Sunday, April 21

Bete Noire Pavilion, Edmonton, AB

Lenny Hicks (Coydog, PF, EDM) took the ball at the top of the key and drove inside slightly. The Totems were already in full control of the game, and the coydog and his teammate Rocky Caracal (Lynx, SG, EDM) had the hot paws.

Hicks backed down Wescot Yobia (Bearcat, PF, LVG) and then went up with a hook shot. The ball clanked off the back of the rim, but Hicks braved the quills of Stefan Kiković (Porcupine, C, LVG) and barreled in to grab the miss. Pulling his large muscular arm up, he got under Kikovic’s outstretched arm and laid the ball in off the glass.

* * *

In a hotel room in Billings, Montana last month, Lenny and Sandra weren’t in the best of moods. Again, there was failure.

“I said it’s not my fault, Sandra!”

“I know, but I’m sick of that same excuse over and over!”

The coydog growled and thrust his fist out, striking the bedside table lamp and sending it to the floor.

CRASH!

The coydog cringed. “Dammit... Sandra, I didn’t want to go that far...”

“Lenny, get out,” Sandra snapped.

“But, honey...”

The coyote snarled and bared her teeth. “I SAID GET OUT!”

Silently, Lenny grabbed a set of clothes from his suitcase and left the hotel room. As the door closed, Sandra Hicks, Lenny’s wife of nine years, curled up in the bed and cried, sobbing quietly to herself. Her husband never struck her, and he never would. She knew that in her heart.

She just didn’t know why he was so angry.

Lenny didn’t really care that he was just in a pair of silk boxers as he trudged over to the only room he knew didn’t have a second occupier. He lightly knocked three times, and a young cocker spaniel answered. Rolf Sweetser, dressed in a white t-shirt and black shorts as sleepwear, seemed surprised to see Lenny.

“Well, hey, Big Country, what are you doin’ out here so late?” he asked, trying to hide his excitement. The truth was Rolf looked up to the veteran coydog. He was tough, hard-nosed, didn’t take crap from anyone on the court and was a capable leader and two-time FBA champion.

Really, he was Lenny Hicks’ biggest fan.

“Hey, Rolf. I need to crash here for the night. That okay?”

“Sure, come on in. What happened?”

The coydog shook his head and walked inside. “Really, you don’t need to know, Rolf,” he said, making his way towards the unmade bed and pulling off the covers. Seemed as if he intended to go to sleep right then and there. Rolf sat down on his bed, which was half-unmade.

“Aw, come on, BC. Talking will make you feel better.”

“I said I don’t want to, Sweetser,” Lenny shot back, pulling the covers over his body. The younger canine tsked and shook his head.

“Fine, that’s cool... I understand you don’t have to tell anything. Not my business,” he said.

The guy sounded hurt. The coydog picked up on that instantly and sighed. Not turning around, he spoke to Rolf anyway.

“Rolf, listen... what happened was just something that can happen to couples when they’ve been married for a long time...”

“Oh, I see... I think.”

“Just as well. I don’t need to burden you with it. It’s something I have to solve myself.”

Rolf nodded. “Whatever you say, BC. Have a good sleep.”

“Thanks, you too.”

The rest was fitful for Lenny that night. He hoped that Sandra was having a better time than him.

* * *

Late in the second quarter, Lenny took the ball after posting up, then was able to drive on Darius Aurealias (Lion, PF, LVG) towards the hoop. The second-year center covered him well, but Hicks caught a pink-haired blur and whipped the ball out to a waiting Rocky Caracal (Lynx, SG, EDM). The lynx calmly took a shot as Li Ho Fook (Red Panda, SG, LVG) desperately tried to block the shot.

The ball kissed the nylon for Caracal’s third three-ball of the day and sent the Totems faithful into a cheering frenzy. Totems coach Stan Shields (Grey wolf, coach, EDM) gave a curt nod, his arms folded, as he watched Samantha Anderson (Bunny, PG, LVG) bring the ball up the court.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Lenny sat outside a doctor’s office in Edmonton, tapping his foot and staring at the ceiling. He had been waiting for this for a long time, and yet, it was something he didn’t want to hear.

Though it was necessary.

A lizard nurse walked by with a clipboard and nodded.

“Mr. Hicks, the tests are in,” she said. “You want to come in the room before we give them to you?” she asked.

Hicks nodded and repressed a scowl. He knew she had to ask that, but still, the question was unnecessary. Regardless, he gave a curt nod before following her into the smaller room.

There, Hicks took a seat and waited until a bison dressed in slacks, a blue dress shirt and a white jacket came into the room. He was carrying a small manila folder.

“Mr. Hicks, good to see you again,” he said politely.

“Good to see you too, Doctor Higgins,” Lenny replied.

“I have the results of your fertility tests right here,” the bison continued, handing the file folder to the coydog. Lenny took the folder, opened it and scanned the piece of paper inside. He wasn’t interested in the minutia of his inner workings, just the final result.

And there it was in black at the bottom of the page.

“INFERTILE”

Hicks gave an audible sigh and handed the folder back to the doctor. All this time he was angry, and over what? Something he couldn’t control.

“Thanks for the tests, doctor,” he finally said.

Dr. Higgins nodded. “We could recommend treatments for your condition if you’re interested, Mr. Hicks,” he said. The coydog shook his head.

“No, I think it’s long past that...”

