The Dream

I stepped out of my car onto the pavement and breathed in the May morning air. Today was the day I got to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins players! I was so excited that the four hours of shitty sleep I got the night before couldn't even ruin my mood. Anyone who knows me knows I'm in love with every single one of them but I was especially drawn to Evgeni Malkin. I've had my eyes on him since the day he was drafted. His big hands, long legs, and oversized nose always captivated my attention and his Russian accent could make me drool. He was so reserved at first but after learning more English, the team and their fans realized he was actually a big dork. He was an amazing hockey player who was dedicated to the game and wouldn't stop until he became a successful professional athlete. As someone who is dedicated to becoming a doctor, I can relate to being obsessed with achieving your dreams. Evgeni was part of the reason I minored in Russian during undergrad. There are so many Russian players in the league it would make me a more appealing candidate for a national hockey league medical team if I was able to speak and understand their Russian athletes. As I walked into PPG Paints I paused to assess my appearance in the glass door's reflection. I was a little upset that I was meeting them in my ugly uniform but I realized that this was part of the job and I should be proud that I am now an official employee here. My khaki capri pants hugged my thunder thighs and haulted a few inches above my ankle. My black polo was embellished with Pittsburgh gold and had my name stitched into it in white, right above my right breast. Below my name was the title, "medical staff intern." I thought about how close I was to graduating med school and how I longed for the stitching on the polo to say a more permanent position. A pens logo sat above my left breast. The polos were not what you'd call flattering but they did give me a sort of confidence no work uniform has managed to give me before. My hair was loosely curled and lazily tied up in a ponytail. I spent an hour on my makeup this morning, making sure my contour highlighted my jawline and that my eyelashes were twice their normal length. It looked like I tried hard and that's because I did. Dr. McLane was waiting right inside the entrance and I immediately felt relieved, I hadn't memorized the behind the scenes of the arena yet so I needed her guidance.
"Mae! Welcome to your first official day on the job! Are you ready for a crazy game day?"
"yes ma'am! Excited to beat the capitals today."
"Damn right! The players are still at their morning practice but I'll introduce you to some coaching staff and medical personnel first."
She took me down to where we were the other day and gave me some more information about the machines and tests we would be using and running on the players.
"We usually take more time training medical interns but we really needed an extra hand for the playoffs so we're just throwing you in. Hopefully you can handle it and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask."
I was introduced to the player development coach, the goalie developement coach, as well as the head and assistant equipment managers. I shook a few more hands (whose roles on the team I do not remember) and while talking to Dr. McLane about the research paper I was writing on player safety in the NHL, my sentence trailed off to the sound of several men chit chatting and walking into the locker room. I knew who they were but my brain wasn't registering that I was in the same area as them. McLane turned around and saw who had me star struck and said "well are you ready to meet the boss man, or should I say men?"
"ye...ye....yes, yes please." I couldn't even spit out my answer.
"On the way over there take a few deep breathes. I can't have you stuttering and dropping your jaw in front of my bosses. Especially after bragging to them about your resume and potential."
"You bragged about me?"
"hell yeah. It's so rare having someone still in med school apply for this internship but you still have a lot of experience. I can tell you're dedicated to your future career whether it's with us or not." Hearing her kind words lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders and I began walking towards the locker room with a whole new confidence level that immediately put a smile on my face. Dr. McLane announced herself as she opened the door and asked how the gentlemen in suits were doing. Then it was my turn.
"Men, this is Mae Breeant our new medical intern." One by one I shook their hands as they introduced themselves. there was Ron Burkle, co-owner, Rick Tocchet, Jacques Martin, and Sergei Gonchar, assistant and defensive coaches. Next I shook hands with the man who made the Penguins champions. He was extremely intimidating watching him on the ice or at practice but here his smile warmed the room and made me feel calm.
"Mae, Mike Sullivan, head coach. It's a pleasure." He acted like he had to mention the fact that he was the head coach. "It's nice to meet you and work with you Mr. Sullivan. You're a hell of a coach."
"Thank you I appreciate it."
Finally I shook hands with Jim Rutherford, Executive VP and general manager. After telling them a little about myself and my education at USC, Sullivan asked, "well what do you think about this series with the capitals?" I was amazed they spent more time then they had to talking to me and that Mike also looked genuinely interested in what I thought about his team.
"honestly, sir, if we get past this series I think we're going to struggle a lot to win the cup. We're a good team but unless everyone contributes and our power play improves we're going to suffer offensively and it's going to be hard to advance."
"I agree. It was nice talking to you and we'll see you at the game." And that was it. They walked away and McLane and I were left standing there. "I agree." Those two words would now haunt me. Although he seemed very interested in my opinion, after I expressed it he seemed indifferent. I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I'm becoming a doctor not a coach why would I practically insult the head coach of the team I love and work for. I'm an idiot. "Don't sweat it." Dr. McLane said as she lay a hand on my shoulder "you caught him off guard. Usually when he asks that question he gets a simple 'we're gonna win the Stanley Cup' response. I don't think he was prepared for your whole lecture." I let out a little chuckle trying to fool myself into not worrying about it but I couldn't shake the feeling that I ruined my relationship with Mike Sullivan before I even worked my first game.

Notes

Was going to make meeting the boys the same
chapter but I feel like that deserves its own chapter so I cut this one short and will just write a Part 2 soon )))

I'm excited to write the next chapter so I'm not going to rush it.