Rachel was curled up in a ball, small tremors writhing from her frail body. She had been given a loose pale green gown that was a small V-neck against the front flap covers trimmed in white. The sides had clasped in place to her right and it was a secure latch, a reassurance she had discovered from running her fingers over it numerous times to steady herself, as the cold world of the private exam wing suffocated her through the walls.

Ethan had been pacing holes outside in the waiting room, as Julian sat pressed against the leather cushion backing of the chair, staring holes through the door of Rachel’s room.

“She’s fine…” He heard Ethan mutter to himself whilst walking, the soles of Nike’s wearing thin.

“She will be… I think— she won’t be bleeding a lot or maybe she will— but Matt’s done this before and—”

“Thanks, that’ll be fine, Jules.” Ethan cut off his friend, running a hand through his mussed hair. Julian ushered him to sit next to him— the pair of chairs separated by a small round light oak table and a slim teal vase of Jasmine flowers.

Ethan looked at his fingers as he fiddled with them against his palm. “Ray’s strong… she’s a fighter.”

“Yeah, she is…” Julian whispered.

Rachel laid against the bed, finally pushing herself to roll over and stare up at the white lights of the room. They seemed intrusive— watchful in her condition as she felt the pain still radiating from every avenue of privacy in her body. Her bottom hurt being pressed up against the even soft cushioning of the bed. Her nipples stung as they rubbed against the fabric of the quaintest gown they could find for her. Her vagina…. was like the inside of her buttocks curves— flaming and mortifying. She wished for a female nurse— her friend, Grace’s mother, Jessica to examine her. But even that was too personal.

Rachel hated to admit that a cold, detached view of someone she hoped she would never bump shoulders with again was better than two— four people who were as close as brothers. One of them was her brother. Ethan. Whom was waiting outside conjuring up every single horrifying scenario he could allow himself to live in for those minutes ticking down until she would be wheeled into the recovery room. And even still, that would come with its own set of worries when it came to Ethan’s mind.

Matt and Adrien came from down the hall, Matt wheeling a small silver tray that carried antiseptic, injection plungers and their needles, lubricant— a large tall bottle of Surgilube— and lab testing kits for lab submissions. But Ethan’s eyes managed to look past them and see three shiny bold gyno speculums, a colonoscopy camera, and a proctoscope next to cotton swabs and cervical brushes. It was a mockery to how innocent and pristine the swabs and brushes were compared to the heavy hander tools needed for this inevitable exam.

“No.” He said.

“Ethan, it’s the only way—” Matt began.

“I said, no. It’ll hurt her and she’s in enough pain. Our job is to manage pain for the patient’s comfort—”

“And help treat it, as well...” Adrien intervened. All eyes looked between Ethan and Adrien. “I know it… won’t be a hundred percent comfortable for Ray… and that kills me— as it does all of us— but… without us knowing exactly how to treat her… God forbid she gets worse.”

Ethan stayed quiet, taking in the words of his best friend. A mist heaved over his eyes. “… Alright… do what has to be done…” His voice was almost a broken whisper.

Rachel heard the sound of something wheeling up to her door and then stopped. Voices murmured and she recognized who they belonged to. Matt and Adrien were giving Ethan the updates before a gentle but anxious knock at the door shook Rachel out of her mind. “…come in,”

Adrien and Matt came in, turning the small winding corner of the room where it shielded Rachel from the prying and fearful eyes of Julian and Ethan. Adrien carried a small smile— a pattern of cartoon tigers on his scrubs that contrasted with the black stethoscope around his neck. “We’re here, kiddo… how ya’ holding up?”

Rachel couldn’t answer. It was as if something got clogged in her throat and was silently choking her. She managed a shrug and Adrien just took her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’ll be alright…” he said softly, but unsure of how much he truly believed his own words.

Matt came around, pushing the cart with a quiet but yearning gaze and a sympathetic smile. “Hi, honey… are you in any pain?” he spoke softly as if he were afraid to scare her. To a strong degree… he was.

Rachel kept her eyes on the cart, staring at its instruments and a cold knot formed in her chest. She swallowed hard, the click hitting the back of her neck. “Please, God no…” she muttered.

“Ray-Ray?” Matt leaned back, his eyes still on her.

“I-I’m fine, I’m not in any pain.” Rachel said, glancing between the tray and Matt. She knew Matt didn’t believe her, but he kept quiet at first.

“Baby,” he scooted closer in the swivel stool. “I need you to tell me exactly what’s hurting and where.”

Adrien squeezed Rachel’s hand a bit more— a reminder of his presence and understanding mind. His thumb grazed back and forth against Rachel’s knuckles. Rachel looked at Matt’s legs donned in his neon blue scrubs. She could hear her heart hammering against her chest like a thousand pregnant words and thoughts unspoken.

“I-I don’t know…” She breathed. Matt cupped her cheek and tilted her face to see his eyes.

“Ray-Ray, you gotta tell me….” Matt’s voice is sincere with a helpless ache for Rachel. A small plea through his words.

She swallowed. “Down… there…” her voice cracked.

“Where?”

Rachel turned away. “My… butt and vagina,” She blurted out the last words quickly. Her face flushed a furious crimson and she wanted the floor to open up and drag her into it. Please don’t let him— don’t let them see me like this! Don’t uncover me, don’t make me— don’t let them see my butt… she couldn’t finish the thought.

Matt glanced at Adrien with a knowing look. He leaned in and took Rachel’s hands into his. “Sweetheart… I’m going to have to check you there—”

“No! Please! It’s not that bad—”

“Ray, I know… I know, darling. But I need to know what’s going on so we can help, alright?” Matt cooed softly.

Ray shook her head. “No— not you, please, it’ll burn so bad!”

Outside, Ethan was already on his feet hearing his sister's cries from through the door, but was grounded by Julian’s grip on his hand. “Ethan… she’s safe now. She’ll be okay…”

Adrien squeezed Rachel’s hand again after taking it back from Matt’s. “I’ll be right here the whole time, Ray,” He rubbed her hand a little more now. “Matt will make sure it doesn’t cause too much pain.”

Matt nodded. “I’ll use a lot of gel, Ray. Promise. And— the minute you tell me it hurts, we stop. Period.”

Rachel couldn’t tell them pain was only one of the major factors to her resistance. “B-But…”

“But what?” Adrien asked.

Rachel shook her head. “Please… can I just get painkillers or some antibiotics?”

The men’s hearts nearly broke seeing her this way. Adrien looked to Matt with pleading eyes, silently supporting Rachel’s protest against his own better judgement.

“Well, yes, actually you will get medicine. And I’ll give you a painkiller shot before we start, how’s that?” Matt smiled softly with a warmth in his eyes. “I promise, Rachel… I would never hurt you.”

Rachel bit her bottom lip before nodding slowly. “Okay…” her voice broke, nearly defeated.

Matt glanced at Adrien, who went over and grabbed two pairs of latex gloves. He handed one pair to Matt. With a sharp snap, Matt’s gloves were on and he watched as Adrien prepared the first injection. “This will help with the resounding pain from your body— like a calm down for your nervous system.” Matt said, his voice never losing its softness.

Adrien rolled up the sleeve of Rachel’s gown and angled the shot. “You’ll feel a small pinch,” He then poked the upper part of her arm nearing her shoulder with the shot and pressed the plunger down as gently but firmly as quickly as he could. “All done.” He said, snapping the safety cap back over the needle and tossed it into the hazardous bin on the wall. He changed his gloves, before coming back over to Rachel.

“Adrien, can you help Rachel position onto her side, please?” Matt said, standing up from the stool and staying near the foot of the bed. Rachel wanted to scream, but Adrien’s hands were already guiding her to her side where her back was facing the men, the skirt of her gown hitched a bit, but not much at all.

No, please! She begged internally. Please, God! Please don’t let them see me this way!!

Matt placed his hands on Rachel's side. “Rachel, honey… I’m going to take a look at your backside now. You’ll feel me touch you there.” Matt’s voice was a contrast to the harsh hammering humiliation burning like a lava pool inside Rachel.

Rachel tried to squirm— possibly to sit up— but she wasn’t ready for Adrien’s strong hold to gently push her back down. Matt lifted the back of the gown, Rachel’s now bare bottom exposed to him and Adrien. She could gaze on her at this angle and the feeling nearly ate her alive. Her eyes began to sting and well with unshed tears— she began to believe she had a never-ending supply of them stored up with each memory or taunting reality of her plight.

Matt observed Rachel’s bottom for the sores that burned their worst over the flesh of her cheeks. His brows furrowed in careful concern scanning for any more hidden lesions that were torturing his Rachel. There were four inflamed sores, weeping with slight blood. They were distinct— two curved over the mound of her right cheek and two near the clef of her left buttock. Adrien and Matt grew worried— a pang rattling their chest. Rachel suffered through this for God knows how many hours… or days. They were raw to the touch and sensitive to the air, Rachel flinching a bit when she thought she felt Matt’s gloved hand soothe the sores.

Adrien saw Rachel clutching her own hands into white knuckled fists. He calmly took one of her hands— the left one— and held it with a soothing fervor. Rachel couldn’t even face him despite him looking over her shoulder to see her face.

Matt checked for pus on each one, grabbing four cotton swabs and rubbing one against each sore for the lab. Rachel flinched and a muffled cry broke. “I know, honey— I’m just taking cultures for the lab.” Matt reassured me. Once he finished, he set the swabs in their own plastic tubes with preserving fluid in them. He positioned himself and took a deep breath. “Rachel, baby?”

Rachel couldn’t speak. So she just hummed. “Hmm?”

“I’m going to touch you now,” Matt reached his hand over and rubbed Rachel’s cheek. Then pulling back to her bottom, Matt gently pulled apart her cheeks for a quick external peek. He made mental notes of the same raw lesions against the walls of her cleft and how the chafing nonetheless irked them more.

“Ahhh! Matt please! It burns! Ahh!” Rachel screamed.

Matt let go and gently patted Rachel’s buttock cheek. “Alright, we’re done with that part. You did so well, sweetie.” He cooed.

Ethan threw himself up from his chair the moment he heard his baby sister scream in the sake of pain, and his fingers were already on the cold metal handle of the door. It was locked anyway. “Ethan, I know, but Rachel’s fine, remember?” Julian slowly anchored Ethan back, settling up from his own chair and ushering him back to his chair.

“She’s hurting! God, I knew it! He’s hurting her!” Ethan yelled.

