Page 56 of What We Keep
Tommy’s head bobbed enthusiastically. “Yeah, it doesn’t hurt and then they have tubes of my blood.”
Sliding my gaze to his, I laughed softly. “Well, good for you. Annual appointments are important too.”
“Are they, though?” He slid his gaze sideways as I turned onto Main Street.
“Yeah. Take it from someone who knows. They’re important.”
“What do you mean, ‘someone who knows’?”
I pondered what I should tell Tommy. I’d spent enough time with his family to know they took a matter-of-fact approach to the things that happened in life, so I offered the truth.
“I don’t know how much you know about my childhood, but I grew up next door to your family. My dad was... well, I loved him a lot, but he didn’t believe in modern medicine. He died from pneumonia because he refused to go to the doctor. We’ll never know if they could’ve treated him. As a result, I can never get him back.”
Tommy was very quiet before saying softly, “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I am too. I appreciate that.”
“Now I feel like it wasn’t nice for me to complain about going to the doctor,” Tommy added.
“Oh, that doesn’t mean I like going to the doctor,” I added, casting him a quick smile. “It just means it’s important to do these things.”
Haven had texted me the directions for where to go, but it was the same family medical office my mother had taken me to, so I knew where it was. Like the school, it had also been updated.
In short order, I was waiting with Tommy in the office after the medical assistant, a friendly woman named Rachel, escorted us in. She tipped her head to the side, her glossy dark hair swinging in its ponytail as she smiled at Tommy.
“This is Elsa,” he announced, gesturing to me. “She’s here in place of my dad.”
Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she met my gaze. “Your dad left a message with the receptionist.”
“Haven didn’t mention that there was anything to be concerned about, and I’ve never been to a doctor’s appointment with a child, so I’m here for moral support,” I said quickly.
“That is the most important part,” Rachel said. “Do you have any questions or concerns about your health, Tommy?”
Tommy drummed his fingers on his knees. “I keep growing out of my pants, and Grandma says I’m like an empty vessel when it comes to food.”
Rachel’s lips quirked. “And how much do you eat?”
“As much as I can,” Tommy answered honestly.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
“All right, kiddo, let’s get you on the scale.” She glanced toward me. “Tommy’s always been healthy. When Haven called earlier, he said everything was status quo.”
After she weighed Tommy and checked his height, she announced, “No wonder you’re like an empty vessel. There are three more inches of you to feed.”
Tommy’s eyes went comically wide, and his hair standing straight up in the front gave him an exaggerated look.
There was a light knock on the door, and Rachel called out, “Come in.”
A pretty woman with glasses and dark hair with pink-and-purple streaks twisted into a knot came walking in. She looked at Tommy, her gaze quizzical when she glanced toward me.
“This is Elsa Whitney,” Rachel explained.
“Tommy’s chaperone,” I offered.
Tommy thought that was hysterical. “Elsa lives out at Heartfire Falls, and my dad has a crush on her.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
