CHAPTER TEN
Hailey unconsciously balled the green trim of her practice jersey into her fist as she carefully watched Nora eyeing Grant through the rearview mirror from the passenger’s side. Jack had one hand on the wheel and one eyebrow raised, as he seemed too to be stealing glances in the rearview mirror, watching Hailey fidget nervously.
They were on their way to the only doctor’s office in Hope Hull. Grant and Hailey were still wearing their practice clothes from that morning’s workout that ended abruptly when Grant passed out again.
They were in the middle of team practice, doing a fast-paced lay-up drill when Hailey heard the terrifying thud. She choked back her tears, trying her best to think positive thoughts as she watched, in what seemed like slow motion, as her father knelt down over Grant, calling his name. As he came to, Hailey knelt down next to him, taking his hand as he stared up at her with glassy eyes.
Despite their dismissal, the team remained in a half-circle, staring down at their fallen point guard. Grant’s face was pale, his mouth was slightly open, and his hand gripped Hailey’s. Hailey saw the fear in his eyes; it had only come in a flash, but it was enough to make her mind race with thoughts of the unthinkable.
Nora arrived in a panic after a phone call from Jack, the way Grant knew she would. Despite his insistence that he felt better, his mother, not surprisingly, sided with Jack and agreed that they needed to pay Dr. Mason a visit.
“You really just passed out on the court in the middle of practice?” Nora blurted, finally turning around in her seat to face the kids. “Did you feel it coming? Were you feeling sick? Could you not have sat down and taken a break? That is just so scary to me, Grant! I saw a story on the news once about a basketball player who collapsed on the court…it turned out he had a heart condition nobody knew about! And he died!”
“Mom, you’re being dramatic,” Grant groaned.
“I don’t think she’s being dramatic at all,” Hailey declared.
“Well, I’m not dead!” Grant raised his arms. “Ticker feels good,” he patted his chest.
Hailey rolled her eyes.
Jack reached over and rubbed Nora’s arm consolingly. “We’re gonna get him checked out, Nora Jean. Doc Mason is a great doctor, just like his daddy was and his granddaddy before that. Do you remember going to Dr. Mason’s office when we were kids?”
Nora laughed. “You know good and well I never went to the doctor, Jack! With all of Granny’s home remedies, I stayed healthy as a horse.”
Jack chuckled. “I was sad to see old Doc Mason retire, but I always knew Doc Junior would turn out just like his daddy. Didn’t you always reckon he would turn out to be a doctor, even when we were in school?”
“Well, he was a few years behind us, but I do remember he was always smart,” Nora nodded.
As Jack pulled into the small parking lot next to a truck that everyone knew to belong to Rusty Cobb, Grant stared out the window at a sign that read, HOPE HULL PHYSICANS GROUP.
“How does a single doctor practice qualify as a group?” Grant snarled.
“I’m sure they just never changed the name after Doc Senior retired,” Nora said confidently, trying hard to deflect Grant’s cynicism.
“I don’t care how many doctors there are,” Grant crossed his arms, determined not to budge from his seat. “I’m not interested in visiting a doctor who can’t even correctly spell physician. Look at that sign! I’d prefer my physicians to have both I’s, if you don’t mind.”
“What?” Nora gasped.
“It’s spelled wrong!” Grant exhaled as Hailey giggled.
“Oh, Sweetheart, I bet nobody has ever noticed that in all these years,” Nora sighed.
“I sure haven’t,” Jack chuckled disbelievingly.
“You should tell Doc Junior, Grant; I know he’d want to get it fixed,” Nora suggested.
“I won’t be telling him anything because I am not going in there,” Grant mumbled.
“Yes, you are,” Hailey nodded.
Grant snarled. “Babe, I don’t know where this third-generation, small town, medicine man earned his doctorate, or if one is even required in order to practice in a town where the townsfolk already refer to you as Doc Junior in elementary school, but I am fairly certain that I’m more qualified to treat patients after a good game of Operation than this joker is.”
Hailey turned her head and rolled her eyes.
Grant shrugged. “Does anyone find it as unnerving as I do that doctors call what they do practice?”
“Grant, stop stalling and get out of the car,” Nora insisted. “It won’t hurt to have Dr. Mason take a look at you. You passed out and fell on the floor, Baby! You have to see the doctor!”
“It was a one time thing,” Grant huffed. “I feel fine now! I didn’t eat breakfast. I didn’t drink any water before practice. It’s not a big deal.”
Hailey bit her lip, knowing that Grant was about to be upset with her. “Well, for all your talk of spelling and degrees, you’d think a guy as intelligent as you would at least be able to count! This isn’t the first time this has happened, and you know it!” she accused.
“Dang it, Hailey,” Grant exhaled.
“What?” Nora gasped.
Jack spun around, his eyebrow raised.
“During the fire at Maude’s!” Hailey blurted. “His nose started bleeding, and he passed out.”
“I didn’t pass out,” Grant argued. “I just blacked out a little bit.”
“You passed out!” Hailey yelled.
“Why are you just now telling us this?” Jack scolded.
