Page 126 of Player Misconduct
I scan the room automatically, looking for the one person who isn't there.
Kendall.
Her ponytail swinging as she moves between players, clipboard in hand, that calm, steady presence that makes everything feel manageable.
But she's not here.
Instead, there's a stranger.
A tall, broad man in scrubs, standing next to Theo, going over charts with one of the rookies. His voice is low, very clinical, and completely detached—nothing like Kendall's warmth, her dry humor, the way she makes even the worst injuries feel survivable.
I freeze, my duffel slipping slightly on my shoulder.
Who the hell is that?
Theo spots me and waves me over. "Mäkelin. Come meet Dr. Grant. He's filling in for Kendall for a bit and he's getting familiar with the roster."
"Filling in?" I echo, crossing the room slowly.
Dr. Grant straightens, offering a handshake. His grip is firm and professional. "Good to meet you. Looking forward to working with the Hawkeyes for a bit."
"Yeah, welcome to the team," I barely manage to shake his hand, which isn’t like me. It's not his fault she's not here, and something tells me that the fault is mine alone. But how… and why? More importantly, how do I fix it?
My eyes turn to Theo as Dr. Grant moves on to meeting another player on the team that just walked in, and I search his face for answers---clues to what he might know that he's not telling me.
"She's not due for maternity leave until January," I say, keeping my voice even.
Theo glances around, then lowers his voice. "Yeah, but with the press stuff… Penelope thought it'd be good for her to take a week. Maybe more. Dr. Grant was the original doctor who was planned to take over for her and Penelope called him in sooner. He's here if she..." he pauses and then rephrases. "...until she comes back."
He changed what he was going to say but I heard, "...if she comes back."
A week off? But why?
Kendall doesn't take time off. She works through migraines, through flu season, through every crisis the team throws at her.
So if she's taking time off… Something's really wrong. And I know that if it was about the baby, she'd have told me personally, she wouldn’t let Theo and Dr. Grant be the ones I find out from. This has to do with Tarron, the fight between us, and the media coverage from last night. Nothing else makes sense.
I spot Penelope heading down the hallway, tablet in hand, her usual brisk efficiency radiating off her like armor.
I jog after her, duffel bouncing against my hip. "Penelope."
She stops, exhaling like she already knows what's coming. "Aleksi. Practice in five."
"I called the movers," I say, stepping in front of her. "She cancelled. She's not answering her phone. Now there's a new doctor in the locker room. What's going on?"
For a second—just a second—Penelope's mask slips.
She looks tired. Uncertain. And that scares me more than anything else because Penelope doesn't usually let that stuff show. She was made to be the GM of this team and to put up with pushy sponsors and egomaniac players. She handles it all like it's just another day.
"You really need to discuss this with her," she says carefully.
"I can't," I say, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "She's not answering me."
"Then maybe give her space," Penelope says, but it sounds rehearsed. Practiced. "She's under a lot of pressure right now."
"Space?" I repeat, the word tasting bitter. "She's not just stressed, Penelope. She's shutting me out. Is this because of the press? Because of me?"
Her expression softens, just a fraction. "Aleksi… you know I can't speak for her. But you should let her come to you when she's ready."
