by Tiana Laveen
He stifled a laugh. It was all he could do to keep from screaming.
“When I was pregnant with you, I was showing in three weeks! You were the first one and they say you show faster with each pregnancy, but it was just the opposite with me. You also had the largest head out of all of your brothers. Practically made me have a C-section with your ridiculously huge skull! Too bad it’s empty from tha sound of this conversation! Anyway, when I was pregnant with Demetrius, I was showing in four weeks. When I was pregnant with Nico, I was showing in six weeks. When I was pregnant with Tassos, I was showing in seven weeks.”
“When I had to get off the phone, I was late to my appointment by five minutes. When I begged my mother to let me call ’er back since I have other things to do other than hear about my sister-in-law’s skinny pregnant ass who doesn’t eat meat and therefore is gonna die an untimely death, I was told off for six minutes. When I was—”
“You’re an entire ass, ya know that?!”
“Well, that’s because I give everything my all, Mom. I never do anything half-assed.” His face practically burned as he swallowed down his guffaws.
She’s driving me crazy!
“Call me back, and I mean it! Your father’s friend, that idiot Travis, keeps coming over to the house stealing his fishing equipment. He’s probably goin’ down to the pier and pickin’ up prostitutes. I understand why though. Have you seen his wife? Geesh! Anyway, your father doesn’t believe it’s him but I do. The tackle box was the latest disappearance act. He’s a regular ol’ magician, making stuff disappear within a blink of an eye! Guess you two should hook up since you’re a wise guy, and you can start a show together. Call it, ‘The wonky eyed thief and the smart-ass doctor who prescribes freakin’ dandelions and tea leaves for pancreatic cancer!’ Let me tell ya, that man has a funny face, Van, and not in a ha-ha sort of way, either. I am going to set up cameras to catch him in the act next time. Call me back!”
He chuckled after Mom abruptly slammed the phone down in his ear. He got to his feet, grabbed his tablet, loaded with his patient information, and made his way to the front desk.
“Iris, is my 1:15 here yet?”
“Yes,” Fran said. “She spoke with her and she filled out all of her information on the appropriate forms. Here it is.”
“Thanks.”
He grabbed the clipboard and looked it over, flipping through the pages. It was too early for her information to show up in their system just yet, and rather than be redundant and ask her questions she’d already addressed, he wanted to be prepared. Moments later, he entered a room down the hall. The walls had been freshly painted a light lavender color and soft music played in the background. He stood rather confused—the room was empty. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the nurse walked in.
“I just got a urine sample.”
“Okay. She’s finishing up in the bathroom?” He sat down on the small chair and looked over the woman’s old bone fracture x-rays. He grimaced in reaction.
Jesus, it was bad. There’s cracks on multiple ribs and her leg was fractured in several spots.
Just then, he heard footsteps. He turned to see a woman walking in the door.
Wow! She’s gorgeous… God, I never imagined Leonard’s sister looking like this. I mean, I am not really sure what I expected but this definitely wasn’t it…
He got to his feet and shook her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sahara.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Vangelis.”
Her handshake was weak, as if she didn’t even have the energy to do it the right way. He wrapped his other hand around hers, sandwiching her palm between his own. Their eyes locked and though a brief spell of silence passed between them, it felt like an entire hour. Standing at about 5’9, she looked at him through hooded honey brown eyes framed by long lashes. Her hair was a soft looking mane of shoulder length dark curls, and her cinnamon skin had a healthy glow to it. Her gorgeous face, sprinkled with a few freckles, flowed into an elegant neck adorned with a plain, black chord choker. She sported a black blazer, black slacks, and a pair of plain black shoes with low heels.
Her perfume had filled the air with a musky sweetness. He detected some citrus and vanilla undertones.
“Have a seat.” He pointed to the table. She did so, and rested her hands against her lap as she crossed her ankles. Her gaze settled on him. “I’ve had a little time to look at your old x-rays right after your car accident that we had sent over from the hospital. That was a pretty significant injury.” She nodded. “You underwent surgery and had a splint placed. The most noteworthy damage appears to be to the right tibia.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Okay, I’m going to step out and give you a few minutes to undress. Please keep your underwear on and put on the robe to the left of you. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
The woman glanced fleetingly at the thin robe that hung on a hook and nodded. When he saw her reach for her jacket to remove it, he made his way to the door.
She looked so somber. He could sense her discomfort, her lack of trust, her disappointment already born before they even got started…
…5 minutes later
Sahara was wrapped in the thin robe, a chill going through her as the doctor regarded her. Goosebumps popped up on her exposed arms. If she were to guess, the man was about 6’3. He had a luxurious mane of black hair, enhanced with natural brown highlights, and carefully trimmed sideburns, beard, and mustache that framed a pair of full lips. His eyebrows were thick but well kept, his green eyes kind with a bit of mischief dancing in them. So handsome…
She glanced at his hand and didn’t see a wedding band. There wasn’t a ring tan mark, either; in fact, she didn’t see any signs that he was in holy matrimony with anyone at all.
