The Doctor's Little Girl

by Mary Hope

  She sunk into the floor, embarrassed and afraid. She could feel the wetness in her pants. She must have stunk. Could he smell her?

  “You left the city,” he said, “I see.”

  Nina nodded quickly.

  She was afraid he was going to keep asking her questions about why she left the city, but he didn’t.

  “Are you hungry?”

  The question surprised Nina. She had just broken into this man’s house, and he was offering her something to eat? It didn’t make any sense. Could she trust him? Or was it a trap? Maybe he was only asking so she’d crawl out from under the table. Maybe he would attack her then. Grab her. Hurt her.

  She pulled into herself even tighter.

  For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. But he didn’t take his eyes off her either. Nina could feel it, could see it out of the corner of her eye, though she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

  His voice was soft when he finally said, “Sweetheart.”

  Nine couldn’t help it. She looked up at him. No one had ever called her that and meant it.

  “My name is Blake Merrin. I’m a doctor...are you hurt?”

  Blake couldn’t believe his eyes. He stared at the girl, and what he knew immediately to be a little.

  There was not a doubt in Blake Merrin’s heart that she was a little.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I...I don’t think so,” she said.

  Blake watched the girl loosen the death-grip she had on her knees, though she still looked weary and afraid of him. He did not like that.

  The rain made the girl’s hair nearly black where it was wettest, and dainty caramel curls whisped out in every direction. She had wonderfully large brown eyes and her lips came together in a way that reminded Blake of the curl of a leaf in fall.

  Her lips were pink and her cheeks flushed with the same color, though on her cheeks the color was more refined and warm like apple pie.

  She was obviously embarrassed. Ashamed for breaking in.

  Blake knew by her posture and the look in her eyes as they rested on the floor.

  She was short, and that she had balled herself up only made her look smaller.

  Of course she didn’t know it yet, but she was not in trouble. Not with Slade. He wanted to grab his chest from the erratic breathing he held deeply in his lungs at the fates which seemed to descend on him then from every direction.

  How could this be?

  It was as though the gods had simply plucked a beautiful girl from somewhere deep in the woods, and gently dropped her at his feet.

  He proceeded with the caution of a man stumbling upon some great treasure without effort. It was too good to be true, and he fought with what his eyes saw and his heart knew.

  “What’s your name little girl?”

  She bit her bottom lip, as though she were thinking if it was a good idea to talk to this stranger.

  “N...Nina,” she answered. “Nina Harper.”

  “Nina,” he said. He smiled. Couldn’t help it. She had a lovely name.

  “Is it short for anything? Or, just Nina?” He thought the name was lovely just the way it was, but he wanted to know as much as he could about this girl in front of him and he decided it made sense to start with her name.

  “It’s just Nina.”

  “Not just… Nina,” he corrected her. “I am sorry for asking the question.”

  “Oh,” she said, and put a hand to her small and beautifully long neck, “it’s quite alright. I’ve never had anyone ask me before…”

  Nina was still shaking, still afraid of him, and that just wouldn’t do. The smile left his face quickly.

  “Take my hand.”

  Her beautiful eyes fell to his hand. But she did not move toward him.

  “Nina,” he coaxed her, “take my hand. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you and you’re not in trouble.”

  “I’m not?”

  Her voice was so small then, so cautious and curious. Blake couldn’t help but smile.

  “Of course not.”

  She was too frail, too afraid to be in trouble.

  Now, if he’d known her better, he’d turn her over his knee and spank her for getting up on the windows. He only thought this playfully to himself, teasing the part of this woman he didn’t know yet. The part that trusted him.

  “But… I don’t understand. I broke into your home,” she said, and her voice was small and curious, as though she didn’t really believe him but she wanted to. Tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t even know me… if you knew me, really knew me, then I’d be in trouble.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because if you knew me you wouldn’t like me.”

  It broke Blake’s heart to hear this young woman—who was so clearly a little—talk about herself that way. He glanced at her hands and how they fidgeted. He decided that it was pointless to convince her she was worth more while she was sitting huddled under the table in a state of so much stress and disrepair.

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that,” he said. “Come. Let’s get you something to eat.”

  “The house smells like salmon, did...you already eat?”

  “Yes I did. Do you like salmon?”

  Blake had hardly noticed the smell until she pointed it out.

  “I smelled the salmon the second I hit the ground over there,” Nina motioned to the floor where Blake was crouched down to talk to her. “I know I’d made a mistake the second it happened… knew I wasn’t alone.”

  “That must have been very scary,” he consoled her gently, thoughtfully. Then his mouth curled up on one side and he asked her with a gleam in his eye, “So I take it you don’t like salmon then?”

  She shook her head no, and pinched her nose with her fingers. Then she looked up at him with one eye and giggled under her arm.

  Blake laughed.

  It was the first time he’d seen her smile.

  “I don’t like fish… sorry.”

