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Badgers Chapter III - “True Blue” TIME: FALL 2008 SETTING: MANDY, AN ATTRACTIVE ATHLETIC HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL RECRUIT FROM JANESVILLE CRAIG HIGH SCHOOL IN WISCONSIN BEGINS HER SECOND YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. SHE IS COMPETING FOR A STARTING STRIKER POSITION AGAINST A SENIOR. HER MAJOR IS ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND SHE HAS MOVED INTO THE DG ( DELTA GAMMA ) HOUSE ON CAMPUS. MANDY HAS A HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, MAX, WHO ATTENDS RIPON COLLEGE - AN HOUR AWAY. MANDY IS CATHOLIC, THOUGH SHE HAS STOPPED ATTENDING MASS, HAS CLOSE FRIENDS - ALEX - WHO IS A BACKUP QUARTERBACK ON THE UNIVERSITY TEAM AND JAN - HER TALKATIVE AND ATTRACTIVE SORORITY SISTER. FOLLOW ALONG AS THE TURBULENT YEAR OF A SORORITY GAL AND ATHLETE AT THE UW IS EXPOSED. THERE IS RARELY A DULL MOMENT AS ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, AND GREEK COLLEGE LIFE IN MADISON, WISCONSIN IS OPENLY EXPOSED. ALEX SO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MAX ?

MANDY I REALLY DON’T KNOW. HE’S STILL IN A DEEP COMA - WILL BE IN IT FOR DAYS ACCORDING TO THE DOCTORS. ALEX HOW MANY DOCTORS DOES HE HAVE TAKING CARE OF HIM ?

MANDY WELL THERE IS A NEUROSURGEON WHO HAS NO BED SIDE MANNER, AN INTENSIVIST WHO IS VERY TALKATIVE, A PULMONOLOGIST - TREATING HIM WITH A VENTILATOR, A KIDNEY DOCTOR, AND MULTIPLE FELLOWS, RESIDENTS, AND MEDICAL STUDENTS AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL HERE AT FROEDTERT HOSPITAL. ALEX SO MAX IS GETTING TONS OF ATTENTION. MANDY YES THAT IS GOOD. I’M A MESS. JAN HAS TRIED TO CALL ME BUT I WON’T RETURN HER CALLS. SHE SAYS IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT ?

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ALEX WELL I DON’T KNOW - MOST GALS TAKE NO PRISONERS. IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT YOU TWO ARE FIGHTING. MANDY IT’S FRANKLY A LOW BLOW TO STEAL A POTENTIAL BOYFRIEND. HOW COULD SHE IN THIS SITUATION ACTUALLY DO THIS ?

ALEX MAYBE SHE DOESN’T LOOK AT IT THE WAY YOU DO. MANDY MAYBE NOT - BUT SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING - SHE KNEW I WAS INTERESTED IN RICH WELLER. ALEX I DON’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN JAN’S MIND - I WOULD TALK TO HER THOUGH. WHO KNOWS - SHE MAY HAVE BEEN PUT IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. MANDY I KNOW I TOLD HER TO CALL HIM WHEN HE CALLED ME - BUT DATING HIM IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS - UNBELIEVABLE. ALEX I UNDERSTAND. I WOULD JUST HANG IN MILWAUKEE AND TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME. MANDY YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I NEED TO BE HERE FOR MAX, MAX’S PARENTS, AND MY MOM. MY DAD IS STILL OUT OF TOWN. ALEX KEEP PRAYING. TALK TO JAN. MANDY BYE ALEX - THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT. ALEX BYE.

MANDY HEY JAN - I’M RETURNING YOUR CALL. JAN WELL I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT CAME UP. BUT FIRST HOW IS MAX ?

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MANDY WELL HE’S EVERYTHING FROM GOING TO RECOVER TO MAYBE HE WILL DIE - WE DON’T KNOW. JAN IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP ?

MANDY YES - STAY AWAY FROM RICH WELLER. JAN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND - AND BESIDES HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ?

MANDY THIS FALL BALL DATE BETWEEN YOU AND RICH IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE - I’M SURE THE CHANCELLOR KNOWS ABOUT IT ALSO. JAN I NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED - WILL YOU GIVE ME THIS ?

