Page 23 of Echoes of You

I stood, but Nash stood with me, all humor fleeing his expression. “I’m coming with you guys.”

Doc pinned Nash with an I-mean-business stare. “You can’t, Nash. I need to talk to Maddie alone and examine her in private.”

“Doc—”

“Sorry,” she cut him off. “This is one battle your charm can’t win.”

I squeezed Nash’s arm. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

The truth was that my insides were a battleground. Part of me didn’t want to go anywhere without him. The other part didn’t want Nash anywhere near the discussion of my injuries. He’d held it together so far, but I knew discussing this kind of thing in detail would send him over the edge.

He ducked his head to meet my gaze. “You’re sure?”

I nodded. “I’ll be out as soon as I’m done.”

“Just shout if you need me.”

Doc extended her hand, guiding me toward the rooms down a hallway. She walked into the first one. “Come on in. There’s a gown right on the table. I’m going to step out while you get changed. You can leave your underwear on.”

“O-okay.” The idea of being in nothing but my underwear and a paper gown made me feel way too vulnerable, but I forced my anxiety down and picked up the covering.

When the door to the exam room clicked shut, I pulled off my blouse. The action made me hiss out a breath, but I kept moving. A few minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” I called. I sat on the exam table. I’d removed all the clothing I was supposed to except for my socks. Somehow, it made me feel better to keep them on.

Doc moved into the room and gave me a reassuring smile. “First thing to know is that the moment you say stop, I stop. That’s the most important rule.”

My tongue felt heavy in my mouth, so I nodded instead of speaking. Nash must’ve told her enough about my situation that she was treading carefully.

“Can you tell me what symptoms you’re experiencing?”

I swallowed, trying to clear away some of the dryness in my mouth. “My ribs are the worst. I hit my head, too, but that’s been better over the past couple of days.”

Doc moved closer to me. “I understand there was an altercation with a romantic partner?”

“Yes. I—he—he was angry. He threw me into a wall and kicked me in the ribs.”

Doc’s eyes flashed. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

I didn’t say anything in response. What did you say to that?Thank you?It was no biggie? Nothing felt right.

“Did you lose consciousness at all?” she asked.

“For a couple of seconds, maybe? After I hit the wall, I fell to the floor. Everything’s a little fuzzy.”

Doc pulled out a penlight. “Did you experience any headache, nausea, or blurred vision afterward?”

“Headache, maybe a little nausea.”

She flashed the light across my eyes. “And has that subsided?”

“It has. It’s really just the ribs that are bothering me now.”

“Okay. I’m guessing you had a mild concussion but are on your way to recovery now. How long ago was the incident?”

“About eleven days.”

“That sounds about right. I’d like to see your ribs. Would you mind lifting your gown?”

---