Page 11 of 4th Degree

Once I realize my student pairs have all figured out the drill and are simply going through repetitions for the rest of the round, I take the opportunity to cross the room and catch the tail end of Skylar’s instruction.

“Those three exercises where you got a headache? Do those every day for a few minutes, just until you have a slight headache. Not a bad one, just somewhere around a 3-4 on the 10 pain scale. Slight pain represents muscle soreness, which is why we don’t want actual pain. But each day you should be able to do them for longer without getting a headache. That’s how you help a concussion heal.” She gives Lucy a look that’s reminiscent of a parent scolding their child. “The worst thing you can do with a concussion is get another one before it’s healed, so don’t brush this off. Do the exercises, take it easy, and stop anything that makes your head hurt.”

“Which means no sparring,” I interject.

“Obviously,” Lucy says with an eye roll that screams thanks, Dad.

But then she looks at Skylar and sobers. “So how do you know all of this? You have doctors in your family or something?”

Sadness flashes through Skylar’s expression. But it’s there and gone so fast, I wonder if I imagined it.

“Oh, you know, I’m just your typical overachiever,” she jokes. “I had a professor I wanted to impress last semester, so I read the brain chapter a few times.”

I don’t know if Lucy buys it, or if she just senses Skylar’s evasion of the question, but she nods and reaches for her gym bag.

“Alright, doc, I’ve got my orders: three exercises every day. I’m going to head home and get some sleep.” She grins at me. “Get it? Head home?”

I roll my eyes right back, but there’s a smile tugging at my lips. “Your dad jokes are getting worse. Go home, Lucy.”

“Yessir,” she says with another grin. But right before she turns around to leave, she snaps her fingers and says to Skylar, “Oh, I meant to ask. You’re coming to Kane’s fight this weekend, right?”

Another smile hiding a glimmer of sadness. “I can’t, I have to work.”

“Come on, you should come! The whole gym will be there. It’s so much fun.”

Skylar hesitates for another half-second, but then blurts out, “Okay, I’ll see if I can get off work,” and then immediately looks shocked by her own answer.

Lucy’s too excited to notice. “Great! When you get your ticket, make sure you tell them you’re with Bulldog MMA. We get a whole section to ourselves.” Skylar still looks stunned as she only nods.

“Alright, that’s enough from the welcoming committee,” I interrupt, clapping my hands together. Lucy sends me a grin that shows just how pleased she is with herself. “You, get out of here. Go rest up.”

With a final salute my way, Lucy’s out the door. As soon as we’re alone, I’m facing Skylar and asking, “Do you still want to take class? I can fill you in on what you missed after.”

She chews on her lower lip in thought. “Tonight’s the one night I have to get home early, unfortunately, but I appreciate the offer.”

I hate doing privates, and I never offer them. Yet it feels effortless to say, “Another time, then.”

Her eyes brighten when she smiles. As she holds my gaze, something inexplicable moves between us. “Another time, then.”

5

COACH

Later that week, I’m sitting in my office when I hear the sounds of fight footage right outside of my door. It’s not an uncommon sound, so at first, I ignore it. But then the commentators catch my attention.

“Jamal really needs to start defending those leg kicks, John. He may have won the first round, but this round Dominic is stepping up his pressure. I don't know how much more of this Jamal's leg can take.”

Frowning, I stand from my desk and walk out of my office. I find Skylar sitting on the couch in the reception area, an iPad in her lap.

“What're you watching?” I ask before I can think better of it.

Skylar’s head snaps up from the screen. When she realizes that I'm watching her, a wide grin splits her face. She lifts the iPad and turns it to face me.

And suddenly I'm watching a younger version of myself punching another guy in the face while the crowd goes wild.

I wince before I can smother it. Then I'm giving Skylar a blank stare and asking in a dry voice, “Seriously?”

She shrugs, her shameless grin still in place as she goes back to watching my fight.

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