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“Great. I’ll make a note here, and we’ll do the testing after. Dr. Sartani will see you now in exam room C.”
We gather our things and follow the bright, sterile hallway toward exam room C. The walls are lined with colorful murals of animals and trees, a stark contrast to the confused and very adult thoughts about Hunter that are running through my head. Sophie sways Charlie gently in her arms as she hums a nursery rhyme under her breath.
Inside the room, Dr. Sartani waits with a warm smile. Her white coat is immaculately pressed, and her eyes radiate kindness. "Hello, Charlie! And how are you today?" she coos, making Charlie giggle in response. Her eyes then settle on me. “And you’re the mother, yes?”
A sharp, warm twinge hits my heart. An unexpected need. In a way, I wish I was, but I shake my head, then gesture to Sophie. “No. She’s the mother.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Usually I’m better at telling who the parental one is,” Dr. Sartani says.
“It’s OK,” Sophie says. “Between the two of us, Emily’s way more suited to be a mom. Which is why we’re here, I suppose.”
“Thank you for agreeing to see Charlie,” I say. “We really appreciate it.”
Dr. Sartani holds up a calming hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to see Charlie. Maggie and I try to help people when we can. It’s not much, but it feels good to make a difference to the best that we’re able. We both know healthcare can be so complicated and expensive that it keeps some people from even taking the basic steps to care for themselves.”
“Thank you, too,” Sophie says.
“Don’t mention it,” Dr. Sartani says. She looks over Charlie, performing a basic examination of his vitals — heartbeat, temperature, and then she places him on a small scale and weighs him. “Now, if I understand correctly what Maggie told me, Charlie had an allergic reaction the other night, and he also is getting over a cold, is that correct?”
Sophie nods vigorously. “Yes. He got the wrong meds for his cold, but then we gave him a good jab with one of my EpiPens and he’s as good as new… except for being sick.”
Dr. Sartani mutters something under her breath that sounds like ‘Dear god’ and then she says, “And how long has he been sick?”
Sophie shrugs. “A few days. Maybe more, maybe less.”
Another ‘Dear god’ under her breath, but louder this time. “I see. So, for length of sickness, we’ll just say ‘unknown.’ Does he have any other allergies?”
Sophie shrugs again. “I don’t know, except for whatever was in that medicine he got. To be honest, I was pretty surprised by his reaction, because I’ve had many medicines and related chemical substances and I’ve never had an allergic reaction. Negative reactions, yes, but those usually come the morning after.”
“Well, allergies have a tendency to be hereditary. Perhaps his father has allergies we should be aware of?”
“Maybe,” Sophie says nonchalantly. “Except his father is a drifter, and the only things I know he was allergic to are homes, a stable job, and vanilla sex, so…”
“Are you fucking serious right now?” Dr. Sartani says. “Do you know anything about the human life that you carried inside you for nine months? Has your baby had his immunizations?”
“Some, I assume.”
There’s a vein pulsing in Dr. Sartani’s forehead that tells me she’s going to need a doctor soon, too, if I don’t intervene.
“Dr. Sartani, we really appreciate your generosity and your patience in helping Charlie, despite the challenging and, uh, woefully inadequate way in which he has been raised so far.” I pause, and in the interim, Sophie shoots me a look that says, ‘Rude,’ and then I continue, “But, if you check him out tonight, maybe you can also do an antibody titer test to see which immunizations he needs? I’ll leave my phone number with your receptionist and I promise I will be the responsible party to bring him in and make sure he gets his shots.”
“You promise? It would make me feel better about this whole arrangement. Maggie speaks so highly of you, Emily.”
I blush. “She does?”
“Suck up,” Sophie whispers, too quiet for anyone but me to hear.
“She does. Of all the assistants she’s had, you’re the one she’s liked the most. So if you vouch to be the responsible party for Charlie here, I’ll continue to the examination.”
“I promise,” I say. My heart drops, even if it’s for all the right reasons. So much for being a reckless rebel.
Then I smile.
At least it means I’m required to see Hunter a few more times.
Maybe responsibility has its benefits.
Chapter Fourteen
