Chapter 18 — Medals Are Not For You

"The lower back injury is still okay. What I'm most afraid of is that in order to avoid the pain, he changed his position to exert force, putting pressure on his left leg. You know what he's most afraid of right now, other people can't advise you." “The coach has the right to suspend his playing rights.” The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. “The sponsor has already signed the contract.” “It's a trade issue.” "You and your husband have been arguing like this lately. I don't have the right to say harsh words. Thua Da felt that you were coming, so he did a full examination." “Coach Chu, whether or not he is willing to take the test should not become my responsibility.” I hung up and switched the phone to silent mode. The first patient has arrived. The 19-year-old young man played badminton on crutches, his mother carrying a document bag following behind. As soon as he sat down, he asked: "Miss Kieu, can I get on the treadmill today?" “Let's do the test first.” “Didn't you already check it last time?” “The stability when standing on one leg last time was not satisfactory.” The young man's face showed a dissatisfied look. “I don't feel pain when I walk anymore.” “Walking is painless, as opposed to being able to endure sudden stops, jumps and landings.” He was about to argue, but his mother patted his shoulder to remind him. “Listen to the doctor.” “She's not a doctor.” He mumbled softly. I attached the sensor belt to his knee. "That's right, I'm a rehabilitation specialist. The doctor is responsible for assessing how your ligaments have healed, and I'm responsible for assessing whether you can return to the field now." The young man bowed his head and looked at the belt, but in the end he didn't say anything more. Twenty minutes later, the first time he did a side lunge, his knees immediately trembled visibly. I showed him the video again. He stared at the screen, the impatience on his face gradually shrinking. “If I go on the field with this condition, what will the consequences be?” "If you're lucky, your movements will be deformed. If you're unlucky, you'll end up on the operating table again." He was silent for a long time, then personally unplugged the treadmill. “So what did you practice today?” “Practice the thing you don't want to practice the most.” I gave him the resistance band. "Basic." At lunch break, I turned my phone back on. There were 13 missed calls. Luc Thua Da called 8 times, Chu Khoi Son 2 times, Tong Han 3 times. Tong Han was the one who sent in a final photo report. *The right back has a grade 2 tear, the erector spinae muscle is slightly swollen, and the left Achilles tendon has temporarily not detected obvious abnormalities.* Below is a message: *[He signed the risk commitment form, insisting on participating in the competition.]* I enlarged the photo of the commitment form. When signing, Luc Thua Da pressed the pen so hard that the last stroke even tore the paper. I replied: *[Deliver the image report, physical condition and risk commitment letter to the coaching staff and club management. It is up to them to decide whether to allow participation in the competition or not.]* Tong Han does not advise anymore. At six o'clock in the evening, the last patient left the office. I had just locked the equipment cabinet and someone pushed the glass door open. Luc Thua Da stood at the door. He was wearing black workout clothes, his right hand was supporting his back hip. He walked without seeing anything unusual, but when he turned around to close the door, his movements slowed down by half a beat. “I refuse to consult.” “The medical team handled it without any problems.” “I'm asking you.” “I'm not your current treating doctor.” He stared at me for a few seconds, raised his hand and placed a file on the table. *Confirmation of participation in the trade challenge tournament.* “Sign it.” I turned the first page. The column "Family members confirm risk" is blank. “I didn't sign.” “Just to prove that you know I'm about to compete.”