Who: Ellie MacFusty, Bastián Cavallero, & Maggie Macdougal What: The MacDonald Situation When: Wednesday, Nov 1, morning Where: Pride offices Warnings: swearing, talk of career ending injuries
Ellie was dreading this meeting. Ever since MacDonald had taken that hit last game she knew it was going to be bad. She still couldn’t shake the doubt that told her it was her fault. She was captain. She set the tone, the strategy. It was one thing to end her own career for being a human bludger, it was another when it was someone else. Especially when that someone else was literally the heart of her team -- and she wasn’t just being dramatic.
But maybe it was a good sign they hadn’t had this meeting yet.
Except in all the ways that she knew it would not be a good thing. “Alright, Maggie, how is MacDonald looking for the next match?” Even asking that question, Ellie felt like she already knew the answer.
As much as she may tell others to act like a professional, it took Maggie more effort than it should to keep from rolling her eyes or sighing. But at least here there would be less of a chance to have the conversation sidetracked by tangents about dragon-related cuisine. She tapped the tip of her quill on the notepad, leaving small blots of ink in the corner. "Not good."
After a moment of consideration, she pushed the notepad out in front of her, in view of Ellie and Cav. She drew a line on one end, wrote BRAW under it, another on the other end with NOT BRAW, and connected the two with a final line. A little X marked the point where the length met NOT BRAW. "That's MacDonald." It was all very scientific and official.
Cav stroked his jaw and pulled a face then sighed all at the same time. "Helpful," he muttered. "How much time have we got before MacDonald is ready to play?" He didn't like that his players kept getting injured and there was such uncertainty, especially this close to the match against Montrose. The timing couldn't possibly be worse.
“And have you considered dragon blood as a part of her treatment options?” Ellie almost said nothing, but if Maggie got to draw diagrams, she was not going to refrain. “Because in case I haven’t said this before I NEED MacDonald, just down to the root of my being and all of existence, need her out there and in top...good form.”
Maggie's response to the 'dragon blood' comment is nothing but a raised eyebrow that she turns to Cav. "I'd recommend she gets at least four weeks of rest. She was barely back when she took the last injury and we can only expedite so much of the healing process for her if she keeps getting knocked around like that."
"Feckin' hell," Cav swore, shaking his head. That wasn't good enough. "What's this dragon's blood bit you're going on about, Ellie?" he asked, swiveling around to look at her. "Or isn't there some good pepper up potion we can have her knock back right before a match and have it be good and done?"
There was a very colorful string of words in gaelic. Four weeks wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t good. “Cures diseases, strengthens potions -- useful, but hard to get, unless you know a person.” Ellie could logically assume part of it was wishful thinking, but it probably wasn’t going to hurt. “And let’s just say I have connections.”
"Only under some circumstances, and only in some potions." Maggie responded quickly, shooting Ellie a look. She dropped her quill and crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and continued. "If we give her something to help her play in the Fall Classic it's not going to help her in the long run. It may even get her hurt even worse, if she's not feeling the usual signs that tell her when to slow." Not that she would slow down anyways, Maggie figured.
"Well, I'm just going to say it. We need her for the Fall Classic. That's what's most important right now." He looked over at Ellie to make sure she was agreeing with her. "Do we have any other options at this point?"
Ellie nodded, she was with Cav on this one. And more importantly she was glad Cav was on her side. “If you’re talking about the line up, the easy answer is no. I don’t have many other options. Certainly none I like. Not against Montrose. And not if we’re forcing the team realize their Captain is going to be out probably until the new year.”
Gaze shifting from Cav to Ellie, Maggie bit her lip. This was far from an ideal situation, and she knew it, and of course the team needed its captain, but... the entire thing still left a bad taste in her mouth. It was risky. Fuck, it was near irresponsible, but MacDonald was in that awkward, liminal space between 'fucked up' and 'back to good' where Maggie knew she couldn't override both the manager's and the coach's decisions, especially given that she was as junior as they came.
