motion. “Let me know when it feels too painful.”

“Just about there!” He winced as his arm was raised slightly above shoulder level.

“Any tingling or loss of feeling?”

“It does tiingle, like hitting your funny bone, but it’s going away.”

Doctor Aubry took Brad’s arm at the wrist and elbow, testing his range of motion. “I think we’ll take an X-ray, just to be sure.”

Brad watched as Domenic guided him to stand, and the machine placed the X-ray on his shoulder.

“You’ve got a regular operating room in here, Doc,” Brad mentioned, looking around at the operating table and other instruments.

“I can even do open heart surgery on a player or the coach for a broken heart after a tough loss,” he joked. Brad gave a light chuckle.

The doctor and Domenic moved aside as the X-ray machine made that certain noise.

“We’ll know in a few minutes where we stand, so to speak, with you.”

A moment later, there was a knock at the door, and Domenic opened it. “I’m with the security team. I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’ve got this very pissed-off woman claiming to be the player’s wife.”

Brad smiled, slightly shaking his head. “Abby!” He muttered. “Is this woman about five feet four, with long brunette hair and a teenaged body that never quits being gorgeous?”

“Uhh, yeah, that pretty much describes her.”

“She’s my wife, Abby! She’s concerned about how badly I’m injured.”

“What should I do with her and the small army of family members with her? She’s pretty adamant about seeing him.”

Domenic thought for a moment. “Put them in the media briefing room. It isn’t used much during pre-season games.”

“You’re lucky, Brad. No broken collar bone or dislocated shoulder, just heavy bruising,” Doctor Aubry mentioned, looking at the backlit x-ray.

“Is it bad enough that I’ll be sent back to my junior team?”

“That’s up to the coaching staff to decide. You won’t be doing any handstands for several weeks. I’ll prescribe you something for the pain and swelling.”

“Your wife will want to know when she can see you,” the security guard asked.

“Tell her my shoulder is only bruised, and I’ll see her and our families in about an hour and a half.”

“If you are sent home, contact your team’s doctor to monitor your healing. He’ll recommend physiotherapy and exercises to strengthen your shoulder. If you stay, Domenic can give you physiotherapy and exercises to do.”

“Thanks, Doctor. Now I’ll have to face the wrath of my wife. “You’ve got to be more careful when you play hockey, and I’m worried that your injury will interfere with our sex life.”

“No comment,” the doctor smiled.