| General Fiction posted January 22, 2017 | Chapters: |
1 -2- 3... 
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Doug's pre story.
A chapter in the book The True Test
Doug, Athletic Trainer
by jusylee72
| Background The True Test- Teachers are asked to stay late for mandatory Standardized Testing in the auditorium. At the end of the training, something causes a massive explosion. How will they survive? |
It took two years after graduating from college before Doug could move out of his parents' house. HIs degree in Exercise Science and Kinesthetic was a step in his plans. His real dream was to become a doctor. Reality ruined that hope when he took the MCAT. He failed it twice.
Test anxiety haunted him from the time he was in first grade. He would study his spelling words. He won the spelling bee. Yet, couldn't pass the written test. By third grade they had him tested for Special Education Programs. Despite an almost genius IQ, 137, he couldn't put his words on paper. The special ed psychiatrist tried to explain it to his parents.
"He is very intelligent. He just can't put it down on paper. I asked him to make up a story and showed him a picture of two people on the moon. He told me the most elaborate, imaginative story full of dialogue and humor. Yet, when I asked him to write it down he wrote three sentences.
"There were two people on the moon. They saw the stars. They liked being on the moon."
"He is probably dysgraphic, a form of Dyslexia that most people don't understand."
His Dad thought it was just a bunch of malarky.
"He just isn't trying hard enough. Slow down, write slower. Discipline is all you need."
He didn't want to sign the papers to put his oldest son in Special Education.
"You need to live up to your name, Douglas Edward Montgomery the Fourth. No child of mine is retarded."
It took his mother to convince her husband, the son of a Texas Rancher, to realize what his son needed.
They were a unique couple, his Mom, and Dad. Dad grew up on a wealthy cowboy ranch. His Mom, Janie, as they called her, grew up on an Indian Reservation. Her heritage placed her in two worlds, half-white, half Cherokee. She receive a scholarship to college from the indian council.
They met in college. He studied animal science at Texas Tech. At most he was a B, C student. He knew college was a formality. He was going to inherit the ranch. He already had a house on the 3000 acres that he could call his own. He had always dated the cheerleader types in high school. Then fate sat him next to this tall, dark-haired, beautiful woman in a mandatory psychology class. They were put in a study group together. They disagreed on almost everything. For some reason, the attraction was immediate. He fell in love with this feisty woman. She finally let him date her a year later.
Taking her home to Mama was a real challenge. No one had ever married outside of their culture. Yet he knew she was the woman for him. Eventually, she won over the rest of the family. The wedding took place on June 2th, 1965.
Douglas Edward Montgomery the Fourth was born on August 16th, two years after their marriage.
Janie's Mother, a full Cherokee, came to the hospital shortly after the birth. She presented a small bag of Indian medicine and placed it on her new grandson's forehead, then She shook the herbs above her grandson's head. Chanting in her native language, she spoke his Indian name, Silver Fox. She turned to her daughter.
"You must give Silver Fox this bag when he is 8 years old. His gifts will be revealed. He is the Great-Great Grandson of a medicine man. Two of his gifts will be healing and kindness. The rest will be revealed in time."
His grandmother died before his 3rd year of life.
Janie kept her promise. Her son received the medicine bag on his 8th birthday. His gifts began to emerge.
Some little boys bring home stray animals. Doug's parents soon learned their boy was different. He brought home any injured creature he could find. A baby bird with a deformed wing, a rabbit half eaten by a fox but still alive, a cat with three legs, even a group of baby skunks he found after a Texas flood.
Dad protested when he brought the skunks home, but Mom always gave in. She knew her boy's heart and couldn't stand when any creature was hurting. She helped put them in a box and take them to the wild animal shelter 40 miles away. The vet comforted the boy, "They are almost old enough to be weaned. I can give them formula and release them in the woods in a couple of weeks. They will be okay."
Most of his little creatures survived. Doug had a natural gift for healing. He would gently bandage them, figure out a way to feed them, name them and love them.
The three-legged cat became "Hop a Long"
The rabbit, "Bunny Who Has No Fear"
The little bird, "Eagle Who Will Fly over the World".
The bird, a true miracle, survived and thrived under his guidance.
The wing grossly deformed looked hopeless. Most people would have no hope for such an animal. It stayed with him for 6 months. Every night Doug would gently stretch the wing out. He splinted the wing in a new position each week. He fed the little guy day and night. As the bird grew the wing became straighter and stronger.
