Chapter 26: 'A' Cup?

"I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt..."

I woke slowly, feeling something was wrong. Wendy was still fast asleep with my arm around her, her legs across mine and her head in the crook of my shoulder. I looked down at her peaceful face and listened to the little whistle of her gentle breathing, feeling my sure love for her crash over me once more. Then I glanced at the clock.

Shit! It was after 10:30! Shit! Shit! We'd slept right through Mass!

I shook Wendy. "Wake up, Love! We're late!"

She just went "Ummm," and wriggled her head into a more comfortable position.

"Wendy! Wake UP!"

She opened an eye and looked up at me. "What?"

"It's 10:30! We've missed Mass!"

"So? If they wanted us, they would have come got us," she replied sleepily and wriggled her head again.

I giggled. She was absolutely right, of course. Then my stomach growled, and I giggled again.

"Stop it," she moaned, "I'm trying to sleep."

"Come on, Lover," I urged as I hauled her upright. "I want some breakfast, and I have to pee."

"Oh, all right," she grumped, sliding her legs off me to the floor. "Oooh!" she said as she stood.

"What's wrong, Love?"

"I'm a bit stiff," she replied.

I added my own 'Ohh!' as I climbed out of our comfy chair and stretched my arms above my head. "Me too, but we played three good games yesterday!" I giggled. "Well, maybe two and a half!" I said as I remember the game against Oakridge.

Wendy giggled too then she was dashing to the bathroom while I followed. Of course, she was sitting on the toilet when I got there, and the sound of her pee splashing into the water reminded me how bad I needed to go. "Hurry up, I have to go!" I said, doing a little cross-legged dance.

Wendy laughed out loud. "You look so funny with your hair all gold still!" she explained.

"Well, if you don't hurry up, I'll pee on you," I threatened with a grin. She squeaked and grabbed at the toilet paper, dried herself and leaped up to allow me to plop down and let my stream go.

"My butt's sore too," she told me turning to show me as she rubbed it.

I reached to pat her cute behind, saying, "Yeah, probably because we didn't do any warm-down exercises last night." I saw her look at me strangely as my thoughts continued, 'Yeah, probably should start some strength training as well... ' "What?" I asked her.

"What's a warm-down exercise?" she asked curiously.

"Ah, when you do heavy exercise, you get lactic acid buildup in your muscles. Warm-down exercises are gentle to help get rid of the lactic acid, and that way you're not as stiff the next day."

She stood there thinking for a moment as I finished up on the toilet.

"Why didn't we already do them?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I s'pose because we never really did enough to make us stiff the next day and I never thought of it. We'll do some next Saturday after the games." I grinned.

"Oh God!" she wailed. "We've got to do it all again next week!" then she suddenly changed tack. "I know that look," Wendy said accusingly. "You just thought of something nasty!"

"Yeah, but that's for next year's team. Come on, I'm hungry, I'll tell you later. I wonder if anyone else is up?"

Wendy grabbed our housecoats and said, "Let's find out."

I was tying the sash as I followed Wendy into the hall, only to bump into her as she stopped dead in front of me. Over her shoulder, of all things, I saw Julie in her nurse's uniform sitting at a desk which had been placed with a couple of chairs in the foyer at the top of the stairs, looking for all the world like a doctor's waiting room.

"I should have known you two would be first up this morning," she said, smiling.

"The first ones?" I asked incredulously as we approached. "God, Julie, it's nearly 11:00! What are you doing here?"

"Well, after you lot went to bed last night," she said, motioning me to take a seat, "some parents, teachers and a certain sports writer expressed concerns about your health, so Sister Elizabeth Ann and Sister Gabe agreed that a thorough checkup was in order."

As she wrapped the cuff for the sphygmomanometer around my arm, she went on, "And Jim suggested a voluntary blood screen as well, just in case there's any trouble later."

"God, Julie!" I exploded. "This isn't the Olympics! It's a high school competition!"

"I know, honey," she said sympathetically, touching my face. "But Jim's been telling us stories about some truly nasty people out there, and he asked us if we could make sure we could shoot them down in flames right from the start if they try anything. Anyway, the blood test is really for anemia and electrolyte balance, as well as some other things."