Why would I care about that? None of that matters. I’m here to see about this damn leg, not find out what’s in his pants. I’m in a drought. I guess anybody that looks half decent nowadays gets my motor running.
He caused stirrings, shameful cravings, and a rise in her temperature.
She discreetly lowered her gaze to his crotch, but it was carefully covered by his long white coat.
How disappointing.
His voice was deep and calm, his touch like silk rubbing against satin. As he ran his fingers along her neck, pressed gently into her knee, and bent her leg several times, she caught a whiff of his scent. He smelled like fresh soap, rich cologne, and mint… and that half smile he sported messed with her head.
“Your tibia and fibula, the shinbone basically, have tried to heal in the proper way. I have a few questions for you.”
“Okay.”
“Have you had any recent swelling in the area?” He delicately raised her leg forward and examined her toes, touching each one and giving it a little wiggle.
“Yes.”
“Any blueness or change in color at all?”
“No. Not since the initial accident.”
“Okay, have you had any pain while walking?”
“I have, but I don’t think walking triggers it because I can be asleep or just sitting and the same pain will happen.”
He nodded. “Okay, numbness or tingling in your feet or toes?”
“At times… not too common, but it has happened.”
“Okay, if you’re taking aspirin, stop it. I’m sure you know that when you have an injury like this, that pill can actually slow healing because it doesn’t allow your body to experience the inflammation that is needed for your leg to fully repair itself. I am going to place you on a high concentration of vitamin C and omega-3. I am also interested in getting you on a specialized exercise program, but I will go into the details of that later.”
He gently lowered her leg, sat down, and rolled the chair towards her. He looked up at her, and she swallowed. He actually looked concerned, like he gave a damn. She didn’t feel crazy; he didn’t make her feel like she was some hypochondriac who couldn’t move on with her life. He a
ppeared to believe her, to recognize her pain was real—as real as the noses on their faces.
With a gentle hand, he rested his palm against her knee. The heat from his touch made her breath a bit harder. She could feel her nipples stiffen, compress against the confines of her bra, and her pussy drew moisture. A hell of a sexual attraction had commenced, an unlikely chemistry she hadn’t expected…
He was fine, competent and well, sexy…
“Um.” She cleared her throat. “You mentioned an exercise program. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, your muscles in your leg may be weak, I suspect. We want to force the leg to work harder, heal faster. The shooting pain may actually be your leg trying to do so, but it’s just not working, so we’re going to redirect it. You and me… we’ll figure it out.”
He got to his feet and walked to a table in the corner of the room. Silence stretched between them as he picked up his tablet, scrolled through the screen for a bit before he began to type onto it.
“In these types of injuries,” he said, returning to her, still holding the tablet, “the bones usually mend themselves with no issue as long as the leg is confined in a cast, allowing only restricted movement. I suspect that in some shape or fashion, the healing and mending stage was disrupted. First, there’s the inflammation phase. Second, there’s the reparative stage. Last but not least, there’s the remodeling phase. This final phase is where woven bone is remodeled into lamellar bone. In all of these phases, it is imperative to have enough amino acids. Your body is literally taking all of your nutrients and shoving them towards this injury.
“If it doesn’t have enough supply, the healing process slows down and any disruption can sometimes result in improper restoration. I’m not sure what happened. I wish I knew for certain, Sahara, but something disrupted the healing process. I’m going to figure out how to get your body to tell itself to try again and this time, to do it correctly. We’ll do that via diet, rest, and when the time approaches, the proper exercises. Now, you probably aren’t going to want to hear this, especially with how dedicated Leonard described you being at work.”
“Oh no…” She braced herself, knowing what was to come—her only saving grace, the thing that kept her sane, her work, was now under the microscope.
“Well, I understand, based on your information you filled out for us, that you work well over forty hours a week. That has to stop until this is taken care of. Also, I don’t want you standing for long periods of time. You may have to hire an assistant if you don’t have one already. I want to experiment with your caloric intake, so that you have the proper amount in your system. I am going to increase it, but give me a couple of days to look over your chart to figure out how we’ll begin with that. We can increase over time, but I need to gauge where to start.” She nodded in understanding. “Before you leave today, you will be given Lysine, which helps rejuvenate bone tissue, and glutamine.”
“Okay. I was actually taking glutamine on and off.”
“The brand we have here at the clinic is very good, but it needs to be taken regularly… no days skipped, okay?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“You’ll also be taking Vitamin E and Alpha-lipoic acid.”
“Inflammation…”
“That’s right.” He smiled. “It’s not every day that my patient is another doctor, so some of this I am certain will make perfect sense to you without further elaboration.”
“Yes, it does,” she said.
“Zinc, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K. No multi-vitamin. That’s the lazy way and an ineffective measure. We need very specific vitamins and minerals for you, with concentrated doses. Do you understand why?”
“The vitamin D is to ensure the calcium absorption and the vitamin K helps keep the vitamin D where it’s supposed to be, versus being expelled.”
“Bingo!” He smiled big, exposing some of the prettiest pearly whites she’d ever seen. “You make my job too easy. So, that’s the direction I want to take, okay?”