“He’s helping her, Ethan. Matt and Adrien would never hurt Rachel. They love her just as much as we do.” Julian rubbed Ethan’s back. A pause sat between the two. “Would you like me to go get you a coffee from the cafeteria?”

Ethan shook him slowly. “No thank you…” he said, quietly.

A quiet sat between them for a while. Julian kept his eyes laser focused on the door, counting every oak ridge from the polished panels and then counting each dot on the linoleum floor in front of him. She’ll die, was the thought that slammed through his mind every hour it seemed from the moment he first saw those lesions. Rachel won’t wake up. The pain will kill her. She stop breathing. She’ll slowly die in front of our eyes and we won’t even see it coming. There will be no one to stop it. Julian wanted to kick himself for such negative imagery, but couldn’t halt them worth anything anyway.

His thoughts were rattled by the sharp click of the door handle opening. Ethan shot up and turned his head— leaning and trying desperately to squint inside from the narrow and shielded angle to see Rachel.

Adrien was still in the room with Rachel— the girl still turned on her side waiting for the next most unbearable minutes she was yet to know. Adrien whispered coos and sweet nothings to her just moments after Matt excused himself after telling Adrien in a hushed voice that he would need to do a deep internal examination of Rachel’s rectal and vagina canals. A colonoscopy. Proctoscope. Pelvic exam. Pap smear and transvaginal photos would need to be taken. The words all seemed foreign and well known to Adrien— he knew the procedures, he just never expected them to be done on Rachel.

Matt had closed the door behind him and leaned into Julian and Ethan’s space as the three men stood in the middle of the empty hallway. “How is she?” Ethan asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Matt’s face was calm, but a bit nervous. “She’s doing well so far. I came out here to tell you that the next exams I have to do are the internal ones.”

A gulf of rattled silence stood between them. Ethan knew this would be the hardest for Rachel. “Okay, I’ll be in there with her—”

“Ethan, Rachel’s really fragile right now and she… wants her space and privacy right now.” Matt explained.

“I’m her brother, Matt! I have to be there for her— what if she can’t handle it?!”

“She’s been handling it so far, Ethan. She’s been doing just fine.” Matt said.

Ethan sighed deeply. He ran fingers through his hair for the thousandth time, not caring if he went bald from doing so. “What internal exams?” Ethan asked this knowing full well what was about to happen. A cold sank in his chest as he looked into Matt’s eyes, silently begging for him not to say what he dreaded him to.

“I’ll have to do a full rectal and vaginal examination on Rachel.”

Ethan closed his eyes and crooked his head in utter helpless despair. “No. Please no, Matt. She’ll… it’ll be too much for her.”

Matt swallowed and shared a glance with Julian who had a knowing expression. “Ethan… I know you’re going to hate me for asking this, but…”

Ethan looked up. “But what?”

Matt took a deep breath. “Because of the… condition of Rachel’s state… maybe the halls should be totally empty.”

Ethan furrowed his brows in confusion. “What?”

“He’s asking us to leave, E.” Julian chimed in. A furrow formed in between his own brow and suddenly he felt like he was about to spill his guts.

Ethan blinked. “Are you kidding me? You’re asking me to leave my little sister by herself as she faces this?!”

“She’s not by herself, she’s with Adrien and me—” Matt tried to say.

“I don’t care, Matt! Rachel’s just a little girl— you can’t expect her to be okay with this? W-What if she passes out from utter agony— or something happens and she goes into shock!? What are you going to do then?! Hm?”

Matt didn’t respond. He had the answer in his head, but he chose not to let it come to air in this moment. He just looked at Ethan with pure sympathy, his eyebrows raised in an empathetic furrow.

“I know, Ethan. And I would be exactly the same way, truly. But, Rachel…. during these procedures… it’s going to be very hard for you to hear her this way and…. I’m so sorry.” Matt placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder hoping to invite some understanding in him. Ethan— furious at the notion— was about to yank off Matt’s hand, but a soft dawning waved over him— a cool wash of realizing that if he were the doctor, he would be saying the same thing. In fact, he knew had. He had seen a glimpse of himself in Matt’s gentle honesty.

“Matt…” Ethan choked. “Please… please bring me to her when you’re finished.”

Matt smiled softly. “You know I will.”

A sporadic thought slammed into Julian’s head, about to crest into words when he bit his tongue back. No, Rachel will not break free and run down the hall screaming like a manic with a rectal camera in her rear, Julian told himself.

Julian just nodded and put an arm around Ethan. “We’ll be back,” he said, beginning to guide themselves down the long winding hallway.

“Ethan?” Matt called out. Ethan turned back. “Yes?”

“I’ll let you know when she’s in recovery and…” he stepped closer, “I’ll let you put the ointment on her sores, if you’d like?”

A small exhausted smile took over Ethan’s face. “Thank you.” He said, gratefully, before turning with Julian and the two left for the elevator.

Matt watched the two disappear before taking a deep breath and facing the door again. God help me please, he thought to himself before stepping back into the room, locking the door behind him.

Adrien looked up and gave Matt a small smile. “We’re ready, the meds are working.” Matt sighed an internal breath of relief. Thank you God.

Rachal tilted her head up in protest. “Nooo, d-don’t.” Matt rubbed her shoulder.

“I know, baby, but we have to check the inside now.” Matt cooed softly. “I know it won’t be pleasant and I’m so so sorry about that. But just squeeze Max’s hand, alright? I’ll be as quick as I possibly can.”

Rachel didn’t have the strength to fight back and only whimpered. Matt looked to Adrien. “I want to put a sterile sheet down under her in case she bleeds.” Adrien nodded. With a quickness, the two placed a large blue sheet under Rachel as she was still positioned on her side. “There, all settled.” Matt said.

He snapped on a pair of latex gloves, the sound making Rachel flinch and sending goosebumps down her spine. Adrien put on fresh gloves himself and Matt motioned for him for the be at Rachel’s head of the bed to hold her down just in case. It pained Matt and Adrien to think about it, but Matt forced the thought from his mind and tried hard to focus on what needed to be done. “Alright, Ray… I’m going to start with and internal check of your rectal cavity because I have to see the gravity of the swelling and how bad it is.” Matt said, gently. His voice is as calm and warm as a blanket.

“No— please, Matt— it’ll hurt so badly and I can’t take it!” Rachel begged. “Can you please just do it when it doesn’t hurt anymore?!”

Matt’s heart broke. “I’m so sorry sweetheart… I have to do this now because it won’t heal if we don’t know what we’re up against.” Rachel began to cry. “It’ll burn so much… can I get more painkillers?!” Her voice was nearly frantic.

Matt furrowed his brows in gut wrenching concern. “We gave you some of the strongest ones. They’re already making you loopy.” He smoothed a piece of hair from Rachel’s face.

Rachel began to shake with a fear turned to mortification. “Oh God, Matt! Please don’t look. I don’t want you guys to see me like this!” She pleaded, tears rolling down her reddened cheeks.

“I know, I know…” Matt cooed. “But… I promise I’ll be gentle. I’ve got to take a deep look inside, baby.”

“Oh my gosh!” Rachel choked. Adrien had to look away, seeing it too much to hear and see his girl in pain.

“I know it’s going to hurt, Rachel and for that I am so heartbroken over it. I am. But… I have to check you because I love you and I want you to get better.” Matt took her hand and held it. “You can scream as loud as you need to, alright honey?”

Rachel cried, tears dripping onto the parchment paper of the table. “… okay.”

Matt gave a nod to Adrien as a signal to begin. He grabbed the lube and dolloped a more than generous amount onto his finger. “Okay pumpkin, you’re going to feel me spread your bottom and then go inside.”

Rachel held her breath while Adrien held hand, somewhat anchoring her to him.

With a gentleness, Matt took a firm hold of Rachel’s right buttock cheek and spread it carefully. “Ahhh! Matt!” Rachel screamed.

“I know baby girl,” He cooed. He smeared the lube over Rachel’s anus hole before gently sliding his pointer through it. “GAHHHHHHH!” Rachel screamed. “OH GOD HELP ME! MATT STOP! PLEASE!”

“I know, precious… just listen to the sound of my voice. I need you to relax for me. The more you tense, the harder it will be.” He softly said.

Rachel felt herself kicking and squirming her feet from agony. Adrien wasn’t even ready for the steel finger crushing grip of Rachel. He smoothed her hair and whispered sweet nothings to her again. On instinct, Rachel began to contract her rectal walls. “Don’t push me out, Ray— I know it stings, but you gotta relax for me, sweetie.”

Rachel couldn’t relax though. She cried and screamed for as long as Matt’s finger filled and intruded her sensitive space. Matt felt around the walls, how thick and swollen they were. How difficult it would even be for Rachel to make a bowel movement. A fury overcame him for how horrible this disease was. This wicked disease, he thought. Rachel, forgive me for what I have to do next. Matt slid in his pointer in knuckle deep feeling the more sensitive linings of the cavity. Twisting and turning to feel around for each discomfort and ache that consumed Rachel. Lube squelched and spilled over Rachel’s rectal hole.

“AHHHHH MATT STOP!!! I CAN’T! PLEASE!!!” She cried.

“Okay baby, I’m coming out now. My finger’s leaving now,” Matt slid his finger out gently and quickly wiped the excess lube from Rachel’s bottom. Matt grabbed a lab card and smeared any specimens he might’ve been able to grab over the panels for an occult blood test.

Matt was silently thanking God for Julian and Ethan not being here to hear this. He wished he could join them and forget about how horrible Rachel’s cries and screams were. He knew this would haunt for a long time. Adrien helped Rachel wipe her face and Matt donned on fresh gloves. It killed him to have to do this next part. “…A-A-Are w-w-we d-done yet?” Rachel whimpered.

Matt closed his eyes in heartache. “Not yet, baby.”

Rachel hiccupped. “What else is there?!”

Adrien kissed the side of Rachel’s head. “A… colonoscopy.” He murmured.

“No! No—no, I won’t let you, Matt!” Rachel yelled. She tried to get off the table, but Adrien held her firmly.

“I know… I know… I’m so sorry baby. We have to see how bad the internal walls of the rectum are. But I’ll be super quick.” Matt promised.

Rachel wanted to jump off the bed and run for dear life, but was stuck and forced to endure this humiliation; a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She heard the sound of lube being squeezed out and layered over the tube of the camera. Matt had lathered the tube in jelly to ease the discomfort from Rachel. “Okay, baby girl I’m going to put the tube inside you now, alright?”

