She's Not a Fan

Chapter 1

***AN Thanks very much to Darrell at SpareGoalies.com for permission to use the photo for the cover.  If you need a goalie, they'll hook you up! (haha If your team needs a goalie....)  :) ***

Dr. Sarah Jain sat at her desk scrolling through the latest version of UpToDate.  A patient had walked barefoot through a mud puddle in Honduras and returned home to Canada with an itchy foot.  It was definitely a parasite.  She could see it under the skin.  The question was, which one?  Hookworm, Tungiasis, Schistosomiasis, so many to choose from.  That was the fun thing about Family Medicine.  So much variety.

A knock on her door had her looking up.

“Oh good.  You’re still here,” said Danni.  Dr. Danni Angelo was her best friend and her partner at the Family Medicine clinic.  “Are you free tomorrow night, by any chance?”

She hesitated.  Danni was also the team physician for the local professional hockey team, the Clarington ‘Quakes.  Tomorrow was Saturday night.  Game night.  Maybe Danni wanted to catch a movie, but more likely, it had something to do with hockey.  She wasn’t busy, but maybe she should be.  “Well, I might be washing my hair.  Why?”

“I have a favour to ask.” 

“No.”

“But I haven’t asked the favour,” Danni argued.

“We’ve been best friends for a long time. I can guess your favour.  And I’ve successfully dodged those favours for the past two years – it’s a survival instinct I have.”

“Ah, come on.  You know I don’t like to ask you, knowing how you feel.” 

That was true.

“But this time, I really need your help.”

Crap.

“The ‘Quakes have a game on Saturday.  And, you know, it’s my sister’s wedding.”  Danni had the day off for the wedding and then was indulging in a few extra days off because the hockey team had a week-long break to accommodate the upcoming All-Star game.  “Trevor was scheduled to cover the game, but he just got a call from his mom that his dad had a stroke, so he’s flying home.  And Ari’s working in the Emergency Department Saturday night.” 

Trevor and Ari were the alternate physicians who helped with the team.  They loved hockey.

“Please, could you go to the game tomorrow night?  Please, please, please.”

“Jeez, Danni, is there no one else you can ask?”

“Honestly, no.  I know it’s short notice.  You know, you don’t even have to watch the game, you just have to be there.  Maybe it will be a quiet night.”

“Right.  What about suturing?  You sew more than Claire, and she’s a seamstress.”  Claire Kendra was one of their best friends.  She designed swimwear and skatewear for a living.

“Well, perhaps you might have a teeny bit of suturing to do, but think of it this way, suturing would take you away from having to watch the game,” she said with a grin.

Sarah laughed.  “Still no.”  It wasn’t really about the medicine.

“Listen, I’ll make it up to you.  If you do this for me, I’ll work one of your half-days.”

Sarah rolled her eyes.  If she wanted an extra half-day off, she only had to book it off.

“OK. OK.  How about I arrange to get the snow tires on your car?  And,” Danni added reluctantly, “you can use my car on the day I do it.”

Now that was tempting.  She had been desperately trying to find the time to take her car in, and Danni had a sweet, chocolate brown Porsche she rarely let anyone else drive.  It was hard to say no to a best friend when her Porsche was on the table.  Danni must be seriously desperate.

But could she get through the game?  It had been years since she stepped into a rink.  She glanced over at Danni’s worried frown.  She could try.  “All right,” Sarah agreed reluctantly.  “But it’s a one time deal.”

“I know.  I know.  Thank you so much.”  Danni gave her a quick hug.  “I’ll text Trevor right now.”

“Before I can change my mind?” 

Danni nodded with a grin and rushed out.