The season opener was only a couple of days off, and his mind was on that.The practice went pretty well. This was going to be a good team, even if it ...asn't going to set the world on fire. There were several solid hitters there, and the pitching was adequate, if not spectacular. The one real problem was that there just was not a lot of speed on the team, so fielding and running were both on the mediocre side. Not that it was all bad, even though softball tended to be a speed game, not a power. The one group of girls who I was surprised to see, were the JV cheerleaders. They would be on the varsity squad, this coming year.I had never hung out with the cheerleaders in my own class, because of what happened in middle school. Jan Duke, their captain, had dumped me to go out with Justin. She had also introduced me to drugs and alcohol at parties. Jan was joined on the varsity cheerleading squad with her best friends Ella and Ronda. The three of them cornered me while I was helping Jeff. I didn't have the qualifications of a doctor, and Sarah was burning up. The first thing she needed was an ice pack. The next thing she needed was someone who knew what the hell to do.I tore down to the kitchen to get the ice. I was on my cell phone at the same time.Jim picked up on the first ring."John, I thought you weren't coming back for a week?" I'm not Jim but I have a situation here ... do you have Dr. Thompson's phone number?" I asked frantically."No need John, I'm standing right next to. They wuz doin' their best ta doctor her wounds an' git her nose back inta its proper shape an' place.As soon as I got home with my latest kill, I wuz conscripted inta goin' ta her cabin an' doin' sumpthin' 'bout Asa, her husband, an' bringin' Holley's bed ta our cabin. I took Mable an' Elizabeth ta help me while Sarah an' Wildflower worked on Holley's injuries. Danny came along, too, ridin' on Mable's back. At least, he wuz happy.When we got ta the Packer cabin, we saw what had happened in more.