Juliet smiles and nods at me. My stomach does cartwheels.
"Scout here has a degree in sports medicine. And she's a certified yoga teacher. I've watched her take care of players with aches and pains before. I think we're crazy not to use her as a resource. Scout, do you want to explain the proposal?"
Beck narrows his eyes, drumming his fingers on the conference table. The room shifts. Their attention lands on me like a spotlight I didn't ask for. Heat prickles the back of my neck. My hands want to shake, but I force them to be still.
I start, voice steadier than I feel. "Right. I want to start Mobility Mondays. The scope would be twenty minutes post-practice, once a week. We'd focus on hips, thoracic spines, and shoulder capsules. I'd take notes to track key performance indicators. Things like subjective soreness ratings, missed practice minutes, measurable improvements in hip internal and external rotation, and shoulder range of motion from baseline to goal. Plus I'd ask a two-question mood check to track the players' mental state."
"I see. How does yoga figure into your plan?" Coach Cross asks.
I nod, getting into the swing of it now. Talking about one of my passions helps steady my nerves. "I see yoga as a corrective tool. You obviously can't fix an athlete's pain by having them do one position once. I'd assess what a player needs, teach them poses that help strengthen muscles, and track their pain. In addition, I'd assign homework. Hockey players already stretch at home. The more often they incorporate my suggestions into their home routines, the better the outcomes will be."
Assistant coach Pat snorts. "We're not a yoga studio. We need hits, not hamstring stretches."
The dismissal stings but I don't let it show. "You need both. Looser hips mean faster first steps off the line. Better thoracic spine rotation means cleaner exits under pressure. And fewer penalties born from fatigue and compensating movement patterns."
"My suggestion is that we have a trial for eight weeks," Juliet says decisively. "If the numbers don't move, we can reconvene."
Cross nods once. "Done. Mobility Mondays it is."
Relief floods through me for half a second before Cross's expression darkens.
"Now, the other issue." His eyes land on Silas. "We need to discuss your shoulder."
Silas stiffens in his chair. "It's fine."
"The MRI results say otherwise," Beck cuts in. "Grade two separation. Partial rotator cuff tear. You're looking at a minimum of eight weeks. And that's if you don't make it worse."
"I said it's fine." Silas glares at Beck.
"You can barely lift your arm," Ryan observes. "You need round-the-clock care for at least a few weeks. Basic tasks are going to be impossible. And your current situation, staying with Hunter and Juliet, isn’t going to cut it."
"The sports medicine wing of the hospital has an excellent rehab facility," Cross says. "That would be the best decision. You'd have professional medical supervision."
The temperature in the room drops. Silas's face goes from stoic to thunderous in a heartbeat.
"Absolutely not." His voice is granite. "I'm not moving into a facility. That's a terrible suggestion."
"It's not really a suggestion. You don't have a choice," Ivy says gently. "You can't even button your own shirt right now."
I watch him, this prideful man trying so hard not to show weakness. His jaw works like he's grinding glass between his teeth. The sling holds his arm at an awkward angle. I can see the strain in his neck from compensating.
I could fix that. Or at the very least, manage his symptoms.
Coach Cross speaks up. "What if we had someone move into your home to help you, Silas?"
Silas's eyes narrow to slits. "What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about Scout." Cross tilts his head at me. "She has training in this area. Right?"
My face starts burning, but I nod. "Absolutely. I could help out." My voice comes out smaller now but committed. "I have sports medicine training. I understand hockey injuries."
"But would you be willing to do it full time?" Ivy asks, leaning forward. "Otherwise we should just put him in the facility. It's a significant commitment."
Silas goes rigid. "I am not being put anywhere!"
"Easy." Cross tries to take the anger down a notch. "It's either Scout moves in with you, or you stay at the rehab facility."
Ryan looks between Silas and me, then sighs. "Actually, that might work. If Scout's willing to move in temporarily, say a month or two, we could avoid the rehab facility situation. She's trained in sports medicine, as we just established. She'd know exactly what recovery protocols to follow."