Rachel swallowed and before she could react, she felt the icy cool touch of a thick prong being firmly shoved into her. “AHHHHHH!!! OH GOD IT BURNS! MATT! ADRIEN! ETHAN HELP ME!” She screamed. The men’s heart broke hearing the cries. Rachel sobbed loudly, thrashing over the bed as Adrien was trying to hold her down, shoving his own shattered nerves down as well.

Matt furrowed his brows in such deep agony as he stared at the monitor above them. He guided the camera as far as it needed to go to search for any internal swelling in the small intestine. The colon was fine and so was everything else. Just the rectum that was suffering. With a relief, Matt managed to break through Rachel’s screams. “Sweetie, your colon and intestines are fine. The pain is just the rectum.” Matt rubbed Rachel’s side.

“I know this has been torturous and if I could, I’d switch places with you in a heartbeat. I’m going to extract the camera now and then we can take a break.” Matt gently retracted the camera and wiped Rachel’s bottom clean. She laid there whimpering softly and spent. Her body slack and her mind detached as she stared at nothing, her mind replaying back every minute of pain. “N-No more… p-please.” She sobbed.

Matt covered the back of Rachel’s back over again, shielding her bottom from any more turmoil. “I know sweet thing… I’ll let you rest for a moment before we get started on the second half.”

Rachel’s eyes widened remembering the pelvic and pap smear she was to endure. The transvaginal exam would be a nightmare of its own and Matt had already taken a mental note of that. Adrien helped Rachel roll back over on her back, shivering and feeling mangled from the inside. Adrien could only helplessly stand idly by as he continued to give reassuring soft squeezes to Rachel’s hand and pet her hair. “You’re okay, baby girl. You got through some of the worst of it… you’re stronger than you know. Stronger than me anyways… I would’ve fainted.” He chuckled. Rachel kept silent mostly but giggled softly moreso at Adrien’s devotion rather than his currently unfunny gesture of comfort.

Rachel let herself catch her breath and ease her nerves just a bit. Her voice was a bit scratchy and groggy from the screams and her right hand ached a bit from the pressure of gripping. She sniffled and it sent another crack through Matt’s chest. “I know Ray, I know…. I’m so sorry you’re suffering through this. I know this isn’t fun and if there was any other way to treat you, then you know I would.” Matt cooed gently. Adrien nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, Ray. You’re braver than most of the toughest, scariest grown men I know,” Adrien rubbed Rachel’s cheek with the back of his gloved hand. It was a soothing rhythm to Rachel that gave her a glint of peace from the still looming torture ahead.

Ethan and Julian had found themselves in the second floor lobby, miles from the fourth floor Rachel was on. Her screams were silent and lost all the way from where the men had last been. Julian had been nursing his third cup of coffee and Ethan was shoveling down Twix bars faster than he could count them. “You think they’re almost finishing up?” He said, mouth full of crunch and caramel. Julian swallowed his mouthful of coffee. “I don’t know… it’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” Julian stated this while looking at his watch— punctuating it in a sense of confusion mixed in worry. What the hell is going on up there and should I be worried it’s taking too long? Or has it even been that long? Julian’s mind raced with these questions and would continue to until he finished his cold coffee and moved on to the next possible one.

Meanwhile, Ethan’s own fears had been detached from him and took on a life of its own. With every sickening thought of what Rachel’s screams sounded like or how intense her pain was, that same fear coiled around him like a fist he couldn’t unclench. A silence stood between them for a while— crunch sounds and coffee sips filled the otherwise mute air and only the occasional faint sounds of something with wheels could be heard and then pass by like a gust of wind. The men nearly jumped out their skin when a stray intercom sounded.

“Dr. Falco to room 305, Dr. Falco to room 305, thank you.” A stale nurse said before a distinct click ended the overhead.

Ethan in that moment had stopped chewing; stopped breathing for even a second until he was sure Rachel’s or Matt’s names weren’t anywhere near the sound. He let out a breath of silent relief he didn’t know he had been holding in. No news is good news, he said to himself in his head. But how much of that is true he reasoned.

Julian’s head shot over to Ethan, watching his breath slowly collapse as he settled back into his seat. A spike of paralyzing panic had shot through Julian like a bullet, yet he somehow managed to find his own breath again and loosen his grip on his coffee cup a little bit. Swallowing, he took another sip of his coffee and let his back hit the cushion of the leather couch like a beckoning arm.

Rachel’s breaths had calmed a bit from the aftermath of her rectal exams. There was still more to do and Matt found himself hesitating to slip on fresh gloves to began the next exams. He sucked in a breath and decided he would garner every mental effort he could afford and push himself through this. The faster they could get done, the sooner it would be over.

Rachel had found herself back to staring up at the LED lights above her. They were like stage lights— the bulbs becoming eyes that gawked at her misery and humiliation. Despite that chafing pain of her inner thighs, Rachel still squeezed her legs together— shutting the most personal opening of herself off from any more audience. Except she knew it wasn’t an audience; the closest people she would ever know were anything but just an audience. They were her family. It made it all the more reason why she couldn’t bare herself to them anymore. Not even for the raw burning sores that she could feel screaming and weeping with unshed blood and torment as one raw flesh met another, grinding up against each other. It felt being grated by glass shards, but Rachel begged herself not to care— anything to run, to hide from this insanity.

“Rachel, honey?” Matt cooed. “I’m going to have to start the vaginal examination now.”

Rachel’s eyes popped wide open. “No Matt! Please! I can’t—”

“I know, baby, I know… but we gotta do this for you to get better. There are sores on your inner thighs, your breasts and vagina. We have to check all of that. Please, darling? It’s for your best interest.”

Rachel shook her head frantically. Tears burned in her eyes from pure humiliation. “Please, Matt…. I can’t go through this.” A sob broke through her words.

Matt instantly moved to caress Rachel’s cheek and then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to it. “I know sweetheart… I’m so sorry about this pain. And I promise, I’ll be so gentle. I promise… okay, baby girl?” Matt’s voice, saccharine and honeyed but laced with a veil of desperation for Rachel’s pain to subside into a comfort for her.

Rachel sucked in her lip and hummed a response. Adrien looked up at Matt and nodded. “Alright,” his voice almost whispered.

Matt put on a fresh pair of gloves, and had Adrien gently guide Rachel upright. Adrien adjusted the head of the bed to position in a lazy upright pose and gently guided Rachel to rest her body against it. “Sugar, we’re gonna check your breasts first alright?” Rachel swallowed and nodded. “….okay…” She murmured softly, almost inaudibly.

Adrien rubbed Rachel’s shoulder. “We just need you to remove your gown, okay, Bug?”

Rachel shook her head slowly. “P-Please, d-don’t ma-make me m-m-me…” She gave way to broken whimpers. Adrien rubbed her hand and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. “I know Ray-Ray, but please?” He kept rubbing Rachel’s hand.

With trembling fingers, Rachel undid the side of her gown and let it fall away to expose her plump breasts, her naturally pink nipples a slight cherry red from the pain. The undercarriage of her breasts sat a wide burly lesion that was raw with weeps of blood oozing a bit from the shock of air. Rachel stifled her humiliated cries, Adrien rubbing the small of her bare back in gentle circles and Matt took in the site of his girl’s slim, yet frail frame. Smooth, yet steep slim curves danced through Rachel’s feminine figure. Matt slipped on the gloves and observed Rachel’s sores. A few stark ones sat around the nipples, but nothing too intense. Matt had realized those were the smallest lesions he had seen over Rachel’s body throughout this whole ordeal.

With a gentle grace, Matt’s hand moved to Rachel’s left breast. “I’m going to lift up your breast now,” he said. “I want you to take a deep breath for me darling…” Matt carefully lifted up the mound of flesh, using his other hand’s finger to gently feel around the underside. “Ah! Matt—please!” Rachel yelped. Matt carefully lowered the breast down and began the same examination on the other one. A sharp gasp escaped from Rachel’s mouth. “I know, babe… I’m nearly down.”

Matt took mental notes of the breasts’ injuries— none were as bad as the lower body cavities. Each carried the same pattern of small lesions that were mild compared to the others. “Alright, we’re all done with the breast exam, Ray.” Matt carefully lifted the gown back over Rachel and helped her fasten the snaps again. Snapping off his gloves and donning fresh ones, Matt moved the foot of the bed. “Okay, Ray-bear… I have to do the vaginal exam now—”

“Matt, please skip this— please!” Rachel’s begs nearly swallowed Matt. He turned away to let the faint mist in his eyes blink away.

“I know… I know, Rachel… honestly,” his voice, tender with understanding. To Rachel, it felt like cool water on a burning gash. “But… if we don’t do this… those lesions will only get worse. And I don’t want that, and I know you don’t either. Alright sweetie?”

Rachel blinked back tears that kept coming. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “…F-Fine…” she managed to speak, as faint as it was.

Matt gestured to Adrien. Adrien left Rachel’s side and lowered himself to Matt’s mouth level. “The sheet is clean, so we don’t need to change it, but if she squirms or tries to fight you, gently, very gently use your full strength.” Matt whispered.

“That bad?” Adrien whispered, raising his brows in concern.

Matt nodded. “Unfortunately.”

Adrien swallowed and gave a curt nod. “…. should we get Ethan back here?”

“No. Rachel wouldn’t want that— Ethan shouldn’t have to see her like that either… it would break his heart.” Matt said the last words slowly with a softness. The empathy for his friends was something that couldn’t be tried. Matt sat back and gestured for Adrien to return back to Rachel’s side with a quick head tilt.

“Alright, sunshine….. I’m gonna help you scoot down to the edge of the table, alright?” Matt said, hands already on Rachel’s hips. Rachel let her body go slack— something Matt also noted mentally — as she allowed Matt to guide her bum down to the edge of the bed, mindful of her still sensitive lesions underneath. He guided her legs into special stirrups— wide ones that were seen in delivery rooms and that had velcro straps on the sides— the type where once a patient’s legs were placed in them, they couldn’t just yank them free without struggle. Matt hated that for Rachel— but he knew necessary intervention needed to be a hallmark for this part of the exam.

Matt grabbed a sterile blue drape and draped it over Rachel’s lap, covering an inch of her knees too. Adrien dimmed the lights a bit as Matt adjusted the overhead lamp over the opening of Rachel. “Okay, princess… you’re going to feel me down there now. I’ll explain each step and at any time you want to take a break, we will. Adrien will hold your hand the whole way and just remember to breathe.” Matt cooed softly.

