Page 46 of Offside

I read that sentence twice. The portal had shown my season assessment at seven-oh-eight. Park's office had postponed the ten o'clock meeting at seven-nineteen. Marchetti and I knew that much. We hadn't known what moved through club offices between them. The article apparently did.

"That's not from the broadcast," Garrett said.

"No, it's not."

"You want me to clear the room?"

Around us, players were arriving for video. Theo and Luca stood near the coffee machine. Eriksson had one skate guard in his hand for no apparent reason. Nobody had mentioned Declan's name. The article didn't either. It didn't mention a transfer, a recusal, or a relationship. An insider had exposed my medical record as a bargaining weapon.

"No," I said. "Park needs to see it. Then we do video."

Garrett nodded. I sent the link to Park and walked upstairs.

Park had already called Vicki and Reyes by the time I reached his office. Vicki stood beside the conference table, arms folded. Reyes had the article open on a tablet. Park's phone sat face down between them.

"The quoted phrase is ours," Park said. "It appears in the October twenty-ninth medical-operations routing summary."

"Who saw it?" I asked.

"Vicki, Dr. Reyes, me, and the necessary contract staff. The administrative logs should show which of those authorized accounts opened or forwarded the summary. We're reviewing that trail."

"Could Pryce have written it?"

Vicki's expression sharpened. "No. It summarizes the clinical record for operations. His assessment used functional findings, not that phrase."

I'd known he hadn't, but I wanted it said.

"Does Zoe have access?" I asked.

"To the medical chart she needs for care," Reyes said. "Not to contract evaluation. The routing summary is separate."

"And the review?"

"Open," Park said. "We're not naming a source until the evidence supports one."

"What are you telling media?"

"That you remain under an established physician-led plan, participation decisions are medical, and contract discussions are private. We won't confirm specific allegations or speculate about a source."

"Good. Use it," I said.

Park leaned forward. "Do you want to say anything yourself?"

"Same thing. Shoulder's managed. I'm following the plan. Contract's private."

"Nothing about the internal process?"

"No, at least not until we know what happened," I said.

Park's phone began vibrating against the table.

"That's likely communications," he said. "The access review remains unresolved. If we find evidence, I'll tell you what I can."

I left him to answer.

Zoe reduced my contact repetitions before I stepped onto the ice. She'd made the change the previous afternoon after my strength dropped on the final set. The article didn't cause it, and she refused to restore the load. Nobody could accuse us of reacting.

"Four controlled contacts," she said at the gate. "No high reach. You report after two and after four."