Broadway Baby (12 page)

“Yup, that’s me, your mean mama,” Shelby agreed making sure Lily’s robe was staying tied in the front for her. Shelby then handed Lily Albie. “Would you like me to read to you while we wait?”

“No, I want to go home.”

“We can’t until you see the doctor. Then we can go home and watch a movie and snuggle.”

“Let’s go home and watch a movie and snuggle now.”

“I’m sorry, baby we can’t.” Shelby brushed some hair back from Lily’s face. “I know that you’re scared, Lily. The last time you went to the doctor wasn’t the best, but I do promise nothing like that will happen this time.”

“You won’t let them hold me down or yell at me?”

“Nope.” Shelby kissed the top of Lily’s head. “But I don’t think Dr. Warren will be like that.”

“And you won’t yell at me?” Lily asked quietly.

“I would never yell at you for being afraid, Lily. I promise.” Shelby hugged Lily tighter and felt Lily stiffen when there was a light knock on the door.

Lily watched wide-eyed as the door opened admitting a woman with salt and pepper curls wearing a white lab coat. Sitting on the rolling stool by the computer the doctor looked briefly at the chart and then the computer before looking at Lily. “Hi there, Lily. My name is Dr. Kate Warren but you can call me Dr. Kate.”

Not getting a response the blue eyes turned to Shelby, “And you must be mom.”

“Shelby.”

“Nice to meet both of you. By the way you’re dressed I guess today is physical day,” Dr. Kate ducked her head to meet Lily’s gaze. “Now, by the looks of your chart it’s been a long time since you’ve seen a doctor for anything other than throat issues.”

“Don’t need to see a doctor unless you’re sick,” Lily pouted.

Taking the stethoscope from around her neck the doctor moved back and put the device in her ears, “I guess that’s one way to look at it, but it’s really a good idea to have a check-up every year to make sure nothing is wrong.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m sure you are but I think I’ll just double check your diagnosis. First I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs.”

“How? I’m not getting up on that stupid table.”

“Lily that’s enough,” Shelby hissed.

Dr. Kate chuckled, “Lucky for you then you don’t need to get on the table for me to check your heart and lungs.” She proceeded to do both before addressing Lily once more. “Okay, Lily I need you on the table to continue your exam.”

Lily gave her best pout and looked into Shelby’s face. Shelby knew that Lily had often struck gold with this pout and must have been hoping it would work in her favor. Lily opened her eyes wide, looking pitiful.

“Lily, you heard Dr. Kate; it’s time for you to get up on the table.

“No.”

Getting a firm grip on Lily, Shelby stood and placed Lily on the exam table. “I will be right here and hold your hand the entire time.”

“No.” Lily shook her head and tried to slip off the table. “I’m going home.”

Taking a deep breath and counting to five, Shelby grabbed Lily and placed her back on the table. “You are staying right here and letting Dr. Kate examine you.”

“How about mom sits with you on the table? She can put her back against the wall and you can sit on her lap or between her legs.” Dr. Kate suggested.

Looking up in surprise, Lily slowly nodded, “Okay.”

Shelby easily hopped up on the table and did as the doctor suggested. She barely had time to straighten her legs before Lily was in her lap. Shelby slowly turned Lily around so she was facing outward her hands around the small waist to keep her in that direction until they needed to move her again.

Dr. Kate then began the second part of the exam moving slowly and explaining every detail to Lily. Ending the exam with peering down Lily’s throat the doctor smiled. “Seems as if those vocal cords are doing okay this trip. If they bother you even a little have your mom call us and I’ll get you in right away.”

“Okay, Dr. Kate,” Lily whispered.

“Lily, I’m going to need you and Mom to move for the next part of the exam.”

“Why?”

“I need to check out your tummy and a few other areas,” Dr. Kate explained. “For that I need you to lay on your back on the exam table.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Lily, I will hold your hand the entire time,” Shelby reassured. “It will all be alright.”

“They won’t yell at me or hold me down?” Lily whispered.

“I already told you that wouldn’t happen, baby.” Shelby managed to get Lily off her lap and quickly moved from the table. “Come on, you lie back and I’ll hold your hand while Dr. Kate checks you out.”

Lily finally did as she was asked and laid back slowly. As she lay stiffly on the table, her hand gripped Mama’s and she looked no other place than Mama’s eyes. She seemed to have managed to relax somewhat when Mama began to brush her fingers through her hair.