MANDY OK SHOOT. JAN WELL I CALLED RICH AS YOU INSTRUCTED - AND HE WAS REALLY REALLY DESPERATE - HE KNEW ABOUT YOU AND MAX - AND WASN’T AIMING TO DISRUPT THIS - HOWEVER HIS FRATERNITY - ­SAE - REQUIRES ALL THEIR GUYS TO GO TO THE FALL BALL - OR THEY ARE BOOTED. SERIOUSLY. MANDY I THINK I MAY HAVE HEARD OF THIS - BUT WHY YOU ?

JAN WELL THE FALL BALL IS A GIRL ASK GUY DEAL - RIGHT ?

MANDY YES. JAN SO IN ORDER TO STAY IN THE F ­ RAT THE G ­ UY ASKS THE SORORITY GAL TO ASK HIM. HE IS DESPERATE AND I JUST SAID YES KNOWING I’D DO IT FOR YOU. YOU CAN SUB FOR ME. MANDY SO DID YOU TELL RICH THIS ?

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JAN WELL NO - BUT THIS IS JUST A MADE UP DATE - I’VE SEEN HIM ONLY A COUPLE TIMES. MANDY BUT JAN - YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING - I WAS THE GAL INTERESTED IN HIM - AND YOU END UP WITH HIM. I GUESS I’M LOSING EVERYTHING - MY GRADES, STARTING V-BALL POSITION, POTENTIAL BOYFRIEND, AND MAX. JAN OK - I’LL CALL RICH AND JUST SAY NO - HE’LL UNDERSTAND. MANDY I DOUBT THAT - JUST LET IT GO - I’LL RETURN THE FAVOR SOME DAY. I’VE GOT TO GO. MOM IS CALLING ABOUT MAX. JAN BYE - DID YOU HANG UP MANDY ? I GUESS SO. MOM HEY MANDY - WE WILL HAVE SOME THINGS TO DISCUSS TONIGHT - APPARENTLY MAX IS BEING ALLOWED TO COME OUT OF HIS COMA TOMORROW AND WELL - THEY WILL CONTINUE LIFE SUPPORT - BUT IF HE DOESN’T RETURN HE MAY BE AN ORGAN DONOR - WE DON’T KNOW. MANDY OH MY GOD - THIS LOOKS BAD DOESN’T IT ?

MOM IT IS REALLY BAD - I DON’T KNOW WHAT GOD HAS IN MIND FOR MAX. HIS PARENTS ARE NOT DOING WELL. MANDY UNDERSTANDABLE. MOM WHEN CAN YOU GET HERE ?

MANDY IN A FEW MINUTES - WILL THAT WORK ?

MOM MAX’S MOM WANTED YOU HERE SINCE SHE CONSIDERS YOU PART OF THE FAMILY. MANDY OK - I’LL SEE YOU IN THE CRITICAL CARE WAITING AREA - IS THAT WHERE YOU WILL ALL BE ?

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MOM YES - THE FAMILY IS GATHERING NOW TO TALK TO THE INTENSIVIST AND NEUROSURGEON. MANDY OK - I’LL BE THERE SHORTLY. SOUNDS NOT GOOD. MOM LISTEN UP MANDY - THIS IS BAD STUFF - THEY THINK MAX HAS SOME BRAIN FUNCTION AND HE WILL RECOVER - BUT TO WHAT EXTENT REMAINS TO BE DETERMINED. MANDY SO WHAT DO WE DO ?

MOM FATHER HALLORAN SAYS TO JUST PRAY, PRAY, AND THEN PRAY SOME MORE. THAT’S ALL WE CAN DO AS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. MANDY I HEARD THEY ARE STOPPING THE DIPRIVAN DRIP, AND LOADING MAX UP WITH ANTI-SEIZURE MEDS. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS IF HE’LL WAKE UP. MOM WELL - HE’LL PROBABLY PARTIALLY WAKE UP. SO WE NEED TO EXPECT THIS MEDICALLY - BUT HE MAY STILL RECOVER AFTER THIS - AND WE’LL JUST HOPE AND PRAY. MANDY WHAT ABOUT THE VENTILATOR ?

MOM ONCE MAX CAN BREATHE WELL ON HIS OWN THE TUBE IN HIS WINDPIPE COMES OUT. WE’LL JUST SEE. MANDY WHAT A NIGHTMARE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING - IT’S ALMOST LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR MAX TO HAVE DIED. MOM HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT ?

