Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Kristen is quick to get the gown on me, pile up my wet clothes, and tuck them into a plastic bag. I even had to remove my underwear and bra because they, too, were soaked.
The nurse grabs a small towel and pats my hair so that it’s not dripping, and then she helps me lie on my side and covers me with a blanket.
I’m still shaking when she opens the door to let Theo back in. I’m also slightly shocked he’s still here. If I were him, I would have taken off. He did his job. He brought me to the clinic.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I murmur when he comes to my side.
He rubs my arm over the blanket. “I’m not going anywhere, Little one.”
I turn my head to look at him. “How do you know I’m Little?”
He smiles. “A hunch.”
I stare at him. I’m usually very careful to keep my Little tamped down except when I’m alone or at the Dungeon. It worries me that this stranger could tell.
“Don’t worry, Little one. I’m sure your Little is struggling near the surface because you’re injured. It happens. And I suspected because I have excellent Little radar. No one else would know.”
For some reason, his explanation calms me. I don’t feel like I need to be quite so careful. “Are you a Daddy?” I ask softly.
“Yep. And so is Dr. Rubio. Connor is his first name. I spoke to him in the hall. He’ll be in soon. He’ll take good care of you.”
For some reason, knowing that lifts a weight off my shoulders, too.
Theo continues to rub my arm. “You don’t have to hold back your Little, Layla. Relax. No one is going to judge you here.”
I sniffle. That’s good because she’s hovering at the surface, and my injuries are making it hard to keep her at bay.
“Deep breath, Little one.”
I try to draw in a breath, but it’s hard.
“Good girl.”
Goosebumps rise on my skin when he praises me. There’s nothing better in the world than a good girl.
He strokes my damp hair. “You have the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’ve seen hair this light before.”
I know I have weird hair. It’s nearly white. Most people think I dye it like this, but I don’t.
I flinch when the door opens, interrupting my cocoon.
Theo moves out of my line of sight to reveal a man in a lab coat. I assume he’s a doctor. He pulls up a rolling stool and sits, putting him closer to eye level. “Hey there. I heard you had a run-in with Theo.” His smile causes laugh lines around his eyes. I instantly like him.
“It was my fault,” I tell him.
He chuckles. “Theo’s like a tree. He takes up a lot of space, and he’s immovable. I don’t advise sparring with him,” he teases. “How about if I check you out so we can see how much damage your collision caused.”
I sniffle and nod.
When he stands and guides my head forward to examine the back, I wince.
“Owie.” The babyish word slips out before I can stop it.
“Sorry, Little one. You have a pretty big goose egg back here, but the skin isn’t broken.” Dr. Rubio sits back on his stool.
I’m aware of Theo next to me. He’s moved down a bit, but his hand is on my thigh.
Dr. Rubio lifts the blanket back and holds up my arm next. “Kristen says you hit both elbows and landed on your bottom, too.”
“Yes, Sir,” I whisper.
The doctor looks closely at my top arm before bending to see the other one. “You scraped your elbows up good, but I don’t think you need stitches. We’ll clean those up and get some bandages on them.” He pats my cheek. “I’m going to look at the backs of your thighs and examine your tailbone now, okay?”
I swallow and hesitate before nodding.
When he rises to round to the other side of the exam table, Theo sits in the doctor’s rolling chair and holds my hand. His attention is on my face. “You’re being so brave, Little one.”
I bite my bottom lip as the doctor carefully lifts the blanket up to my hip. He moves the gown out of the way next. I can feel the cool air in the room on my naked bottom.
“Squeeze my hand, Layla,” Theo orders. “Tell me what your favorite kind of ice cream is.”
I whimper. He’s trying to distract me, but it’s not working. I hold my breath while the doctor examines the backs of my thighs. I’m fully aware that my butt is scraped up right at the juncture with my thighs.
“I’m going to clean these scrapes up, Layla,” Dr. Rubio says. “It will sting a bit. How about if I give you something to hold on to?”
I’m shocked when he reaches over me to hand something to Theo, and doubly shocked when Theo tucks a stuffed bear in my arms. “Hug this little fellow while Connor examines you.”