her at the thought it might be Striker. Shaking her head, she dug it out of her bag. She needed to give herself a firm talking to before she crashed into major disappointment.
A text message notification lit up the phone, the number unfamiliar to her. Lila swiped it open to read it, and a chill ran up her spine. She quickly scanned her surroundings to see if anyone was lurking on the street. Her block was dark and soundless, illuminated only by the floodlights outside a neighbor’s home.
Feeling exposed and vulnerable, Lila darted into the house and threw the lock on the door almost before it closed. After taking a few cleansing breaths, she glanced back down to reread the text.
Really Doctor? Spending your free time with the No Prisoners?
Chapter Six
“I’d like to conclude with a quick story about why this is such an important topic.” Lila clicked a button on the remote control and a picture of a smiling high school boy appeared on the projection screen. “This is Kyle. Before I continue, I’ll let you know I have written permission from Kyle’s parents to share his story with you.”
Lila looked up at the crowd, pleased that those in attendance had their eyes riveted to the screen. “Kyle was a high school senior. A straight A student, popular with the girls, and captain of his football team. After graduation, he planned to attend Notre Dame on a football scholarship. They offered him a full ride. He was going to major in computer engineering. Typical kid who had the world at his feet, and endless possibilities.”
Her eyes drifted to the clock. Eight twenty-five. She’d timed it perfectly.
“Kyle took a nasty hit during the school’s homecoming game. He told his coach he remained conscious, but had a quick flash of black when he hit the ground. They called a time out while Kyle was attended to. He had a mild headache, but otherwise seemed completely normal to his coach and teammates, so they put him back in play. He made it through the rest of the game and his headache got worse. But he wanted to be there for his team, or so he told his girlfriend later, so he toughed it out and didn’t speak up.”
Lila took a deep breath before she continued. This story always had the power to bring her to tears. Such useless waste of a promising young life. “That night, after the homecoming dance, he was driving his girlfriend home. They were on the highway, going about sixty, when, according to her, he yelled out that his vision was spotty and he couldn’t see. The car veered across the yellow line and he was killed on impact. His girlfriend survived, but she’ll require the use of a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
“This tragedy was born of a lack of education by the coaches, parents, and students themselves. I aim to change that by providing the proper safety information to ensure something like this doesn’t happen here in Crystal Rock. I want to educate coaches on the correct way to assess for a concussion, and provide them with an algorithm for action. Thank you so much for giving me your time this evening. I’ll stick around for a while, should anyone have any questions.”
The people in attendance, mostly parents and teachers, stood and clapped. She felt the weight of this task float off her shoulders the moment the applause began. Lila walked down the steps of the pop-up stage, and John Heath, the school board president, took the place she had vacated at the podium.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Emerson for the time and effort she put into this presentation. Typically, we meet and deliberate before we take a formal vote, but in this case it’s not necessary. Each member of the board is eager and excited to move forward with this project as soon as possible. So, it is with great pleasure I officially tell you your project has been approved, doctor. We look forward to working with you to ensure the safety of our younger generations.”
Triumph surged at his words, and an enormous smile
A text message notification lit up the phone, the number unfamiliar to her. Lila swiped it open to read it, and a chill ran up her spine. She quickly scanned her surroundings to see if anyone was lurking on the street. Her block was dark and soundless, illuminated only by the floodlights outside a neighbor’s home.
Feeling exposed and vulnerable, Lila darted into the house and threw the lock on the door almost before it closed. After taking a few cleansing breaths, she glanced back down to reread the text.
Really Doctor? Spending your free time with the No Prisoners?
Chapter Six
“I’d like to conclude with a quick story about why this is such an important topic.” Lila clicked a button on the remote control and a picture of a smiling high school boy appeared on the projection screen. “This is Kyle. Before I continue, I’ll let you know I have written permission from Kyle’s parents to share his story with you.”
Lila looked up at the crowd, pleased that those in attendance had their eyes riveted to the screen. “Kyle was a high school senior. A straight A student, popular with the girls, and captain of his football team. After graduation, he planned to attend Notre Dame on a football scholarship. They offered him a full ride. He was going to major in computer engineering. Typical kid who had the world at his feet, and endless possibilities.”
Her eyes drifted to the clock. Eight twenty-five. She’d timed it perfectly.
“Kyle took a nasty hit during the school’s homecoming game. He told his coach he remained conscious, but had a quick flash of black when he hit the ground. They called a time out while Kyle was attended to. He had a mild headache, but otherwise seemed completely normal to his coach and teammates, so they put him back in play. He made it through the rest of the game and his headache got worse. But he wanted to be there for his team, or so he told his girlfriend later, so he toughed it out and didn’t speak up.”
Lila took a deep breath before she continued. This story always had the power to bring her to tears. Such useless waste of a promising young life. “That night, after the homecoming dance, he was driving his girlfriend home. They were on the highway, going about sixty, when, according to her, he yelled out that his vision was spotty and he couldn’t see. The car veered across the yellow line and he was killed on impact. His girlfriend survived, but she’ll require the use of a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
“This tragedy was born of a lack of education by the coaches, parents, and students themselves. I aim to change that by providing the proper safety information to ensure something like this doesn’t happen here in Crystal Rock. I want to educate coaches on the correct way to assess for a concussion, and provide them with an algorithm for action. Thank you so much for giving me your time this evening. I’ll stick around for a while, should anyone have any questions.”
The people in attendance, mostly parents and teachers, stood and clapped. She felt the weight of this task float off her shoulders the moment the applause began. Lila walked down the steps of the pop-up stage, and John Heath, the school board president, took the place she had vacated at the podium.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Emerson for the time and effort she put into this presentation. Typically, we meet and deliberate before we take a formal vote, but in this case it’s not necessary. Each member of the board is eager and excited to move forward with this project as soon as possible. So, it is with great pleasure I officially tell you your project has been approved, doctor. We look forward to working with you to ensure the safety of our younger generations.”
Triumph surged at his words, and an enormous smile
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