  “It’s perfectly alright,” he said, “I’ve been tired of eating it anyway. Hmm, let’s see.” Blake set his jaw, then rested his chin near his thumb, “how about...mac and cheese?”

  She nodded quickly.

  “I am starving,” Nina’s had a ring of admission in her voice, “how did you know?”

  “I am a doctor,” he said, “I am used to anticipating people’s needs.”

  And that was partly true. But it was also true that Blake knew he was staring directly at a little that had been mysteriously—and most suddenly—into his life. He proceeded on his good luck with care.

  Nina didn’t seem to be able to look at him yet, not directly and not for long. He wanted to get her stomach full—and that fear of him gone—before he asked her if she needed dry clothes and a bath. Seeing as how she’d wet herself.

  But he would wait.

  “Good,” he praised her, “now take my hand Nina, and let's sit at the real table… I will make you dinner and you can tell me all about yourself.”

  NINA FELT sick to her stomach despite how hungry she was. Her tummy growled but now it felt full of acid. Just the thought of telling this strange man about herself and her life was too much. Why was he being so kind to her?

  Dr. Merrin hadn’t let go of her hand once she’d given it to him. He helped her up from under the table, then he led her down the hallway to the kitchen. Something about the tender way he held her hand, and how he walked slowly so she could keep up, made Nina feel like a little girl. It was an odd feeling.

  But she did feel comforted, and somehow she knew that she did not deserve the treatment. She’d done nothing to justify or earn such kind treatment from the friendly doctor.

  And what would happen when he found out that she had wet herself? Nina wanted to cry. She knew that he would surely call the police, or kick her out into the rain once she told him the truth.

  “You can sit here,” he said, and he led her to the dinner table. He helped her to sit down, and pushed the ch
air in underneath her.

  She watched him walk into the kitchen, and she could see him over the island that stretched across the room. He pulled a pan out and filled it with water.

  “The water will take a minute to boil,” he said. “Do you like milk?”

  “Yes,” Nina said politely.

  The doctor went to the refrigerator and poured a big glass of milk, then brought it to her. When she tried to take the glass, he insisted that he hold it for her.

  This surprised her, but she put her hand on his forearm and sipped the cold milk.

  She closed her eyes, then took another, bigger sip. The milk felt so good on her empty and growling tummy and she couldn’t help but take a few more gulps.

  “Sorry doctor Merrin,” Nina said, rubbing her stomach. “I… suppose I didn’t realize how hungry I really was.”

  Doctor Merrin sat the glass down, and his eyes got very serious. He seated himself in the chair next to her as the water boiled on the stove.

  “Nina,” he paused, clasping his hands together on the table, “would you like to tell me why you have scratches on your arms and face? And why have you clearly wetted your pants?”

  Nina’s face flushed red and all of a sudden the room felt very warm. Her palms sweat and she reached for the glass of milk.

  But his hand cradled her own on the glass, stopping her from taking a drink.

  “Not another sip until you tell me the truth. Why are you scratched and bruised up? Why are your pants wet?”

  “I told you doctor…” Nina could feel her cheeks getting pink. “The bus driver got to his last stop and he said that I had to get off. I was so upset. I told him I was trying to reach Littletown and he told me that it was three stops before. I don’t know how I missed it.”

  Nina used her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. Then she covered her eyes.

  “Yes,’ Dr. Merrin said, “and then you got off of the bus and began to walk… but, I don’t understand why the rest of this happened, dear.”

  He gently rubbed her hand as she recounted her story. He surprised her when he let go of her hand, and brought the glass of milk to her lips. “Drink.”

  She did as he instructed, thankful for the cool liquid and how it soothed her aching stomach. His forearm was as hard as a rock and his hand seemed to engulf the glass near her face.

  “Mmm… thank you. I needed that.”

  He sat the glass back down.

  “The driver said he was sorry but that I had to get off the bus. He said it was the last stop for the night. I told him I was just trying to get to my cousin. And then there was that terrible storm… it was all too much and I broke into your home. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think anyone lived here.”

  “What was too much, the storm?”

  “Yes.”

  “And so you ran through the woods because of the storm?”

  “Yes… from the lightning. I hate lightning. And I… I couldn’t help it. I… soiled myself in fright.”

  She put her hands over her face in shame.

  “Hey there,” he said gently, and he pried her wrists apart just as softly. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lightning is scary. I don’t care who you are. And at this elevation, well sometimes it can hit pretty close to home. I understand that, Nina.”

  “You do?”

  ‘Of course,” he said, and he seemed eager to change the subject, “so your cousin lives here in Littletown?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Tina,” Nina said, “Tina Black.”

  “Why were you trying to reach Tina?”

  “Because I was tired of my life in the city. It was all too much. Too much noise. Too many crimes. Too much pollution… too many bad men. I just needed out. I needed a break. And my cousin told me to come out here. She said she enjoyed her life here, and that it was a different kind of place.”

  “Well she is certainly right.” Then he smiled.

  “I know James and Tina Black,” he said. “Tina comes into my clinic with her daddy several times a month. In fact she came in today.”

