Training the Team (Dougie Hamilton)

Race Against Time

Monday, October 19

This weekend was a long one. We had an away game on Saturday in Arizona, and when we came back Sunday morning, I'd gone into MGH to see Bella. Her condition is declining, and it makes my heart hurt to see her like this. The doctors are trying everything they can to try and stop the deterioration, but nothing is making a dent.

Bella and I had spent most of the day talking about what we would do in the future if she lived and was healthy, and reminiscing the past. Bella had talked about college parties, which I told her were fun but mostly overrated unless you were drunk or people-watching. I talked about a Canadian road trip we'd been planning since we were little that we never went on. Bella brought up dating, and that conversation went on for a while. Bella, being 14 when she was diagnosed, has never had a real boyfriend, unlike me. She's never been on a date or kissed a boy or held hands with one before. Me, on the other hand, I've had several boyfriends of varying degrees of commitment, with the most recent ending before the end of the school year and my most serious ending sophomore year.

I'd still been wearing my faux diamond earrings from the away game and traveling, and Bella had pointed that out.

"I can't have my ears pierced," she'd frowned. "If I have to get x-rays, they need to be taken out, and they can get caught on stuff. If I were healthy, I'd have my ears pierced with doubles on both ears and upper cartilage on my left ear."

"I like having the one hole, but I'm open to more," I'd said, poking at the diamonds.

"Ear piercings are so cute and so cool. But I'd probably close the holes anyway," Bella had said, a note of bitterness pervading her tone.

"I like ear piercings, but not anything else. Nose piercings, meh, but I don't want a hole in my nose. Lip and tongue ones freak me out, and so do others anywhere else on your body," I'd said with a shudder.

"I agree!"

That had been a good day for Bella, and I'm planning a Halloween thing for her, but I'm waiting on the Bruins hospital visiting schedule for that.

-

"I feel like doing something impulsive," I say to no one in particular in the common room at Ristuccia.

"What kind of impulsive?" Brad asks from where he's laying on the floor.

"Getting my ears pierced more," I say, drumming my fingers on the table.

"That's not the impulsive I was hoping for," Brad pouts.

"Nope, no getting drunk here. Sorry, Marshy."

"What kind of ear piercings, Kylie?" Tuukka asks.

"Double holes and an upper cartilage." I point them out on my ears and he nods.

"Cool. D'you want someone to come with you?" He asks.

"Yeah, I guess. How's the entourage looking? You guys up for a trip to watch me get earrings stapled into my ears?" I ask.

"I've got nothing better to do," Reilly says.

"Obviously. I'm coming," Dougie chimes in.

"I like sparkles," Pasta agrees.

"Okay, let's go then!"

We all pile into Dougie's truck and head for the mall. I walk up to the kiosk and start talking to the sales lady. I pick my earrings for my doubles, and then the single earring for my cartilage. She sits me in the chair and draws on the dots to make sure the earrings are in the spot I want them. When I confirm, she loads the guns.