Page 7 of Rage

So I guess I’m going in alone.I prepare myself for this and paste on a smile.

My first crush is sitting in a chair, looking in my direction.

I swallow hard, not particularly liking the fact that his gaze is pointed at me, but oh my God, he is beautiful.

He was way too good-looking when we were teenagers, but now?He is a man.

I turn my attention to the girl lying in the middle of the hospital bed, her face pale, and I can tell this whole ordeal has been hard on her.

“Hi!I’m Dr.Beckham.”I smile at her.“Since we sort of know each other, call me Meadow,” I greet, referring to when we hung out years ago when we were younger.

She smiles at me weakly.“It’s nice to see you again.”I shake her hand, looking her over from where I’m standing.

Her eyes widen and she looks over my shoulder, so I follow her gaze to see Mason standing right behind me.

My heart starts jumping in my chest, and I push that back down and move back into professional mode.

“It’s very nice to see you, Meadow,” he says in his deep voice.I forgot how low his voice was when we were younger but now it’s deeper, more dark and rugged.

My face reddens against my will as he takes my hand in his and lifts it to his mouth, kissing the back of it.

Holy shit.

I muster all of my will and clear my throat.“It’s nice to meet you again.”My voice cracks slightly before I can correct it.

I can feel everyone’s eyes on the two of us, so I slowly slide my hand out from under his and go back to my patient, turning my back to him.

Elle is grinning at us.“Can I have the room empty with just our patient here?I’m going to examine her, if that’s okay with everyone.”I include everyone but my eyes are on Elle to see if she is good with that.

Her father and Mason practically sprint out of the room, but Christopher and her mom both stay.

She looks scared, and one thing I hate is when girls come in for exams and they’re terrified and expecting it to be painful.

When I was fourteen, I had a medical exam because my periods were awful and I had to be put on birth control.The doctor was cold and just went through the motions.While it wasn’t a big deal to the doctor, it was to me.

I sit down on the edge of her bed.“I understand you’ve had a horrible ordeal, and I want to apologize for the things that’s happened to you.I hope I can help you feel better.”

She relaxes into the bed.“Thank you for that.I’m feeling much better.”

I pat her hand and give her a squeeze before lifting my iPad to look over her labs once again.

“I have gone all over your tests and everything is much better, but I just want to physically exam you, with your permission.”

Even though I wasn’t in town when Elle was assaulted, I heard about it from family members and cousins because our club was contacted to see if they could help find the guy who did it.

She studies me for a moment and smiles before saying, “Sure.”

She scoots to the end of the bed where I pull out the stirrups, lowering the bed to give me better access.

Her legs are shaking as I move to sit down in my seat to prepare for the exam.

I gently place my hand on Elle’s knee, offering a reassuring smile.“Take a deep breath,” I say softly.“I’ll go slow and explain everything I’m doing.If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just say the word and we’ll stop.Okay?”

Elle nods, visibly relaxing at my words.I can see the trust building in her eyes.

As I begin the examination, I maintain a steady stream of conversation, explaining each step and checking in with Elle frequently.Her mother holds her hand, murmuring words of encouragement.

“Everything looks good,” I say as I finish up.“The baby’s position is perfect, and there are no signs of any lingering issues from the poisoning attempt.”

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