Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Saylor pantomimed taking some medicine. Maybe he could give her something to help her feel better.
“I won’t prescribe anything for you without examining you, Saylor. Do I have your permission to treat you?” Zale asked, setting his bag down on the bedspread.
As she thought about it, the tickle in Saylor’s throat threatened to make her cough again. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she struggled not to cough. Both men watched her with worried expressions.
“I’ll be right here with you, Saylor,” Max promised. “Let Zale see if he can help you.”
Slowly, Saylor nodded. Was it possible that she could feel worse with every minute that went by? This illness was awful.
“Good girl,” Max praised her as Zale opened his medical bag and pulled out his stethoscope. As he fit the earpieces into place, Zale held the metal part that went against her skin in his hand. “I’ll try to warm this up a bit, and I’ll apologize in advance when it feels like ice.”
When she nodded, he approached and stood by the bed. Starting with her exposed back, he pressed the bell to her skin, making her shiver. “Sorry, Saylor. I’ll be quick. Take some deep breaths for me.”
He listened to her for longer than she anticipated. Did he hear something bad? She felt so awful. “Am I okay?” she whispered and coughed.
“No talking, little girl,” Max told her and gave her another sip of water.
“Your lungs are crackling a bit deep inside. That concerns me. Let’s see what I hear on the front side.” Zale listened to a couple of places above the covers before tugging them away.
Saylor clung to the sheet and comforter, not wanting him to see her breasts. She shook her head.
“Little girl. Zale is here to check on you. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t have a shirt on. Well, actually he does and would make you take it off,” Max told her firmly. “He’s not looking at you as a guy. He’s examining you as the nurse practitioner that he is. Think of him as a doctor.”
“But Pippa…” Saylor croaked.
“You are very sweet to worry about your friend. Pippa knows I am here. She’s asleep at Koa’s while I’m making my rounds. She understands my job requires me to examine male and female patients,” Zale said.
“But I’m her friend.”
“So are Aspen, Giana, and Brooklyn,” Max pointed out. “Zale gives each of them a full exam once a year and prescribes birth control. We’ll talk to him about that when you’re better.”
Staring at Max with wide eyes, Saylor processed that other Littles had said something about seeing Zale for medicine. She hadn’t even considered that he took intimate care of all the Littles.
“Saylor, we’ll talk about the future later and what you and your daddy wish to do. Right now, I’m worried about the sound in your lungs. If you don’t wish me to treat you, Max can take you to an urgent care,” Zale told her. His tone was kind and understanding.
Was it really any different to have Zale examine her than if she went to a stranger? He looked very concerned about her. Some random doctor at the urgent care in town would treat her and move on to their next patient in a flash. She released her strangle hold on the covers crunched up in her hand.
“Please?” she whispered.
“Thank you for letting me help,” Zale told her. “Your daddy’s going to stand right here and hold your hand. If you need me to stop, squeeze his fingers and he’ll tell me.”
Saylor nodded. She snaked her arm out of the covers and shivered. Max’s warm hand engulfed hers reassuringly.
Zale uncovered Saylor’s chest and listened to her lungs. When her cheeks burned with embarrassment, she hoped Zale would assume she had a fever. Zale was completely professional and efficient.
“It’s official, Saylor. You have the same thing everyone else does. I need to take your temperature and blood pressure to be safe in prescribing medicine. Max, how much does Saylor weigh?”
Saylor let out a strangled “Eep!” at that question. Max wouldn’t know that. She definitely hadn’t shared that information with him.
“One-twenty to one-thirty,” Max guessed.
Staring at him in disbelief, Saylor wondered how he knew that.
“No mystery, baby. I carry you around all the time. Roll over on your tummy for Zale,” Max urged.
She followed the directions automatically as she digested the fact that he could pinpoint intimate information about her so easily. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zale pull out a box and a tube of something. He opened the box and withdrew a plastic container, which he opened to reveal a thick thermometer. She wasn’t putting that in her mouth. Saylor buried her face in the pillow.
“Have you set up Saylor’s nursery yet?” Zale asked.
“No. I have a bunch of things on order. They’re coming next week. I hoped the team would help me put the furniture together,” Max said.