Training the Team (Dougie Hamilton)

Accidents Happen

Tuesday, December 15

I walk down to my car and go to start it, but it coughs and won't turn over.

"Oh, come on," I mutter, trying again. It refuses to turn over, and then dies.

"Are you fucking kidding me," I growl, jamming my keys into the ignition and trying to start my car agin. Nothing.

I sigh, pick up the phone, and call Triple A. My car will be towed this afternoon, probably while I'm at work.

For now, I have to worry about getting to and from work. Pasta can't drive because of his shoulder, so I can't call him. And certainly not Dougie. He hasn't said two words to me outside of hockey and work since Thursday. I'm beginning to regret buying him a Christmas present.

I call Reilly first. "Hey, Reilly, could you give me a ride to work today?"

"I'd love to Kylie, but I'm on the highway right now. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

I hang up, and try Bergy. "Hey Bergy, could you give me a ride to work today?"

"Sorry Kylie, but I'm stuck in traffic!"

Marshy. "No, sorry Kylie!"

I try the rest of the team near me, but no one can pick me up. Finally, I have no choice but to call Dougie.

"Hey, Dougie, um, could you give me a ride to work?" I ask, biting my lip.

"Can't you ask someone else?" He asks scathingly.

"You're the last person I called, thank you. Everyone else can't."

"Everyone?"

"Fine, Dougie. Sorry for bothering you."

I'm about to hang up when I hear: "Give me ten minutes."

I hang the phone up after that.

Ten minutes later, Dougie pulls up, wearing his usual baseball hat backwards on his head. I get in his truck, and it's silent. Neither of us speak as we're driving along, and I'm staring out of the window as we're slowing at an intersection.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of brakes squealing, and my head snaps over to look out the windshield. I watch two cars fly across the intersection from opposite directions. I flinch involuntarily, but hear a crash and the scream of metal against metal and a loud crack of glass breaking. Right in front of us, there's a massive accident.

"Dougie!" I scream, grabbing his arm. "Pull over!" 

He yanks the wheel, bringing us to the side of the sidewalk, and I'm out of the truck as soon as it stops. Dougie's right behind me as I'm running across to the accident.

I stop short, glass under my sneakers, assessing the damage. There's two cars involved, and the driver of the smaller car is slumped unconscious at the wheel, a young woman fighting to stay awake next to him, but there's kids crying in the other car.

"Dougie, try and get him out. I'm going to get the kids." I point at the driver and then run over to the car with the kids.

The driver's side window is shattered, so I hit the button that unlocks the car, and yank the door open. I help get the driver out of the car, which is a middle-aged woman, then help the kids out of the back. I hear someone cry from inside the car, and whip back around.

A teenage girl is stuck in the passenger's side, the side that got hit. I run over and try to help her out.

"Dougie?" I yell, looking over at him.