Matt hiked up the bottom of Rachel’s gown a bit above the drape, so the drape would wrap over it and cover her mid-section. The stirrups left no way for Rachel to close her legs and as the light haloed there, Matt saw her full entry. A deep furious heat burned through Rachel as she could feel Matt’s eyes over her vagina. Her legs were spread wide— bloody lesions were splotched over her inner thighs and against the lips of her bare vagina. Her vagina was a flush color— naturally from her skin— but burning a deeper pink from the lesions over it. Matt saw where her plump cheeks met with her vagina and how they themselves still carried the same wounds as before. Matt gently touched Rachel’s inner thighs and spread them a bit wider.

Grabbing a cotton swab, Matt rubbed it against the sores of Rachel’s thighs. He felt her flinch and wince, her toes curling tightly where her joints turned white. Matt rubbed her knee. “It’s alright, honey.” He took a few more swabs before adding the cultures to the preservation tube, capping it shut. Matt touched Rachel’s inner thighs with his hands, easing Rachel’s huffing. “Shh, you’re okay, baby.”

Rachel felt the heat of the light and a cold knot hit down into her gut. A fight or flight instinct paralyzed her and her eyes filled with tears. I can’t do this! She yelled inside of herself. Someone please help! Matt’s looking at me down there! Adrien’s watching too! Oh God this is so humiliating! Rachel’s brain screamed for her when she couldn’t— her throat felt too dry and weak. Her thoughts only broke when she heard Matt’s voice.

“Alright, dear I’m going to begin the exam now.” Matt raised a gloved hand towards Rachel’s labial lips. “You’re going to feel me touch you now. Just try to relax for me.” Matt took his hands and gently spread Rachel’s lips apart, the cold draft hitting the raw flesh.

“AHHHH! MATT STOPPPPP!!” Rachel writhed in the stirrups, but couldn’t bunch her legs close. “PLEASE YOU’RE HURTING MEEEE!!!”

Matt winced with pain. “I’m so sorry baby girl, but I gotta check you there.”

He continued spreading— touching every fold of Rachel’s labia. All of it covered in those sores, bleeding out from utter pain. Matt didn’t even realize he had his breath held until he let out a soft sigh. His thumb and pointer spread Rachel’s vulva, fighting against the shaking movement of her writhing. The slick pearly pink folds of flesh were irritated, inflamed by a pain he wished on himself. His eyes trailed every little sore and every wound with the same thorny ache that stood in his chest. Oh, Rachel— bunny, I’m so sorry, he said to himself quietly. Matt knew better than to ask Rachel to bare down for him— he would be forced to manually check himself. Grabbing the lube, he squeezed a small line over his finger. “You’re going to feel me go inside you now, Ray.”

“NO! PLE—” Ray’s cries were cut off by the icy plunge of Matt’s pointer. He palpated the glands on each side, twisting and turning his finger against the swollen narrow space. “AHHHHHHHH!!!!” Rachel screamed. Adrien for a moment thought his fingers might break.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” Matt cooed. He finished up and discarded the gloves before donning on a new pair. He cleared his throat. Grabbing the tiny plastic speculum from the tray, Matt glazed it in a generous coat of lube. “Alright, Ray. I’m going to do the pap smear now… you’ll feel the speculum enter in and I’m going to collect some cervical cells with some brushes, alright?”

Ray shot up as best as she could. “NO! PLEASE GOD NO! IT’LL HURT SO BAD AND I CAN’T, MATT— PLEASE! I NEED ETHAN!!!”

Matt straightened up a bit. “You want me to bring Ethan back for this part?” He asked, softly. Rachel, in the midst of heavy breaths and tears, shook her head. “N-No. No, I don’t! Please don’t send him back here!”

“I won’t, sweetheart. It’s just you, me and Adrien, okay?” Rachel nodded and slowly settled herself back down.

“I can’t do this pap smear, can we just end it now?” She begged.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel, but we can't, darling. We have to get these tests done. Would you like to take a break now?”

Before Rachel could respond, Matt noticed stray bleeding over the under sheets. A furrow rose between his brows. He wanted to know exactly where that was coming from. “We have to continue now, Ray. But I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

“No— wait, please— I’m not ready—” She cried. Adrien gripped her hand gently.

“I know, Ray, but it’ll be okay, I’m right here with you,” Adrien said, gently holding her down. Rachel had caught the glint of the lube speculum from the corner of her eye and she began to thrash. “Stop! Please!”

“Rachel, dear, you have to try to relax for me. Tensing will make it harder, alright?” Matt gently said, rubbing her leg. Rachel took a deep breath and clenched her free hand. She sighed and hummed a yes.

Matt carefully spread Rachel’s lips again and held the speculum at the opening. “You’re going to feel me go in with the speculum, alright?” Rachel didn’t respond, but Adrien gave a small nod with a matching smile to signal Matt that Rachel— albeit reluctant — was ready. Matt took firm hold of the instrument and pressed it deep but carefully inside of Rachel. Prodding for the right angle, and then spreading it to reveal Rachel’s pearly pink cervix.

“OH GOD THAT BURNS!!! MATT TAKE IT OUT— STOP, PLEASE!” Rachel thrashed violently in the bed, forcing Adrien to hold her using the barricade of his own body. Matt was forced to ignore the screams of his dear friend, and focus on gathering his swabs together.

“I know, honey— you’ll feel a slight pressure, now.” Matt took the first swab, sliding it through the small hole of her canal and through the tight squeeze of her cervical center. Matt went as quickly as possible, collecting the samples from the brushes and smear stick. “Alright, I’m releasing the speculum now, you’ll feel it come out now, Ray.” Matt gripped the handle tightly and after collapsing the speculum's stretch, he carefully withdrew it, checking it for blood. No blood from the inside, that’s good, he thought.

Matt stood up and turned off the lamp. He hated himself for what he had to do next— tightening his glove, Matt squirted a dollop of lube over his fingers. Rachel sat up a bit hearing the sound of a bottle being squeezed and then a thick squelch. She swallowed harshly, the room feeling ten degrees colder now. “No— Please, please don’t,” Rachel whimpered, begging the universe for some remorse. Matt swallowed a thick lump in his throat. “I’m so sorry, baby. You’re going to feel my fingers inside, but I’ll be as quick as possible.”

Before Rachel could protest, Matt stuck his fingers deep into Rachel’s vagina, penetrating the walls for the swelling. The once smooth walls were welled with soft cramped space. Poor thing, Matt thought in his head.

“OH GOD IT BURNS!!! STOP!! PLEASE STOPPPP!! AHHHH, OWWWWW!” Rachel shrieked, wailing, thrashing her subdued legs in the stirrups. Matt cringed in utter heartache. “I’m so sorry,” he found himself murmuring the longer his fingers stayed inside. He gently pulled them out and wiped the smear of the sample over an occult blood testing card. Matt had decided to skip the bimanual examination as he already had checked Rachel’s rectal walls thoroughly.

Taking a moist wipe, Matt gently wiped away the excess lube from Rachel’s vagina. Adrien was soothing Rachel’s cries softly, gently wiping away her tears as she was trying to calm herself down as she hiccupped through the still shear of pain that existed.

It was this image of Rachel that made Matt want to recalculate whether the transvaginal camera would be best for Rachel. He sighed quietly to himself. He knew he had no choice either way.

Snapping on a fresh pair of gloves— the last ones he would need for a while — Matt grabbed the thick white probe and covered the head of it with a clear latex condom. He switched the monitor on— the same one used for the colonoscopy — and positioned the wand in a straight angle while squeezing a thin layer of lubricant over it. “Okay, Ray… I’m going to take some pictures now inside your vagina. I need to get a good look at the internal walls and your uterus to make sure everything’s as it seems.” Matt braced his left hand over Rachel’s belly.

Rachel gulped and squeezed Adrien’s hands harder like a lifeline. She didn’t respond, but Matt knew. He anchored the screen his way, and then carefully slid the wand all the way up into Rachel’s canal.

“AHHHHHH! OH MY GOSH— STOP!!! STOP!!!” Rachel screamed trying desperately to close her legs.

“I know baby girl, I’m just taking some pictures.” Matt maneuvered the wand to brush right up against Rachel’s cervix. He was forced to ignore Rachel’s desperate cries and swallow down his own ache from hearing it. Rachel’s uterus was smooth, the walls healthy and solid as they should be just like her cervix. Her reproductive organs were healthy and untouched, sending a wave of relief through Matt. “Rach… when was your last period?” He asked, slowly withdrawing the wand.

“I-I… don’t know… m-maybe last week?” she managed through her tears. Matt took a mental note of this and nodded. Wiping her clean, Matt discarded his gloves with a quiet breath of solace.

“Alright, Ray,” Matt unstrapped Rachel’s legs and helped them down from the stirrups. Covering the drape over her legs, Adrien helped her sit up as Matt pushed the stirrups back over to the side.

“Let’s get her to recovery room 8,” Matt said, as he excused himself to find a wheelchair. Matt had found the entrance of the floor where there were wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. He snagged a cushion doughnut and a pillow and adjusted them over the chair– the doughnut seated against the wired leather bones and the pillow clasped behind it against the backing of the chair for Rachel’s comfort. Matt had been taking silent breaths of relief, releasing the ones he had stifled inside and blowing them into the air as alleviation slowly began to nestle inside.

Adrien and Matt helped Rachel into the chair and wheeled her down the hall and into the elevators. Matt had decided he would inform Ethan and Julian after he settled Rachel into her room as a little offer for her to cozy into a warm bed and close her eyes even for a few minutes.

The elevator doors opened and the floor consisted of different doctors and nurses all coming in and out of rooms, charts in their hands and eyes focused downwards either on their own patients or their files. Rachel felt a small brush of solace in the bustling halls of just an average day at the hospital. As she was wheeled down the hall, shifting through the throngs of people, a sharp right turn was made and the noise thinned out into silence. Hundreds became single numbers over doors and the numerals were illuminated in chrome black instead of polished silver. The doors were clear sliding ones with pale green curtains almost the color of her gown stood over the glass panes of the doors and windows had blinds that could be moved up or down depending on the occasion.

Adrien slid the door to the side, stepping over as he allowed Matt to cross the threshold with Rachel’s chair before shutting the door behind them. “Alright, Ray,” Matt stood up, releasing his grip from the handles of the chair. “This is your private room. There’s a bed for you to just relax and as you get comfy, I’ll go tell Ethan and Julian that you’re here.”