Lily squeezed Shelby’s hand even more when the doctor began opening her robe.

“I’m just going to check your belly out right now, Lily, and make sure everything is okay inside.” The doctor deftly moved her fingers around Lily’s abdomen, probing gently and making sure that there was no discomfort.

“Lily does this hurt?” Dr. Kate wrinkled her forehead.

“A little.”

“What happened here, Lily?”

Lily looked down and saw the doctor tracing a large bruise gently with her fingers. Lily knew it was a deep one and she had been surprised that it had gone unnoticed by Shelby so far.

“Mom, have you seen this?” the doctor asked Shelby.

Shelby moved to look where the doctor was pointing and shook her head. “I haven’t. Baby, what happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? That doesn’t look like nothing, Lily.” Shelby’s voice was stern but gentle.

“Maybe I fell?”

“Fell, huh?” Shelby looked up at the doctor. “When exactly did you fall?”

“Last night before the show,” Lily hedged.

Dr. Kate stayed quiet during the exchange.

“Lily Anne, tell me what happened right now.”

“I hit my hip on my makeup table.”

Shelby took a deep breath. “And how did you hit your hip on your makeup table?”

“I don’t want to tell you, Mama,” Lily whispered. “I don’t want to get into trouble.”

Shelby moved so she was at the side of the exam table. Helping Lily to sit, Shelby took Lily’s chin in her fingers and held her gaze. “Tell me what happened right now.”

“I just wanted to fly,” Lily whimpered. “But it didn’t work the way I thought it would.”

“Tell me all of it.”

“I was jumping on my couch and I thought it would be neat to fly so I jumped really high and flew off my couch toward my makeup table.”

“And?”

“And I hit the table really hard and hurt myself,” Lily sniffed hugging Mama when her chin was let go. “I wanted to tell you but I didn’t want to be in trouble for jumping on the couch and then they knocked and it was time to go on stage.”

Feeling the kiss to the top of her head, Lily managed to calm down as Shelby spoke. “We will talk more about this at home, baby. Right now Dr. Kate is going to finish her exam.”

“Can’t we go home now?” Lily tried.

“Nope,” Shelby looked at the doctor. “Lie down again so Dr. Kate can finish this part of your check-up.”

Sniffling once more, Lily did as Shelby directed; not happy at all when the robe was once more pushed open totally so the doctor could continue the exam.

“This bruise is going to be sore for a while, Lily.” The doctor explained. “If it starts to hurt really badly, you tell Mom and she’ll give you some ibuprofen to take.”

“Okay,” Lily whispered tensing when the doctor moved her hands again. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just going to check and make sure that your breasts are okay. I know you’re young, Lily, but this is something every little girl needs to do or have their mom do for them.” Nimble fingers began to feel Lily’s breasts and the girl tensed.

“They’re fine.”

“Yep,” Dr. Kate smiled. “They are.” Looking up from Lily, she caught Shelby’s eyes, “Once a month, Mom, just like you do.”

“I’ll make sure it gets done.” Shelby squeezed Lily’s hand and smiled at her as the doctor nodded and turned back to Lily.

“Okay, Lily, one more bit here and then we can let you sit up again.” The doctor moved back to Lily’s body and opened the robe farther before putting her hands in the waistband of Lily’s panties.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lily demanded struggling against the doctor.

“Language!” Shelby admonished.

“I am just going to check and make sure everything is okay with your private areas, Lily. I am not going to do anything that hurts.”

“Mama, make her stop,” Lily whispered.

Moving around the table, Shelby looked down at Lily and sighed. “Dr. Kate needs to do this, baby. I promise that it’s not going to be like the last time you had a checkup. She is not going inside your body. She is just going to look at the outside and make sure everything is alright.”

“Promise?” Lily asked as a few tears escaped.

“I promise, baby” Shelby brushed the tears from the girl’s face and kissed her forehead. “Go ahead, Dr. Kate.”

Lily scrunched her eyes shut as she felt her panties being lowered to her knees. Gentle hands touched her briefly and then she felt her panties raised once more.

“Looks good,” Dr. Kate pronounced. “No ingrown hairs or any redness to worry about.”

“Can I get up now?”

“Yep.”

Lily nearly bolted into an upright position, not seeming to care if her robe was open or closed.

Lily noticed Shelby roll her eyes as Dr. Kate made herself busy with her chart while Mama closed her robe. “Are we done?” Shelby asked hopping back onto the table with Lily.

