“Nix?” I didn’t recognize the woman who stepped from inside the small doorway. ‘My name is Rebecca. I’m a nurse here. If you’re ready to come with me, we can get started.” Her smile was warm as she waited, holding the door open for me. I nodded at Hiro who shot me a reassuring smile.
“Okay. Um, what all can I expect?” I stepped through the door with no small amount of trepidation. The setup was warmer than I had expected, the stark white of the hallways softening to cream. The medical equipment here was simple and familiar, a basic triage station.
“Don’t worry. We’re going to keep this as simple as possible. I’m going to do your basic information and medical history here. Then I’ll place an IV.” She smiled softly at my grimace. “I know. It’s not pleasant. But I’ll need it for the CAT scan. Contrast scans are easier to read. Are you afraid of needles? I could see if we can give you a mild sedative.”
I recoiled at the thought. “No. Thank you, but no. I’d rather deal with any discomfort than be sedated.”
“No problem. Is Hiro coming in with you?” I turned to Hiro surprised that the nurse knew him.
“Yes, Rebecca, I’ll join her unless she becomes uncomfortable with it. It’s good to see you; it’s been awhile. Nix, Becca grew up in the same sleuth as Theo.” Hm. I wasn’t quite sure if that made me more or less comfortable. I liked that she knew Theo, the other guys, and probably Rini as well. At the same time, it still felt odd to me that someone who knew my friends was going to be examining me so intimately. Especially since I didn’t want the exam in the first place, and I was being forced into it.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rebecca.” I decided to stick with her actual name since I didn’t know her, but it hadn’t crossed my notice that they were friendly enough for nicknames. I tried not to be jealous; I’m sure they had tons of friends before me. Girlfriends too. I tried not to cringe. “I’m ready to get started if you are.” I just wanted this to be over with as quickly as possible and go home with my guys. Maybe I could convince Damien to make something special for dinner or dessert tonight, and we could continue our Marvel marathon. That had ended so well last time. My Phoenix swirled inside of me at the idea of staking more of a claim on them. I couldn’t keep the small smile from my lips as I remembered tasting Kill for the first time. I let my mind stay focused on my guys as she took my blood pressure, my pulse, my weight, and my basic information.
“Doing great so far.” Rebecca turned to a cabinet and began pulling packages from inside. “Ready for the IV now?”
I wasn’t sure if it as the smartest move, but I couldn’t resist. “Hiro, can you hold my hand?” He didn’t even pause to question, immediately reaching out to twine his fingers through mine.
“Alright, let me clean your arm.” Hiro’s fingers played with mine as the nurse prepped the area, humming to herself. “Good job. Now, there’s going to be a big pinch.” I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, gripping hard on Hiro’s hand. Remembering my training, I reached out to my Phoenix. Hold tight, girl. This’ll hurt, but it’s not a bad thing. I tightened my hold on her as I felt the pressure start on my arm. I hissed through my teeth at the pain, focusing on the way Hiro’s fingers were stroking across mine. “Good job. The worst is done.” I breathed out, thankful she had been quick.
“Great job, Nix.” Hiro’s voice was warm, his eyes soft as they met mine. I smiled shakily, releasing the hold on my Phoenix. She chirped at me, irritated at the strong hold I had used and upset that we were in pain. “Just a few more tests. There’s a benefit of not going to a human hospital—the wait time is much shorter. We’ll be in and out quickly.”
“Hiro, for this part I need you to step out.” Rebecca’s expression was series as she stood at the foot of the bed. “You can wait right outside of the door. I’ll come get you when she’s ready for you.” I swallowed hard, but, having been in the hospital many times I had an idea what was coming. She turned to me as the door closed, her smile sweet. “Alright, Nix. Just a few questions. Whatever you say to me here is confidential, alright?” I nodded, though I didn’t trust a word of it.
“Are you sexually active?”
“No, not at the moment.”
“Are you on any form of birth control and do you have or want access to birth control should you become sexually active?”
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I dug my fingers into my thighs. “I’m not on birth control. I do have access to contraception should I choose to become sexually active.” This was always so embarrassing.
“Nix, are you safe where you are?” Rebecca looked up from her notes. “I’ve known the guys for years, but it can be overwhelming and emotional to find yourself in an entirely new situation. Are you being pressured at all?”
“No.” I bit the word out. I wasn’t going to give them more than this. I was sure that everything I said and did today was being reported right back to the Council. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing my thoughts as well. I would tell my guys how I felt about them, no one else.
“Good. You can always come to the Council if you have concerns. They protect their people well.” Brain dead lemming. I couldn’t help the thought that popped into my head. My Phoenix hissed her agreement. “Alright, I’m going to do an ultrasound on you. Now, you can have Hiro here for this, but as it’s internal, I thought you might be more comfortable alone.” I considered that for a moment. I kind of wanted Hiro in here to hold my hand. I knew this wouldn’t be pleasant for me. It would be uncomfortable bordering on painful, not to mention the psychological effect. At the same time, for Hiro to be next to me while I was naked from the waist down and a stranger did an internal ultrasound. That was a little nerve-wracking as well.
“Why do you need the ultrasound, anyway?” I was trying to buy myself a few minutes to sort through my feelings. My Phoenix hissed her displeasure. She didn’t understand my embarrassment. She wanted Hiro here to comfort and protect us.
“It may be a long time in the future, but you’re extremely rare Nix. The best thing for our species is if you have children. We are checking to see if any issues that will arise with that. Some things can be treated if they’re caught early.” They really did just want to use me as a broodmare. These people were insane. Okay, a part of me did want children one day, but I was only eighteen. That would be years in the future.
“I do think I’d like Hiro here. Will you tell him to come in?”
“Of course.” She stepped over to the door, pulling it open to find Hiro waiting patiently. “She’d like you here for the ultrasound if you’re comfortable with that.” Her tone was cool. I wasn’t sure if she disagreed with Hiro being there, or she was trying to be professional.
Hiro’s voice was equally cool. “Of course. She knew all she had to do was ask for me. I assured her you’d respect her choices.” Apparently, Hiro had picked up on the tone of the nurse’s voice as well as I had. He strode to me, his face softening in concern. “Nix, I know they want to do an ultrasound. Did you want me next to you, or do you want me to hold your hand?”
I bit my lip. I honestly wasn’t sure which would be better. I had no idea how I was going to react to a full ultrasound. “Can we start with you holding my hand? I’ll tell you if it gets to be too much.” Ugh, I hated being so nervous. I wondered if seeing me like this would change the way he thought about me. Hiro angled himself so he could see my face slightly but was mainly facing the wall, and reached for my hand.