Rachel gave a weak smile– one that had seen better days, yet was still there –and nodded. “Thanks.” Her voice groggy with a raspiness. As Adrien helped Rachel to her bed, Matt excused himself and informed Ethan of his sister’s arrival to the recovery floor.

“Ethan and Julian to recovery room 8, Ethan and Julian, recovery room 8, thank you.”

Click!

The pair stopped frozen in their tracks, before bolting to the elevators so fast, Julian nearly knocked himself over. An anticipation thumped inside the cramped space as the only sound was the ones of the men’s heartbeats pounding against their ribs like they had begun boxing each other. The doors opened and Ethan was first out, speeding through the hall and curving his heels right to where the glass panel doors were. Room 8. The number seemed so alluring and daunting as he stood for a moment in front of the door, Julian catching up behind him.

Sliding it open, Rachel was there under thick blue covers. Her long brown hair sprawled over the pillow and her face so soft and young, yet pained. She looked so small and fragile in the bed as if it were swallowing her whole. He came slowly to her as if she were a scared stray. “Hey little girl,” He murmured, catching his tongue after the words had already escaped. Rachel’s quickly hurried together before relaxing themselves.

“Hey,” She managed out, her voice still strained and small. Ethan strokes the back of his hand against her warm cheek.

“Hey, sweetpie…” Julian whispers in a cooing tone. Rachel gives a small smile to him, her eyes still a bit misty and red like her button nose. It’s shiny against the thawing hue of the mid afternoon sun.

Ethan grabs a seat next to Rachel and takes her hand into his much larger one. His large thumb rubs it against her fingers, careful of her IV and heart monitor. He doesn’t let go.

Rachel doesn’t want him to.

------

The night had arrived with a gentle breeze cooing over Rachel's body. Her sores ached— despite herself — enjoying the refreshing lick of normal after the grueling exams she had received. The entire night, Ethan had been by her side— Adrien had 'accidentally' forgot to inform Matt of the extra guest who was way later after visiting hours— not that Matt would care about who it was when he knew thoroughly who was still up on that floor. Adrien had made a makeshift bed for Ethan to rest beside Rachel who had barely moved an inch since her head hit the pillow. Ethan had been grateful for this exception made on his behalf as he would never tell anyone how close he was to ripping his hairs out if he had to wait even another ten minutes for Rachel's examinations to be over.

The sun began to crest over the horizon, casting its first light against the room. A gentle zephyr stirred, whispering through the window seals Ethan had pried open in the dead of night. Though the air felt heavy and humid—perhaps only against his own feverish skin—he welcomed the draft, a small mercy for Rachel, and for himself.

Ethan's hand had been a constant presence against her hair, his thumb tracing soothing arcs across her temple as he murmured soft reassurances—how scared he'd been, how he couldn't breathe until he saw her eyes open, how he'd tear the world apart before letting anything happen to his baby sister. His voice cracked with a love so fierce it almost hurt to hear. For a moment, he had been just her brother again—his forehead pressed to hers, his voice a raw whisper against her skin, telling her she was the strongest person he knew, that he'd trade places with her in a heartbeat if he could. His fingers had carded through her hair with the same tenderness he'd used when she was five and scraped her knees, when she was fifteen and crying over a broken heart. Rachel had almost let herself believe she was just his little sister, safe and loved.

Ethan had held her then, cradling her face like she was made of glass, his thumbs brushing away tears she hadn't realized she'd shed. "I thought I lost you," he'd breathed, his own eyes glistening. "I thought—" He couldn't finish. Instead, he'd pressed a kiss to her forehead, long and lingering, and Rachel had soaked in every second of that warmth. She could still feel the ghost of his fingers in her hair, could still hear the tremor in his voice when he'd whispered how terrified he'd been, how the hours without her consciousness felt like an eternity. His love had been so palpable, so achingly pure, that Rachel had almost forgotten where they were. Almost forgot what came next.

Ethan's fingers had been so gentle against her scalp, stroking away the tension, his voice a low murmur of reassurance that wrapped around her like a blanket. He'd told her she was brave, that he was so proud of her, that none of this was her fault. His touch had been pure, brotherly devotion—the same hands that had caught her when she fell, that had held her when she cried, that had never once made her feel anything but cherished.

And then those same hands reached for the gloves. The snap of latex echoed in the room, and Rachel's stomach dropped. Ethan's hand stilled against her cheek. His eyes met hers—apologetic, pained—and she knew. The comfort was over. The care was about to become something else entirely. Not here. Not now. Ethan's jaw tightened, and he reached for the supplies beside him, his voice dropping into that sweet careful, clinical tone she dreaded.

A tide of mortification waved over Rachel, stripping away the last remote of sense she had left— even if that sense was already hanging by a very thin thread. Ethan worked around her— sliding on the fuzzy lavender socks over her feet that hiked up a bit too high against her calves. Her legs sat widely spread, every inch of her opening bared out to the loving gazes of them all. Ethan had illuminated a soft golden glow over her spread area as a murmur of comfort despite the sharp ricocheting syncing snaps of latex gloves being donned on. "Okay, baby… I'm gonna put the ointment on now," he grabbed a sterile sheet and had Rachel lift her bottom up for him to slide it underneath her.

All Rachel could do was stare up at the ceiling and count the bokeh dots in her eyes over and over. Rachel's legs had been strapped and pinned apart with a special velcro strap to keep her from squirming. All she could do was shift and lift herself, despite there barely being room to do so— exactly Ethan's plan. Rachel shut her eyes tight from deeper humiliation, feeling the erratic embarrassment sinking deeper into her as she could feel the soft slant of cool draft over her exposed body. Her bottom, that to Ethan was the same one he changed diapers with, was exposed to him yet this time in a more aware helpless fashion. Rachel knew her brother needed this— God knows he did— and yet it still didn't take away the sting of it all.

Her vagina was to his eyes too, the lips had spread a bit from pressure and she could sense Ethan's gloved hands moving towards it. A snap of the cap being opened sounded and then the glorp of the cream. "You'll feel my fingers, it'll feel a bit chilly," Ethan had hummed in such a soft tone, it made Rachel's already furiously flushed cheeks burn more.

A cool touch was pressed deep into her vagina and then a muffled choke broke into a broken sob. "Ethan…." she whimpered.

"I know, baby girl, I know… I'll be quick and I'll make it all better." He cooed. Ethan's dug deep into Rachel's canal, smearing the ointment over the welled up walls. I know this hurts, baby, but just care for me, I'll make the boo-boo better, Ethan told himself in his head. Except, it wasn't just a boo-boo this. Rachel's pain was more complicated and fragile than raw skin he could clean and bandage with a kiss.

Ethan's fingers swam through the narrow width and barriered the canal in soothing coolness. Slipping his fingers out, Ethan discarded the glove and placed another one on. He leaned in making sure Rachel could make out the sound of his voice through her panicked turmoil. "I'm going to do your thighs now, okay?" He softly beckoned. Rachel gave a watery "Mhmm", before backing her head back down on the pillow. Another squirt of cream could be heard before she felt a cool dampness rubbing against her thighs.

"Ah— Ethan, it hurts!" She whined. Soft cries sputtered out and Ethan could feel something deafening the crack in his already fractured heart.

"I'm so sorry, baby… we're almost done." He said, rubbing the ointment over the last lesion of her left thigh. "Alright," he snapped off the gloves and put fresh ones on. "Now for the back."

Rachel felt her breath hitch. No. Please God no! No more! I can't— please! She begged to an indifferent space. It was silent; her cries went unheard. They were never said aloud. Ethan was already taking the straps off and helping Rachel close her legs. "We gotta turn you over, sweetie," He said, stroking the forearm of her calf.

Too weak to protest, Rachel allowed herself to be placed on all fours— the back of her gown being spread open to reveal her round bottom to the space occupied by Ethan's unwavering devotion. She buried her face into the pillow, only turning to her left cheek when she needed to breathe. Otherwise, Rachel was fine with suffocating. She imagined the phantom touch of the cream and how its brutality against the raw sores would bring a fiery rage of shooting ache straight into it like a drill had passed through it. Her body shook with anticipation— a horror so uncompromising it was almost ominous.

The humiliation would just tack onto the already layered dread. A bleak taunting thought gamboled through her brain— she was there, still hunched over as Ethan plastered on the cream with an intended thoroughness. Two interns— the ones she couldn't help eye from the moment she walked into the hospital— were making their rounds and 'accidently' walked in on the spectacle. Ethan wouldn't pay mind to it, his head too focused on her comfort, but the thought petrified Rachel so much, she didn't think she could survive its reality. It nearly made Rachel sick just thinking about it. She had been constipated anyway from the absolute agony of having to pass a stool and despite the catheter's best efforts, it would never be able to help her small intestine movements.

Ethan was sharpening his gloves when he heard a gurgle erode from Rachel's tummy. Rachel clenched her cheeks tightly as to not let any wind escape— it would be too painful with the still tender sensations there. Ethan turned around slowly as if checking whether he truly heard the sound. "Your tummy's hurting," He said more as a statement rather than a question.

Rachel shook her head. "No. No, it's just something digesting, probably."

"You haven't really eaten solid food in a few days, bug. There must be an impaction." He said the last part mostly to himself than to Rachel. Rachel tried to turn around abruptly, but Ethan moved quickly and held her still. "No, baby, take it easy," he gently turned her back onto her back. "I'm going to take a few X-rays to see if there's any impaction and then we'll take it from there." Ethan snapped off his gloves and covered Rachel back up in the blanket.

"Then what happens? If… if there's impaction?" Rachel's voice was so soft, Ethan had to pause to repeat what he heard in his head.

"Well…." he sat down on the bed, careful of Rachel's legs. "If there's impaction… then we'll have to do a manual extraction… meaning… we'll have to go in and—"

"No— hell no, absolutely not, Ethan!"

Ethan caressed Rachel's cheek, cupping it with a tender affection. "I know, Rachie Bear, but you could get really sick if we just… leave it there. You aren't capable of passing a bowel right now. It would be medically wise for this, honey."

Ethan held her gaze, his thumb still stroking her cheek in that slow, soothing rhythm she'd known her entire life. Rachel's eyes were wet, glassy with a humiliation so profound it had settled into her bones like a chill she couldn't shake. She wanted to argue, to scream, to kick and thrash and refuse—but her body betrayed her. Her limbs felt like lead, her stomach ached with a dull, persistent throb, and the mere thought of passing anything made her want to weep.