"Damned if I'll be doing professional sports," I muttered, making her smile as she unwrapped a new syringe and prepared my arm to take the sample, then I had to turn my head away. I had never in either life been able to watch a needle going into me. I looked at Wendy, saying, "Come here, Honey." She moved from her chair to stand beside me and looking up at her, I said, "Kiss me!"

"But I haven't brushed my teeth!" she said worriedly.

"Don't care. Kiss me!" She lowered her lips to mine in a sweet gentle kiss which went on for the longest time. I felt my arm jerk from the prick of the needle, but it didn't matter as I lost myself in the glorious sensations of her kiss.

"Okay, you two! You can stop now!" Julie's voice finally broke through the clouds, and we turned to look at her. "I'm finished! And you're making me jealous!" She taped a ball of cotton wool over the puncture mark then labeled the sample, muttering "Could at least get a room..."

We laughed. "It's a great way to distract the stickee, if you can get it!" I said. "I'll have to tell the girls!"

She put on a dismayed face. "Oh, no! You little minx! You would, wouldn't you! Anyway, move your butt so I can check Wendy."

When Julie took her blood sample, I returned her kiss with interest. When I took my lips from hers, she looked up at me dreamily. "Is she finished?" I nodded. Wendy turned to Julie. 'Do you want another one?" she asked hopefully.

Julie burst into laughter. "Go on with you, girl! You two had better go get something to eat. Now listen, this wing is off-limits to all but the residents, and the gym is for the team only. One of the change rooms has been set up for the doctor who'll be doing your physicals."

Wendy didn't look too thrilled, but Julie went on "His name is Dr. Gary Parker, and he's Mr. Denure's personal physician. I've heard of him, and he has a name, and a bit of a reputation, for being good with young girls."

I laughed. "Does Sister Elizabeth know about his reputation?"

Julie smiled. "I doubt it. It's a pretty tight secret in the medical community. Doctors don't tell on other doctors. They all have their little quirks they'd prefer didn't become public knowledge."

This still didn't remove Wendy's pout, as Julie continued "and Linda will be with you when he examines you. Look at it this way, Honey, you could have ended up with an intern or some semi-retired army doctor. Mr. Denure cares about you enough to get his own doctor out here on a Sunday, and besides, I heard he's been looking after Annette since she was born."

"Oh, and one last thing," she grinned. "Last night, Mr. Denure got Western Football's big hydrotherapy tub ripped out and installed in the gym shower room! Patti, you remember the tub at the hospital?"

I nodded, stunned.

"This one's like that, only bigger! Soon those sore muscles will be just a dream!"

I nodded excitedly, remembering the wonderful sensations I got that long-ago night when I was recovering in the hospital. But I also had some idea of the organization required to make such a thing happen, with plumbing and electrical, even just transporting it from Western to here, and gained a new appreciation of just how influential Mr. Denure was in this city.

She lowered her voice. "And he said that if there was a continuing need for it, he would consider donating a new one in memory of his wife!"

Wendy and I looked at one another, knowing exactly what she meant. We would have to work hard for the school to deserve such a wonderful gift.

"Right," said Julie briskly. "Last thing is this," as she handed me a bottle of shampoo. 'Patrick dropped these off this morning. He said you'd probably need it to get the goop out of your hair, so have a shower, then Dr. Parker will look at you, and then you can relax in the hydrotherapy tub."

We ducked back into our room to grab clean panties, then, with shampoo in one hand and Wendy's hand in the other, I made my way to Annette and Mandy's room and knocked loudly on their door.

Silence.

I beat on the door again, but harder.

"What!?" came an anguished cry from within.

I opened the door to see two faces in one bed staring fuzzily at me.

"Julie needs to see you immediately! Out here!" I used what I imagined as a 'command' voice, and it was amazing to see how fast they bounced out of bed.

I grabbed Annette to whisper in her ear. "She'll want a blood sample. Kiss Mandy while she's doing it. Pass it on. It will drive Julie crazy!"

