“So, how did it go?”

“Oh, the same as always. Pee in a cup, lots of needles and vials with my blood, a bunch of electrodes covered in cold and gooey gel… the usual.”

“That’s not what I meant. What did they find?”

“That I’m still a reasonably functional human being and probably not falling apart yet.”

“Have you ever given a straight answer to a simple question or is being cryptic some kind of weird hobby for you?”

“I gave you straight answer, minus all the medical jargon.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him with the kind of face a schoolmaster reserves for the most creatively mischievous students.

“Really dude?”

“Ok, ok… fair enough. What all those tests show is what I already knew. That my body’s still working fine despite me routinely pushing it beyond the comfort zone. That I’m not getting any younger even as I’m getting stronger. That it takes longer to patch my tissues’ wear and tear than it does for the kids I regularly train with. And that, at least for the time being, my heart and mind keep acting younger than the rest of me and will probably stay that way and push me forward for a while. That’s about it”

“So, basically, your body’s working fine and you can go on being your tough, stubborn, crazy self.”

“Stubborn and crazy? Pretty much, yeah. Tough? Not quite as much as I’d like yet… but slowly getting there.”

“Well, as long as you heart and liver are ok you’re fine, so pass the Jack.”

He refilled the empty bourbon shots and solemnly raised his.

“Here’s to tough, stubborn and crazy. The resilient athlete’s golden trifecta.”

“Silly.” She answered with a smile as their glasses cheerfully clinked.