"I don't want anyone else seeing me like this," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Please, Ethan. Just you. Just—please."

Ethan's expression softened, and he leaned in to press his forehead against hers. "It's just me, bug. I promise. I'll take you myself, okay? No strangers. Just your big brother."

It was a small mercy, but Rachel clutched it like a lifeline.

The X-ray room was cold and smelled of antiseptic and something metallic Rachel couldn't name. Ethan helped her onto the table with a gentleness that made her throat tight, his hands steady and sure as he positioned her. He talked to her the entire time—rambling, really—about the weather, about how Adrien had accidentally set off the fire alarm in the break room trying to make toast, about how Julian had nearly fainted when he saw the charred remains of the bagel.

"Julian's got the weakest stomach of any trauma specialist I've ever met," Ethan chuckled, adjusting the plate behind Rachel's back. "You'd think a guy who's seen people split open would handle a burnt carbohydrate better, but no. He was pale, Rach. Like a ghost. Adrien hasn't let him live it down."

Rachel managed a weak smile. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Okay, hold still, bug. Deep breath in... and out. There we go."

The machine hummed, and Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, counting the seconds until it was over. Ethan's hand found hers, squeezing gently. She squeezed back.

When the images appeared on the screen, Ethan's easy chatter died in his throat.

Rachel watched his face go pale, the corners of his mouth tightening into a thin, worried line. His eyes scanned the X-rays with a clinical intensity that made her stomach drop. She knew that look. It was the same one he got when he was diagnosing a patient, when he was piecing together a puzzle he didn't want to solve.

"Ethan?" Rachel's voice was small. "What is it?"

Ethan blinked, his expression smoothing over almost too quickly. "It's nothing, bug. Just—give me a second, okay? I need to grab Matt. I'll be right back."

"Ethan—"

"I promise, Rachel. Two minutes. That's all."

He was gone before she could argue, the door clicking softly behind him. Rachel stared at the ceiling, her heart pounding, the phantom ache in her stomach intensifying. She hated this. She hated how helpless she felt, how her body had become a battlefield she couldn't escape.

Ethan found Matt in the surgical lounge, hunched over a chart with his reading glasses perched low on his nose. The quiet resident looked up as Ethan burst through the door, his expression shifting from mild surprise to immediate concern when he saw Ethan's face.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked, setting the chart down.

"Rachel," Ethan said, his voice strained. "I need you to look at something. Now."

Matt didn't ask questions. He simply stood, followed Ethan out of the lounge, and walked with him to the X-ray room. Ethan pulled up the images on the monitor, his jaw tight.

"Tell me I'm overreacting," Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Matt stepped closer, his eyes scanning the images with that quiet, methodical intensity he was known for. His brow furrowed, then his lips parted slightly. He didn't speak for a long moment.

"Ethan..." Matt's voice was soft, almost apologetic. "This is significant. I'd say she's got at least three days' worth of impaction here. Maybe more."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his composure cracking. "I know. I know. I was hoping—" He laughed bitterly. "I don't know what I was hoping for. That it would just... disappear?"

"You know it doesn't work that way." Matt placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder, squeezing gently. "She's going to need an extraction. There's no way around it."

"Manual?"

"Manual," Matt confirmed. "She'll need to be sedated, Ethan. At least partially. It's going to be uncomfortable, even with medication. And she's already—" He trailed off, not needing to finish.

"She's already humiliated enough," Ethan finished, his voice hollow. "I know. God, I know."

Matt was quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing absent patterns on Ethan's shoulder. "I can do it if you want. You don't have to be the one to—"

"No." Ethan shook his head, his eyes fierce. "No, I'm doing it. I made her a promise. I'm not breaking it."

"Then we do it together," Matt said simply. "You prep her. I'll assist. And we'll get through it. All of us."

Ethan nodded, blinking rapidly. "I need to tell Julian and Adrien. They're going to need to be in the room. Julian for sedation, Adrien for—" He gestured vaguely. "—moral support, I guess."

Matt smiled faintly. "Adrien's actually really good at that. When he's not trying to burn down the hospital."

Ethan laughed, surprised by the sound of it. "I'm going to tell him you said that."

"Please don't. He'll never let me live it down."

Ethan found Adrien and Julian in the nurses' station, Adrien attempting to steal a cookie from a Tupperware container while Julian swatted his hand away.

"Those are for the patients, you gremlin!" Julian hissed.

"They're patients, Jules, not goblins. I think they can spare a single—"

"Ethan!" Adrien's face lit up when he spotted his friend approaching. "Thank God. Tell Julian to share. I'm starving. I haven't eaten since—"

"We have a situation," Ethan said, cutting him off. "Rachel. I need both of you. Now."

The humor drained from Adrien's face instantly. Julian straightened, his neurotic energy shifting into something more focused, more clinical. They followed Ethan into a small private consultation room, where Matt was already waiting with the X-rays illuminated on the lightboard.

"Shut the door," Matt said quietly.

Ethan did.

Julian stepped forward, his eyes scanning the images. He went pale. "Oh. Oh, wow. That's—that's quite the impaction."

"Three days," Matt supplied. "Maybe more."

Adrien peered at the images, his usual wit momentarily absent. "Holy shit, Ethan. That's your sister in there. That's—" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "What's the plan?"

"Manual extraction," Matt said. "Partial sedation. I'll assist. Ethan will perform."

"I'll handle the sedation," Julian offered immediately, his voice soft but firm. "I'll make sure she's as comfortable as possible. It won't take away the discomfort entirely, but it'll help with the... emotional weight of it."

Adrien nodded slowly. "I'll be in the room too. If you need anything—supplies, distraction, someone to make a terrible joke at the worst possible moment—I'm your guy."

Ethan let out a shaky breath. "Thank you. All of you. I know this isn't—"

"Shut up, Ethan," Adrien said, but there was no bite to it. "She's your sister. She's family. That means she's our family too. We're in this together."

Julian nodded, his hand coming to rest on Ethan's arm. "We'll take care of her. I promise."

Matt said nothing, but his quiet presence said enough. He stood beside Ethan, solid and steady, a reminder that Ethan wasn't alone.

Ethan closed his eyes, letting the warmth of their support wash over him. He thought of Rachel—his baby sister, his Rachie Bear—and the humiliation she was about to endure. He thought of her trust in him, fragile and fierce. And he made a silent vow.

I will not break that trust. I will not let her down.

Rachel was still on the X-ray table when the door opened, and Ethan walked in with Matt, Julian, and Adrien trailing behind him. Her eyes went wide, her cheeks flushing a deep, mortified red.

"Oh God," she whispered, turning her face into the pillow. "Oh God, no. No, no, no—"

Ethan was at her side in an instant, his hand finding her cheek, turning her face gently toward him. "Hey. Hey. Look at me, bug."

Rachel's eyes were wet, her lower lip trembling. "Ethan, I can't. I can't have them all in here. I can't—"

"I know," he said softly. "I know it's hard. But they're here to help, okay? Julian's going to give you something to take the edge off. Adrien's going to be our extra set of hands. And Matt—" He glanced at the quiet resident, who offered Rachel a small, reassuring smile. "Matt's going to help me take care of you. We're going to do this together."

Rachel shook her head, tears spilling over. "I don't want anyone to see me like this. I'm—I'm so embarrassed, Ethan. I can't."

Adrien stepped forward, his voice softer than Rachel had ever heard it. "Hey, Rach. I know I'm the one who makes jokes about everything, but I want you to know—this isn't funny. Not to me. Not to any of us. You're going through something really awful, and we're here because we care about you, not because we want to gawk. Okay?"

Julian nodded, his kind eyes meeting hers. "I'm going to give you something to help you relax. You might feel a little loopy, but that's okay. It'll make everything feel... farther away. Like it's happening to someone else."

Matt moved to the other side of the table, his presence calm and grounding. "You're safe, Rachel. We've got you. I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but I promise—you're safe."

Rachel looked at each of them in turn: Ethan, her fierce, protective big brother; Matt, so quiet and steady; Julian, with his soft, kind eyes; and Adrien, who had dropped his usual humor to be exactly what she needed. Her chest ached with a complicated tangle of shame and gratitude.

"Okay," she whispered finally, her voice barely audible. "Okay. I trust you."

Ethan pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Rachel let herself cry.

Back on all fours again, Rachel's bare bottom was fully exposed to the men. Having already been plastered with the ointment over her cheeks, Rachel felt a shiver crawl up her spine hearing the sound of gloves. She always hated that sound and would remember it always as her time in the hospital from this decrepit illness. "I know, sweetheart," Matt cooed, "I know…"

Rachel buried her face into a pillow. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Just dry hot air sweeping over her face as she was sandwiched into the pillow. She felt Adrien's grip go over her mid-section— she had memorized that feeling from before— as his hand was under her, rubbing her tummy in soothing circles. This can't be happening— not happening! Rachel screamed inside herself. Matt and Julian spread her still legs over to spread them out into an arch. Her gown hitched up more exposing her lower back. Rachel believed for a moment if she held her breath long enough, she could choke herself into unconsciousness and never have to wake up to live this nightmare. A bright light was moved over her bottom like a spotlight and Rachel felt a stray tear fall down her cheek.

Ethan had coated his fingers in an exceptional amount of lube and had circled Rachel's anus hole in a cool moist sheen as a warm preparation.

"Rachie? I'm going to go in now," Ethan rubbed Rachel's cheek in a paternal motion that felt both firm and soft. "Just try to relax and hold still for me, okay?" The same cooing tone Ethan used with his pediatric patients had somehow leaked into his words. It made Rachel feel like a dot in vast never ending torture. Rachel didn't even have time to scream before she felt an overwhelming pressure of Ethan's hands. A loud smack engulfed the room as all eyes bore deeply at Rachel's rear as Ethan's apologetic hand sank deeper into her crevice. She pledged to herself she wouldn't scream this time; her throat felt too sore and her lungs felt too drowned.

Instead, she grunted and would pant loudly like an overheated dog while using every muscle in her body to restrain herself from shaking— it was rarely working.

Every part of her screamed for mercy, relief and amnesia of some kind. She felt their hold on her legs, Ethan's brace against her left buttock cheek and Adrien's hand rubbing over the curve of her spine and the flat of her belly.

