Page 75 of Scored

“No,” I scoffed. “Coach Pratt sent me.”

Lacy stood, brushing her hands together. “Come into the examination room.”

I followed a step behind.

Lacy gestured toward the paper-covered examination table. “Have a seat and take off your shirt.”

My shirt was actually a dark blue cashmere sweater with a plain white t-shirt underneath. I pulled each of them over my head as she donned blue gloves.

“Did that movement hurt?” Lacy asked.

“No.”

Lacy came closer, inspecting the bruise surrounding my left shoulder. Using two fingers, she prodded the skin. “Let me know if anything is painful.” Her gaze zeroed in on mine. “Even if it’s only slight.”

I closed my eyes, evaluating her touch. There was tenderness but nothing close to pain.

She took a step back. “I want to do another MRI.”

“You know, I already glow in the dark,” I tried with humor. “It’s getting brighter. Soon, I’ll need a sleep mask to drown it out.”

That earned me a slight smile.

“I was cleared Friday morning,” I reminded her. “I practiced a little on Friday. I never saw the field on Saturday, except for a few practice reps before the game.” I lifted my left arm and rotated my shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“How many hours are you wearing the sling?”

Pressing my lips together. “I wore it for a while on Friday after practice.”

“Nothing since then?”

I shook my head.

Lacy blew a gust of air, making her bangs move. “At a minimum, I want you wearing it for the next week while you sleep. That immobilization will help with the healing.”

“If I agree, will you let me skip the MRI?”

She let out another long breath. “I’ll postpone the scan until next week. You’re cleared for practice, but I’m going to include the instructions for the sling in this week’s injury report.” She lifted her eyebrows. “And that report will go to the owner.”

My smile grew. “You play dirty.”

“My job is to keep fifty-three stubborn men healthy and safe. You do your part, and I’ll do mine.”

I hopped down from the exam table and straightened my t-shirt and sweater before pulling them both down over my head and sliding my arms into the sleeves. “I’ll be back next Monday.”

Lacy nodded. “Earlier if there’s any pain.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Scanning the tables in the cafeteria, I saw an empty chair at my usual table. Up at the counter, I chose high-quality proteins, hoping for their help with muscle repair. Ten ounces of grass-fed flank steak and six ounces of baked cod were added to my plate along with steamed brown rice and steamed broccoli.

“What did I miss?” I asked as I set my tray on the table.

“A lot of jaw-wagging about the Texans,” Dennison answered.

“Those fuckers dislocated my shoulder. Unless you’re saying how hard you’re coming down on them, I’m taking first string.”

Everyone laughed.