Page 107 of Fierce-Dane

Already the little girl’s color was better. He knew she was eating well because Sloane had told him she’d found Shiloh sneaking food and wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

“Hi, Shiloh. Do you remember me?”

“Dane,” Shiloh said. “Sloane’s boyfriend.”

“Dr. Grey,” Sloane said. “That is what you’ve got to call him when you’re here.”

“Actually most of my patients call me Dr. Dane, but you can call me Dane.”

He’d make sure everyone knew who Sloane and Shiloh were when the appointment was over.

“This is my first,” Sloane said. “Not sure what you need from me or anything?”

“I’ve got Shiloh’s records.”

“Oh,” she said. “How come I didn’t know that?”

“I got them this morning. They were sent over after hours and I read them before I came in,” he said. “I would have called you, but I knew you were coming. There isn’t anything to be concerned about. She’s up to date on her immunizations and vaccines or she wouldn’t have been able to start school. I’m going to do a thorough exam and then we’ll go from there but nothing to worry about. Are you afraid of doctors?”

He was looking at Shiloh and she shook her head no. She was shy, but he expected it.

He asked more questions than over the weekend, he had her perform some simple actions to make sure her coordination was there, then he sent her with a nurse for an eye and ear test along with blood work.

“Is that all necessary?” she asked. “She looked scared.”

“I know,” he said. “And I know you want to be with her for the blood work, but I’ve learned that kids do better without a parent with them. Our nurses are great. She’ll be fine. But her records are bare. Maybe she never gets sick, but she only goes when she needs shots and half her shots were done recently to get ready for school. Don’t you want toknow if there is anything going on we don’t know about or she wouldn’t even think to tell you?”

“Yeah,” Sloane said. “I guess. I don’t go to the doctor. I have a doctor but rarely see him. Half the time I put off my annual until they hound me. I do go to the gynecologist once a year so don’t lecture me too much.”

“I won’t,” he said. It wasn’t his place to do it. Especially the way she was brought up. “Are you going back to work today? I’ve got a half a day off.”

“You do?” she said. “How come?”

“Just some things to get done. Nothing major. Sometimes its easier to run those errands without the kids.”

“And you were with me this weekend so didn’t have time,” she said. “I’m sorry. As for work, I’m bringing Shiloh to school, then going in for three appointments this morning, then I’ll be done by noon. Two are facials and don’t take as long. I’ve got a meeting with the teacher and principal when I pick Shiloh up at three.”

“Would you like to spend a few hours together?” he asked. “Alone. I worry about you.”

She smiled at him. A forced one. “I think that would be nice. Maybe I need something else to take over my mind for a few hours. Everyone at work knows I’m coming and going.” She looked at her watch and grimaced.

“She’ll be done any minute,” he said. “You’ll get her to school and get to the spa when it opens. I made sure they knew that.”

“Thank you,” she said.

The door opened a minute later. Shiloh had a bandage on her arm from the blood work and a sticker on her shirt plus a lollipop in her hand.

“Look,” Shiloh said. “I love these.”

The bright smile on the little girl’s face almost broke hisheart to see that kind of excitement over something so silly.

“I didn’t know that,” Sloane said. “I think we’ll have to get a bag of them at the house for a treat.”

Shiloh ran and hugged her big sister. He walked them out and said he’d be in touch with the results, then went to see his next patient.

Hours later he was knocking on her door.

She opened it fast and pulled him in by his shirt, her mouth landing on his.