I gesture to the people in their seats. “They were here before us. See them first.”
The cowboy holding his arm grumbles, “I’m out the rest of the day. See her first.”
The one with the gash in his head chimes in. “Yeah, they won’t let me ride after this. See her first.”
I groan in frustration. “Look, I’m fine. I don’t need to see the doctor?—”
I might as well be talking to the wall because Dillon pushes past the doctor and sits me on the bed in the center of the room. “She just rode. Had her best time. Got off the horse and passed out.”
He’s talking fast and in short sentences, breath heaving.
I hold my hand up to Dr. Lane. “I’m fine.”
The doctor turns his back to me, getting things out of the cabinet. “Any chance you can be pregnant?”
Before I can spit out a resounding no, Dillon locks eyes with me, and I see the need in their brown depths. His hand goes to my flat belly.
The doctor turns around and looks at us. “So possibly pregnant?”
Without looking away from Dillon, I shake my head. “No… uh…. There’s no way I’m pregnant.”
“Okay, can you sit up so I can look at you?”
Dillon raises me up and then sits behind me like he needs to support my back. “I’m fine,” I tell him for the umpteenth time.
He doesn’t say anything, just has a hand on my back the whole time the doctor examines me.
“Follow my finger with your eyes.” I do as he says, and he nods. “Good. What’s the last thing you remember before you passed out?”
I think back. “Uh, they announced my ride time, and I rode out of the arena to Dillon.”
Dillon chimes in, “That was right before she passed out.”
“Does your head hurt?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Did she hit her head or anything?”
Dillon answers instantly. “No. I caught her before she hit the ground.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
I open my mouth to answer and then have to think about it. “Uh, well, let’s see. Probably yesterday afternoon.”
Dillon gasps behind me, and the doctor takes a step back and leans against the counter. “Right, well, I’m guessing you got light-headed. Your blood sugar likely dropped too low. Fainting is a way for your body to force you to stop.”
I’m wide-eyed as I ask, “But I can ride again today… I mean, after I eat.”
“You’re not riding today,” Dillon says.
I hold my hand up to stop him and look at the doctor. “Doc?”
He looks between Dillon and me and takes a deep breath. “No more riding today. You fainted because your blood sugar dropped, and it can happen again if you push yourself.”
“But…” I start.
He shakes his head. “I want you fed, watered, and stable before you get on the back of a horse again.”