“Yes, sounds reasonable.”
“Right, this stuff isn’t rocket science… it’s just logical. Your body needs something it’s not getting or it wouldn’t be hurting, Sahara. That shooting pain is its way of letting you know it is having a problem, that it doesn’t have something it needs. And here we are, two years post-op, and the problem isn’t resolved. Before this gets any worse, let’s take care of the deficits. Now…” He looked down at his tablet. “I will have you come back in two weeks so I can see how you feel and I also want to run my own X-rays on your leg before you leave today. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
“I just want to see if there have been any changes from the first and second ones taken so I can better assess the situation. Starting immediately, the vitamin and mineral regimen. A thirty-five to forty hour work week, max. This will go on for at least three months. I also want you to see a psychiatrist.”
Her face flushed with heat, anxiety taking over. Her palms began to sweat as anger filled her like a cup.
“But I’m not crazy! I thought you believed me?” She shook her head in disbelief, wishing to run off, but in her state of undress, that was impossible.
“I know you’re not crazy and I’m not accusing of you being insane, Sahara. That’s not the reason for the appointment.”
“Oh…” She took a deep breath and sighed with relief. “Well, why then?”
“Because there is some emotional trauma associated with the car accident. It was very bad. I took the liberty of checking out the news report and the car looked like a crushed tin can. It’s amazing you came out alive.”
She lowered her head. Her heart beat in a wild rhythm as flashes of her mangled vehicle and the awful pain her body had endured entered her mind. She’d been certain she wasn’t going make it, believing deep inside that had truly been the end.
“When we look at a holistic, natural approach to healing, Sahara, we do so in mind, body, and soul. If our body is healing, but our mind and heart are not at rest, things will not be aligned properly, no matter how much we try. Anyone would be scared by what happened.”
She almost jumped when she felt his touch against her leg. She hadn’t even noticed he’d drawn closer. When she looked up into his eyes, her lust mixed with admiration and appreciation for he’d given her a gift no one else had… the gift of belief.
“You had a near death experience, and that’s a big deal, okay? I want you to talk to someone who is qualified, about how you felt about your experience, about how to move on and go forward. Distraction is fine, but that’s just a bandage. We’re looking for a cure, not another wall for you to cower behind.”
His words sounded a bit cold, devoid of empathy. Was she imagining this, though? No… she was right. There was no need for excuses or ‘buts’ with this man—she knew the type. He knew what he knew, and that was final. But despite it all, his eyes… those gorgeous green eyes… screamed, ‘Let me help you!’ She could see her reflection in their glossy depths… so beautiful, so pure.
Her mouth went dry when it seemed like he wanted to kiss her. He drew closer and closer, and she simply sat there, watching… waiting.
“Um, all right then!” He slid away and got back on his feet. “Go ahead and get comfortable and I will have the nurse get you ready for those X-rays, if that’s okay with you. A technician will come in and assist you.” He extended his hand for a shake. After some hesitation, she took it, this time shaking harder, with confidence. “It was very nice to meet and talk with you, Sahara. We’ll figure this out. Don’t you worry. Oh, and a piece of my mother’s baklava is waiting for you out front, just like I promised.”
He winked at her, then disappeared out the door just as smoothly as he’d come…
CHAPTER FOUR
Who’s on Third? A Dirty Bird…
“Come on, boy!” Leonard yelled out. The dog’s thick chain rattled and shook in his grip. “Bullet! Bring it, man!”
“Leonard, how many times have I tol
d you to not bring that mutt up in my house?”
“This is a Pitbull! Pure blood, baby! Come on, Bullet.” Her brother ignored her and brought the thing on in. The animal stood there prancing around anxiously, wagging its small tail. “He needs some cold water.”
“So do the people in Hell. Look, you know I’m allergic to Bullet. Put him outside.” Laying back on her chaise, she propped her leg up on the ottoman, lacking the energy to go up the stairs and get a bite to eat. Leonard made his way out of the room, leaving the beast with her. It studied her with smiling eyes. She pointed at the dog.
“Bullet, don’t you come over here…” she warned. “I mean it.”
The dog lay on the floor, looking so pitiful. She turned away from him before she got suckered in… only to then end up taking Benadryl and anything else she could get her hands on due to her nose itching in the worst way from the presence of the monster. He was kinda cute though…
“I’m gettin’ some water for Bullet… gotta bucket or something I can fill up that he can drink out of?” Leonard yelled out. “Oh, you got any steak or anything, too? He needs something to eat.”
“Steak? Have you lost your mind? You better take this hairy son of a bitch to McDonald’s and serve him a mystery meat patty. I wish I would waste my grocery money on the likes of Bullet!”
“What about the water though?”
“Just pour some water in your mouth and let him drink out of that!” She chuckled. “No, there is nothing here for this damn dog, Leonard! You always stop by unannounced then demand that this creature benefit from my home. Why don’t you keep this sort of stuff in your car? This is ridiculous.”
“You want some water or something from up here?”
The man was probably raiding her refrigerator and pantry. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Yeah… bring me a bottle of water, please.”
