Page 49 of Wild

"No, it's not that, but there's this weird pain back here and I don't know what it is." Mia reaches back and touches the base of her skull, and Erin frowns and scoots the chair a little closer.

"Weird how? Describe it to me—exactly where."

Mia leans forward and points to the base of her skull, right at the top of the back of her neck.

"It's not a headache. It's more like this really uncomfortable tightness. I don't know how to explain it, Dooley—it feels like something's squeezing me right there."

"Okay, let me feel."

Erin stands up and sits beside her on the bed, framing Mia's head in both hands as she presses her fingers gently through her hair.

"Around here?"

"Yeah, right there." Mia swallows.

"How far does it spread? What area does it cover?"

Mia raises her own hands and finds Erin's, and she takes them and guides them to exactly where it hurts.

"Am I going to pass out?" she asks, frightened.

"No, I don't think this is related to that. Does it hurt more when I press, or is it always the same intensity?"

"Same, but it's not exactly pain…"

"Just that clamped-down feeling. Right," Erin murmurs, meeting Mia's blue eyes.

"So what is it?"

Erin drops one hand and takes Mia's, pressing two fingers to her wrist to check her pulse just in case.

"I think it's just tension—like that area is locked up tight."

"Why would it be?" the singer wants to know.

"Could be a lot of things, but mostly stress and nerves. Lie down. I'll work on it, and if it doesn't ease up, I'll give you an anti-inflammatory or a muscle relaxant."

"On my back?"

"Yeah, face up."

Mia lets herself fall back onto the mattress and Erin sits beside her at chest level, sliding her hands behind Mia's head to work the area.

"Relax. Close your eyes if you want and try to clear your head."

Mia wants to laugh and ask her how the hell she's supposed to clear her head when Erin's hands are on her body, but she says nothing—she just lies still, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Erin's fingers move slowly against the spot that aches, and the singer feels some relief, though not enough, because she is completely rigid.

"Relax your shoulders, Wilder."

Erin tries to help by touching her left shoulder, pressing gently to coax it loose—but she gets the exact opposite result. Mia flinches as if Erin's fingers sent a jolt through her and grips the sheets with both hands like that might help her stay still.

"Would you rather sit up?" the doctor asks, starting to feel unsettled herself.

"Yeah, that's better," the singer answers.

Erin stands and returns to the chair while Mia pushes back up to her original position. She can't help looking at her: bare legs covered only by cotton athletic shorts that barely reach mid-thigh, and a thin-strapped tank top with nothing underneath. Mia had dressed this way planning to lie down and sleep throughthe ride, but the discomfort had started not long after she'd gotten into bed and never let up. She wouldn't have received Erin like this if she'd had a choice—but here they are, and the doctor is having a very hard time keeping her eyes off Mia's top, where the outline of her nipples is impossible to miss.

"Okay." Erin clears her throat. For a moment she considers standing up, handing her a pill, and walking out—but her principles won't let her. If she can fix the problem without putting a chemical in Mia's body, she'd rather do that.