  “Her daddy?”

  “Yes. Her daddy.”

  “But… Tina’s father died when she was a young girl. I don’t see how that’s possible.”

  Nina got nervous. Was he lying to her?

  “Oh, no no,” Dr. Merrin chuckled, “not her real daddy. Her husband, James Black.”

  “Oh.”

  Nina knew James quite well. She had gone to their wedding, and saw them when they came into the city to see a movie or have a special evening on the town.

  The doctor seemed to sense her confusion. “What else did your cousin tell you about this place?”

  “Nothing, really. She just said I would be happier here.”

  He smiled. “She was right. This is a place dedicated to making little girls like you happy.”

  “But I’m not a little girl.”

  “Every woman has a little inside. That part of you that secretly wants to be taken care of and cherished. To not have to worry anymore. That’s what daddies are for.”

  “But I don’t understand….the whole town is like that?”

  “It’s hardly a real town, you see. It’s more like a small community with the same goals. We have one clinic, and one grocery store. We also have several shops all dedicated to our lifestyle. Couples come here to have a safe place to live their lives in private and public, accepted among each other. For everything else, we go into the real city.”

  Nina thought of how her cousin had moved away to Littletown a few years ago. Nina had never seen her happier. Tina and James came into the city occasionally, and she wondered if there was some truth to what the man was saying.

  “Do you have… a little?” she asked. “You said you go into the city, too.”

  “Well not yet,” he admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to go into the city occasionally for things.”

  “But why do you live here, if you don’t have a little?”

  “You aren’t the only one who’s gone looking for a better life, little girl.”

  BLAKE KNEW deep in his heart that he had found his little girl.

  This was it.

  Nina was it.

  She had practically fallen from the sky, and he couldn’t help but notice the irony that she was also afraid of storms. Deathly afraid, it seemed. So afraid that she had scratched herself and broken into a stranger’s house to get away from one.

  He went into the kitchen, and poured the noodles into the boiling water. First things first. He needed to get medical attention to that little girl at the table. But first, he needed to calm her nerves and get her stomach full.

  When the noodles were done, he added the cheese, and scooped two bowls. One for each of them. He wasn’t even hungry, but the idea of having a meal at the table with her was enough reason to eat again. He filled her bowl with more food than his own.

  “Smells yummy,” she said from the table.

  “It does, doesn’t it,” he agreed. “I’m glad that you like it.”

  She smiled again, and took the bowl when he handed it to her. She began eating her noodles greedily, though he could tell that she did her best not to be too obvious about it.

  “Those scratches look like they hurt,” he said. He wanted to pull his medical bag out straight away to start tending to her wounds, but he also didn’t want his sudden movements and getting too close to frighten her anymore than necessary. The poor girl was already on edge enough.

  “I can’t really feel them,” she said, looking over her arms.

  “Well they don’t look very deep,” he said carefully, “but we should clean them when we’re done eating. Just to be safe. And you have nothing to worry about, dear. I am a doctor and it’s just what I do.”

  “Tend to wounds?” she asked innocently.

  He smiled, then looked down at his bowl thoughtfully before he spoke again. Then he said, “That is one way to put it,” he agreed
with her, “I help those in need. It’s… when I am at my best.”

  “Oh,” she said, “well thank you for the concern. But you don’t need to go to that kind of trouble for me.”

  “Trouble?”

  She looked up at him with those big beautiful brown eyes.

  “It’s no trouble at all,” he said firmly. “I insist.”

  She didn’t argue, and kept eating her food. She looked as though she’d shrunk a whole two inches.

  And Blake felt sorry for that. He didn’t mean to make her feel bad, but she needed to understand quickly that he had never really asked her permission when he mentioned cleaning her wounds. He wanted to avoid any misunderstandings that he might have intended to take no for an answer.

  This was the little girl’s health and well-being they were considering here.

  Blake knew that deep down, Nina wanted to be cared for, too.

  He knew those were the deepest yearnings that had brought her to Littletown because they had also brought him. He wanted to be a daddy, and she wanted to be a little. She just didn’t understand that yet. But he would make her see. He would show her.

  When they were finished with their dinner, he took their plates to the sink and filled the bowls with water to let them sit. The dishes could wait.

  He walked back to the table and held his hand out to her. “Come with me, little girl,” he said, “let’s go to the bathroom. It’s where I keep my medical supplies at home.”

  “Oh,” she said. She seemed surprised. Confused. But she did as he asked, although reluctantly.

  Blake understood. She had no reason to trust him yet, and he made it his goal to assure her she was safe with him. He only had her best interests in mind.

  She stopped at the foot of the stairs.

  “What is it?”

  “I… is this okay?”

  “I’d take you to the clinic, but we’d have to travel in the storm. Would you rather go to the clinic?”

  “No!” she shook her head vigorously.

  She was so cute, he thought. She knew what she wanted, even though she was afraid. And he hoped that she’d want him.