Page 80 of Shameless With Him

“That’s me,” I said, my voice growly.

“We’re his family,” Dimitri said, ever the eldest brother.

“Well, I have a few things to go over with you if you don’t mind. Do you want them out?”

I shook my head and then winced.

“I wouldn’t shake your head with a migraine. You know that. So, I have your permission to go over some results with you in front of your family?”

“Yes. They get to know everything.”

“Okay, then.” The doctor took a seat next to me, and I looked into his grey eyes, took in his greying hair, and I felt more at peace than I ever had with the other asshole I’d been talking with.

“First up, Dr. Johnson is no longer at this hospital. We’ve removed all his privileges. From now on, I will be working with your case.”

I sat up quickly and then almost threw up.

“Stop moving so fast,” the doctor said. “I’m Dr. Martinez. I will be helping you out.”

“What the fuck do you mean about Dr. Johnson?” Dimitri said. And then he whispered, “Sorry about the cursing.”

“No problem. You’re probably going to be cursing a little bit more soon. Dr. Johnson no longer has privileges here, like I said. He hasn’t been able to determine what tests to order, and now that we’ve been going over things with him, I wasn’t happy with his work. So, I’m taking over, and we’re going to get you fixed.”

I sat there, blinking, a cold sweat sliding over me.

“You let him work with people for a year, and he’s been wrong?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“No,” Dr. Martinez said, a little growl in his tone. I didn’t think it was about me, more about the fact that Dr. Johnson had fucked up. “I can’t go into much of it. Suffice it to say, he didn’t do a poor job with everyone. But he did miss a few things and failed to order some of the correct testing for others.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I looked over the tests he gave you, and I can give you a diagnosis.”

I swallowed hard, my body shaking. A real diagnosis. My God.

Dr. Martinez continued. “You have severe cluster headaches and migraines that could possibly cause hallucinations. You’ve only had the one, according to your chart. That could have been due to the environment, we won’t rule anything out as of yet. We’re going to monitor you, but you’re going to be fine. It’s not a tumor, it’s not a neurological disease. Dr. Johnson should’ve been able to tell this from the tests he ordered, but perhaps he hadn’t seen this exact illness before. I’m not sure. But I’m here to help you. You will be fine. I’m going to be with you for the entire process. My team is great, and we’re going to call in some specialists, too, just to double-check that we’re on the right path. You’ll likely want a second opinion, and we’re going to figure things out. Medicine is a science, but it also takes a lot of knowledge to work out the problem and put all the pieces together. So, we’re going to get you on some migraine medication, both preventative and something for acute relief. And then we’re going to figure out a long-term treatment plan for you. You are going to have a healthy and fulfilling life, and we’re going to help make that happen.”

I sat there and listened as the doctor talked with my brother and sister about doctors, and treatments, and whatever else was going on. I didn’t care. I just wanted that old doctor out of my life. I didn’t really care what happened with the hospital.

Because, hell, I wasn’t going to die. It wasn’t a tumor or something that would take my faculties or anything. I had seriously been scared that this was the end. That I wouldn’t be able to control things anymore, that this was it.

I had fucked everything up with Zoey because I hadn’t had the right test results, and I was scared. And I had been too chickenshit to do anything about my fears.

The doctor went over a few things about my treatments and set up a whole battery of new tests and appointments so we could start on a fresh page.

I had meds waiting for me. I still couldn’t quite believe it was this easy.

All I’d needed was a doctor who cared, one who could actually read a test result. It was no wonder I had always hated the healthcare system.

Because it had fucked me over, and then I had fucked myself over again.

Afterward, my family left me alone, mostly because I was like a bear with a thorn in my paw. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

Because I didn’t know how to fix this. Not myself, but things with Zoey.

I didn’t think there was any fixing it.

Apparently, it was like I had called to her.

I heard a rustling in the doorway, and I looked up. Zoey stood there, her blond hair flowing around her shoulders, her champagne-colored dress fitting her curves in a way that made me want to hold her.

She was stunning, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

And I had broken her heart.

As she looked at me, worry in her gaze, I didn’t know how I was going to get her back.

Because I knew that, no matter what, I didn’t deserve her.

I never had, and I didn’t think I ever would.

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