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Neil stares at the doctor sitting just a little ways across from him.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Neil says, a little too sharply, if the doctor’s raised eyebrow and Andrew’s huff are anything to go by.
Andrew is sitting on the cushy examination table, his feet swinging in the air, and that at least makes sense, because the whole reason they’re here is because someone recommended this particular doctor and his treatments after Andrew took a hard hit and wasn’t recovering well. They weren’t here for Neil. This was supposed to be for Andrew.
In hindsight, that detail was probably why Neil was taken so off guard when the doctor turned to him with a droll expression and casually asked, “What’s wrong with you, then?”
The guy was supposed to be some kind of specialist doctor, somewhere between a neurologist and a chiropractor, which was a bizarre combination to be in the first place. Today was supposed to be the first appointment for Andrew, where they would take scans of his spine and other various parts of his body to take measure of what his brain activity looked like. To be honest, Neil hadn’t paid a lot of attention while the nurse was filling the pair in on what the tests would look like. He’d been focused on breathing right, and also watching Andrew to make sure that he was alright.
It was no secret that Andrew hated doctor’s offices, ever since Easthaven, and certainly Neil was no help in that regard. Andrew had had to bribe him thoroughly in order to force Neil to get his wisdom teeth out. Which hadn’t been a great experience for Neil, and Neil gritted his teeth against the feeling of his throat closing up a little.
But that wasn’t the point, the point was that their regular doctor had recommended Doctor Beverly because his treatment plans would include healing Andrew’s nervous system and his messed up joints from Exy and well, everything else. So now they were here and this random doctor wearing sweatpants and a vintage t-shirt was staring Neil down with one of the most unimpressed looks Neil has ever been on the receiving side of. Neil ignored the burning stare of Andrew, sitting near the doctor, knowing that the stare would only be a mirror of this weird doctor’s stare.
“We’re not here for me,” Neil said, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Well, maybe not,” the doctor agreed easily, examining Neil with a shrewd gaze. “But someone with your background doesn’t just walk out of all that without some issues.”
Even as Neil bristled, a distant part of him appreciated this doctor’s straightforwardness.
“I’m not the reason why we’re here today,” Neil tells the doctor again, grasping his temper with weakening resolve. “Andrew is, and I don’t want to focus on me.”
“I’ve already gotten everything I need from Andrew today,” Beverly said, shrugging. “Today is just a basic examination from me, so I can better understand where Andrew’s nervous system is at, among other things that you’d likely already know about, but you’ve been spacing out randomly during our session here today. In my experience, things like that typically aren’t normal.”
Again, Neil bristled, but he didn’t have much of an argument. Neil hadn’t even noticed that he was spacing out– and in all honesty, things like that happened often enough to him that it kind of was normal for him.
When Neil told the doctor that, his expression somehow got even more unimpressed with him.
“Look, Neil,” he sighed, standing to lean back on the corner of the examination table where Andrew was still swinging his feet back and forth. “This is not me trying to trick you into anything, and if you’re really serious about not wanting me to examine you, that’s fine. But here’s what I propose for today: you and I complete an examination exactly like the same one we just did with Andrew. I become more familiar with your symptoms and try to pinpoint if there’s anything that we can do to help you get through those symptoms. We complete the same scans Chelsea,” here, the young, sweet nurse who had started the examination gave a little wave, “did for Andrew, and after I’ve reviewed the information we gathered today, you both come back next week for the report and for a possible treatment plan. At any point in time, if you are unwilling to meet with us at the office, we will discontinue any further plans. All I’m asking right now is that you participate in a basic examination today.”
Neil shifted uncomfortably, his heartbeat jackrabbiting in his ears.
The man was logical, which appealed to a side of Neil’s brain that was curious, but the larger part of him was still uncomfortable and didn’t want to do something like this at all.
“Rabbit,” Andrew said in Russian, making Neil’s gaze jump to him. “You’re not on the run anymore. Quit acting like it, and actually let yourself heal for once.”
For some reason, the command made Neil’s eyes burn, and he looked away, clearing his throat a little.
“Fine,” Neil said quietly, looking at his shoes.
Beverly somehow managed to clap his hands softly, standing up from his slouched position against the examination table, “In that case, I’ll leave you both in Chelsea’s capable hands for now, and once you’re ready, we’ll meet back in this room.”
The doctor gave a short smile, which was almost more unsettling than his piercing stare, and left the room. Chelsea, on the other hand, had a smile that helped Neil relax, just a little, and she remained sitting.
“Andrew, you can go ahead and sit down by Neil now,” Chelsea said to Andrew, her eyes twinkling when Andrew promptly plopped off the table. “I’m just going to go get some new paperwork for Neil, and then we’ll get started.”
And with that, Neil and Andrew were alone.
Neil felt a little more relaxed with Andrew next to him, but he still couldn’t help but glance at the open door, the windows, just a few times. Andrew settled even closer to Neil, and Neil was absurdly grateful all of the sudden. He wasn’t sure if there was anything that Andrew could say that would make Neil more at ease, but as the warmth from Andrew’s arm seeped into his shoulder, he felt like he could breathe easier.
When Chelsea returned, Neil felt more settled, and he even managed a weak smile for her.
“Alright,” she said to Neil brightly, but softly. “Let’s get some of the little stuff out of the way, shall we?”
And so it began.