He loved to tell the bird stories about seeing the world from the sky. When the bird showed signs of wanting to fly. Doug would take him out to flight school every day after school.
Sitting on the ground he would cup the sweet creature in his hands then gently throw him a few inches at a time. Each week the throws were a little bit further.
He never planned the day the bird would take flight. He waited for nature to decide.
He placed him on a low branch and let him watch the sky and other birds. At night, he gently caged him and told him one day the sky would be his own.
One evening he placed him on a higher branch. The next day he flew. For a week he stayed close to the house, Then he flew away to see the world from the sky.
When he was ten, he asked his Mother to call him Silver Fox. His father would have nothing of it. "You were born with a strong Texas Heritage. No son of mine is going to be called Silver Fox. Be proud of the name you were given."
His Mother took him aside. "I know your father can be controlling but he is a good man. He treats me well. He has given me two strong sons. A woman who marries someone with the idea that she can change him is a foolish girl. It was my choice to marry him and love him as he is. He is my provider. Your name does not have to be spoken to make you powerful. Greatness will find you in time."
Now six months after moving out he lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. To Doug, it felt like a castle. He worked at Taft High School as their athletic trainer. He still wanted to be a doctor but he was enjoying working with athletes and being able to use his medical knowledge when any of them got hurt. He also taught a sports medicine class.
He decided to embrace his Indian heritage. He grew his long black hair out and pulled it into a ponytail. When he met new people he would introduce himself as "Silver Fox but you can call me Doug." People enjoyed his personality and humor.
Today, Thursday, he was up early. He didn't admit it to anyone but he had a crush on the new Girl's P.E. teacher. Patty was only 4'11''. Doug stood a bit over 6 feet. He towered over her.
Patty was starting a zero hour gymnastics course. He volunteered to be the trainer just in case one of the students twisted an ankle or needed an ice pack. Patty had joined the faculty in the middle of the year. She had competed on the Junior Olympics Gymnastic's High School team several years back. She graduated from Michigan State where she placed in Nationals at the worlds. An injury kept her from advancing. She still loved gymnastics and now was happy to be teaching it. Our school had none of the equipment she needed for a gymnastics team. That did not deter her. She was going to start simple with stretches, rolls, flips, dance moves. She was completely convinced she could get the funding she needed from grants.
Doug loved her ambitious attitude. He planned on asking her out for dinner and a movie tomorrow night. He was sure he could convince her. 'After all, my name is Silver Fox which of course makes me clever and wise. Surely she won't say no. '
Test anxiety haunted him from the time he was in first grade. He would study his spelling words. He won the spelling bee. Yet, couldn't pass the written test. By third grade they had him tested for Special Education Programs. Despite an almost genius IQ, 137, he couldn't put his words on paper. The special ed psychiatrist tried to explain it to his parents.
"He is very intelligent. He just can't put it down on paper. I asked him to make up a story and showed him a picture of two people on the moon. He told me the most elaborate, imaginative story full of dialogue and humor. Yet, when I asked him to write it down he wrote three sentences.
"There were two people on the moon. They saw the stars. They liked being on the moon."
"He is probably dysgraphic, a form of Dyslexia that most people don't understand."
His Dad thought it was just a bunch of malarky.
"He just isn't trying hard enough. Slow down, write slower. Discipline is all you need."
He didn't want to sign the papers to put his oldest son in Special Education.
"You need to live up to your name, Douglas Edward Montgomery the Fourth. No child of mine is retarded."
It took his mother to convince her husband, the son of a Texas Rancher, to realize what his son needed.
They were a unique couple, his Mom, and Dad. Dad grew up on a wealthy cowboy ranch. His Mom, Janie, as they called her, grew up on an Indian Reservation. Her heritage placed her in two worlds, half-white, half Cherokee. She receive a scholarship to college from the indian council.
They met in college. He studied animal science at Texas Tech. At most he was a B, C student. He knew college was a formality. He was going to inherit the ranch. He already had a house on the 3000 acres that he could call his own. He had always dated the cheerleader types in high school. Then fate sat him next to this tall, dark-haired, beautiful woman in a mandatory psychology class. They were put in a study group together. They disagreed on almost everything. For some reason, the attraction was immediate. He fell in love with this feisty woman. She finally let him date her a year later.
Taking her home to Mama was a real challenge. No one had ever married outside of their culture. Yet he knew she was the woman for him. Eventually, she won over the rest of the family. The wedding took place on June 2th, 1965.
Douglas Edward Montgomery the Fourth was born on August 16th, two years after their marriage.
