Page 12 of Petals & Promises

Bailey-Rose

As I sat on the table in the exam room waiting for Dr. Arbour to come in, I absently swung my legs, trying not to get too excited. Today marked five weeks since my surgery, and while I still wasn’t at a hundred percent, I would safely say I was at a solid ninety percent back to normal. All the goals Dr. Arbour wanted to see me accomplish before clearing me I’d met, and then some. There was nothing I wanted more than to be released from medical restrictions and free to get started living my life again.

Waffles lay on the floor with Nugget sitting alert beside him, his little black nose taking in all the scents of the room. Hank and I worked together for about a week as he taught me all the commands needed to work with Waffles. He’d been trained in a different language, and if I didn’t say the word just right, Waffles didn’t react fast enough. Hank gave me an audio recording to listen to so I could hear the inflections in the correct areas.

When it came to the medical alert tasks, Waffles did that on autopilot as did Nugget. Up until a week and a half ago, I’d been sleeping alone. Dr. Arbour and the guys feared rolling on top of me or rogue limbs smacking into me before I was healed enough. Thankfully, I had Nugget. He’d curled up right next to my head and would be there with a comforting lick when I woke up from nightmares. Now that I was off all the heavy medication, they were much better and less frequent, but there were still some nights I woke up in a cold sweat seeing Randall’s face looming over me.

Since the beginning, two of the guys would sleep in the room with me on mattresses they set up. They would comfort me until I fell back asleep, but it was nothing like the feeling of being safe and wrapped in their arms. Just this week, I returned to my nest, and one of them snuggled up with me for the night. My hope was once Dr. Arbour gave me the all clear, I could convince them to get their asses back in my bed. Then maybe something else they’d been reluctant to test the limit on would happen. This Omega was getting needy, and there was only one solution to sort out that issue.

“Hey, kiddo, sorry to make you wait,” Dr. Arbour said in greeting as he went straight to wash his hands. “I was waiting for the lab to send your stress test results back so I could look them over. Seems they are training some new people, and it got lost.”

“Here I was thinking you just wanted to torture me,” I shot back with a grin. “After you clear me today, I won’t need to see you for the next three months, and this is payback.”

Dr. Arbour chuckled and began his physical examination, which caused Waffles to sit up, watching the doctor carefully. I held up a hand, telling him to stay just to be sure he didn’t decide Dr. Arbour was doing something to hurt me.

“You’d think after our third meeting, he’d know I wasn’t going to harm you,” Dr. Arbour muttered. “Deep breath, as deep as you can, and hold it. Now, let it out all the way until there is nothing left. Good and good. Lungs sound excellent, no fluid buildup or restricted movements.”

Next, he swiped the torture device off the desk and handed it to me. Glaring at it, I placed the tube between my lips, took a deep breath, and blew as hard as I could to get that damn little red ball to the black line. Out of everything, this was the one task I struggled with the most. My lungs were slightly underdeveloped due to the genetic issue I faced, as well as not being able to push the limits of my body to strengthen them.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough… you’re turning purple, kiddo,” Dr. Arbour said, grabbing the device and pulling it away. “You know I don’t expect you to hit the line yet, but you sure came damn close that time. I bet at your next appointment in three months, it will be easy-peasy for you to do.”

My eyes grew wide. “Wait, does that mean you’re clearing me?”

“It sure does, Miss Thatcher,” Dr. Arbour announced, scribbling something on my chart. “As of this moment, all medical restrictions are removed. Hold on, there,” he said, cutting off my escape. “There is a reason I asked to have this appointment in private. I know those men love you and want the best for you, but some matters are yours to decide for yourself.”

That made me curious. “Like what?”

“Birth control,” he stated. “I know you’re already on it, but what I want to ask is how long do you want to be on it? There are many options besides pills if you choose to be on it for the near future. I can inject an implant that offers two, three, or five years of protection. Then you don’t have to worry about missing a dose. However, if you want to try for kids in the next year or sooner, then I’d suggest sticking with what you’re doing now.”

“Why would you need to ask me this alone?” I pressed.

Dr. Arbour let out a sigh. “You have not had to experience the pressure many Omegas face, until now, since you couldn’t have children. In many packs, not all, there is an understanding that children will be part of an Omega’s duties. I realize that sounds very old-world, but I’ve found the answer I get with the Alphas in the room and without are entirely different. So now, as a rule, I have this talk in private so we can have an honest conversation.”

“Huh,” I mused aloud. “I can see why that makes sense.”

“Do you have questions, concerns, or anything else you want to know about?” Dr. Arbour offered.

In some ways, talking to him about this was weird, having been his patient since I was a baby, but he was a professional and simply looking out for me. “I know for sure I’m not looking to build a family in the next year. There is so much I want to see and do now that I have that freedom. Let’s go with the three-year implant. That way, I have time to think about it after living a little. Plus, not having to worry about taking another pill would be magical.”

“That sounds like a wise choice to me,” Dr. Arbour said with a nod and gathered the supplies he needed.

Moments later, with a little poke, some numbing, and a giant-ass needle, my arm was being wrapped up.

“Give it one day before testing out how effective this is,” Dr. Arbour cautioned. “You’ve lasted five weeks, so I’m sure one more day won’t be that bad. One last thing, then you can go live a beautiful life.”

Dr. Arbour settled his hands on my shoulders and gave me a sweet yet watery smile. I could feel panic starting to rise, causing Nugget to let out a sharp bark when he couldn’t reach me. Dr. Arbour scooped up Nugget and placed him in my arms, patting my knee affectionately.

“No need to fret, kiddo… this is good news,” he assured me. “I am retiring at the end of the week. My practice will be handed over to Timmon and another surgeon I trust to care for my patients. You were the reason I continued to work this long because I couldn’t trust anyone else with your care. Bailey-Rose, you are like a granddaughter to me, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you grow up, find love, and be given a second chance to see the world.”

This had been the last thing I’d expected him to say. “You’re not that old… you can’t retire.”

“Oh, you sweet girl, but I am that old. Hell, I was old when I helped bring you into this world.” He laughed. “This is a good thing, Bailey-Rose. I had one more surgery left in me, and I saved it for you. Now it’s time to let the younger generation make their mark in the world. For years, I lived in this hospital more than my own home with my pack. It’s time for us both to travel and have wild adventures. Who knows, we might run into each other on the beach or hiking a mountain. That would be a memory worth making, don’t you think?”

A tear rolled down my cheek, but it was a happy one, even though I was going to miss these moments with the man who saved my life more times than I can count. “It would be the best memory.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Arbour cheered, clapping his hands together. “Come on, kiddo, let me walk you and your pack out one last time so I can make this memory too.”

“Maybe we should take a picture, just in case you get really old and forgetful,” I suggested.