The pressure built like a wave, slow and inexorable, and Rachel felt her entire body lock up in protest. Her fingers curled into the pillowcase, knuckles white, as Ethan's gloved hand moved with agonizing deliberation. She could feel everything—the stretch, the intrusion, the clinical cold of the lubricant against her most private place. But worse than the physical sensation was the sound.

A wet, squelching noise echoed in the room, and Rachel's face burned so hot she thought she might spontaneously combust. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out, but the sound was everywhere—in her ears, in her skull, imprinted on her memory like a brand.

"There we go," Ethan murmured, his voice impossibly gentle. "That's it, bug. You're doing so well. Just a little more."

Rachel grunted, her jaw clenched so tight her teeth ached. She could feel Ethan's fingers working inside her, probing, searching, and every movement sent fresh waves of humiliation crashing over her. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to evaporate into nothing, to become a ghost that could float away from this room and never look back.

Adrien's hand continued its slow, soothing circles on her belly, and she hated how much she needed it. She hated that his touch was the only thing keeping her from spiraling completely. She hated that she could hear Julian's soft reassurances, Matt's quiet instructions, Ethan's patient murmurs—all of them trying so hard to make this bearable, and none of them understanding that there was nothing in the world that could make this bearable.

Another wet sound. Another squelch. Rachel's stomach lurched.

"Is that—" Julian started, his voice careful.

"Part of it," Ethan confirmed. "I've got a piece. Just—hold on, Rach. I'm going to pull it out now."

Rachel braced herself, her entire body trembling. She felt Ethan's fingers curl, felt the resistance, and then—

A soft, wet plop echoed in the room.

Rachel's breath hitched. A broken sob escaped her throat, muffled by the pillow.

"Okay," Ethan said, his voice strained. "Okay, that's one. Good job, bug. That's really good. But there's more. I need to—"

"Do what you need to do," Rachel whispered, her voice hollow. "Just—just get it over with."

Ethan's gloved hand returned to her cheek, stroking gently. "I know this is hard, Rachie. I know. But you're being so brave. I'm so proud of you."

Proud of me? Rachel wanted to scream. Proud of me for having my brother dig shit out of my body while three other men watch?

She didn't say it. She didn't have the strength.

More pressure. More stretching. More of that horrible, wet sound that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. Ethan worked carefully, methodically, his fingers curling and scraping and pulling. Rachel felt every movement, every shift, every tiny victory as another piece of impacted stool was extracted.

Plop.

Plop.

Plop.

Each sound was a fresh knife in her chest. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks, soaking into the pillow. She didn't even have the energy to sob anymore. She just lay there, limp and broken, letting them work on her like she was nothing more than a specimen on a table.

"Almost done," Matt said softly. "You're doing amazing, Rachel. Just a little more."

Rachel heard his words from a distance, like they were coming through water. She focused on Adrien's hand on her belly, on the warmth of his palm, on the steady rhythm of his circles. She focused on Julian's quiet monitoring, his soft reassurances about her vitals. She focused on Ethan's gentle murmurs, his constant stream of love and encouragement.

And finally, finally, she felt Ethan's fingers withdraw.

"Okay," Ethan breathed. "Okay, I think—I think that's all of it. Let me just—"

He palpated her lower abdomen gently, pressing and probing. Rachel winced, but there was no sharp spike of pain, no resistance.

"Clear," Ethan confirmed. "We got it all."

Rachel collapsed against the pillow, her body going limp. She was trembling violently, tears still streaming, and she couldn't stop the small, pathetic sounds that escaped her throat. She felt so small. So exposed. So utterly, completely humiliated.

"Alright," Julian said, his voice soft but clinical. "We're going to do an enema now, Rachel. Just to make sure everything's cleared out. I know you're exhausted, but we need to do this, okay?"

Rachel didn't respond. She couldn't. She just lay there, her face buried in the pillow, her body shaking with silent sobs.

Ethan's hand found her hair, stroking gently. "Hey. Hey, Rachie. Look at me, sweetheart."

Slowly, reluctantly, Rachel turned her head. Ethan's face was inches from hers, his eyes wet with unshed tears, his expression so full of love it made her chest ache.

"I know this is the worst thing you've ever been through," he said softly. "I know. And I'm so sorry. But we're almost done, okay? Julian's going to give you an enema, and then we're going to clean you up, and we're going to get you comfortable. You're never going to have to go through this again. I promise."

Rachel stared at him, her eyes red and swollen. "I hate this," she whispered. "I hate all of it. I hate—" A sob choked her throat. "I hate that you all have to see me like this."

Adrien's hand stilled on her belly, and he leaned down to press his forehead against her shoulder. "Hey. Hey, Rachel. Look at me."

Rachel turned her head slightly, meeting Adrien's eyes.

"You think I haven't seen worse?" Adrien said, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "You think any of us haven't? I've seen people at their absolute worst, Rach. I've seen things that would make you throw up. And you know what? None of that matters. What matters is that you're safe. What matters is that we're taking care of you."

Julian nodded, his kind eyes meeting hers. "You're not a burden, Rachel. You're not an embarrassment. You're a person who's sick, and we're people who want to help you get better. That's all this is."

Matt said nothing, but his hand found her ankle, squeezing gently. His quiet presence said everything.

Rachel closed her eyes, letting their words wash over her. She was still embarrassed. She was still humiliated. She still wanted to sink into the floor and never resurface.

But she was also loved. She was so, so loved.

"Okay," she whispered finally. "Okay. Let's just—let's get it over with."

Julian moved to the foot of the bed, a bag of clear liquid in his hands. "This is going to be cold," he warned. "And it might feel a little uncomfortable at first. But it's going to help flush everything out, and then we're going to clean you up and get you back in bed. Okay?"

Rachel nodded, not trusting her voice.

Ethan repositioned himself, one hand on her lower back, the other resting on her hip. "I've got you, bug. Just breathe."

Julian inserted the nozzle with careful precision, and Rachel felt a rush of cold liquid flood into her. She gasped, her body tensing, but Ethan's hand pressed firmly on her back.

"Shh," he murmured. "I know. I know. Just breathe, baby. You're doing so good."

Adrien's hand resumed its circles on her belly, warm and grounding. "Almost done," he soothed. "You're almost there."

Rachel trembled, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She could feel the liquid moving through her, cold and strange, and she hated every second of it. But she kept her eyes fixed on Ethan's face, let his love anchor her, let his voice guide her through the worst of it.

"There," Julian said finally, withdrawing the nozzle. "All done. Now you just need to hold it for a few minutes, and then we'll help you to the bathroom."

Rachel nodded weakly, tears still streaming. She felt Matt's hand on her ankle, Julian's hand on her wrist, Adrien's hand on her belly. She felt Ethan's lips press against her forehead, warm and soft.

"Almost over, Rachie Bear," he whispered. "Almost over. You're the bravest person I know, and I love you more than anything in this world."

Rachel closed her eyes, and for the first time in what felt like hours, she let herself believe it.

The room was silent save for Rachel's ragged breathing and the soft rustle of gloves being removed. Ethan stood there for a moment, his chest heaving slightly, his gloved hands hanging limp at his sides. He looked down at his sister—his beautiful, brave, utterly shattered sister—and felt something crack open in his chest.

"Adrien," Ethan said, his voice hoarse. "Can you—"

"Already on it," Adrien murmured, reaching for a fresh box of sterile wipes. He moved with surprising gentleness, dabbing at the mess around Rachel's bottom with careful, precise motions. "I've got you, Rach. Just relax."

Rachel didn't respond. She couldn't. She lay there on her hands and knees, her face still buried in the pillow, her body trembling with the aftershocks of everything she'd just endured. Her throat was raw from the screams she'd swallowed, her eyes burned from the tears she'd shed, and her entire being felt hollowed out, scraped clean of every ounce of dignity she'd ever possessed.

Julian moved to her side, his hand finding her wrist to check her pulse. "Her heart rate's elevated, but that's to be expected. Rachel, honey, can you hear me?"

A small, muffled sound escaped the pillow. Julian took that as acknowledgment.

"Okay. We're going to clean you up now, and then we're going to let you rest for a bit. You did so well. I know that doesn't feel like it right now, but you did. I promise."

Matt was already at the supply cart, pulling out fresh gauze, a new tube of ointment, and a stack of clean towels. His movements were quiet and efficient, his face calm, but there was a tightness around his eyes that betrayed his concern. He caught Ethan's gaze and gave a small, reassuring nod.

Ethan breathed out slowly, his shoulders dropping. He reached down and gently stroked Rachel's hair, pushing the damp strands away from her face. "Bug? We're gonna clean you up now, okay? And then we're gonna put some more ointment on, and then you can rest. You've been so brave, Rachie. So incredibly brave."

Rachel finally turned her head, just enough to peek at him through swollen, red-rimmed eyes. Her lower lip wobbled. "Ethan... I can't... I can't do this anymore..."

"You don't have to," Ethan said immediately, crouching down to her level. "You're done, sweetheart. The hard part is over. We just need to get you comfortable, and then you can sleep. Okay?"

Rachel stared at him for a long moment, searching his face for any hint of judgment, any flicker of disgust. She found none. Only love. Only that fierce, unwavering devotion that had been her anchor her entire life.

She nodded weakly.

Getting Rachel onto her back was a careful, coordinated effort. Matt supported her shoulders while Ethan guided her legs, and Adrien slid a fresh pad beneath her to catch any lingering mess. Julian adjusted the IV drip, adding a dose of something that made Rachel's limbs feel heavy and far away.

"There you go," Ethan murmured, easing her down onto the pillows. "That's it, bug. Nice and easy."

Rachel's eyes fluttered, the sedative pulling at the edges of her consciousness. But she wasn't quite asleep—not yet. She was aware, in a hazy, distant way, of the men moving around her. Of the soft rustle of supplies. Of the warm glow of the overhead light casting shadows across her body.

"We need to reapply the ointment," Matt said quietly. "Her sores are going to be irritated after everything we just did."

Ethan nodded, reaching for the tube. "I know. I'll do it."

He squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers— fresh gloves against his sister's bare tender skin. Rachel felt the cool dollop land on her inner thigh, and she flinched instinctively.

"Shh," Ethan soothed. "It's just me, bug. Just your big brother. I'm gonna put this on your bottom, okay? It's going to feel cold, and then it's going to feel better. I promise."

