“Didn’t want her to catch a chill.”
Linc drew off her coat then his and she let out a sigh of relief. He left everything in the waiting room before grabbing her hand again, urging her after Doc. She listened in vain for any yelling. How cool would it be to hear her favorite author at work?
They walked into a bright office that held an examination table, a wooden desk and some cabinets.
Doc sat behind the desk and picked up a pen. Linc led her to one of the two chairs sitting in front of the desk. She bit her lip nervously, her leg moving up and down.
Doc didn’t look up. “You can sit on Linc’s lap if that makes you less nervous. Although I promise not to bite.”
“Oh, umm.”
“Most Littles prefer to sit on their Daddy’s lap when they come to see me,” he told her conversationally. As though they were making small talk about the weather.
She felt herself going bright red. “Is it that obvious?”
This time, he did look up. “What?”
“That I’m a . . . Little?”
Suddenly, his face softened with a smile. “No, sweetie. Well, maybe if you’re looking for it. But I asked Linc when he made the appointment and he said you were.”
She glanced at Linc, not sure that she wanted people to know. Then again, didn’t she know about the other Littles on the ranch? That Caley had two daddies?
“He only told me in case you wanted to slip into Little space while you’re here,” Doc told her in an almost gentle voice. “Some Littles prefer to come to the doctor in that headspace. Some don’t. It’s up to you.”
“Doc, how come you’re never this nice when I come to see you?” Linc grumbled.
“Because you’re late,” Doc snapped.
“This is the only time I’ve ever been late.”
“No, you were late for your very first appointment with me.”
Linc sighed. “Eight years ago. Jesus, Doc, you have to let things go.”
“Why?”
She knew they were bantering back and forth to give her time to figure things out. Doc turned to her.
“Um, I think I’m too nervous to be in, uhh, Little headspace.”
Doc just nodded. Then he started asking her a series of questions. Linc reached over and took her hand in his. She gave it a grateful squeeze, pleased she didn’t have to do this all on her own. The questions were all straightforward, though.
Then he started asking her questions about her diabetes.
“So you don’t use a continuous glucose monitor?” he asked.
“No, my aunt’s insurance wouldn’t fully cover the costs. Or at least that’s what she told me.” Who knew if it was really the truth? Maybe the insurance would cover the monitor and her aunt lied to her out of spite.
“So if I order a monitor along with a supply of sensors, you’ll use it? And would you use an insulin pump?”
“Oh.” She looked at Linc. “Well, yes. If that’s okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” Doc gave her a bewildered look.
“She’s worried about the cost, Doc,” Linc told him.
“Why the hell would you worry about that? It’s under Linc’s insurance. Not your job to worry about it. Got me?”
“All right.”
“Sounds like you’re doing good with managing it. But this will make your life easier and ensure that we are taking good care of you. You can now get some that are incorporated with insulin pumps. You can personalize them to your lifestyle and can get your blood glucose levels sent to your phone and to Linc’s and mine if you agree to that. It will better help us monitor your health.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“You talked through her health with her? Triggers? Concerns? Play?”
She blinked at him then realized he was talking to Linc. “We’ve talked about it. We’ve decided on limited bondage. We’re going to ease into any play in the bedroom. During Little time, I’ll have to keep a closer eye on her, of course.”
“The CGM will help with that. You know the signs of low and high blood sugar?”
Linc rattled them off, much to her shock. She’d given him the list but she hadn’t expected he’d have it all memorized.
“Good. And if you have any concerns, you call me right away.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“So I talked to Linc about how meal timing can be important. You likely already to that?”
“Yeah, I try to stick to regular meal times as much as I can.”
“Good.”
“I have an idea of how to help with that too,” Linc added.
“Okay. Linc, you need to make sure you have something close by that is high in glucose in case Marisol’s blood glucose level dips. And it’s a good idea to have something by the bed as well.”
“Already got that covered.” Linc drew out a couple of hard candies from his pocket. “Been carrying these in the pocket of whatever jeans I’m wearing since she told me.”
He had? Damn, that was so sweet. It hit her then, full force just how serious he was about taking care of her.
And she knew there would be no leaving once any danger to her was over. No way she could ever walk away from him. Not that she’d been seriously contemplating it anyway.
“I usually have my bag beside the bed, it has glucose tabs in it,” she told Doc.
“Good. Getting a good night’s sleep is always important. For everyone. Do you get off to sleep okay?”
“Um, not really,” she admitted. “I tend to read at night until I drop off to sleep from exhaustion.”
“That’s not good,” Linc commented. “You didn’t have to do that last night.”
She blushed at the memory of how many times she’d come last night. He’d exhausted her.
Doc snorted, obviously figuring out what had happened. “That’s one way to do it. Having a good bedtime routine will help you get to sleep. Go to bed at the same time each night. Dinner. Relaxing with TV or reading or however else you like to relax,” he gave Linc a knowing look which had her biting her lip, “bath time, small snack, then to bed. No devices or working right before bed.”
“Got it,” Linc said.
“Right, Marisol. Can you hop up on the table for me, please? Linc will help you. It’s kind of high.”
Doc got up and washed and dried his hands. She rose, still holding Linc’s hand as he led her to the table. Then he lifted her up so her legs dangled over the edge.
“Don’t I have to put on one of those scratchy gowns?” she asked.
“I try to avoid making my patients wear scratchy gowns,” Doc replied dryly. “Although Linc can wear one for his next examination. Punishment for being late.”
Linc just rolled his eyes. Then she watched as he grabbed a blood glucose monitor. He loaded a new lancet into the finger pricking device. Then he put set up the monitor with a new test strip. She took the lancer when he handed it over to prick her finger so he could test her blood glucose level.
“Good,” he commented, putting everything away.
To her surprise, Linc didn’t leave her side as Doc started his examination, feeling her glands and looking in her throat and ears.