Chapter 10

“I’ve got to wait an hour and a half?!” Abby complained.

The security guard mainly looked at Abby but couldn’t help stealing glances at the other females. Why did they all wear short skirts and revealing tops?

“I must insist you all stay here. I can’t have any of you wandering the halls, or I’ll have to ask you to wait outside.”

“Thank you for your help. We’ll make sure Abby doesn’t go looking for Brad,” Vicky mentioned.

“I know where the dressing room is!” She said this, walking back and forth.

“Abby, you have to stay and wait, just like the rest of us,” Scott mentioned. “You don’t think Karen and Dan aren’t concerned about Brad?”

“I’m sorry. I just hate seeing him hurt.”

“We all hate it,” Karen added, motioning for Abby to sit beside her.

A few minutes later, another security guard entered the room and sat, likely to make sure Abby didn’t go hunting for Brad.

Brad went to the dressing room, where he managed to take off the rest of his equipment and take a shower.

The blended families could hear commotion and voices in the hallway as the players entered their dressing room. Jake noticed Brad trying to tie his shoes.

“Abby usually does that for me.” Brad smiled as Jake knelt to tie his laces.

“Sorry, I don’t have a chest like hers,” he joked. “How are you feeling?”

“My shoulder is bruised pretty badly. At least it’s still in one piece. I didn’t break my collar bone or dislocate it. I’ll be out of action for a week to ten days, I figure. No doubt, I’ll be sent home.”

The others came by, patting his good shoulder. “Hey Shean, thanks for taking on O’Bryne.”

“No problem, Brad. It stinks that you got hurt. How is the wing?”

“Tender and sore as hell.”

Mike Fisher was the last to enter the room, having been named the first star of the game. It was a beehive of activity as the players took off their gear and showered, with the equipment staff gathering the soiled uniforms.

“All rookies, once you’re done, Coach Clouson will see each of you in the trainer’s office,” Captain Daniel Alfredsson announced.

“Ray, if tonight’s game is an early indication, the Senators may be in for a very successful regular season,” Gord commented.

“I would have to agree with you. The veterans showed their usual skills, with Mike Fisher leading the scoring with a hat trick. I think the Belleville rookie combination of Brad Hayward, Jake Campbell, Scott Warren, Peter, and Derek Kendall worked well tonight.”

“As we saw earlier, Brad Hayward left the game with what Ottawa says is an upper body injury.”

“I was impressed with all the rookies tonight. I doubt that Hayward’s injury bodes well for him. It is interesting to note that all the Belleville Falcons players had a point in tonight’s game.

“For Ray Ferraro, I’m Gord Miller; goodnight from Ottawa, where the Senators were victorious over the Montreal Canadiens, 6 to 1.”

The wait for Brad was agonizingly slow for Abby. The security guard had a closer look at Abby when she’d go to the door, slightly opening it. He appreciated her short, tight skirt and low-cut top. She smiled politely at him, then returned to sit with her parents.