I stepped forward. “It’s okay, Mama. I called him. About—” I gestured vaguely at my leg. “About the injections.”
Mama’s expression shifted from suspicion to something sharper. “Thewhat?”
Dr. Chen glanced between us. “May I come in?”
I nodded quickly. “Yeah. Yes. Come in.”
Dr. Chen stepped inside. Mama closed the door behind her but didn’t move from her spot, arms crossed, watching everything.
“Where’s the injection site?” Dr. Chen asked.
I pointed to my thigh. “Here.”
“Sit down.”
I sat on the couch. Dr. Chen set her bag on the coffee table, pulled on a pair of gloves, and knelt in front of me.
Her hands were gentle as she examined the swollen area—pressing lightly, checking the temperature, looking at the edges.
“How long has it looked like this?” she asked.
“Since tonight. It was fine yesterday.”
“Any itching? Difficulty breathing? Dizziness?”
“No. Just—it’s hot. And it hurts a little.”
She nodded. “It’s a mild allergic reaction. Completely normal. Some people’s skin is more sensitive to the hormone. It’ll go down in a day or two.”
Relief flooded through me so fast I felt dizzy.
“So, I didn’t do it wrong?”
“No.” Dr. Chen looked up at me. “You did everything right. This is just your body adjusting.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small tube of cream. “Apply this twice a day. It’ll help with the swelling and the heat. And next time, try icing the area for ten minutes after you inject. That’ll minimize the reaction.”
I took the tube. “Thank you.”
Dr. Chen stood, stripped off her gloves, and packed her bag. “You’re doing fine. Don’t worry.”
She was out the door in less than twenty minutes.
Mama and I stood in the living room, staring at each other.
“Truth,” Mama said slowly. “What thefuckwas that?”
I looked down at the tube of cream in my hand.
Then I looked back at her.
“Sit down, Mama.”
“I don’t wanna sit down. I wanna know why a doctor just showed up at my house at midnight because that man who sat in my yard eating all my crawfish sent her.”
“Sit down,” I said again. “Please.”
Mama sat.
