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He chuckled. "Cody, I've been out of college longer than most of you have been out of high school. I'm probably ten years older than you."
"Twenty-two," I told him.
He bobbed his head. "Ok, eight. Just turned thirty. All I'm saying is that I remember being their age, so yes, we're making plans for you in here. Besides, it's easier to admit it hurts when you don't feel like you're keeping up with the boys."
"True," I relented. "But do you know what Dr. Stephens wanted? Tanner said something about birth control?"
"That's more than I knew," he admitted. "Just get comfy, and as soon as he has his latest patient handled, I'll send him in."
I sat in the chair for what felt like an eternity, kicking my legs under me just for something to do. If there had've been a clock in here, I probably would've been going crazy at the ticking of the second hand. Moments passed, then more. Eventually, someone tapped at the door and opened it.
"Cody?" Dr. Stephens asked, as he stepped inside.
I'd only met him once when I'd smashed my nose on my first ride, but he looked exactly the same. Unlike most physicians, Dr. Stephens wore a western shirt that declared his place with sports medicine, and where a last name would be on the back, his simply said, "Doctor."
"Hi, Dr. Stephens," I greeted him.
He moved over to a stool beside a card table. "Ok, since it looks like you're going to be sticking with us for a while, I wanted to go over a few things." He pulled out a few supplies, laying them on the table to prove this wasn't going to be only a chat. "To start with, can we talk about sexually transmitted infections?"
"Oh, god," I groaned, bracing for this to get bad.
"Look, I am only bringing this up because your partners have all come in to get tested. I would assume that means you'd want to as well, but it's not required."
"What?" I asked.
He flashed me a knowing smile. "Cody, the PBR isn't that big. I know what bars the riders go to. I'm well aware of what happens after the events. I also have earned the trust of these guys, and I'm hoping I'll be able to earn yours. You see, I am a doctor. My specialty is in medicine related to athletic injuries, but I'm licensed as a family practitioner as well. In other words, I'm the family doctor for most of the people on this wild ride."
"Gotcha," I said.
So he propped his elbow up on that card table and turned to face me. "I also know you're a healthy young woman. I can guess you're using some form of birth control, and I know just how hard it is to get a doctor to fill that without an exam. However, I can prescribe it, or administer. I just don't really keep up on the types." He lifted a finger. "What I'm saying is that if you tell me what you want, I'll make sure you can get it."
"I use depo," I told him. "The shot."
"Easy enough," he promised, making a quick note. "And STI testing, did you want me to run that as well?"
"What does it require?" I asked, trying to imagine propping my legs up for a gyno exam.
"Just a blood test," he promised. "I send it out to one of the local hospitals, with the tubes marked with numbers. When I get the results back, I'll call you to let you know if you have anything to worry about."
"Ok," I agreed. "Sounds good. I mean, there's no downside, right?"
"Exactly," he said.
Then he stood and began to gather up those supplies he'd pulled out. "If you'd like to roll up your sleeve, I can do that right now, actually."
I worked free the button at my cuff, then tried to shove the whole thing higher. When it got stuck, I gave up and went for the buttons on the front. Dr. Stephens was busy getting his tubes out, but when he turned back, I was peeling myself half out of my shirt. Beneath, I wore a tank, just like always.
"Ok," he said, wrapping a band around my bicep and picking up the needle. "Stick."
I looked away just as the pinch hit. Pulling in a breath, I made myself relax, and Dr. Stephens kept talking. "Also, your paperwork gives me the right to release basic updates about your health to the public. That means whether you're in stable condition after an accident. In the event of a death, the family is told first, but the fans like to know if you're serious or going to be ok."
"Makes sense," I agreed.
"The rest of what we do is confidential," he told me, his voice turning serious. "Cody, I don't care how many people you sleep with, in what order, or anything else. I'm not going to tell you not to ride bulls - or that you should. My only job here is to keep you as healthy as possible, ok?"
"Ok," I agreed.
He just snorted out a laugh and shook his head. "I am trying my hardest to make you relax, and you just keep giving me the one-word replies."