"I don't think you're goin' about this the right way. MacDonald shouldn't play." She said pointedly, as though it were a fact instead of her opinion (professional, but still), and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "But if you're not benching her yet, I can do... a few things to help her out, mitigate the damage. For now. After the Classic, though," Maggie leaned forward to pick up her quill again, tapping it back on the corner of her paper with a severe expression, "after the Classic, she gets a fuckin' vacation. Rehab, bedrest, relaxation. As much as she needs, and then some."
Cav wasn't usually on board with forcing a player to her limits. He knew he had spent enough time forcing himself to his limits outside of coach and manager urging him to during his playing days. He swore again. "All right, Ellie, talk to me. What are our options. Player-wise, because I don't know if I want to threaten MacDonald's entire fecking career like this."
Ellie let out a long sigh. “Alright so for beaters, Luag is solid, but he is one half a team. Isla probably could play, although even she took a bad hit when we played her. I could just give Scrimmy a bat and see what happens. Might be fun.” Of course that also meant David would have to start again, she wasn’t sure he was ready. “Not sure what the rules or legal side but we could always see if Lorna will come out of retirement.”
“Then if we’re talking more long term, at this point we really don’t have a solid option for temporary field captain.” Because for Ellie, MacDonald needed to come back. “There’s my brother, again, and Alasdair as front leaders, but I’m not sure they can handle the team on the field like MacDonald can. We’re just not ready.” While she wasn’t admitting defeat, she certainly could see they were in a tough spot.
Satisfied that they were discussing alternatives, Maggie decided to keep her mouth shut (for once) and pulled her paper closer. While Cav and Ellie swapped possibilities she began to write a list down the side — ideas for potions and poultices that might help MacDonald along but were still regulation, because doping allegations? No thanks. Remaining quiet was difficult, though, and she finally broke her silence by pointing out, quietly but loud enough to be heard by both, "It'd only be for two matches, three most. They don't need to marry the badge." She still wasn't used to people disagreeing with her advice.
"The only thing we need right now is to beat Montrose," Cav muttered, though he made sure the both of them heard him loud and clear. He looked at Ellie. "All right, here's what we do. Let's see what Scrimmy does with a bat - feel her out, Ellie, yeah? Don't force it if you don't have to. Beaters have got to play off each other more than chasers do, so if we bring David up, I think that's fine. And -" He hesitated. "I guess we have to bench MacDonald until she's better." His face betrayed the discomfort he felt at giving in to that idea.
She rubbed her face with her hands. Ellie hated this. Absolutely hated it all, but maybe they could make it work and maybe the chaos of it all would work in their favor. “Yeah, I can see what we can do there,” she said to Cav. “But really wasn’t joking about the Lorna thing, she owes me like a million, certainly has kept mostly in shape, and if we’re not going to break any rules, can you look into that?”
Ellie pivoted to Maggie. “I don’t want to tank anyone’s career, but if there’s anything we can do to get her back sooner, we better be trying it.”
Maggie nodded through her notes, feeling at least a little invigorated from the satisfaction of getting her way — or, er, of making sure one of her charges gets the care they deserved. "Already on it, Coach." Biting her tongue to keep herself from making a comment about wee Davie growing up, she looked back up to Ellie. "I know it's shite to keep your captain grounded or so long, but–" a brief pause to consider exactly how much she should cuss in a meeting, and a briefer pause to wonder why she even second-guessed herself, "–she'd be right fucked if she went and got hit again. This is the safer option. I'd prefer it if the body count during my tenure stuck at 'zero' for a while yet."
Cav nearly threw up his hands in defeat but instead he sank into the nearest chair and rubbed his jaw, where his three-days-old beard was starting to come in more fully. "Fine. Ellie, make it work. I don't care how, but MacDonald's not playing until she's better. Understood?"
“Fine,” said Ellie echoing Cav. “But I want Lorna. Whatever shit you have to do to make it happen, make it happen.” She had crazier ideas, hell, this one was almost tame by comparison. And while it still felt a lot like losing, she was going to find some nugget of awesome out of it. Ellie was angry, at herself, at MacDonald, at Maggie, at Cav -- at pretty much the whole world. “Reckon that about does it for us.”