imperative.”
“I know,” she muttered all too aware of Tanner sitting beside her.
“How long has she had this ulcer?” Tanner directed the question at the Doctor.
Doc Samuels looked over at her, waiting for her nod before he answered.
“Since she was twelve. I gave her some
“Since she was twelve. I gave her some antibiotics and acid-reducing medication. I also suggested some counselling. I was worried about her. I didn’t feel she’d really dealt with the death of her parents. However Ryan wasn’t too enamoured of that idea.” The doctor’s voice was dry and Callie winced as she remembered Ryan’s reaction.
He’d thought it bad enough to have to pay for her to go to the Doctor, and he wasn’t going to part with the cash for her a ‘quack’ when all she needed to do was ‘harden up’.
His words, not hers.
“Twelve?” Tanner asked his voice incredulous. “Is that normal?”
“It happens, but not as common as adults, no,” the doctor answered him. “The ulcer was brought under control, but then flared up again two years ago. I prescribed some medicine and I warned Callie then that she had to slow I warned Callie then that she had to slow down. Too much stress can make the symptoms worse.” The doctor glared at her as Tanner snorted.
“Obviously she doesn’t listen well.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Callie glared at the two men who were happily discussing her as though she wasn’t even there. She cleared her throat.
The doctor looked at Callie sternly.
“You cannot expect to keep going the way you have been, young lady, and expect to get this ulcer under control. I know it’s got to be painful, and you’re only making things worse by not taking care of yourself.”
“If I guaranteed that Callie would follow your instructions to the letter, Doc, could we get this thing under control?”
The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.
The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.
What Callie struggles to understand is that this can be very dangerous. Were the ulcer to bleed she could become seriously ill. She must take this seriously or her health is going to suffer.”
“She will.” Tanner’s voice was ominous and Callie was tempted to tune out as the doctor recited a list of instructions. But she knew Tanner was memorising them and would gladly inform her of them later should she ignore them now. With a sigh she forced herself to listen.
“She needs to slow down, no more 14
hour days, no more heavy lifting. She needs to eat regularly. Also I’ll prescribe some blockers and more antibiotics. Are you going to take them?”
Both men stared at her sternly until she nodded grumpily.
“Whatever she can do to keep her stress at a minimum, she should do it. No caffeine or alcohol and stay away from anyone who is smoking.”
Neither Callie nor Tanner smoked so that would be the easiest instruction to follow.
Cutting down on her work and caffeine was going to be a far harder struggle. Although if the look on Tanner’s face was anything to go on, she was not going to be given any choice in the matter.
***
“Damn that man anyway,” Callie cursed softly as she paced furiously back and forth in her bedroom. “He has no right to treat me like this, no right at all!”
Most of her fury wasn’t over the high-handed way Tanner had hauled her off to the doctor’s then stayed with her throughout her appointment.
No, most of her anger was due to his actions after. Without a word he had paid for her visit, much to her embarrassment, and then bundled her back to her apartment.
Still silent, he’d pulled her into her bedroom and sat her on her bed before finally speaking. “Stay here. Sleep. Rest. I will be back soon and then we will have a very serious talk.” With that he had left, leaving Callie gaping after him in shock.
“Well, fuck him,” she swore. “I have a business to run, I don’t need Tanner Jamieson and I certainly don’t need to do what he tells me!”
With
“I know,” she muttered all too aware of Tanner sitting beside her.
“How long has she had this ulcer?” Tanner directed the question at the Doctor.
Doc Samuels looked over at her, waiting for her nod before he answered.
“Since she was twelve. I gave her some
“Since she was twelve. I gave her some antibiotics and acid-reducing medication. I also suggested some counselling. I was worried about her. I didn’t feel she’d really dealt with the death of her parents. However Ryan wasn’t too enamoured of that idea.” The doctor’s voice was dry and Callie winced as she remembered Ryan’s reaction.
He’d thought it bad enough to have to pay for her to go to the Doctor, and he wasn’t going to part with the cash for her a ‘quack’ when all she needed to do was ‘harden up’.
His words, not hers.
“Twelve?” Tanner asked his voice incredulous. “Is that normal?”
“It happens, but not as common as adults, no,” the doctor answered him. “The ulcer was brought under control, but then flared up again two years ago. I prescribed some medicine and I warned Callie then that she had to slow I warned Callie then that she had to slow down. Too much stress can make the symptoms worse.” The doctor glared at her as Tanner snorted.
“Obviously she doesn’t listen well.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Callie glared at the two men who were happily discussing her as though she wasn’t even there. She cleared her throat.
The doctor looked at Callie sternly.
“You cannot expect to keep going the way you have been, young lady, and expect to get this ulcer under control. I know it’s got to be painful, and you’re only making things worse by not taking care of yourself.”
“If I guaranteed that Callie would follow your instructions to the letter, Doc, could we get this thing under control?”
The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.
The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.
What Callie struggles to understand is that this can be very dangerous. Were the ulcer to bleed she could become seriously ill. She must take this seriously or her health is going to suffer.”
“She will.” Tanner’s voice was ominous and Callie was tempted to tune out as the doctor recited a list of instructions. But she knew Tanner was memorising them and would gladly inform her of them later should she ignore them now. With a sigh she forced herself to listen.
“She needs to slow down, no more 14
hour days, no more heavy lifting. She needs to eat regularly. Also I’ll prescribe some blockers and more antibiotics. Are you going to take them?”
Both men stared at her sternly until she nodded grumpily.
“Whatever she can do to keep her stress at a minimum, she should do it. No caffeine or alcohol and stay away from anyone who is smoking.”
Neither Callie nor Tanner smoked so that would be the easiest instruction to follow.
Cutting down on her work and caffeine was going to be a far harder struggle. Although if the look on Tanner’s face was anything to go on, she was not going to be given any choice in the matter.
***
“Damn that man anyway,” Callie cursed softly as she paced furiously back and forth in her bedroom. “He has no right to treat me like this, no right at all!”
Most of her fury wasn’t over the high-handed way Tanner had hauled her off to the doctor’s then stayed with her throughout her appointment.
No, most of her anger was due to his actions after. Without a word he had paid for her visit, much to her embarrassment, and then bundled her back to her apartment.
Still silent, he’d pulled her into her bedroom and sat her on her bed before finally speaking. “Stay here. Sleep. Rest. I will be back soon and then we will have a very serious talk.” With that he had left, leaving Callie gaping after him in shock.
“Well, fuck him,” she swore. “I have a business to run, I don’t need Tanner Jamieson and I certainly don’t need to do what he tells me!”
With
Similar Books
