AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pretty much,” I laughed. “But us going to some place low-key should show you I’m not trying to get laid. I just want to enjoy some time with you. I like you as a person, and I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought you’d irritate the fuck out of me the entire time.”
“That’s why you invited me hiking?”
“I honestly don’t know why I invited you hiking. It seemed like it would be a good time, and I’d love to watch you try your hand at cooking a steak in a skillet over a campfire.”
She laughed, and her expression brightened. “You know what? If we could get some time off and maybe take a couple of friends, I think I would enjoy a trip to the woods. I haven’t done anything since before I started med school, and it seems like it would be refreshing.”
“There’s the fucking spirit. I’ll work with scheduling, but do we have to bring friends?”
“Yes,” she quickly responded. “I think the more the merrier.”
“Jesus,” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think I have any friends who are the camping type.”
“All the rich friends, eh? You guys all stick together?”
“Pretty much. I’ll see who I can dig up on my side. You figure out your friend situation, too, since apparently, we need supervision. We’ll be a bunch of crazy city slickers camping in the fucking woods.”
“See, it already sounds like a great time,” she said. “It’s always fun camping with a group.”
“How the hell am I supposed to learn more about you with the distraction of people around us?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ll figure it out, Dr. Aster,” she said, disappearing into the locker room.
This woman was not just a mystery to me; she was a challenge. I always loved a good challenge, though, and Mickie, with her bold personality, was equal to the task.
And now, it looked like I would have to round up some poor asshole and force him to go to the woods with me, buy camping gear from God knows where, and hope that Mickie didn’t have any annoying friends.
I had no idea what in the hell I was doing, or why I was doing it, but I loved the spark of energy I felt growing when I was around Mickie. Somehow, she made me feel lighter and ignited a different kind of energy within me, and I wasn’t ready to let go of it.
Chapter Ten
Mickie
After two soft knocks on the door, I slowly entered exam room four, where my patient, Abigail Flores, waited for me to perform her routine preventative health exam. I was so happy to see younger teens considering their reproductive healthcare and ensuring all was well.
Abigail was sixteen and was not sexually active, and since this was her first exam with me, I could feel her nerves radiating throughout the entire room.
“How are we doing, Abigail?” I questioned. Based on what she'd communicated through our initial introduction, I knew she wasn’t looking forward to this next part.
“A bit nervous,” she chuckled.
“That’s perfectly normal,” I answered, taking the swivel stool from next to my assisting nurse and sitting on it. “Trust me,” I smiled at Nurse Paula while retrieving my devices needed for the pelvic exam, “none of us ladies are big fans of this part. You’re not the only one who doesn’t look forward to it,” I said as Paula guided Abigail to lie back so I could begin the exam, “But we must do these things to keep healthy and happy.”
“Happy is one way to put it,” she nervously said as her feet entered each stirrup.
This wasn’t my favorite part of my job, but it was rewarding because of its importance. There was a certain amount of shame or embarrassment that sometimes came along with reproductive organs, and my utmost desire was to remove any stigma from ensuring everyone had the best healthcare.
As I began the exam, the nurse assisted me, and everything went promptly and professionally. Using the smaller speculum and a warm lubricant, I was as gentle as possible, doing my best to avoid discomfort.
“I need you to communicate with me if anything feels uncomfortable,” I reminded her when I saw her legs begin to tremble.
It was probably her nerves, but I wanted to be sure I wasn’t hurting her in any way.
Some patients tended to be silent, and for good reason—this certainly wasn’t the time and place to talk about the weather—but if I had a nervous patient on my exam table, their muscles tended to clench in ways that made an exam more painful.
“I’m good,” she said while I continued with the pap smear.
Once the pap was finished, I stood, turned, pulled off my gloves, and turned to the sink to wash my hands.
