The Club

Chapter 22 - The Worlds

“She is responding well to treatment,” Doctor Adams said.

“The flight had the effect of swelling the bronchial tubes in her lungs to the point where she could not get enough oxygen in her body to breathe,” the doctor explained.

“You did the right thing in getting her to the hospital immediately,” he said. “I’d like to keep her in the hospital for observation tomorrow and I recommend that she take a few days off to get completely rested.”

Savannah and I were grateful. We explained the purpose of our visit and told him that the tournament began on Sunday. The Doctor advised us that Lorna would not be ready to play golf until at least next Tuesday at the earliest. He also said that we could go into the room and see her.

When we entered Lorna’s room she was barely awake. She ventured a smile as we arrived. Savannah and I talked to her very briefly in the soothing tones one tries to conjure at a hospital when nothing else seems appropriate. We told Lorna that we would be back to see her the next morning. Through her mask she mouthed the word, “Sorry”. Both Savannah and I assured her that there was no need.

I bent down and kissed the top of her head and grasped her hand. “The strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack,” I recited.

And ever so slightly, before her eyes drifted off, I could hear her reply. “Kipling,” she said.

 Savannah and I shared a quiet ride back to the hotel. I informed Savannah that I would be back to see Lorna in the morning.

“No,” said Savannah. You will take the players over to the course tomorrow at noon for a practice round; we have tee off times starting from 2:30 p.m. I will spend the morning at the hospital and join you at the course in the afternoon. I am assuming that Lorna will be released tomorrow afternoon, in which case I will stay back with her at the hotel until you return.

I was not happy with the orders but I accepted them as a good plan. Savannah outlined some of the practice elements that she wanted to have executed but for the most part this was about familiarizing the players with the course and the conditions before stroke play began on Sunday. Savannah had organized a team brunch at 10:15 a.m. in the hotel lobby and the players had been notified of the timing. It was all happening. I told Savannah that I needed to get a call to Aunt Meg back in Canberra. Immediately Savannah provided me with a calling card which I could use from the hotel and a small laminated piece of paper noting the time changes between Canberra and Chicago. The time change was 15 hours which made 2 a.m. at the hotel approximately 5 p.m. in Canberra. I called Aunt Meg immediately upon reaching the hotel and explained Lorna’s condition. Meg listened carefully. I assured her that we would not be rushing Lorna back to the course and that we would be following the doctor’s instructions with regard to rest periods. Meg was thankful albeit still concerned but she somehow knew that despite any desire to play, Lorna would be sensible with her recovery.

At 3 a.m. I hit the pillow hard and slept for 6 consecutive hours before heading downstairs to meet the team for brunch. Before we ate I was up front with the girls as to Lorna’s condition. I told them that she was doing well and that we would likely be able to see her this evening. It was not lost on the players that this likely meant that, for the beginning of the stroke play competition, we would have 5 scores rather than 6 from which to count our top 4.  This put a bit more pressure on the entire team but they were determined to overcome the handicap. We left the Omni Hotel in good spirits and ready to get on with the week. Golfers only feel comfortable when they get to the course, put on their shoes, and start hitting balls. It was time to get to work.

The team arrived at Harbourside Golf Course and were immediately impressed. It was an exciting venue and everything was first class. The club consisted of two courses, the Starboard and the Port. We decided to take tee times on the Starboard today and practice the Port tomorrow. We would be starting on the Port side on Sunday and Monday and playing the Starboard on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday was an off day, with the top 8 teams advancing to the quarter finals on Friday, the semi-finals on Saturday, and the 36 final scheduled for Sunday. As much as I liked our team I knew we would be life and death to make the quarter-finals.