Annette pulled back to look at me with a truly nasty grin on her face, and I knew Julie was in for a really frustrating morning.

I was amazed at the change in the gym, four tables set up with fresh cut fruit, pitchers of water, OJ, and milk, as well as pots of tea.

Wendy and I each had two glasses of OJ and then took our soap and shampoo into the shower. We shucked our housecoats in the change room, walked into the shower, and turned the water on hot! Cold water might have helped us wake up faster, but I didn't want our muscles to convulse or lock up.

We stood under the steaming water and Wendy started to laugh.

"Your hair, Pete. It's still standing on end!"

"And you think that because yours is slicked back that we won't have to take a chisel to it?" I said grinning back at her.

We took the bottle of shampoo and literally poured it on our heads, gently pushing it around hoping to feel it soften.

Laughter sounded from the doorway and we turned rubbing the shampoo from our eyes.

"If I look as bad as you," said Annette, "I'm just going to crawl back into bed!"

Mandy gave her a push towards the showers. "Not with those spikes on your head, you're not! You damn near poked my eye out last night!"

We laughed as we poured the shampoo on their heads. "We'll leave it to you to get it soaking," said Wendy. "I think my hair is starting to soften."

I felt my tufts, and they were indeed starting to soften up. I figured to let it soak a bit longer so I started washing Wendy down, and she started to feel me up with soapy hands!

"So," I said to Annette, "who's this Dr. Parker I'm going to be exposing my nubile 14 year old body to?"

Annette laughed and said that Dr. Parker would probably enjoy giving me an exam. But he would enjoy examining Wendy and Mandy even more because of their boobs. "He's pretty nice for a dirty old man," she giggled. "He's never done anything improper, but he sure is thorough, and seriously, he is good. He's one of the best doctors in London."

"But just not your type, eh, Annette?" asked Wendy.

Annette laughed. "Wrong gender for that, Sweetie! Besides, he's old!"

Eventually the goop we had slathered in our hair came out and we watched the gold flakes sparkle on the tiles as they migrated toward the drain. We shampooed once more with an expensive conditioning shampoo that smelled faintly of watermelon.

As we continued to wash up, more girls were starting to wander in.

Annette and Mandy were finished about the same time, and the four of us dried off together, leaving our housecoats in the change room, and slipped into the plain, loose-fitting gym suits that were always on hand. Barefoot, we went back into the gym, deciding to have a quick cup on tea before getting the physical over so we could sit down for a proper breakfast. I was starting to feel real hungry.

Dr. Parker was a good looking man of around fifty standing a little shorter than me, with well groomed salt-and-pepper hair and a ready smile which displayed his big pearly white teeth. ('All the better to eat you with' came to mind, and I had to suppress a giggle.) Judging by the cut of his expensive-looking grey suit, he wasn't doing this for the money, although I had no doubt he would book his time to the Ontario Hospitalization Insurance Program (OHIP) anyway. Doctors are like that! It was clear he was enjoying himself, clear blue eyes sparkling with good humor over his half-moon glasses as he looked us over in turn, finally settling on Wendy. She blushed prettily as he beckoned her forward, saying with a chuckle "I think I'll go by height today!" Linda was smiling as she accompanied them behind the curtain.

Little did the good doctor know devotees of "The Twelfth Letter" surrounded him" though I doubt it would have bothered him anyway! He wasn't looking for a date, he was here to look at - and feel, and palpate our hot young bodies. Damn! I should have been a doctor!

Within a minute after we heard him ask Wendy to undress we heard Wendy loudly say, "My, Dr. Parker... What a big stethoscope you have!"

We heard an amused snort from Dr. Parker as we all totally broke up! Annette was laughing so hard tears were running down her face and almost fell off her chair before she caught herself. We eventually calmed down, but started giggling again when a grinning Wendy emerged from behind the screen followed by a chuckling Dr. Parker. He might have been a dirty old man, but he had a good sense of humor!

"Right, young lady, you're as fit as a fiddle, but you need a little tuning," he said to Wendy with a grin. "Half an hour in the hydro tub, plenty of rest and no heavy exercise for a few days. Then go help win that Provincial title!"

