Page 52 of Offside

A light knock on the door drags my attention to Karis, who stands outside the doorway. She makes a face of regret for interrupting me. I shake my head and smile.

“It’s just Marek,” I tell her, pointing at the phone. “Hey bro, I gotta go. I think the doctor is here to check me out.”

“Okay. Keep me posted.” Marek pauses for a moment and then throws the gauntlet down. “And bro…keep your dick in your pants for everyone’s sake.”

I stare at Karis and lift my brows with a grin, glad she can’t hear him on the other end.

“We’ll see…thanks for calling.”

* * *

With our teamdoctor on the road for the away game, the NHL sent another league physician to evaluate my symptoms with their testing procedure.

The doctor asks about the symptoms I’ve experienced and whether I’ve gotten enough rest. Karis remains in the room with my consent. While she doesn’t jump in, she does eyeball me when I leave out the part about that dizzy episode last night.

How would I explain that one? “Oh, gee, doc. I was getting a handy from my boss and it was so good I nearly passed out.”

“Have you experienced any headaches, sensitivity to light, ringing in the ears, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, or fatigue?”

I shake my head. “No, sir.”

Karis glares at me from the corner of the room, clears her throat, and crosses her arms in that bossy mode of hers.

“I guess I felt a little dizzy last night and had a slight headache,” I correct, dipping my head and glaring back at her with afine, I admit itlook. “But nothing this morning.”

The doctor types in the notes on his laptop and nods his head. “Okay, that’s normal. I’ll check your pupils to see if they track accordingly. How about your sleep and energy level? Were you restless last night? Have any trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?”

“Not for the reasons you think,” I murmur quietly under my breath. The culprit was not a blow to the head that kept me awake half the night, it was having to go to bed with a hard-on caused by the woman sitting over in the corner chair. “No, sir. Once I got into bed, I slept straight through for twelve hours.”

The doctor finishes his notes in my chart and follows it up with another question.

“How about concentration? Any confusion or difficulty focusing or remembering things?”

I wish I could forget the sweet taste of Karis’s orgasm on my tongue this morning or the wet slide of my finger inside her pussy. That would make my life a whole lot easier right now. Instead, I seem to be fighting a raging erection at every turn.

“None, although the time right before and after the hit I don’t recall. But everything else is good. Would you like me to list off all the provinces of Canada for you? Or recite my childhood home address backward three times?”

This gets the serious man to chuckle and he pats my knee. “I think that will do for now, Ballas.”

Karis finally speaks up. “Dr. Brahma, it’s my understanding that these symptoms may evolve over time, even days, after a serious concussion and that continued rest and monitoring is critical for the health of the concussed.” She lifts her eyebrows knowingly. “Especially for someone who has a history of concussions.”

What the hell is she doing? Is she trying to sabotage my chances of getting back out on the ice? I’m already out for a required three-game hiatus. I don’t need her meddling and getting in my way of returning to the ice. Even if she is the boss.

Dr. Brahma stands, stuffing his laptop in the bag and all his instruments away along with it. Then he turns to Karis, his dark eyes filled with sincerity and his tone holding a gentle confidence.

“Based on Ballas’s physical and cognitive tests, I don’t see any concern with his gradual progression back to more activities…” He knits his brows at me. “That is, unless those activities provoke any of the cognitive and physical symptoms we just covered.”

The doctor hands me a form that includes a list of all the physical activities I can add back into my day. The list includes light aerobic exercise with limited head movement and increased heart rate, followed by the progression every 24 hours into more intensity and resistance training.

But all I hear and drill in on from his explanation on physical exertion issex.

When I swivel to look at Karis, it appears that she knows exactly what I’m thinking. Her cheeks bloom with a pink blush.

“Understood,” I agree, staring into Karis’s eyes with a sly grin.

“And when should we consider him ready to return to play, doctor?” Karis inquires as she leads him toward the front door of the condo.

“That all depends on the club physician and consulting neuropsychologist’s clinical review. Ballas must be free of any concussion-related symptoms before engaging in further on-ice activity.”

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