“You don’t have any broken ribs, but I’ll send you for an x-ray to see if any are fractured. You can put your shirt back on.” He turns to walk out of the room and pauses as he puts his hand on the doorknob. “Step outside with me, Nicholas,” he says, not looking at Nick. I’m finishing pulling my shirt down when I look up at Nick then the doctor. Something tells me this is about me. I’m not going to be discussed behind my back.
“If it’s about me, then I would appreciate you saying whatever it is you have to say in front of me.” I’m glaring at the doctor. He pushes the door back closed. He had only begun to open it when I spoke. He turns facing me and then eyes Nick.
“She's a feisty one, isn’t she?” he says as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the door.
“Defiant is what I call her.” I shoot Nick a deadly stare. “And she doesn’t like it when I say that,” he smirks.
“Fine,” Dr. Thornton says as he pushes off the wall, placing his hands on his hips. “What the fuck, Nicholas?”
“Hey!” I yell as I jump off the exam table. I shouldn’t have done that. The pounding from my feet hitting the ground sends a sharp pain to my back. Nick stares at the doctor, but doesn’t say anything. Neither of them acknowledges me as they continue to stare at each other.
“Since when do you go around injuring women? Since when are you like your father?” At the mention of Nick’s dad, my eyes widen and I tense. Neither of them notice. Nick’s face turns deadly. It’s a look I’ve never seen. Quite frankly, it’s a little scary.
“I’m nothing like my father, Marc.” Nick bites out; his voice is low and strained. No, Nick is definitely not like that evil monster. A cold shiver runs down my spine as a horrible memory enters my brain. I push it back out just as quickly as it enters.
“Stop, both of you,” I say, but I’m looking at Dr. Thornton when I say it. “This was an accident, nothing more.” I note that I sound like most battered women when defending their man, but in my case, I’m defending a man who isn’t an abuser. I may have only known Nick a few weeks, but I know he wouldn’t intentionally hurt me. Ever.
“A nurse will be in shortly to take you for an x-ray,” Dr. Thornton says before exiting the room. He doesn’t acknowledge my words, and to be honest, I don’t care what he believes. I only care what Nick believes about himself. I turn and wrap my arms around Nick’s waist, placing my head on his chest. His heart is beating at a rapid pace.
Before I can reassure him I’m fine, the door opens behind me. I turn to see who it is, and the same nurse who took my vitals is standing in the doorway waiting on us.
“Please follow me, Miss Taylor,” she says before walking back out the door. We follow her. Nick is walking behind me. He doesn’t hold my hand like he did before. Again, the walk is short and I’m ushered into another small cold room. There is a tech standing beside the machine waiting for me. Nick remains outside the room when I enter.
The tech is a young man, probably a few years younger than me, with sandy-blond hair and small blue eyes. He gestures for me to sit on a table and I do as he asks.
“Before we begin, I have to ask if you are pregnant.” He looks up at me waiting for a response.
“No,” I answer, looking confused. Do I look pregnant? Surely not.
“Sorry, ma’am. It’s a standard question. I have to ask all females before they get an x-ray.”
“Okay.” I’m sure that is something most people know, but this is my first x-ray. I went my entire childhood and teenager years without any physical injuries. For someone who is as clumsy as me, that’s a miracle.
He leaves the room to stand behind a closed-in wall. From there, he speaks to me through an intercom system.
“Please be as still as you can,” he requests, and before I know it, the entire process is over and I’m getting off the table walking to the door.
When I exit, Nick is leaning back against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks tense and stressed. I hope he gets over this soon. It’s going to eventually start getting on my nerves. There are only so many times I can tell him I’m fine and it was an accident.
Dr. Thornton is walking out of the same room I came from. I had no idea he was even in there. I guess he was behind the same wall the tech was in when he was taking my x-ray. He comes to stand in front of me.
“You ribs are bruised, but there is nothing on the x-ray to indicate a fracture. It’s possible you have a hairline fracture since you are having a little difficulty breathing, but all is clear on the x-ray. You are free to leave, but I would recommend resting for a few days. It will help them heal quicker.” He looks over to Nick who is pushing off the wall.