“Do you still want a child?”

“Yes. Which is why we’re going with Plan B,” he said. The bison doctor nodded and smiled.

“Ah. Well, if there’s anything you want me to recommend, I’ll be happy to help,” he said.

“No problem, Doctor. Thanks for everything.”

Lenny stood up and shook the doctor’s hoof, actually feeling relieved for the first time in years. His course of action was clear now.

* * *

Lenny jogged down the court with Sanford Tesson (Raccoon, PG, EDM) in control of the ball. Setting up inside, Hicks suddenly stood straight up as Victor Chiroptera (Vampire Bat, G/F, LVG) tried to cut through to intercept the veteran raccoon. The vampire bat ran right into the screen with a nearly audible thud. With the open lane, Tesson passed inside to Marko Sly (Raccoon, SF, EDM). Almost as quickly, the huge raccoon lobbied the ball out to Caracal at the top of the key.

The lynx calmly drained the two pointer from just inside the arc. He was on fire, like his burnt-orange dyed hair signified. And the Totems fans roared their approval.

* * *

His name was Cory, a four-year old red wolf with black hair. He was a shy boy when the Hickses visited the orphanage, but he kept a constant watch on them when they visited. When Sandra and Lenny asked about him, they found that he had been at the orphanage all his life. There was nothing wrong with him, they thought. Talking with him, he seemed to react happily when Lenny called him “ace”, after learning he liked sports and planes.

When they visited a second time for interviews, they found Cory looking at them from a distance as they went into the male peacock case worker’s offices. Though the Hickses were certainly able to provide for a child and had no history of abuse, criminal activity or drug use in the family, concerns were raised about Lenny’s history of anger issues. The coydog assured the caseworker that he’d take anger management courses or marriage counseling if he had to in order to adopt a child. Though it pained him to admit it, he said that his problems stemmed from an inability to have a son or daughter. It made him feel insecure, like a lesser man.

But now they knew what the problem was, and how to solve it.

The next week, they arrived at the orphanage. Cory was gently ushered out by one of the head attendants. The vixen leaned down and smiled at him.

“You can go with them now, Cory,” she said gently.

The little boy didn’t immediately go over to them, though. It was almost like he didn’t believe it. Lenny then kneeled down and spread out his arms with a little smile.

“C’mere, ace,” he said gently.

Cory smiled, ran over and jumped into his new father’s embrace, tears running down his cheeks.

“Daddy!”

Lenny’s hug was warm to him, like he was home already. When Cory hugged his new mother, he found she was crying, too, as she kissed him on the forehead and nuzzled him.

“Welcome home, Cory...”

* * *

Hicks and Sweetser sat at a table in a good Edmonton restaurant, the two enjoying a couple of slabs of ribeye steak. After eating about half the meal, Hicks finally put down his fork.

“Rolf, I want to ask you something...”

The cocker spaniel put down his fork, his ribeye half-eaten and his vegetable sides mostly gone.

“Yeah, BC?”

Lenny nodded at him. “Sandra and I have been talking and... we want you to be Cory’s godfather.”

Rolf’s jaw dropped as he took in that sentence, then a nervous laugh escaped his throat.

“Wow... really? You mean it?”

Lenny nodded. “We do. You work hard, have a good head on your shoulders. I know you’d care for him...”

“I can’t believe it...” Rolf squeaked, his smile growing bigger. The coydog chuckled.

“Well, believe it, Rolf. You in?” Lenny asked, extending his paw. Rolf grinned broadly and shook it.

“It’d be an honor, Lenny!”

“Great. We’ll make arrangements with our lawyer sometime soon.”

Rolf nodded and the two went back to eating. The cocker spaniel then chuckled to himself.

“I wonder if Cory’d call me ‘Uncle Rolf’?”

Hicks laughed.

“Well, that’s up to him isn’t it?”

Sweetser couldn’t help but chuckle himself.

“I like the sound of that: Uncle Rolf...”

* * *

Hicks took the ball in the lane from Sly, and the game was well in hand. Still, he took his time: he dribbled a twice and backed down Yobia. The big coydog slipped around Yobia and threw the ball up off the glass. Yobia slapped his paw n Hicks muzzle and the whistle blew as the ball fell through the hoop. Hicks calmly walked back to the free throw line as Sly whacked him on the arm in celebration.

“That’s how we DO it in the Big Country’s house, dude,” Sly said with a big grin.

Lenny grinned as he shared a low-five paw slap with James Ferestrikal (Brown Bear, C, EDM).

“Nail that FT, BC,” Ferestrikal said, grinning back.

The coydog took the line for the free throw, and, like he had all season long, calmly sank the free throw.

From their courtside seats, Sandra cheered and clapped and Cory, dressed in a youth-size jersey with Lenny’s name and number, waved a small Totems pennant, smiling broadly.

“Yay Daddy!”

---

Lenny Hicks, Rocky Caracal, FBA ©  BuckHopper

Sanford Tesson, Marko Sly, Rolf Sweetser ©  Christaphorac

Stefan Kiković ©  JTigerclaw

James Ferestrikal ©  kitana

Victor Chiroptera ©  o-kemono

Wescot Yobia ©  Darren_Zeraus

Daius Aurelias, Li Ho Fook ©  Mongoose_Ink

Stan Shields, Sandra Hicks, Cory Hicks ©  Sam Gwosdz