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No matter, though. We had a task to handle, and only the best would do. My boy needed to be cared for. I would not settle for anything less than excellence in his care.
That mindset, of course, is how we wound up in one of the nicest doctor’s offices in the state. Inside the building, there were crystal chandeliers and fancy furniture everywhere. It looks more like somewhere you would go to have a nice drink at the end of a workday than a medical office.
A young, pretty receptionist with curly lime green hair waved at us as we approached the counter. “Hi there. Do you have an appointment with us today?"
I gave her a nod. “This one does under the name Ashley Dunklin.”
She clicked away on her keyboard, then smiled.” Yes. I remember this appointment set up. You were very thorough in your questions. I’m glad you could make it. Just fill out these forms and initial where highlighted. The audiologist will be with you shortly.”
I took the forms from her, then motioned for my boy to take a spot on the comfy looking couch. He had gone quiet since we’d walked inside. I wasn’t sure if it was because of nerves or if he simply felt the need to let me be Daddy in this role. I had taken the liberty of making the appointment because I wanted there to be some type of progress in his journey. Now that we were here, I didn’t mind continuing to take the lead.
Together, we filled out the forms quickly. I was able to take them back up to the green-haired girl in less than five minutes. Felt like a record. There should’ve been streamers and balloons or something, especially considering that there were fourteen pages of paperwork to go through.
Once I gave her the information about the insurance, both his primary with the VA, and his secondary with the ranch, she told us it would only be another moment before we’re called back. I liked that she said we, since I had no intention of letting him out of my sight.
No sooner than I’d sat down did the door in the corner open. Another woman, this time with bright pink hair, with a clipboard in hand, called my boy’s name. She waved us both over once we stood.
“My name is Shonda. I'm happy to be assisting you today. You’ll just come in the room right here and have a seat.” She verified the information on the forms, then said, “Dr. Bev will see you soon.”
When the door closed, I turned to look at Ashley. He had a glazed over expression on his face. It was like he was here, but he wasn’t.
Cupping his cheeks, I pressed kisses along his jaw and nose and cheek. I moved slowly so he could feel the love radiating from me. I needed him to come back to himself or else this test would be pointless.
“Baby,” I whispered.
His eyes focused a bit as he looked at me. “Daddy?”
“All they’re doing is a test to see what you can and cannot hear. There’s no reason to be nervous or to worry. I will be here the entire time. And if they tell me I have to leave, then I will be standing right on the other side of that door until you’re finished. No matter what the outcome is, we're going to take care of it together. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
I chuckled as the two words left his lips. “It’s been a while since you’ve had to say that. Does it feel weird now?”
“Not really. It’s strange saying it to you, though.” His little grin had relief moving through me. He was finally coming back to himself.
At that exact moment, the audiologist walked into the room. She was an older woman with gray hair and a white lab coat. Underneath, she wore a plain black dress. I realized quickly that she was more like a grandmother ready to sneak a child candy than a doctor. It would hopefully have a calming effect on my boy.
“Hello, you two handsome young men. My name is Dr. Beverly. I will be your audiologist today, and I'm here to determine what we need to do about this hearing. Which one of you is Ashley?”
The appointment continued with her asking questions about when he started to notice his hearing was changing and what the actual change sounded like. She then proceeded to give him a hearing test, which she allowed me to stay beside him for. Icouldn’t hear anything because he wore headphones, but I could feel him struggling through it.
After she put away all her equipment, Dr. Beverly reviewed her information for a moment in silence before looking up. “I never enjoy telling someone bad news. The short version of it is that you do have severe hearing loss in one ear. I would highly recommend a hearing aid. It will need to be worn pretty much any time you would like to hear properly. The choice is entirely yours though.”
“What is the process for getting this started? I want him feeling his best as soon as possible.”
She smiled at me knowingly. “When you called and expressed your concerns, I had my appointment technician block off extra time at the end of this appointment in order to go ahead and get you fitted for the aids. I know that you had to travel a bit to get here, so let’s do as much as we can while you’re in the office. We can show you how to use them today with a test set and then have your permanent one sent to you. Technology has advanced so much that I can even help you get them sorted from here. I doubt they’ll be more than a few tweaks.”
“That’s great news! Isn’t it, baby?” My boy nodded absently as his gaze went to the window.
Dr. Beverly must have picked up on his frustration because she told us she would go get what was needed to finish things up and be right back with us.
There wasn’t enough time to do much but hold him close and whisper encouragement before she returned. The rest of the visit went by with her measuring him and taking molds. I barely understood half of what she said, but I knew a good evening spent online researching would bring me up to speed. I was also going to check on how we needed to care for everything to be prepared. If this was what my boy needed, then this was what he was going to get.
Chapter Twelve
Ashley
On the ride home,I was a mess of emotion. I felt as if everything was going right while also going wrong. I was getting the help I needed, which was great. The only problem was I felt guilty.