Mandy went next, then Annette. I didn't mind his cheerful looking as he examined my breasts, or lack thereof. "You enjoy this, don't you," I said as he stretched my arm over my head, watching the muscles move in my shoulder.

"Of course," he smiled. "Makes a change from my normal patients!"

"Ever consider being a sports doctor?"

He looked surprised for a moment, then chuckled. "Not really, there's not much money in it, and besides, most professional sports people are men!"

I laughed with him then added, "Well, maybe you could be St. Ursula's sports doctor!"

"I thought I already was!" he commented dryly as he picked up his notes. "Ah, so you're the young lady who lost her memory!"

I put on a frown. "That could be me, but I've forgotten!"

He grinned, then said seriously, "How are you coping?"

I saw no reason to fib to him, and said honestly, "I haven't had any memories come back for a while now. People sometimes tell me stories of what I did before, but it's like they happened to someone else, and really, it doesn't worry me."

He regarded me silently for a moment. "Hmmm. Right. Well, if you're coping with it, I think you should just continue on as you are. Someday, you may get your memories back, but it might take a trauma as severe as what caused you to lose them in the first place. And I don't think you want to go through another near-death experience," he concluded with a small smile.

"Oh, Goddess, no!" I exclaimed, startling him. "I'm quite happy with things as they are, thank you very much!"

He hid a smile as he looked back at his notes. "Now, I see you're down for follow-up X-rays on your neck next month."

"Patti, I know Dr. Keating, the neurologist who checked you out after your last injury. He's good, but he can be overly cautious. Have you had any headaches or pains in your neck? Stiffness in any of your extremities or intestinal problems?"

I was caught off guard by his quick change from friendly physician who liked to examine young girls to the very professional dedicated health care provider. I truthfully told him that I had none of the symptoms he mentioned and that I felt in better shape than I could ever remember.

He nodded his head slowly. "Let Dr. Keating do his X-rays, just to be safe, but don't worry about this any more either. I see from the notes that they didn't see any splinters so we don't have to worry about something moving and causing problems in the future. Just be sure to tell someone if you do start having any symptoms like the ones I described. It's better to be safe than sorry, but I'd wager that you were born under a lucky star. Now get dressed and let me check the rest of the team out and I might make 18 holes yet this afternoon."

I smiled and thanked him, got dressed and joined my girlfriend and my friends. It was time for breakfast!

Okay, so it couldn't really be called breakfast any longer being it was after midday, but we four were the first of the team to make it to the food! Scrambled eggs, bacon, home fried potatoes and fresh baked biscuits! Just to play it safe though, we added more OJ and tall glasses of water.

It was funny, but nobody asked any more why Wendy and I ate the way we did. Our fellow team members had just started emulating us and as that had caught on, their friends did the same and it seemed the menus for meals were slowly changing to healthier foods to accommodate us.

We were laughing about Wendy's comment about Dr. Parker's stethoscope when the next group of girls joined us. We shared the joke with them and they started to laugh. Krissy said she was to spend the day with her leg elevated after we ate but so far, no one had suffered anything worse. Cafeteria staff kept hovering around us to make sure we didn't want for anything and by the time all the team had arrived, Wendy, Annette, Mandy and I were just sipping on tea.

"I wonder where we go from here," Annette asked. "Surely they don't expect us to spend the entire day in the gym!"

It was like the Goddess was listening as Sister Gabe chose that moment to enter followed by two students pushing a TV on one of the tall classroom stands. "It's nearly show time, ladies," she said. I automatically looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 1:30.

"You have thirty minutes to get changed, and then I would request you come back here to watch highlights of yesterday's tournament."

"Why bother getting dressed?" asked Jeannie. "If we're in isolation for the day, why can't we just stay in our gym suits? It feels comfortable to me."

This sentiment was echoed by some of the other girls, but I had a feeling that I knew the answer.

"Sister Elizabeth Ann decided that after all the excitement yesterday, it might be nice for you girls to have a chance to visit with family without well-wishers around to pressure you. Afterwards, there will be a private mass for the team, their friends and family at 5:00."