MANDY WELL - LOOK AT THIS - MAX IS ON LIFE SUPPORT WITH A MAJOR BRAIN INJURY -WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN - BUT PROBABLY HE WILL NEED CONSIDERABLE NURSING HOME TYPE ASSISTANCE THE REST OF HIS LIFE - I KNOW MAX - HE WOULDN’T HAVE WANTED THIS - NOT AT ALL .

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MOM MAYBE SO - BUT THE OLDER YOU GET THE MORE YOU REALIZE LIFE IS PRECIOUS. MANDY I UNDERSTAND - I JUST DON’T WANT A VEGETATIVE STATE FOR MAX - WHICH MANY OF THE NURSES ALLUDE TO - I CAN’T FATHOM THIS. THIS IS WORSE THAN DEATH. MOM MAYBE - BUT WE MUST TAKE WHAT GOD HAS BROUGHT US. NO OTHER WAY - WE HAVE LITTLE CONTROL OVER THESE THINGS. MANDY I AGREE MOM - BUT LOOK AT IT PRACTICALLY - EVERYONE KNOWS THIS WOULD BE ABSOLUTE HELL FOR MAX TO LIVE A LIFE LIKE THIS. MOM I’M DONE TALKING ABOUT THIS - I’M ON THE WAY BACK TO THE MOTEL - OH THE ALVERNO VOLLEYBALL COACH ALSO CALLED ME TODAY - SHE WAS GREAT. MANDY YES - I’M ALMOST CAUGHT UP WITH MY HOMEWORK - NOW I’VE GOT TO GET BACK INTO V-BALL TRAINING. I’LL BE WORKING OUT WITH THIS TEAM WHILE HERE IN MILWAUKEE - MY STARTING POSITION IS GONE TO CAROLYN. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT ?

MOM WE ARE ALL TO SACRIFICE DURING THIS - IN FACT I TOOK A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM MY JOB - IT WASN’T EASY - BUT I WANTED TO BE HERE FOR MAX AND HIS FAMILY. MANDY THAT IS QUITE HONORABLE MOM. MOM IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. MANDY WELL HOPEFULLY WE’LL ALL GET SOME SLEEP TONIGHT. MOM SEE YOU LATER IN THE MOTEL - GET SOMETHING TO EAT - THE HOSPITAL FOOD ISN’T BAD. MANDY NIGHT MOM - SEE YOU LATER. 7

ALEX HEY MANDY - I JUST HEARD THAT JAN AND RICH ARE NOT GOING TO THE FALL BALL. APPARENTLY I HEARD THAT JAN CALLED HIM AND SAID IT WAS ALL OFF. MANDY WELL THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING. ALEX BUT THESE ­S A E GUYS GET KICKED OUT OF THE HOUSE IF THEY DON’T HAVE A DATE TO THE FALL BALL. MANDY GOOD - I’D RATHER RICH GOT KICKED OUT THAN GO WITH JAN. ALEX BUT ANYWAY I MAY START NEXT WEEK - THE STARTING QB IS REALLY SICK AND IN THE HOSPITAL. BUT WHO KNOWS COACH TOLD ME TO GET READY. MANDY ARE YOU NERVOUS ?

ALEX NOT REALLY - WE’VE ALREADY CINCHED A DECENT BOWL BERTH - AND WE CANNOT WIN THE BIG 10.

MANDY SO YOU’RE IN A GOOD SPOT PLAYING INDIANA - RIGHT ?

ALEX I HOPE SO - THIS ISN’T BASKETBALL - WHERE THEY REIGN. I JUST WANT TO PLAY WELL. I THINK I CAN - BUT IT’S NOT LIKE I’M GOING TO THE NFL. MANDY YOU NEVER KNOW - SOME COLLEGE SECOND STRINGERS HAVE DONE OK. LOOK AT CASSEL FROM NEW ENGLAND. ALEX HE’S THE EXCEPTION. ANYWAY HAVE TO GO - SEE YOU SOON HOPEFULLY.

MOM AFTER YOU WORKOUT TOMORROW I’LL EXPECT YOU TO BE AT THE HOSPITAL - RIGHT ?

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MANDY YES - I’LL SHOWER AND HEAD BACK TO FROEDTERT MEMORIAL. MOM GREAT - WE SHOULD HAVE SOME NEWS - I FEEL MAX WILL OVERCOME ALL OF THIS.

