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Medical Test

The day is starting to light and bright.

As promised, Mr. Stein picked the two boys up from their new apartment in the student village of Moholt at 08:55. Zachary and Kasongo were long ready and waiting for the scouts in the parking lot. They wear thick clothes to protect themselves from the cold of the morning. They are excited to start their first day as academy players in Norway.

"How was your night?" ask Mr. Stein as the Toyota Carib they were riding out of the parking lot, headed for the main road. The old scout was at the wheel while the two boys sat in the back, admiring the view.

"Pretty good," Kasongo who first replied with a smile. "I slept like a baby all night."

"The same here. Night couldn't have been better." Zachary also replied. His new comfortable bed, with a silk blanket and cotton sheets, was like a world paradise to him. He entered a deep sleep right after a delicious dinner that cooked itself the night before. The heating in the room guarantees that the cold outside never affects his sleep. He loved his new life.

"I'm glad to hear that." Mr. Stein smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. "First of all we will go to the NTNU Sports Department where you will undergo a medical test. Your move to Rosenborg BK will not be completed unless you pass a medical test there." He added seriously.

"But we are academy players" Kasongo denied, frowning. "And we've had a mandatory check-up in Lubumbashi. You remember?"

"The academy coaches need to know that you are a worthwhile investment. Of course, I believe that the two of you are a match since I was with you in Lubumbashi." Mr. Stein stopped as she circled the detour before entering another, wider road, with more heavy traffic. Zachary noticed that there was no traffic jam on the streets of Trondheim. Many people who cycle on side trails, may be driving to work.

Mr. Stein continued his explanation after entering the straight passage.

"We will try to give as much information as possible to the academy because, in the end, they decide whether they want to train you or not. Medical results will also help them design a better training plan for you. You once you enter the academy."

"But what happens if we fail?" ask Kasongo. Zachary also nodded to show his doubts.

"Don't worry" Mr. Stein smiled. "You will still be allowed to spend six months in the academy before being sent back to Africa. But I do believe you. You will not fail."

They spent the rest of the minutes traveling their car in silence. The boys seem to be worried about medical care while Mr. Stein is busy navigating the roads. A few minutes later, they stopped in the parking lot of the giant building that houses the sports department. It is about six to eight stories tall, according to Zachary's estimates.

"This is the St University Hospital complex. Olav," said Mr. Stein when they get out of the vehicle. "NTNU Sports Office is inside the building. You'll have treatment there."

**** ****

An hour later, Zachary sat on a sports bike in a well-equipped room, similar to a gym. He frowned at the medical specialist. Doctors have taken him through hell as an excuse to warm up. Every five minutes, the endurance of his bike increased, adding weight to his limbs. He was already in pain even before the actual medical began.

[I wonder how Kasongo is doing.] He pondered.

He had been separated from Mr. Stein and Kasongo right after meeting with the medics who were about to conduct his medical treatment. The middle-aged doctor introduced himself as Dr. Alexander Ystein before taking him to the gym. There, he asks Zachary to warm up on the bike until he says otherwise. Zachary did not complain but did the exercises as instructed. However, it had been almost an hour, but doctors did not stop the warming. Zakaria frustration.

"Okay, that's enough" said Dr. Ystein. Zachary had no idea from his poker face whether he was impressed or not. He got off the bike and waited for his instructions.

“Furthermore, we will do Biodex assessment, which is a test designed to test the strength between your muscle groups,” explained the doctor.

After a quick warm-up, Zachary was strapped to a white chair and instructed to extend his leg by kicking it out before pulling it back to the starting position. Dr. Ystein asked him to repeat the exercise five times, again with more resistance for each leg. Pulling the elastic cord, especially with his left leg, made him tired until he was panting like a Labrador running in the sun.

Then, doctors instructed Zachary to run on the treadmill at varying speeds while breathing using a mask to determine his aerobic ability. Zachary has an incredible endurance that allows him to go through all the necessary exercises unhindered. His B+ stamina is not just for show.

Throughout the day, he underwent several tests, most of which seemed to make no sense to him. Doctors put it through bone scans, blood and urine tests, plus several other medical checks that were unfamiliar to Zachary. He spent six hours with the doctor and was only allowed to leave a few minutes after three in the afternoon. He did not know if he had passed the medical tests after the doctor finished the tests. The doctor did not smile once during the entire session.

"How's your health test going?" Zachary asked Kasongo as soon as they met in the parking lot.

"To be honest I don't know," the short man replied as he shook his head. "My doctor is one of those serious people who never smiles."

"How's yours?"

