“Normal?”
“Normal,” Ottis agreed.
Doc laughed, easing the anxiety that still lingered in Ottis’ belly. He brought Ottis back to the living room and sat with him on the couch, pulling on a pair of gloves. He smeared a thin layer of ointment on Ottis’ shoulder and bandaged it up.
It wasn’t all that different from the scrapes Ottis had helped his brothers with. But it still felt really daunting when Doc—an actual doctor—turned his arm to Ottis.
Ottis gulped and carefully applied ointment to Doc’s raw flesh, pressing a piece of gauze over it. Doc helped him tear off sections of tape; Ottis secured the dressing. “There.”
“I don’t get a kiss?” Doc asked lightly.
Ottis blushed. “Fine, you get one.” He leaned in and hovered his lips a hairsbreadth from the bandage, making a kissing noise. “I could even French your wound, if you’d like.”
Doc laughed. “No, thank you.”
They sat together for a while, quietly. Until Doc’s smile faded and he pinned Ottis with his gaze. “I had the situation under control, you know. Out there.”
Ottis hunched his shoulders. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“AndIdidn’t wantyouto get hurt.” Doc took Ottis’ hand, the one on the same side as his graze wound. “You were lucky that the bullet mostly missed you. But if you had been a second too slow, if you had moved a little more... Your injury would’ve been a lot worse. And I need you to keep yourself safer than that, sweetheart. I can’t—I can’t fix all wounds.”
Doc said that raggedly. Ottis’ heart ached.
“It hurts you, when you can’t save your patients,” Ottis said.
Doc sighed like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I remember them. And I don’t want to riskyou. It’s why I snapped earlier. I’m sorry.”
Ottis swallowed, leaning into Doc’s chest in an attempt to comfort him. Doc wrapped his arms around Ottis.
“Are you still mad at me?” Ottis asked in a small voice.
Doc shook his head. “I’m not... mad at you. Mad at your actions, maybe. I was afraid of losing you, sweetheart.”
Ottis’ pulse fluttered. “Well, what am I supposed to do if I loseyou?”
Doc blinked and looked up, surprised. Like he had never heard that before.
Ottis’ heart went tumbling down the stairs. He straightened and scowled at Doc. “I don’t want you to be in danger, either. Because I will be very upset if you die.”
Those bright blue eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes!”
Doc rumbled, pulling Ottis closer. “I’ll try my best to stay safe. You’re my favorite omega.”
“Well, just you wait. If I get pregnant, I’m going to be pukey and grumpy, and you’re going to regret everything.”
“I won’t,” Doc said, something else flashing through his eyes.
A week later,Ottis snooped around the forbidden wing of Doc’s mansion.
In truth, he had almost forgotten about it. Ever since his heat, he had been feeling more tired than usual, his movements slow, his eyelids heavy. More than once, he had fallen asleep in the middle of playing with Marcie, only for her to stuff her fingers up his nose.
In an attempt to stay awake, he had decided to go exploring while Doc was away on his hospital shift. Just that he ran out of energy a few steps into this hallway.
Ottis slumped against the wall and sighed.
His shopping cart friend squeaked, nudging his hip.