Janie's Mother, a full Cherokee, came to the hospital shortly after the birth. She presented a small bag of Indian medicine and placed it on her new grandson's forehead, then She shook the herbs above her grandson's head. Chanting in her native language, she spoke his Indian name, Silver Fox. She turned to her daughter.
"You must give Silver Fox this bag when he is 8 years old. His gifts will be revealed. He is the Great-Great Grandson of a medicine man. Two of his gifts will be healing and kindness. The rest will be revealed in time."
His grandmother died before his 3rd year of life.
Janie kept her promise. Her son received the medicine bag on his 8th birthday. His gifts began to emerge.
Some little boys bring home stray animals. Doug's parents soon learned their boy was different. He brought home any injured creature he could find. A baby bird with a deformed wing, a rabbit half eaten by a fox but still alive, a cat with three legs, even a group of baby skunks he found after a Texas flood.
Dad protested when he brought the skunks home, but Mom always gave in. She knew her boy's heart and couldn't stand when any creature was hurting. She helped put them in a box and take them to the wild animal shelter 40 miles away. The vet comforted the boy, "They are almost old enough to be weaned. I can give them formula and release them in the woods in a couple of weeks. They will be okay."
Most of his little creatures survived. Doug had a natural gift for healing. He would gently bandage them, figure out a way to feed them, name them and love them.
The three-legged cat became "Hop a Long"
The rabbit, "Bunny Who Has No Fear"
The little bird, "Eagle Who Will Fly over the World".
The bird, a true miracle, survived and thrived under his guidance.
The wing grossly deformed looked hopeless. Most people would have no hope for such an animal. It stayed with him for 6 months. Every night Doug would gently stretch the wing out. He splinted the wing in a new position each week. He fed the little guy day and night. As the bird grew the wing became straighter and stronger.
He loved to tell the bird stories about seeing the world from the sky. When the bird showed signs of wanting to fly. Doug would take him out to flight school every day after school.
Sitting on the ground he would cup the sweet creature in his hands then gently throw him a few inches at a time. Each week the throws were a little bit further.
He never planned the day the bird would take flight. He waited for nature to decide.
He placed him on a low branch and let him watch the sky and other birds. At night, he gently caged him and told him one day the sky would be his own.
One evening he placed him on a higher branch. The next day he flew. For a week he stayed close to the house, Then he flew away to see the world from the sky.
When he was ten, he asked his Mother to call him Silver Fox. His father would have nothing of it. "You were born with a strong Texas Heritage. No son of mine is going to be called Silver Fox. Be proud of the name you were given."
His Mother took him aside. "I know your father can be controlling but he is a good man. He treats me well. He has given me two strong sons. A woman who marries someone with the idea that she can change him is a foolish girl. It was my choice to marry him and love him as he is. He is my provider. Your name does not have to be spoken to make you powerful. Greatness will find you in time."
Now six months after moving out he lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. To Doug, it felt like a castle. He worked at Taft High School as their athletic trainer. He still wanted to be a doctor but he was enjoying working with athletes and being able to use his medical knowledge when any of them got hurt. He also taught a sports medicine class.
He decided to embrace his Indian heritage. He grew his long black hair out and pulled it into a ponytail. When he met new people he would introduce himself as "Silver Fox but you can call me Doug." People enjoyed his personality and humor.
Today, Thursday, he was up early. He didn't admit it to anyone but he had a crush on the new Girl's P.E. teacher. Patty was only 4'11''. Doug stood a bit over 6 feet. He towered over her.
Patty was starting a zero hour gymnastics course. He volunteered to be the trainer just in case one of the students twisted an ankle or needed an ice pack. Patty had joined the faculty in the middle of the year. She had competed on the Junior Olympics Gymnastic's High School team several years back. She graduated from Michigan State where she placed in Nationals at the worlds. An injury kept her from advancing. She still loved gymnastics and now was happy to be teaching it. Our school had none of the equipment she needed for a gymnastics team. That did not deter her. She was going to start simple with stretches, rolls, flips, dance moves. She was completely convinced she could get the funding she needed from grants.
Doug loved her ambitious attitude. He planned on asking her out for dinner and a movie tomorrow night. He was sure he could convince her. 'After all, my name is Silver Fox which of course makes me clever and wise. Surely she won't say no. '
Right now I am introducing the characters so that we get more of an idea who they are before the story's disaster happens. I know this is out of order I just wanted to get the characters humanity.
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