"Same," Zachary replied as he tightened his jacket. "I don't know if I graduated or not. The doctor didn't reveal anything."

"Do you think they can send us back?" Kasongo asked, frowning.

"I guess not. It's just a medical academy. They don't need us to play live. So, as long as we don't have latent injuries, we'll pass." Zachary convinced his friend.

"I hope so" murmured Kasongo.

"Stop worrying." Zachary patted his back. "Let's wait for Mr. Stein. He'll give us the result today when we get home."

**** ****

Together in one of the offices of Dispora NTNU.

Dr. Alexander Ystein presented his medical results to Mr. Stein and the other middle-aged men. The man is Boyd Johansen, interim head coach of the NF International Academy in Trondheim.

Neither Mr. Stein nor Coach Johansen answered but simply waited for the doctor to continue.

"The Zachary boy is very fit for his age. It seemed like he had gone through professional training for the past three months. The frame movement range is very good. I checked his hip joints and muscles and saw that they were in very good condition. I dare to hypothesize that he has good lower body mobility and perfect body coordination."

"Are you sure he's not part of the professional team?" He asked, looking at Mr. Stein was doubtful.

"He was only sixteen years old. What professional training might he get in Congo? Does he have any danger signs? What about his left foot?" Mr. Stein's words came out at the speed of a machine gun. He has heard some rumors about Zachary's left foot injury and wants to confirm its validity. He even ignores the advice of the scouts of Nantes and insists on recruiting him.

"What injury?" Dr. ystein scoffed. "As a doctor, I can tell you this. The boy's bones never broke. The strength of his left foot is phenomenal. I tested it several times to check if there were any weak spots in his leg muscles, but none. ."

"That's good news for me" cried Mr. Stein with a smile.

"We still don't know anything about his football skills" Coach Johansen said.

"Have I not submitted my report on the boy?" Mr. Stein frowned.

"You didn't do any practical tests to measure his abilities." The head coach temporarily shook his head, sighing. "You just let him play against none of the professionals who might be amateurs in football, for all we know."

"What do you expect? You want us to put him in the academy without knowing his skills?" She asked.

"I'll test the boys myself in a real game next week. I can only determine if he is eligible for that scholarship."

"But there's no U-16 match this month" Stein argued.

"There's a U-19 friendly with the Vikings on Tuesday next week. I added him to the line-up." Coach Johansen smiled at the scouts.

"Are you serious? He's only fifteen."

"If she's as good as you want her to be, there's no need to worry. As they say, diamonds are chunks of coal that work well under pressure. Does he have high game intelligence? Let's see if he has high game intelligence? your boy is diamond or vain when he is under pressure during a game." The coach declared indifferently.

"Alex, help me out here." Mr. Stein turned to the doctor after realizing that he could not confer with the coach. "The boy has not trained with the team. However, he was now pushed into a group with members, three years older than him. He'll be at high risk of injury."

The doctor turned around and started typing on his computer as if he had never heard a word from the scout. He seems to be implying that he will not take part in their argument.

"Martin," Coach Johansen cut. "My decision is final. He will train with the boys on Friday and Monday before taking part in the game on Tuesday. I don't need him to do much in the game. He just has to perform above average."

"Doctor, what about the other boys?" The coach turned his attention back to Alexander.

"Oh, yeah. My colleague tested the second child. I have the report here." The doctor said, taking one of the files on his desk. He looked through the file before continuing.

"He's average. Not too fit but also not too shabby. He has good lower limb strength and good stamina. However, his body fat was slightly higher. His test found no sign of danger in his body. So, he could join the academy." He closed his account, closed the file.

"High body fat?" Coach muttered, frowning. "I'll only give him one month to be fully fit. If not, I should send it back after six months. I hate lazy players the most."

"Why are you doing this?" Mr. Stein asked.

"Do what?"

"Selecting the players I bring in?"

Coach Johansen looked at the scouts and shrugged. "I treat all my players the same. As long as those two boys meet my requirements, they don't have to worry."

"Doctor. If nothing else, I will head to the training ground. My players are waiting." He excused himself, leaving the other two men in the room.

"Boy sometimes sucks" commented Mr. Stein after the coach left.

"You have to understand that he is under a lot of pressure to perform. Setting strict selection criteria was one of the strategies he used to achieve his goals. Anyway, he's still a while."

"No," Mr. Stein shook his head. "I think he's in touch with one of my enemies in the council. What am I supposed to tell the kids now?"

"It's as if you've just become a scout," cried the doctor. "Tell them the truth."

**** ****