I only came up to the middle of his chest, but his height didn’t intimidate me. For some reason, it comforted me.
A gorgeous blonde with a cute pixie cut greeted us the moment we stepped off the elevator. She wore a white coat withDr. Wardstitched across the breast pocket.
“Slash,” she greeted. Her blue eyes turned to me. “You must be Brooklyn.”
“Hi,” I said in acknowledgment.
“You didn’t have any trouble getting into the building, did you?” she asked.
“No trouble at all, Doc.” Slash’s voice was soft, low.
“Good.” She nodded. “I’ll take Brooklyn back and examine her.”
“Can Slash come?” I blurted out.
Doc looked at me and then at Slash, her face devoid of expression.
“Sure. He can come back, too,” she said after a moment.
I wasn’t sure why I wanted Slash with me. It wasn’t as though I knew him. I just didn’t want him far away.
Slash kept his arm around me as we followed Doc down the hallway to an exam room. She gestured for us to go in before her. I took a seat on the exam table, and Slash leaned against the wall. He looked casual, but there was a tautness to his body that showed his alertness. I wondered if he was ever vulnerable.
I shoved that thought out of my head.
“Tell me what happened,” Doc instructed.
I relayed the event quickly and without embellishment, touching the part of my head I’d hit on the ground.
“Do you have a headache?” she asked.
“Small one,” I said.
She took a penlight out of her jacket pocket and shined it into my eyes. “Okay, good. Your pupils are responsive. Now, follow my finger…”
My gaze tracked her appendage.
“Any black spots in your vision?”
“No. Not anymore. When I first hit my head there was, but it went away fast,” I explained.
Doc gently probed the back of my head, and I winced when she touched the goose-egg lump. “I don’t think there’s anything to be concerned about. If the headache doesn’t go away in a few days or it gets worse, I want you to come back here.”
I nodded. “What about driving?”
“I’d prefer if you waited twenty-four hours before driving yourself anywhere,” Doc said. “Just to be on the safe side. If you feel normal after that, you’re clear to drive.”
Slash’s cell phone trilled in his pocket. He fished it out and marched to the door. Without a word, he left.
“He doesn’t say much,” Doc said once we were alone.
“I’ve noticed.” I glanced at her. “So, I can go?”
“You can go.”
“What about paperwork and payment?” I asked, nibbling on my lip.
“That’ll just take a minute. You’ll fill out some forms, but it’s really for legal purposes to log that I’ve seen you. If you have insurance, just put your info down. But if you don’t, there’s no payment required.”