“Tell me.” Everleigh giggled as she descended her fingers from my shoulders and worked on massaging my arms. Her gentle comfort was everything.
“I, um, well, I did meet someone,” I confessed.
“Oh, Savvy! I’m so excited. Do you want to talk about it? You’ve been so sad for so long…” She paused. “I’m sorry. I was attempting to distract you from what’s going on under the sheets. I wasn’t trying to share your secrets.”
“No, it’s fine,” I soothed Everleigh as I spoke. “I met someone really special. Incredibly patient. Handsome, funny, intelligent...”
Bram glanced up from in between my legs, an eyebrow cocked.Damn it. Why did he have to look at me like that? His expression screamed that he didn’t believe what I’d just told the nurse next to me. Not a judgmental glare, incredulous maybe. He probably thought I didn’t have fun when it was so far away from the truth.
“I want you to bear down while I gently maneuver the plug out. If it hurts at all, tell me immediately. We’ll go slow.” He patted my ankle. “Ready?”
“Ready,” I said, bearing down as instructed, taking deep breaths. “Um, so anyways, I had like a really magical night, but…”
“But what? Did you get in your head, sweetie?” Everleigh returned her gentle ministrations to my scalp, lightly running her fingers through my hair. “I know you’ve spoken about that before.”
“No, not this time. I sort of ghosted him. It wasn’t nice of me.”
“You did? Aw, Savannah. That’s not like you, sweetheart. Maybe Daphnee or Lexa can help you gather the courage to reach out. You can explain whatever stuff you had trapped inside that caused you to do that. You deserve to be happy.”
“Sometimes I believe that, but not always,” I lamented sadly. Suddenly the plug popped out. Bram’s timing was impeccable. Immediate relief flooded my system. I was so thankful to not have to consider surgical removal. “Oh, thank you so much.”
“Got it,” Bram said triumphantly from his place on the stool. “As I hoped, it’s all in one piece,” he continued. “It looks like the design caused the issue. The branches, for lack of a better way to describe them, were crafted poorly. You should consider filing a complaint with the manufacturer.”
“I will. Thanks again. I’m good now.” I flipped the sheets back over my thighs.
“The toy could have caused damage. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to inspect the area and make sure there’s no visible bleeding or any cause for concern.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Everleigh. “What does inspect mean?”
She glanced down the length of the bed and then back at me. “Typically after experiencing any sort of trauma to that region, it’s recommended to have a quick internal inspection.”
“Internal?” I groaned and whipped my head back to Bram. “With your fingers?”
Bram tossed his gloves and whatever else he’d been holding in his hands. It was presumably my butt plug along with the professional ‘lube shooters’ and those weird blue drapes. He dumped it into the trash in one swoop. His hands were massive and I didn’t want his thick fingers probing me, at least not in the exam room.
“No, not my fingers. We have a special tool called an anoscope. Would you like to look at it first and then decide?” He stood up from the stool. “You’re already overly lubricated, so the insertion should be quick and painless. There’s a light attached so nothing else goes inside of you but the plastic.”
“I don’t want to see it. Everleigh? If you ever had the same problem, would you get the anal scope?”
“Anoscope,” she corrected gently. “Yes, I would. It’s a little uncomfortable but it will allow Dr. Thorsen to see the area clearly and make sure you’re okay.”
Bram spoke up while I weighed the options.
“While you’re deciding, I requested a cream to help heal the area. It’s not medicated so you can use it as often as you’d like, no less than twice a day, along with a mild antibiotic. Three days’ worth of medicine, Savannah.” He said my name sternly as if I wouldn’t listen to his instructions. “One lollipop after a meal in the morning and another after dinner at night. The pharmacist was waiting on us.”
“I’m listening,” I insisted.
“Very good. One of us can grab your medication on your behalf as soon as it’s ready. Our pharmacist needs to get home too.”
The clinic had recently added a pharmacy for convenience, but the falling snow would make traveling more treacherous the longer we waited.
“Oh, right. That makes sense,” I said as I thought about the idea of allowing an intrusive exam. He wouldn’t suggest it for fun. I knew that. But I didn’t want something else inside my butt. That already hadn’t gone well.
“The roads aren’t bad right now, but the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse in about an hour,” Bram stated without any pressure in either direction. “Actually, I’ll go wait for your meds. Talk it over with Everleigh if you need. I won’t force the exam, but please think about it.”
His leaving made it easier for me to decide. Everleigh remained steadfast at my side. She didn’t pressure me either and I appreciated that so much. Bram returned to the exam room carrying a red sparkly bag stapled shut with my name on a piece of paper. Something as simple as grabbing the medication took pressure off me to interact with someone else or stop at a drive-through in the bad weather. He rested his back against the wall, not imposing, as if he had nothing better to do.
“Have you reached a decision, Savannah?”
