BOSTON -- Twelve hours after their doubleheader loss to the Cleveland Indians that effectively ended their longshot hopes at the American League wild card, the Boston Red Sox were still reeling Thursday morning.

The appearance in the clubhouse of Bryce Florie, their fallen teammate who was struck in the eye by a line drive September 8, lifted their spirits some and helped put the disappointment of the night before in perspective.

	Lewis

	Everett

Before long, however, any good will Florie's return brought was more than wiped out by a confrontation between teammates Carl Everett and Darren Lewis.

As Florie met with reporters and emotionally recounted his experiences over the last two weeks, Lewis approached Everett and chastised him for failing to report to the ballpark in time to receive treatment on his injured left quadriceps.

Everett, who injured his quad Sunday in Detroit, reported late to the ballpark Tuesday afternoon for the first game of the team's showdown series with the Indians.

He made pinch-hitting appearances in both ends of Wednesday's doubleheader, then reported just 70 minutes before the start of Thursday's first game of a twinbill.

Manager Jimy Williams had written Everett onto a makeshift lineup card, but admitted he hadn't yet seen the outfielder to determine his availability for the first game.

"If a player's injured," said Williams pointedly, "he usually comes in early to get treatment. That's all I can tell you."

When Everett failed to arrive as game time neared, Williams called Lewis into his office to tell him he was replacing Everett in the lineup.

Exiting Williams' office, Lewis then spied Everett, who had arrived. Lewis told Everett that his tardiness in the middle of a playoff race was disrespectful to the rest of the team.

An angry Everett responded by warning Lewis "not to show me any disrespect. ... As long as you live, don't you ever disrespect me. Get that (expletive) out of my face."

Reporters interviewing Florie turned their heads to watch as the two moved closer and Everett's voice grew louder and angrier. Some teammates shook their heads in amazement and two coaches intervened.

First-base coach Tommy Harper pulled Lewis away and hitting coach Jim Rice squired Everett away to a corner in the clubhouse.

"We have one big dysfunctional family here," said one player.

On Wednesday, Everett engaged in a profanity-laced tirade at a Boston Globe reporter. In Wednesday's first game, Everett had contributed a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. Lifted for pinch-runner Donnie Sadler, Everett repeatedly yelled at interim manager Buddy Bailey -- Williams had been ejected for arguing with the home-plate umpire -- to allow the speedy Sadler to steal second to get into scoring position.

Everett was not visible in the dugout in the early innings of Thursday's first game.

The behavior was in stark contrast to the moving tale told by Florie, who was struck just below the eye by a line drive from the Yankees' Ryan Thompson two weeks ago.

His right eye covered by a bandage, his right cheekbone still swollen, his nose plugged with cotton, he had undergone surgery Monday to relieve some pressure behind the eye and is still unsure of his prognosis. Even with the use of glasses, the vision in Florie's right eye is 20/200, making him "still legally blind."

"I'm definitely down a little," Florie admitted. "I can't see out of one eye. I look at myself in the mirror and it's just sad for this to be happening. It's nice to see the guys, but it's kind of sad not to be able to do anything. It shows how much of my life is baseball."

Florie said he vividly recalls the details of the incident and can particularly remember looking into the Yankee dugout after he sat up on the mound and seeing "their mouths open in disbelief."

Florie had blood gushing from everywhere, but he revealed he "didn't realize how bad it was until I got to the hospital and walked past a mirror and saw what everyone else had seen."

He has been buoyed by the outpouring of support from fans everywhere, as well as players. He has heard directly from Detroit Tigers pitcher Willie Blair, who was struck in the face by a line drive several years ago, and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sean Casey, who was hit in the eye in 1998 and recovered.

Florie said the "support has been overwhelming. Baseball is kind of like a fraternity."

Florie, 30, said he would like to pitch again, but is unsure whether that will be possible.

"If enough (blood) seeps out (from behind the eye), it will give me back some of my vision," he said. "I don't know how much. The more I get, the closer I'll be to 20-20 (vision). It's too early to tell."

Returning to the mound remains his goal. "But I've also looked in the mirror and told myself I might not make it back. If my prayers are answered, I'll be back out there.

"My main goal is to get my vision back and carry on an ordinary life without changing too much. Baseball has been great the last 12 years, but I also want to do the little things -- like drive a car, which I can't do now.

"I'm not going to lie. It's unsettling to wonder what's going to happen, and how your life can change in an instant."

Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal writes a weekly baseball notebook for ESPN.com.