it.
Valerie feared that Cherise would take one look at her and know what had happened in Las Vegas. Even dense old Peter noticed something.
Coming to work this morning had not turned into the balm Valerie had hoped for. She was still... thinking about Roy, still remembering and — and — wishing there could have been more.
Silly. And stupid. She didn't even know the man with whom she thought she wanted 'more.'
Valerie glanced at the name on the chart, raised her eyebrows when the name registered, then walked into the room.
"Nicky," she said, and smiled at the boy sitting on the examination table. Nicky Gordon, now eleven, had been one of her first patients when she came to Desert Valley Pediatric a year ago. If she could admit she had favorites among her patients then Nicky, bright and outgoing, was one of them.
"Dr. K.," he said with a grin, and held out his hand to give her a complicated handshake, one that Valerie could barely follow.
"I swear he changes that every time I see him do it," his mother complained from her seat to one side.
Valerie laughed and threw a smile at Mrs. Gordon before turning back to Nicky. "So, what are you doing here in my office this morning, instead of having fun at school?"
Nicky sighed and shot a long-suffering glance toward his mother. "It was Mom's idea. She thinks I don't have as much energy as I used to."
Mrs. Gordon's polite smile faded. "It's true."
Nicky lifted a shoulder.
"Not as much energy," Valerie repeated, and went to the sink to wash her hands. "What do you think, Nicky? Think you have less energy?"
"I dunno. Maybe."
"Maybe." Valerie dried her hands. Well, that was sufficiently vague. All the same, if a busy mother noticed something was different, it probably was. "I don't suppose you've run a twenty-six mile marathon lately or anything?"
Nicky chuckled as Valerie put her fingers under his jaw to feel his glands. "Nothin' like that," he said.
His glands felt normal, as did his abdomen when she checked. Valerie took out her light. "Open your mouth, sport."
Nicky obediently opened his mouth. His throat looked fine.
"How about late night movies? Playboy magazines under the covers with a flashlight?"
"Over my dead body," Mrs. Gordon said.
Nicky laughed. "Nah, I haven't been doing anything like that."
"Mm." Too bad. It would have been nice to have a reason to blame for the vague symptoms. Valerie took out her stethoscope. Nicky's heart sounded good, if a little fast. She took his wrist to time his pulse. Just a tad on the fast side.
Valerie took a step back and simply looked at him. Was his face paler than usual? Nicky came from a fair-haired, fair-skinned family, but perhaps... It could point to anemia, though that would be mighty unusual in a boy Nicky's age.
"Hm. Let's take a sample of your blood," Valerie decided. "Just to make sure you've got all the right stuff splashing around in there."
Nicky grimaced. "A needle?"
"Well...unless you'd prefer a dagger?"
Both Nicky and his mother laughed.
Valerie smiled. "I'll send the nurse in to do the vampire thing, and I'll let you know the results in a few days."
"Thanks." Nicky's mother sighed. "I'm probably overreacting, but we want Nicky to be his usual self."
"Well, I do, too." Valerie attempted to ruffle Nicky's crop of blond hair, hair that begged to be ruffled. But Nicky ducked out of the way, shooting her a reproachful look. For an instant, one terrifying split second of time, Valerie's heart turned over in her chest.
Because for one split second, the look in Nicky's eyes, part shy, part ferocious — and all innocent — reminded her of Roy.
Valerie's eyes widened at herself. Innocent ? She was thinking innocent described Roy? Puh-leeze!
"Ahem. I'll call you as soon as I get the results," Valerie repeated. She grabbed the chart and whipped open the door. For goodness' sake, Roy hadn't been innocent!
Thus absorbed, Valerie walked out of the hall, and straight into Cherise.
"Girlfriend," said
Valerie feared that Cherise would take one look at her and know what had happened in Las Vegas. Even dense old Peter noticed something.
Coming to work this morning had not turned into the balm Valerie had hoped for. She was still... thinking about Roy, still remembering and — and — wishing there could have been more.
Silly. And stupid. She didn't even know the man with whom she thought she wanted 'more.'
Valerie glanced at the name on the chart, raised her eyebrows when the name registered, then walked into the room.
"Nicky," she said, and smiled at the boy sitting on the examination table. Nicky Gordon, now eleven, had been one of her first patients when she came to Desert Valley Pediatric a year ago. If she could admit she had favorites among her patients then Nicky, bright and outgoing, was one of them.
"Dr. K.," he said with a grin, and held out his hand to give her a complicated handshake, one that Valerie could barely follow.
"I swear he changes that every time I see him do it," his mother complained from her seat to one side.
Valerie laughed and threw a smile at Mrs. Gordon before turning back to Nicky. "So, what are you doing here in my office this morning, instead of having fun at school?"
Nicky sighed and shot a long-suffering glance toward his mother. "It was Mom's idea. She thinks I don't have as much energy as I used to."
Mrs. Gordon's polite smile faded. "It's true."
Nicky lifted a shoulder.
"Not as much energy," Valerie repeated, and went to the sink to wash her hands. "What do you think, Nicky? Think you have less energy?"
"I dunno. Maybe."
"Maybe." Valerie dried her hands. Well, that was sufficiently vague. All the same, if a busy mother noticed something was different, it probably was. "I don't suppose you've run a twenty-six mile marathon lately or anything?"
Nicky chuckled as Valerie put her fingers under his jaw to feel his glands. "Nothin' like that," he said.
His glands felt normal, as did his abdomen when she checked. Valerie took out her light. "Open your mouth, sport."
Nicky obediently opened his mouth. His throat looked fine.
"How about late night movies? Playboy magazines under the covers with a flashlight?"
"Over my dead body," Mrs. Gordon said.
Nicky laughed. "Nah, I haven't been doing anything like that."
"Mm." Too bad. It would have been nice to have a reason to blame for the vague symptoms. Valerie took out her stethoscope. Nicky's heart sounded good, if a little fast. She took his wrist to time his pulse. Just a tad on the fast side.
Valerie took a step back and simply looked at him. Was his face paler than usual? Nicky came from a fair-haired, fair-skinned family, but perhaps... It could point to anemia, though that would be mighty unusual in a boy Nicky's age.
"Hm. Let's take a sample of your blood," Valerie decided. "Just to make sure you've got all the right stuff splashing around in there."
Nicky grimaced. "A needle?"
"Well...unless you'd prefer a dagger?"
Both Nicky and his mother laughed.
Valerie smiled. "I'll send the nurse in to do the vampire thing, and I'll let you know the results in a few days."
"Thanks." Nicky's mother sighed. "I'm probably overreacting, but we want Nicky to be his usual self."
"Well, I do, too." Valerie attempted to ruffle Nicky's crop of blond hair, hair that begged to be ruffled. But Nicky ducked out of the way, shooting her a reproachful look. For an instant, one terrifying split second of time, Valerie's heart turned over in her chest.
Because for one split second, the look in Nicky's eyes, part shy, part ferocious — and all innocent — reminded her of Roy.
Valerie's eyes widened at herself. Innocent ? She was thinking innocent described Roy? Puh-leeze!
"Ahem. I'll call you as soon as I get the results," Valerie repeated. She grabbed the chart and whipped open the door. For goodness' sake, Roy hadn't been innocent!
Thus absorbed, Valerie walked out of the hall, and straight into Cherise.
"Girlfriend," said
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