Page 32 of Mending Scars

I gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand before following the nurse to the nurse’s station. She handed me a plastic cup and lid that had a label with my name on it. “We need a urine sample. When you’re done, please place it on the shelf above the toilet.”

She directed me to the bathroom, and I went in and did my business. I left the sample where indicated on the shelf and washed my hands before exiting.

The nurse, who was wearing a name tag that read ‘Sophie’, took my blood pressure, height, and weight before walking me back to the waiting room. “We’ll call you back for the rest of the exam shortly.”

I sat back down next to Ryker, who was flipping through a fitness magazine. He glanced up at me. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, they just did some routine stuff—height, weight, blood pressure.”

We waited another fifteen minutes when Sophie came back out to get us. She led us to a room, and handed me one of those exam gowns that barely covered anything. “I’ll give you a few minutes to change, then I’ll be back to take your blood sample.”

I quickly changed into the unattractive paper gown and hopped on the exam table. Ryker sat in a chair next to me right as a knock sounded on the door.

“Ready?” Sophie asked.

That was fast.

“Yes,” I replied.

Sophie opened the door and came in with some small vials and a huge needle. I gulped.

Fuck.

Sophie laid out all the equipment on the counter before sterilizing my arm with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. I began to feel hot, and my heart pounded as she tightly secured a band around my bicep and prepped the needle.

Ryker linked our fingers together and tugged on my hand. I looked toward him and squeezed tightly. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Did I ever tell you about the time I got my first tattoo?”

I tried to remember if he had mentioned it. “No… I don’t think so.”

“Well, I had just turned eighteen. Tribal tattoos were popular, and almost everyone had one, so naturally, I wanted to get one, too.” He paused and looked at his right arm, which had a huge tribal that wrapped from his shoulder down to below his elbow. My eyes followed his gaze to the ink on his arm as he continued talking. “My boys and I went together to this tattoo shop in downtown Boston to each get a different tribal piece.”

My eyes went back to his as he continued speaking. “When I sat on the table, my heart was pounding and adrenaline surged through my veins. Once that needle pierced my skin, I was hooked.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

What a dumb question. Of course it hurts, genius.

He chuckled. “Yeah, it hurts, but the rush you get from it is awesome. Everything about it is addicting, even the pain.”

“I’ve always been too scared to get one. I hate needles,” I replied.

“All done.”

I looked away from Ryker to Sophie, who was cleaning up the counter. I glanced down and saw a Band-Aid already applied to my inner elbow. “I didn’t even feel it.”

“You had a good distraction.” She chuckled as she motioned to Ryker before opening the door. “Dr. Wallace will be with you shortly.”

My eyes went to Ryker, who had an adorable, lopsided grin on his face. He shrugged. “I didn’t want you to panic.”

My insides somersaulted and a smile spread over my lips.

He is so sweet sometimes.

“Thank you, babe.”

After a few minutes, my doctor knocked and entered. “Hi, Kaiya. How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. Busy, but good.”

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