Family visit? It was amazing how fast our tired bodies could move. And we hadn't even had a chance to try out the hydrotherapy tub yet!

Wendy and I hung around to ask Sister Gabe about the tub and mentioned how it would really help some of us feel a lot better. She smiled and said that the tub would be scheduled for after mass, after all family and friends had gone home. And, it would be available all week!

That worked for me!

Krissy was propped up on a recliner with a pillow under her leg, her mom and dad sitting beside her. Other girls shared tables with their families. Mike and Ann arrived, bringing Tom, Rita, and Einstein with them. We all sat together with Annette, Mandy, Julie, and Linda, and of course Father Ed. The big surprise was Robert who walked in and over to join us with Hilda on his arm, with a smile so big that I thought it would never come off! While I like to think that we are all equal, there will always be those people who have clout. Robert had it because he was such a generous contributor to the school and served on the board. If anyone deserved some leeway and clout in this world it should be people like him who gave so freely and asked for so little. It was a lesson I would not ever forget.

We found out later that Dr. Parker was concerned over the bruising in Krissy's thigh and asked Julie and Linda to keep an eye on it. Krissy was fit by the next weekend, but he took the precaution of having some extra tests done on her blood, discovering she was borderline diabetic. Unwittingly, our improved diet had kept her condition in check and she learned to control it herself without having a disastrous episode.

Just as the TV was turned on, the gym lights dimmed and we watched an hour-long sports program dedicated to the games we had played yesterday. The opening shot of the show was of the Saints as we came out of the dressing room for the final game whooping, our hair all spiked. Bret Faison discussed strategy with Jim Blake about this unexpected turn of events while on the background they displayed still pictures courtesy of the London Free Press. Laughter could be heard all through the gym. Bret and Jim had a monitor between them so that the audience could see what they were discussing, and a highlight of the best shots. The one I enjoyed, though they didn't mention it was an illegal block, was the recovery by Mandy inches from the ground. That showed determination!

We sat, listened, and did as the doctor had prescribed. We relaxed. We did this with our friends and family, though later we found out that reporters from all over southern Ontario had been at the front doors of the school trying to get pictures and interviews.

Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and pastry were waiting for us when the lights came back on. Annette and Mandy stuck pretty close to Robert and Hilda, which I thought was a good sign. We made the rounds but at a relaxed pace. Father Ed was never too far away, and Mike, Tom, Ann, and Rita seemed to be growing closer. Einstein stuck mostly with Wendy and me, and as much as possible, Linda and Julie stayed close to Wendy and me as well.

I was yawning a bit and realized just how much tournament play could take out of a person! Thankfully, Regionals were not going to be the most difficult part of the games ahead. Okay, I know this sounds arrogant, but in our region, there were cities of all shapes and sizes. Our region went pretty well by the telephone area code and that meant a large area, from the Bruce Peninsula right down to Windsor and just up to Hamilton. The problem was that London was the largest city of them all. Windsor had a good number of High Schools, but they were smaller in size. Wallaceburg, with a population of 11,000, would be more difficult because they had only the one High School. In contrast, Chatham, three times the size of Wallaceburg, had six High Schools. Windsor was the next largest city with just over 200,000 people living there. In truth, I was more concerned about the Provincial tournament, which would see us facing schools from Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and the larger urban centers from the north like Sault Saint Marie and Thunder Bay! While only the best from each designated region would play, imagine playing the best of the best from Toronto with a population of 2 million! But, I refused to lose any sleep over what I could not control. All we could do was play our best. The Goddess willing, a sizable donation would go to the Toronto Sick Children's Hospital.

Father Ed's sermon that afternoon was truly inspired! Even though it was his second for the day, this one seemed focused on a theme very familiar to the team!

He talked about how God wanted only for us to do our very best, to be the very best we could be. He threw Joshua and the battle of Jericho into the mix along with a comparison to the little train that could, and then cited the team as inspiration to all as to what hard work and dedication to a cause could achieve.

I wasn't sure, but at the end of his sermon, I thought I saw some people start to rise as if they were going to applaud him!

