Secrets Of Third Base

22

He follows her barefoot through the tunnel. She was really hoping the guys would be gone by now. Outside flirting with the Washington Girls or walking to downtown bars.

For the most part, she is right. Unfortunately, there are still a few gathered in the locker room when they enter.

Cam, Eric, Johnny, Evan, and Elliott.

Eric is the first to stand up.

"Been puking, Buddy?" He asks, looking at the residue on his jersey.

Eric is the team clown. This is kind of his way of asking if Cade is alright.

Johnny stands up next. He pulls Cade into a side hug.

"Don't feel bad, Dude. None of can control it when we are sick. Shit happens. It's alright." He hands him a blue Gatorade.

"Speak up next time, Kid. You don't always have to be a Rockstar." Elliott says.

She looks at Cam, who winks at her.

She realizes then that the guys think he is sick. It was obvious he needed to go to the bathroom, but they think he had some kind of stomach bug.

He gets a couple slaps on the back before heading for the showers.

The rest of the guys clear out and she is left alone with Cam.

"Did you tell them all he was sick?" She asks.

"His condition is his to tell or not to tell."

"So you knew he was throwing up?" She questions.

Cam looks puzzled.

"What do you mean "actually"?
He questions.

"He was actually throwing up, what are you talking about?"

His brow is furrowed.

"Did you not see my texts?" He asks.

She pulls out her phone. Sure enough, there a handful of unread messages.

The most recent from 21 minutes ago.

Telling the guys Belmount is throwing up. They're all wondering where he is. I don't want to embarrass him anymore than he already is.

"Oh...." she says and tucks it back into her pocket.

"No...he...he was actually throwing up, but thanks for...covering for him. He doesn't want anyone to know."

"So he was actually sick?" He asks.

"No." She says, still feeling pretty nauseous herself.

"He was crying so hard he started throwing up."

Cam puts his face in his hands.

"Jesus, Brooke." He mutters.

She sits next to him. She thinks maybe she should have decided to be the team psych instead, given 96% of her job has been moral support to emotionally constipated baseball players.

"He is doing better. He just had a bad night. He will be grateful for this. Thanks for having his back."

He raises his head.

"We all do, B. We all want to protect him. He just thinks the world is out to get him here too, because that's all he has ever known." He sighs.

On one hand, she is grateful. The stomach bug thing has already made its way onto every social media platform on the internet. All of them sympathizing with Cade for "Trying to play through it." And "Showing us even pro athletes fall sometimes."
On the other hand, now they've lied to the entire world, and Cade is still a wreck.