A Miracle On Ice

Chapter 9 "Deep Talks and Family Problems"

"I understand how you feel, but don't let them know that." Herb ended his talk with Jimmy, before the goalie exited his office.

"The Coneheads are coming in." Craig entered the office, reffering to Bah, Buzzy and Pavvy.

Herb looked up to him, "Who?"

"That's what the guys have been calling them 'cause they're a little...like the Coneheads." Craig explained, barely keeping his laugh in.

 "What's that?" Herb asked confused.

"Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin." Craig started listing them, "I guess it's off your radar."

A knock interrupted their conversation, as Bah spoke up, "You wanted to see us, Coach?"

"Come on in, boys." Herb looked up from his desk.

"I'm thinking about keeping the three of you together on the same line." Herb started, taking off his glasses and looking at them, "Everybody okay with that?" 

"Yeah. Sure." they replied.

"How about you, Buzzy, think this works with Bah and Paver?" Herb turned towards Buzz, who had previously played for the Gophers.

"Yeah, it's going good." Buzzy nodded, "Moving the puck well. It's just a little different playing with them."

"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it. We just seem to find each other at the end of the ice and make things happen." Bah rushed the words out.

"Yeah." Pavvy nodded, "Pass, shoot, score."

"Pass, shoot..." Bah repeated.

"and score." Buzzy ended.

Herb and Craig exchanged looks, while Craig tried even harder to keep his laughter in.

"Well, all right." Herb nodded at that, "We'll see how she goes."

"Thanks, Coach." they said in unsion before they left the office.

"Take it easy. Rest up." Craig called after them.

When the guys had left, Herb picked up their player cards and leaned back in his seat, "Well, looks like we're taking a line of Coneheads to Europe."

"Yeah." Craig smiled at him, "If they can keep their legs under them. I'll see you next week." he added, when he got up to leave.

"Something on your mind, Craig? Or is that just too far off my radar?" Herb asked him.

"I don't think you can push them this hard for six months. It's too long." Craig spoke.

"They're doing all right." Herb explained.

At that Craig turned, "They're tired."

"I know how hard to push them, Craig." Herb assured.

"You sure about that?" Craig Patrick asked, worriedly.

"You know why I had them take that test? To make sure I could push them this hard." Herb promised, "I'll see you Monday."

"All right." Craig said, exiting his office again.

"Hey, dad?" a quiet voice entered Herb's office an hour later.

He didn't look up from his work as the girl took a seat across from him, "What's up, Carls?" 

"Uhm, I just wanted to ask....how are things between you and mom?" she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. This was not the type of conversation Herb and Carly Brooks usually had.

This made her dad look up in confusion, "Why would you ask that?"

Carly scratched her head, "Well, I figured with all the work you've been doing things were kind of heating up a little bit."

"We're fine, Carly. Nothing to worry about there. Just get some rest and we'll have dinner with the family tomorrow, alright?" her dad assured her.

Carly hesitated before getting up to leave the room, "Yeah, okay. Night, dad." 

"Hey, Carls?" he called after her, "Keep your head in the game."

"Will do, Coach." the girl closed the door behind her.

Even later that night, Carly was still stuck on the phone, when Rizzo and Mark had finished cooking for everyone. They set down the food at the table as the guys walked in one after the other.

Carly rounded up the call from the kitchen phone as quickly as she could, "No, I promise. I asked him and he said they were fine......Well, what do you want me to do, Ally?.....Jeez, Al, I'm not a psychologist.....if he says they're fine, I'm sure they're fine......Look, I gotta go. We're having dinner now.....Yeah, see you.....and Al? Don't get too worked up about this." after Carly set the phone down and turned towards the dinner table, she met the faces of 21 confused boys.

"What?" she asked them, making most of them look away.

But Mac knew her too well for that, "What was that about?"

Carly shrugged, "Just Ally thinks that mom and dad are fighting cuz of the whole hockey thing." she stated.

"Why?" Mark asked.

"I guess it's cuz he's so into it that he never stops working. He does that sometimes." she explained further.

OC grinned at her, making a joke, "Yeah, like father, like daughter, huh?"

"Funny." she threw a noodle at him while the guys kept laughing.

OC seemed unbothered by this. Instead he took in a sharp breath and exclaimed in fake shock, "Elizabeth!"

The next morning at practise Carly took her shot when her dad stood by the bench she was sitting in, "So, are we having dinner at home today?"

"I don't know, Carly. Focus on hockey, please." Herb replied in a huff, "We have practise right now."

"You promised, though." she kept pushing, "I bet mom would be happy. And you know, your kids."

"Carls, one more word out of you and you're doing suicides." Herb turned to stare his daughter down.

But being his daughter, she had learned to use the exact same stare, "You gonna pull through with that? Cuz I got more where that came from."

They had a staring battle for a few seconds, before OC spoke to Mac, "So, are we gonna say something or..."

"Get back on that line!" Herb snapped out of it and everybody assembled on the blue line.

After practise, Herb went into the locker room asking everybody for their preferred numbers.

"Hold up, you didn't ask me!" Carly called after her dad.

He turned around, gave his daughter a look and scribbled a number down on his notebook.

Carly scrunched her nose up, "Hm, so that's it? You're not even gonna ask me?"

Herb Brooks shrugged, "Nope. Already got it."

"Oh, yeah? You know everything, huh?" she mocked.

"I do." her father and Coach replied sternly.

"Alright. 1...2....3.....SEVEN!" the two of them yelled out at the same time.

Carly turned around and punched the wall, "Damn it! You cheated."

"You have a weird obsession with your grandmother." Herb stated.

Carly laughed at that, "Hey, she made you. Besides, she is friends with Bobby Hull and an afternoon drinker. What else do you want in a woman?" she plopped down between Mac and Silky.

Herb Brooks hid a smile as he turned around and left the locker room.

"You know I'm making some points here!" Carly yelled after him.

Her dad called back, "Get changed! We don't wanna be late for family dinner, do we?"

When she heard the door close, she smiled to herself and did as she was told.