A soft knock broke the tension, and the door opened. Dr. Patel stepped in, a stethoscope draped around her neck, her dark hair pulled back in a neat bun. She was younger than Noah had expected, maybe in her thirties, with warm brown eyes and a gentle smile that caught him off guard. He blinked, his cheeks flushing slightly—he hadn’t been prepared for his doctor to be, well, attractive.

“Hi, Noah,” Dr. Patel said, her voice calm and friendly as she closed the door. “I’m Dr. Patel. Nice to meet you.” She nodded to Sarah. “And you must be Mom. Thanks for coming in today.”

Sarah smiled back, setting the magazine down. “Thanks for seeing us.”

Dr. Patel pulled up a rolling stool and sat in front of Noah, her clipboard resting on her lap. “So, Noah, how’s your day going so far? School keeping you busy?”

Noah shrugged, his voice barely above a mumble. “Uh, yeah. It’s okay.”

“I hear you. I remember those days—feels like there’s always a test or a project due, right?” She chuckled softly, her tone light, and Noah’s shoulders loosened just a fraction. “You play any sports? Look like you might be an athlete.”

“Soccer,” he said, glancing up briefly. “Varsity.”

“That’s awesome! Striker or midfielder?”

“Midfielder,” he replied, a hint of pride creeping into his voice.

“Nice. Takes a lot of stamina.” Dr. Patel’s smile widened, then she leaned forward slightly, her tone shifting to something a little more focused but still gentle. “Okay, Noah, I understand you’re here today because you’ve been having some pain. I know it might be embarrassing to talk about your penis, but I’m here to help, and I promise this is just another day at the office for me. Can I ask—are you sexually active?”

Noah’s face went scarlet, his eyes widening as he stared at the floor. “No,” he said quickly, his voice barely audible, his hands gripping the edge of the exam table.

Dr. Patel nodded, her tone matter-of-fact. “Okay, good to know. Just ruling out any STDs from the start. Thanks for answering.” She gave him a reassuring smile, and he relaxed a tiny bit, though his cheeks were still burning. “Can you tell me when you first noticed the pain?”

“It’s, uh… maybe a week ago?” he said, his voice steadier now. “It’s not always, just… sometimes.”

“Got it. And is it a sharp pain, like a pinch, or more like a dull ache?”

“Sharp,” he said, meeting her eyes for a second. “Like a quick stab.”

“Okay, that’s helpful,” she said, jotting something down. “Does anything specific seem to trigger it? Like, does it happen when you’re sitting, standing, or maybe after soccer practice?”

He shook his head. “Not really after practice. More… random, I guess. But worse when…” He trailed off, then muttered, “You know.”

“When you have an erection, like the nurse mentioned?” she asked gently.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice clearer this time, though he still looked embarrassed.

She nodded, like it was no big deal. “Alright. Are you circumcised?” she asked, her tone as casual as if she were asking about his favorite food.

Noah’s cheeks went hotter, but he forced himself to answer. “No,” he mumbled, his eyes fixed on a poster about handwashing.

“Good to know. And can you tell me which part of the penis the pain seems to come from? Like, is it near the tip, the shaft, or somewhere else?”

He swallowed, his hand twitching in his pocket. “Uh… I think it’s… under? Like, the bottom part,” he said, pointing vaguely, hoping she wouldn’t make him explain more.

Dr. Patel tilted her head, her expression calm but curious. “Underneath, okay. Do you mean inside the foreskin, on the underside?”

Noah’s heart skipped, his face practically on fire now, but he nodded, his voice barely audible. “Yeah, that’s it. Inside there.”

She jotted something down, still chill, which made it a little less awful. “Have you noticed any swelling, redness, or anything else unusual down there?”

He shook his head, a bit more certain. “No, I haven’t noticed any,” he said, then added, quieter, “but… I haven’t really looked closely.”

“Thanks for being so open, Noah. You’re doing great,” Dr. Patel said, her voice warm, and he managed a small, shaky smile, feeling like he’d survived a round. She set her clipboard down and clasped her hands. “Based on what you’re describing, it could be a few things, but I’ll need to do a quick exam to get a better idea. I’ll make it as comfortable as possible, okay?”

Noah nodded, his stomach flipping, but a tiny part of him felt… okay, like maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he’d thought. Still, he kept his eyes on the floor, bracing for whatever came next.

“Before we move on, do you want your mom to step out of the room for a bit?” the doctor asked. Noah’s stomach flipped, his fingers tightening on the edge of the exam table, the paper crinkling under him. His eyes darted to his mom, who sat by the wall, her hands folded in her lap, giving him that quiet, reassuring look she always did when he was freaking out—like when he’d crashed his bike at ten and thought he’d broken his arm. Thirty minutes ago, sitting in the waiting room, he’d been dead set on doing this alone. I’m seventeen, basically an adult, he’d told himself, ready to shrug off her offer to come back. But when the nurse called his name and he started walking toward the exam room, his legs felt heavy, and a sudden, sharp panic hit—like he was a kid again, lost in a store, needing her to find him. He’d turned back, mumbling, “Can you come?” and she’d nodded, no questions, just followed.

Now, with Dr. Patel waiting for his answer, he felt… different. Her gentle questions—about soccer, the pain, even the circumcision thing—had taken the edge off, made him feel less like he was on trial. He wasn’t as scared anymore, not like he’d been out there. I’d probably be fine without Mom now, he thought, his cheeks warming at the idea of her seeing… whatever was about to happen. But she was already here, sitting through his awkward answers, not making it weird. Kicking her out felt pointless, like closing the barn door after the horse was gone. Might as well let her stay, he decided, his fingers tapping nervously.

