Page 1 of Double Play

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In Dwight Conner’s opinion,only a man thoroughly confident in his own masculinity would walk into the Kilby Community Hospital dressed as Elsa fromFrozen. The fact that he was black just added to the comedy—that thick platinum-blond braid really glowed againsthisskin.

His teammate Jim Lieberman, on the other hand, made the world’s most disgruntled Anna in his copper wig and bluedress.

“Why did I let you talk me into this shit,” he muttered as they trooped down the hallway toward the children’s wing. The Catfish shortstop was on the smallish side, and nicknamed Bieberman for his resemblance to Justin Bieber, the boyishsinger.

“Don’t say shit, we’re surrounded by children,” Dwight saidvirtuously.

“Yes, children who arelaughingatus.”

“I don’t see the problem, man. We’re trying to make them laugh. Laughter ishealing.”

“You say that because no one made fun of you in middle school. Or high school. Or your entire baseball career, for thatmatter.”

Dwight took note of Lieberman’s glum expression. Lieberman was one of his favorite teammates on the Kilby Catfish, because he always had a bounce in his spirit. Every team needed a guy like that. But he wasn’t looking too bouncy at the moment. “Anyone makes fun of you, send them my way. Us sisters gotta sticktogether.”

“Ha ha.” Lieberman flipped a coppery shank of hair away fromhisface.

They approached a nurse pushing a young girl in a wheelchair toward the radiology wing. Ah hell—poor Molly was getting another MRI. Dwight stepped into the path of the wheelchair and dropped into a curtsy for her. Her face lit up, warming Dwight from head to toe. Even with her shaved head and the circles under her eyes, she radiated joy. “Hey there, Miss Molly. You going to sing with uslater?”

“Will you wait until I’m done?” She giggled as she looked at them both in their Disney dresses. “You look sofunny!”

Dwight struck a pose from the movie. “Let it go, Molly,” he sang. “Let it go, can’t hold it in anymore.” He spun around, his dress swirling around his hairy legs. When he finished his twirl, Molly was laughing and clapping herhands.

“Will you sing some more? Will you sing ‘Snowman’?”

Dwight elbowed Lieberman, who started. Dwight figured his off-the-cuff performance must have put him in a tranceofawe.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” Beebssqueaked.

The nurse shook her head, laughing, and continued wheeling Molly down the hallway. “We’ll see you foolslater.”

“You know it,” Dwight called after them. “We’ll bepracticing.”

He and Lieberman continued toward the main children’s wing. His singing had drawn more patients and nurses into the hallway. Staying in character, he grinned and waved. Honestly, sometimes he had more fun doing stuff like this than playingbaseball.

Lieberman, not so much. He was trudging along, trying not to trip on his longskirt.

“What’s eating you, big guy?” Dwightasked.

“Don’t call me big guy,” Lieberman snapped. “I’m about half a foot shorter than you, which you’re obviously intending to point out with that inappropriate and inaccurateappellation.”

When Lieberman pulled out the multisyllabic words, for sure he was not a happy camper. “Dude. What the hell is upyourass?”

“It’s Nina,” he blurted, then stopped dead in his tracks. His face went pale under his Anna wig, then red—the same color as when he struck out. “Oh my God. It’s Nina. We have to go. Now. Maybe she hasn’t seen us yet.Go.Go!”

“Whaaaat?” Dwight glanced down the side hallway, where Lieberman was looking, and saw two young women watching them and laughing. One of them was Nina Stark, the little sister of their former teammate, Trevor. A blond pixie with an incandescent smile, she’d captured Lieberman’s attention when he’d nearly landed in her lap while chasing a foul ball into the stands. He’d been moping over her for nearlyayear.

Dwight didn’t recognize the other girl, but he was aiming for a closer look when Lieberman yanked him backwards, out of their line ofsight.

“What the— Oh.” It suddenly dawned on him what the problem was. Dressing up like a princess charmed the little kids, but Nina was an all-grown-up twenty-two. Maybe she wouldn’t go for the Disney look. “She already saw us, Beebs. You just gotta go with it. Let’s gosay‘hi.’”

“No. I look ridiculous. You can pull this off because you’re…you. You still look like a stud. Me, I look like an elf on hallucinogens. She’ll never take me seriously now. Did you see how she was laughing?” Lieberman grabbed his arm in a death grip. “We have to hide somewhere. We can’t let themseeus.”

Dwight let out a shout of laughter, causing Lieberman to shush him frantically. “You’re losing it, man. Who cares if Nina sees us dressed like princesses? It’s forthekids.”

“I care.” With one hand, Lieberman lifted his skirt, revealing hairy shins and hiking boots, and tromped toward the nearest door. With the other, he dragged Dwight along behind him into the exam room. Luckily, it was empty except for two mussed beds. “You should care too, if you ever want to getcalledup.”

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