“Yes,” Ari said before I could get a word in edgewise.
She smiled at him.
“Thank you for the information,” I said with a sigh.
Ari chuckled as we went to fill out the paperwork. It hurt him to move, so he leaned against the wall with the clipboard rather than sitting. Not long later he had all the paperwork done, and we were ushered back into a small room with an exam table covered in white paper. Ari didn’t sit, simply stood near the table with his hand on it, and I didn’t know what to do so I lurked beside the door. I didn’t want to sit down, but it was awkward standing. I didn’t like to see him hurting and uncomfortable; it made me want to snap at people.
“I hate doctors,” he said quietly as he rubbed a hand along his cheek. “They always know something is wrong with me.”
Anger, mostly at the world for not appreciating someone as wonderful as him, smashed through me. “The doctor knows you’re in pain. He will think anything that’s wrong is because you’re hurting.”
He flashed me a smile that was a little flat.
“Better. Squint when you do it.” I showed him what I meant by giving him the smile I used a lot around Paxton.
“That does look natural,” he said with a sigh. He shifted from foot to foot, and I went over to hug him. He grumbled but slouched into my hold, and I rubbed a hand along his upper back, and he nestled his body tighter to mine. The door opened and Doc Washburne came trundling in. He was a short older man who barely reached my chin, maybe in his seventies, with a friendly round face and a puff of white hair on the top of his head that he combed to the side. His white coat fluttered around his thin frame and almost touched the tops of his shoes.
“Oh hello, Officer Rogers!” he said far too loud. Maybe he was going deaf. Ari studied the man like he was an interesting species of fungus. “Who is this charming boy, huh? The girlie on the desk says she thinks he’s your boyfriend?”
“Yes,” Ari said before I could.
“Excellent. Nice to meet you, son.” He came over, and Ari hesitated, then shook hands with him. “They said your back is hurt, yes?”
Ari nodded.
I’d been coming here for years, but for some reason I hated seeing the friendly old doc smile at Ari. I knew he was perfectly harmless, but his interest in Ari pissed me off anyway.
“Let’s get his shirt off. Could you help, Rogers?” The doc gave me a friendly smile, so I nodded and peeled Ari’s shirt up and off, and Ari let out a pained sound as he moved around. Under the fluorescent lights of the exam room the bruising appeared even worse than it had at home, purple and red and downright awful.
Doc Washburne let out a long breath and frowned, then came over and lifted a pair of glasses onto his nose from around his neck as he leaned closer to examine the injury. “How did this happen, son?”
Ari smiled, the one I’d told him to work on, when Doc Washburne glanced toward his face. “I fell on the stairs while we were moving a dresser. I let go of my place to be with Jules, and we were just getting settled in. He’s so much stronger than me, and I didn’t have a good grip. I probably shouldn’t have insisted on going up the stairs first. I know I’m no good walking backward.” Ari shrugged, and I wanted to snort at the lie. I was bigger, but he was no weakling.
“That’ll do it. Well, you’re banged up good. Let him go, Officer. I want him to bend over as far as he can.”
Ari looked at the doc like he was insane, but he was able to carefully lower his upper body toward the floor and bend much farther than I would’ve thought he could. Lifting himself back up was another thing entirely, and I took his hand and helped him straighten. Tears glistened in his eyes and my heart raced—I fucking loved seeing them, but they were someone’s death warrant. Two droplets burst free to trail down his cheeks, and I decided that was how many of Derek Uhlig’s men would die. The grimace on his face was terrible.
Doc Washburne hummed and ran his fingers along Ari’s spine and around the bruise, and I was shocked by how much I wanted to cut them off and stuff them in the red medical waste bin nearby. Worry trickled through me. Was this love? I didn’t know for sure, but it probably wasn’t good if I wanted to murder every single person who ever touched Ari, even an old doctor who was helping him. I ran a hand over Ari’s bare shoulder and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Ice today.” Doc Washburne nodded and let his glasses slip off to hang around his neck. “Five times a day for fifteen minutes. The muscles aren’t seizing, so we’ll try Advil. I don’t think you need muscle relaxers. Don’t be lazy, keep moving around as much as possible. Come back in three weeks if you’re not on your way to healed. It’s a nasty bruise. No bathroom troubles, right?”
“No,” Ari said quietly.
“That’s it? You’re sure? Shouldn’t you X-ray him or something?” My heart thumped faster. I didn’t want him out of commission permanently because this man was old and slipping.
The doc shrugged and rested a hand on my shoulder. “He seems fine. If he doesn’t feel better in a couple of weeks there might be more going on, but he’s fit and young, and he’s moving well. I’d be in a full-body cast if I took a hit like that.” Doc Washburne chuckled and smacked my shoulder.
Ari gave him a narrow-eyed glare.
Relief swamped me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been worrying, and I didn’t stop myself from dropping a kiss on Ari’s temple.
“No pain shooting down your legs?” Doc Washburne asked suddenly, pointing at Ari’s face.
“No,” Ari said, eyebrows shooting up.
The doc nodded. “Good boy. I’d like to see you again in healthier circumstances. Nice to see you again, Officer.” Doc Washburne shuffled to the door and he was off.
I stepped in and wrapped my arms firmly around Ari.
