She patted the examination table.“I’m fine, Diana. I really don’t need to be checked out. It was just the flu.”She pinned me with her steely no-nonsense gaze. “I’ve known you for years and you have never been sick. Not once. Not even the sniffles. You’ve probably never even had a yeast infection.” She unhooked the stethoscope from around her neck. “So, when I hear you’re so sick you can’t even talk on the phone, I get a little concerned.”I jumped up onto the table, realized I’d never once sat on one. Never had to, as I’d never been to see a doctor for any illness. In fact, I’d never been for yearly exams either. My mother, of course, knew there had been no point. I wasn’t even born in a hospital. My mother had a mid-wife at the house.“Open your mouth,” Diana directed.I did and she checked the usual things—glands, tonsils, tongue color, saliva consistency. She then ran her fingers over my neck just below my ears, feeling for the same things. She checked my ears and my eyes, then put on the cuff to read my blood pressure.Naturally, everything came out perfect. Diana would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with me.“All right. I’m going to listen to your heart.”She had me turn a bit so she could lift up my shirt enough to get her hand and stethoscope under. She pressed it to my back and listened. After a few minutes, she moved the plate around.Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted the instant concern on her face.“What the…?”I slid off the table in a flash, tugging down my tunic.Brows wrinkled, she frowned. “Nina, I think you should let me look at your back. I felt…”“I’m fine, doc, like I said. Nothing to be concerned about.”She hooked the stethoscope back around her neck. But I knew it wasn’t the end of her examination. She could be dogged. I’d seen her in action time and time again.