“No,” he said quietly, glancing at his mom again, her steady gaze anchoring him. “She can stay.”

Dr. Patel nodded, her smile warm and unwavering. “Sounds good. Let’s get started.”

She stood and gestured to the floor. “Noah, can you step down from the table for me?” As he slid off, she grabbed a pair of nitrile gloves from a box on the counter and snapped them on, the sound sharp in the quiet room. She sat back down on the rolling stool, positioning herself so Noah would be facing her, with Sarah behind him in the chair by the wall.

“Alright,” she said, her voice calm and professional. “Just stand in front of me and lower your shorts and underwear enough so I can take a look.”

Noah gulped, his hands hovering at his waistband. He glanced back at his mom, who was looking down at her lap, giving him as much privacy as she could from her seat. He took a deep breath, then pulled his shorts and boxers down just enough to expose the front, keeping his backside covered as best he could.

Dr. Patel leaned forward slightly. “Can you pull them down a bit more, please?”

His face flushed, but he tugged them lower, still careful not to flash his mom. Dr. Patel nodded. “Perfect. One more thing—can you hold the bottom of your shirt up so it’s not in the way?”

Noah lifted his hoodie, clutching it against his stomach, his knuckles white. “Okay, perfect,”

His penis was as small as he’d ever seen it, tucked tight inside its foreskin, like it was trying to hide from the world. Great, he thought, his face burning. Between the chilly room and the fact that a doctor—a woman doctor—was about to look at him, it had practically disappeared.

“Okay, perfect,” Dr. Patel said, her tone encouraging, like this was just another Tuesday for her. She leaned in, her gloved hands gentle as she took his penis, moving it carefully to examine all sides. “Does it hurt right now?” she asked, her eyes focused, professional.

“No,” Noah said, his voice tight, barely above a whisper. Her touch was clinical, but it was still a touch, and he felt a faint stir, a trickle of warmth that made his stomach twist. Not now, he begged his body, his cheeks flaming as he tried to think of anything else—soccer drills, math homework, anything.

“Does it hurt when I’m touching it like this?” She rotated it slightly, checking the shaft, her fingers cool through the gloves.

“No,” he repeated, though he was hyper-aware of a slight thickening, his penis starting to fill out just a bit, the blood flow betraying him. He prayed she wouldn’t notice, keeping his gaze fixed on a scuff mark on the wall.

Dr. Patel nodded, her expression unchanged. “Okay, I’m not seeing anything obvious on the outside, but I need to pull back the foreskin to check inside. Is that alright?”

Noah’s throat went dry, his heart thudding, but he forced a nod. “Yeah, okay,” he mumbled, his voice barely audible. He braced himself, the air feeling colder now.

She gently pulled back the foreskin, exposing the head, and Noah felt a rush—hot, confusing, undeniable. Dr. Patel was professional, sure, but she was also… young, attractive, nothing like the grizzled old dudes who’d checked him for sports physicals, their rough hands and bored grunts making it feel like a chore. Her touch was careful, precise, and the contrast hit him hard, his penis filling out more, not a full erection but enough to make him want to die of embarrassment. Stop it, he thought, his face scorching, but his body wasn’t listening.

Dr. Patel examined the underside of the head, her fingers pausing at a spot. “I’m seeing some raw areas here,” she said, her voice steady. She lightly touched one, a faint pressure on the sensitive skin. “Is this what hurts?”

Noah flinched, a quick gasp escaping. “Yeah,” he said, his voice sharper, the pain real but the situation unreal. His mind blanked, knowing exactly why it was raw—those late-night sessions, too intense, too frequent, his hand not as gentle as he’d thought. He couldn’t say that, couldn’t even think it with her looking at him.

She nodded, letting the foreskin slide back, her expression calm and professional. “Okay, Noah, it looks like that area got rubbed pretty raw. Nothing serious, it should heal with some care. It could’ve gotten irritated from running around playing soccer, something like that.”

“Yeah, okay,” he said, his voice shaky.

“To keep it from getting worse,” Dr. Patel continued, “take some precautions. I’ll give you the name of some ointment to put on it. Make sure you’re wearing tight-fitting underwear when you play sports—something snug to keep things in place and avoid chafing from too much movement. And, just to give it a rest…” She paused, her tone casual but clear, “try to avoid masturbating for a while.”

Noah’s heart stopped. He wanted to sink through the floor. She said it. She actually said it. His eyes stayed glued to the wall, and he was fiercely grateful his mom was behind him, out of sight. He couldn’t handle seeing her face right now.

He suddenly realized his penis was still exposed, now slightly fuller, pointing upward instead of hanging limp. His stomach lurched. Dr. Patel glanced down, her expression unchanged. “Since we’re here, I’m going to finish up with a full exam,” she said smoothly. She cradled his testicles gently, her gloved fingers cool. “Any pain down here?”

“No,” he managed, his voice barely audible.

She rolled each testicle between her fingers, palpating carefully for any irregularities. With each moment Noah could feel his penis inflating ever so slightly more. “Everything feels normal,” she said, her tone clinical. Then she pressed two fingers near his groin. “For the last part, turn your head to the side and cough for me.”

Noah turned his head, and for the first time during the exam, he caught his mom in the corner of his eye. Sarah was staring right at him, her eyes wide, like she’d been watching the whole thing. The second their eyes met, she snapped her gaze to the magazine in her lap, flipping a page with exaggerated focus. Noah’s mind spun—Was she watching? The whole time?

“Cough again,” Dr. Patel said, and he did, his face burning. She nodded. “All good. You’re done, Noah. You can pull your pants up now.”

He yanked his shorts and boxers up so fast he nearly tripped, his heart pounding as he climbed back onto the exam table, avoiding everyone’s eyes.