The girls of the team had changed into our formal Sunday uniforms for mass, and after communion, the benediction, and final words from Father Ed, the announcements were read.

Holy Shit! Mass next Sunday was going to be officiated by none other than Bishop Carter from St. Peter's! St. Peter's was the oldest and most beautiful church in this part of Canada, and the Bishop's residence stood beside it in splendid glory. I figured the Goddess must have been planning on us to win the Regionals if she was going to have the Bishop officiate after the games!

After Mass, the team and family members, alumnae and VIPs were escorted to the cafeteria which had been cleared - there was even linen on the tables! The smell of food was enticing and the regular kitchen staff definitely didn't prepare the items on the menu. This was rich people food. Hell, I had never seen an artichoke before, and I wasn't going to try one either. I liked food I could recognize. Ann and Rita had Filet Mignon, while Tom and Mike had T-bone steaks over an inch thick! I decided on Prime Rib, and Wendy, never having had it, decided to try it as well. Linda and Julie settled on the fish, while Einstein decided to try the more exotic foods offered such as the white asparagus and Cajun Chicken with Fettuccini Alfredo. I chided him.

"It's lucky that you aren't lactose intolerant," I said. "But, all that cream and cheese... You'll lose that girlish figure!"

He nearly spewed what was in his mouth when I said that and quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me. Well, of course Linda and Julie had heard me as had Wendy, but the parents were too busy gushing over the food to pay attention to us other than the occasional look and smile.

"Hey," he said. "I'll have you know I'm still running five miles a day before school."

I told him I was only joking with him. Knowing what we did about the future, the best bet for us to stay fit and trim was to never stop working out and exercising regularly. It seemed that the spread that came after marriage and going on into middle age was from the change in lifestyle. More time spent in front of the TV instead of doing something outside. Less concern over what we ate and in what quantity and basically settling into life. We had no intention of ever doing that! We had a chance to live this life and we were going to make the most of it!

As we were working on finishing some elaborate desserts, Sister Elizabeth Ann turned on the PA and addressed the group.

"I would like to thank all of you here today for the support and encouragement you have shown our team, especially the parents of our young ladies. You have all instilled in them a pride tempered by selflessness and humility. Not once this season have I had any reason to turn a blind eye because keeping them open might hurt the team. I am especially proud that the girls of the Saints Volleyball team are also in the top five percent of academic achievement. This says much for the girls, their coach, and their teachers. I am overwhelmed at the accomplishments of all the players and the media attention they have brought to our school."

It was then, that I realized Jim Blake and a pretty lady were sitting with Sister Elizabeth, as were Bret Faison and another lady. I was surprised that I had not seen them earlier till I realized that they had probably arrived for Mass by invitation.

"Enrollment for next September is already up by over 40 percent. Never in the history of St. Ursula's have we seen so many young ladies eager to be enrolled in our school. If the Saints continue with their winning streak, I expect I will have to turn students away before too long."

I tried to remember what size the school was in the 80s but remembered with regret that in the early 80s it was no longer a private boarding school when threats of funding cuts had forced it to go co-ed and open its doors to local day students. I sighed. Just as a new era was starting for the school, the government was going to interfere with it. Sometimes I wondered if it was a prerequisite for politicians to promise to disrupt life before they were elected. If I held the responsibility of an elected office I would see to it that I gave the constituents what they wanted, instead of caving in to special interest groups.

Sister Elizabeth was still speaking so I tried to pay attention but I was getting tired. All this food was giving me that sleepy time feeling. She was giving thanks to London's biggest locally owned food store for the feast we had enjoyed today and again thanking Robert Denure for his contributions and to countless others. I started to yawn. I know it was impolite, but damn. I was getting tired. Finally she said something that really caught my attention.

"Tomorrow at noon, the trophy for the city cup will be brought to the school. Since it is for the city championship, there will be no ceremony and little fanfare. I will ask the team captain to decide who should accept the cup on the school's behalf."

Annette looked uncomfortable. This was not the kind of decision she wanted to make. Her teammates were also her friends and to pick one out of all of them was not going to be an easy task. I took a deep breath.