JAN HEY MANDY - I JUST THOUGHT I SHOULD CALL AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. MANDY I’VE ALREADY HEARD - NEWS TRAVELS FAST - INFO AT THE KK IS FASTER THAN THE INTERNET. JAN SO WHAT DID YOU HEAR ?

MANDY THAT YOU DUMPED RICH FOR THE FALL BALL - AMAZING. JAN WELL THAT IS ONLY HALF - CAROLYN FROM YOUR V-BALL TEAM GOT WIND OF THIS - AND AS A STEALTHFUL KAPPA WENT AHEAD AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED OUT RICH. CAROLYN IS HOT STUFF ON CAMPUS WITH THE DAILY CARDINAL TALKING ABOUT HER DIGS, ASSISTS, BLOCKS - THE WHOLE THING. THEY EVEN WENT INTO HER HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC CAREER IN DUBUQUE. MANDY MY GOD - SHE IS SO TACKY - STEALS MY BOYFRIEND AND STARTING POSITION IN ABOUT THREE DAYS - I’D LIKE TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN HER BODY. SHE IS NO V-BALL TEAM MATE. JAN BUT THIS IS OH SO VERY TYPICAL FOR A KAPPA. MANDY YES I KNOW - THEY HAVE STOLEN DG BOYFRIENDS FOR YEARS - THEY ARE ALL SUCH SLUTS - I CANNOT STAND EVEN BEING IN THE ROOM WITH ANY OF THEM. THAT SIMPLE. JAN WELL SHE IS THE TALK OF THE CAMPUS -

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MANDY WELL I’D LIKE TO CRUSH THAT GIRLY SMILE OF HERS SHE IN NO WAY DESERVES RICH WELLER - HOW CAN RICH LOWER HIMSELF TO CAROLYN ?

JAN REMEMBER HE HAS TO HAVE A DATE - AND SHE HEARD OF THIS - CHECKED HIM OUT ON FACE BOOK - AND MAGICALLY SNARED HIM. MANDY WELL I’M EVEN MORE DEPRESSED NOW - I PROBABLY SHOULDN’T EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT OTHER GUYS WHEN MAX IS IN THIS POSITION - WE ARE MAKING LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. JAN SOUNDS TOUGH - AND HOW ARE THE WORKOUTS GOING WITH ALVERNO’S D3 TEAM ?

MANDY THEY START TOMORROW. I’VE GOT TO TRAIN RIGOROUSLY TO GET SOME PLAYING TIME BACK - I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL EVER START AGAIN THIS YEAR. JAN WILL YOU BE COMING BACK TO MADISON WHILE THIS STUFF IS GOING ON ?

MANDY I DOUBT IT. MAX IS HANGING BY A THREAD - AND I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE LEAVING MILWAUKEE. JAN I’LL TAKE YOUR PROXY FOR THE NEXT DG MEETING. NOTHING MAJOR - JUST CHOOSING WINTER SKI DETAILS WHERE TO STAY AROUND DEVILS HEAD. STUFF LIKE THAT. WE HAVE A PACKAGE DEAL, AND ARE GOING WITH THE PHI PSI GUYS. SHOULD BE FUN. MANDY THAT IS SO FAR AWAY IN TIME - WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN BY THEN. BUT I MAY NEED A REAL BREAK BY THEN HECK V-BALL WILL BE OVER WITH - AND HOPEFULLY THE BIG 10 TROPHY WILL BE OURS - BUT WITH THE NCAA TOURNEY UPCOMING WE’LL PROBABLY DRAW SOMEBODY LIKE NEBRASKA FIRST ROUND. JAN BUT THAT IS WHAT YOU LIVE FOR - ALL YOUR TRAINING AND ATHLETIC ABILITY - TO MOVE THIS UW TEAM TO ITS HIGHEST POTENTIAL. 10

MANDY YOU ARE RIGHT - I’LL TALK TO YOU TOMORROW AFTER THE ALVERNO PRACTICE. TAKE CARE. JAN OH - I DID ASK THAT FIRST YEAR ­TA IN MATH TO THE FALL BALL - IS THAT OK ?

MANDY WELL HE’S NOT A QUARTERBACK - BUT HE’S CUTE, QUIET, AND I OCCASIONALLY DO SEE HIM DOWN AT THE KK WITH SOME MATH WEIRDOS. MAYBE HE’S THE GUY. JAN TALK TO YOU TOMORROW.

END OF BADGERS III

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