“Almost,” the stool rolled forward and blue eyes looked upward. “Lily seems healthy but I’d like to get some blood work to check iron levels and things like that.”

“No needles.” Lily shook her head hard. “No way.”

“What else?” Shelby asked.

“It seems as if Lily has missed a few shots and we really need to catch those up.” Dr. Kate sighed as Lily began to shake her head again. “A tetanus booster which is in the Tdap vaccine, Hepatitis B, and the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The HPV is also recommended for girls of this age but not required.”

“No!” Lily yelled this time. “No needles, Mama. No needles.”

“Shhh,” Shelby began to gently pat Lily’s bottom when she turned to sit sideways on her lap burying her face in Shelby’s chest. “I don’t think she needs the HPV right now. I’d like to research it more before deciding on that. However I do agree that we need to give her the others before leaving today.”

“Please, Mama, don’t let them give me the needles,” Lily whispered pitifully.

“I’m sorry, baby girl, but you need these shots to stay healthy. It wouldn’t be very responsible of me not to have you vaccinated.”

“But it would make you the best mama ever,” Lily tried.

“I guess I’ll just have to take that risk.” Shelby looked at the doctor. “I think the blood draw first while I’m holding her and then we can figure out the logistics of the shots.”

Dr. Kate nodded, “I’ll be right back with my nurse.”

Waiting until the door had closed Shelby moved Lily’s head back and looked into her face. “I know you’re scared, Lily, but this has to be done. The shots will be over before you know it and I bet they won’t even hurt very much.”

“But they’re putting needles in me,” Lily protested.

“Because that’s the only way to get the medicine into you.”

Lily snuggled into Shelby again.

“I will be with you the entire time and will hold you on my lap for all of it, Lily. I know it’s hard but I do not want you kicking, hitting, or biting to try and stop the shots or blood draw.”

“That’s not fair.”

Shelby gave Lily a kiss to the top of her head, “After we’re done here we can go feed the ducks and get a hot dog before going home.”

“We can?” Lily looked up at Shelby with wide eyes.

“We can, but you can’t try and stop the doctor and nurses from doing their job.”

Lily sighed and snuggled back into Shelby, “I’ll try, Mama.”

“Good girl.”

There was a light knock on the door again and Lily buried her face into Shelby’s neck. Lily watched as Jess entered with Dr. Kate, holding a tray with the equipment necessary for a blood draw as well as three syringes. Burying her face in Shelby’s shoulder again, Lily held Mama tightly.

“Mom, I’m going to need you to turn Lily around so we can do the blood draw,” Dr. Kate directed.

“Lily, baby, turn around and lean back on me,” Shelby directed gently. “You can keep your eyes closed and it will be over before you know it.”

“I don’t want to,” Lily tried one last time.

“Come on baby, do this and we’ll be ready to get you dressed and head out.”

“To feed the ducks and get a hot dog?”

“Yep.”

Lily turned slowly and leaned back against Shelby. Closing her eyes tightly she felt the sleeve of her robe being pushed up and the elastic band being tied around her arm. Feeling a pinch she felt the elastic release and a few minutes later Shelby was kissing her head. “All over, baby. I am so proud of you.”

Opening one eye Lily looked at the cartoon Band-Aid on her arm. “That was it?”

“Yep,” Dr. Kate smiled. “Jess is amazing at taking blood.”

“I’m ready to leave now,” Lily tried once more.

“Almost done,” Dr. Kate interrupted. “We just need to give you these shots and then mom can get you dressed.”

“Mama, can just get me dressed now and then we can leave,” Lily tried, thinking this seemed like a good compromise.

“Shots first, Lily Anne,” Shelby’s voice brokered no argument. “Come on over my lap.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know.” Shelby moved Lily’s face to look into her eyes once more. “Come on, baby girl, you are in the home stretch now. Just over my lap, a couple of pinches, and all done.”

Lily made no move to put herself over Shelby’s lap, but didn’t protest with anything other than a whimper as Shelby did it for her. Getting Lily over her lap, Shelby lifted the robe and nodded to the nurse. “Go ahead.”

Thanking the doctor for handing her Albie, Shelby handed the toy to Lily and frowned when she buried her face in the bear, already crying. The crying turned to full-blown wails when she felt her panties being lowered once more and the coolness of the alcohol swab.