Rachel didn't have the strength to protest. She just lay there, her eyes half-closed, her body limp and unresisting, as Ethan's fingers found her bottom and began to work the ointment into her sore, inflamed skin.

The sensation was strange—cool and slick, a balm against the raw ache that had settled deep in her tissues. Ethan was meticulous, his touch careful and deliberate, spreading the cream in slow, even strokes over her cheeks. He was gentle. So impossibly gentle. It was the same touch he'd used when she was a baby, when he'd changed her diapers and powdered her bottom and kissed her boo-boos better.

The memory brought fresh tears to Rachel's eyes.

"Inside too," Julian said softly, his voice clinical but kind. "The rectal tissue is going to be inflamed after the extraction. She needs the ointment applied internally as well."

Ethan nodded, his jaw tight. He coated his index finger with a fresh dollop of cream, and then he met Rachel's eyes. "I need to go inside again, bug. Just for a moment. It's going to help with the pain, okay? I promise. It'll be quick."

Rachel's breath hitched, but she nodded. She was too tired to fight. Too broken to care anymore.

Ethan's finger pressed gently against her anus, sliding in with the help of the lubricating ointment. Rachel felt the pressure, the intrusion, and her body tensed instinctively. But Ethan didn't stop. He moved slowly, deliberately, spreading the cream in a thin layer against her inflamed tissues. He carefully covered the cleft walls of her cheeks in a cool, mushy coat that made Rachel's cheeks slide against each other in a slippery motion.

"There," he murmured, withdrawing his finger with a gentleness that made her chest ache. "All done, sweetheart. All done."

Matt stepped forward with a fresh pad, sliding it beneath her. "We'll keep her elevated for now. The ointment needs time to absorb."

"Somewhere she can lie flat and not have to worry about lifting her arms," Ethan agreed. "Let's get her a clean gown and some fresh pillows."

Adrien was already on it, grabbing a soft cotton gown from the supply cabinet and a stack of fluffy pillows from the corner. "I've got her," he said, his voice carrying that familiar warmth that made everything feel just a little less terrible. "Let's get you comfortable, Rach."

Between the four of them, they managed to maneuver Rachel into a clean gown, the soft fabric sliding over her skin like a gentle hug. Ethan lifted her hips just enough for Adrien to slide the gown beneath her, and then they eased her back down onto a nest of fresh pillows. Her head was propped up at a comfortable angle, her legs stretched out in front of her, her bottom elevated just slightly on a padded wedge.

"There," Julian said, his voice soft with approval. "That's better."

Rachel lay there, her body finally still, her eyes half-lidded. The sedative was doing its work, pulling her down into a warm, hazy fog. She was aware of the men moving around her, but everything felt distant, muffled, like she was underwater.

She felt a cool cloth press against her forehead, and she cracked her eyes open to find Matt leaning over her. His face was calm, his eyes kind, and he was dabbing gently at her sweaty brow with a damp washcloth.

"You're okay," he said softly. "You're safe. Just rest."

Rachel's eyes welled with tears again. "Matt..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so... I'm so sorry you had to see me like this."

Matt shook his head slowly, his thumb brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "Don't you dare apologize, Rachel. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing."

"But I—"

"No." Matt's voice was firm but gentle. "Listen to me. You are sick. You are in pain. And you let us help you. That's not something to be ashamed of. That's something to be proud of."

Rachel stared at him, her chest tight. She didn't believe him. She couldn't. Not yet. But the kindness in his eyes was so genuine, so unwavering, that it made something in her chest loosen just a little.

Adrien appeared at her other side, a cup of ice chips in his hand. "Here," he said, holding a small spoonful to her lips. "You need to stay hydrated. And these are way more fun than regular water, obviously. They're crunchy."

Rachel managed a weak smile—the first one in hours. "Crunchy," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

"Very crunchy. Almost as crunchy as my sense of humor, which has been tragically underappreciated tonight, I might add."

Julian snorted from across the room. "Your sense of humor is about as crunchy as a soggy piece of toast, Adrien."

"Rude. And inaccurate. I am a delight."

Ethan laughed—a short, surprised sound that seemed to startle even him. He pressed his hand to his mouth, his eyes crinkling, and Rachel felt something warm bloom in her chest.

"See?" Ethan said, reaching down to brush her hair back. "Even in the middle of all this, we're still us. We're still your family."

Rachel's vision blurred. "I love you guys," she whispered. "I love you all so much."

Adrien leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We love you too, Rach. Even when you're a complete disaster, we love you."

"That's... that's not helpful," Julian muttered.

"It's honest."

"Adrien."

"What? She knows she's a disaster. Look at her. She's a beautiful disaster. We're all beautiful disasters. It's a theme."

Rachel laughed, a wet, hiccupping sound that turned into a sob halfway through. But she was laughing. She was actually laughing.

Ethan squeezed her hand, his eyes shining. "That's my girl."

For the next hour, they let her rest. Julian monitored her vitals, adjusting the IV drip as needed, his brow furrowed in concentration. Matt organized the supplies, his movements quiet and precise. Adrien kept up a soft stream of chatter, filling the room with silly stories and terrible jokes that made Rachel's lips twitch despite everything.

Ethan never left her side. He sat in a chair beside her bed, his hand wrapped around hers, his thumb tracing slow circles on her knuckles. He watched her face, watching for any sign of pain or distress, and when she shifted uncomfortably, he was there in an instant.

"Does it hurt?" he asked softly.

Rachel nodded, her eyes still closed. "It stings," she admitted. "Like... like everything's on fire down there."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "I know. I'm sorry, bug. I wish I could take it all away."

"You already did," Rachel whispered. "You already... you made it bearable. I don't know how, but you did."

Ethan's eyes welled with tears. He blinked them back, swallowing hard. "I would do anything for you, Rachel. Anything. You know that, right?"

Rachel opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. "I know. I've always known."

Ethan leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. They stayed like that for a long moment, brother and sister, breathing the same air, sharing the same space.

"Okay," Ethan finally said, pulling back. "You need to rest. Close your eyes, bug. I'll be right here."

Rachel obeyed, her eyes fluttering shut. But she didn't let go of his hand.

Twenty minutes later, the men gathered in a small circle just outside Rachel's room. Matt had pulled up the X-rays on a tablet, and Ethan was staring at them with a mix of relief and lingering worry.

"She's going to be okay," Julian said softly. "She'll need to rest for a few days, keep up with the ointment, and make sure she stays hydrated. But the impaction is gone. The worst is over."

Ethan nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the images. "I know. I just..."

"You worry," Matt finished. "We all do. That's what family does."

Adrien slung an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Hey. She's tough. She's a fighter. And she's got you—and us—looking out for her. She's going to be just fine."

Ethan let out a shaky breath. "You guys have been incredible tonight. I can't—I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to," Julian said simply. "That's what we're here for."

Matt nodded, his quiet presence grounding. "We take care of our own."

Adrien grinned, his usual cheerfulness creeping back. "Besides, you promised me a coffee date for the next time I'm on night shift. I'm holding you to that, Dr. Sinclair."

Ethan laughed, shaking his head. "Deal. You can have the biggest, fanciest coffee I can find."

"And a pastry."

"And a pastry."

"With sprinkles."

"Oh my God, Adrien—"

"SPRINKLES, ETHAN. I want sprinkles."

The four men dissolved into quiet laughter, their shoulders shaking with the release of tension. It was absurd. It was ridiculous. It was exactly what they all needed.

Back in her room, Rachel drifted in a haze of half-sleep. She could hear the muted sounds of their laughter from down the hall, and she felt a smile tug at her lips.

She was still embarrassed. She was still humiliated. The memory of everything that had happened tonight was burned into her brain, and she knew it would take a long time to process.

But as she lay there, surrounded by pillows and warmth and the lingering echoes of her brother's love, she felt something else too.

Hope.

For the first time in days, Rachel allowed herself to believe that she was going to be okay.

Ethan returned to her room a few minutes later, his face softer now, more relaxed. He settled back into his chair beside her bed, reaching for her hand once again.

"Hey, bug," he whispered. "You still with me?"

Rachel opened her eyes slowly, meeting his gaze. "Yeah," she breathed. "I'm here."

Ethan smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing she'd seen all night. "Good. You stay right there, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Rachel's eyes slid closed again, but her hand tightened around his. She knew he would keep his promise. He always did.

And as sleep finally pulled her under, Rachel let herself drift, wrapped in the warm embrace of her brother's love and the quiet knowledge that, no matter what happened, she would never face it alone.

Nine o'clock had come in with a swooning quiet that Rachel drank in. The sun of the day had banked into a cool evening, the soft breeze of a June day had now mellowed into the airy chill of a summer night. For a rare moment, Rachel was alone and tucked into a quiet room where only the sound of her IV drip and the screech of rubber soles could be broken through the silence. It was a tranquil type of silence too—not overbearing or scant—but hushed in a way where relief could finally wash over and soak you in its hurray.

Rachel let out a long, slow breath, her body finally relaxing into the mattress. The events of the past several hours had blurred together into a hazy nightmare of humiliation and pain, but now, in this quiet pocket of peace, she could almost pretend it hadn't happened. Almost. Her bottom still ached with a dull, throbbing reminder of everything she'd endured, but the ointment had helped, and the sedatives had taken the sharpest edges off.

She closed her eyes, letting the stillness wash over her. She could hear the distant murmur of voices from the nurses' station, the occasional beep of a monitor, the soft hum of the air conditioning. It was almost soothing. Almost normal.

And then the burning started.

It began as a faint prickling sensation, barely noticeable, like the first warning signs of a sunburn. Rachel shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, but the movement only seemed to aggravate it. The prickling intensified, spreading across her bottom like wildfire, and within seconds, it had erupted into a searing, agonizing blaze that made her gasp.

"Oh God," Rachel whimpered, her hands flying to the sheets. "Oh God, no, no, no—"

The burning was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It was deep, visceral, radiating from her anus and spreading outward across her cheeks like liquid fire. It felt like someone had poured acid over her skin, like every nerve ending in her bottom was screaming in unison. She could feel her pulse throbbing in the inflamed tissue, each heartbeat sending another wave of agony through her body.

Rachel tried to stay still. She tried to breathe through it, to remember what Ethan had told her about relaxation techniques. But the pain was too intense, too overwhelming, and within moments, she was thrashing against the sheets, her legs kicking out, her hands clawing at the mattress.

"HELP!" she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. "SOMEONE HELP ME! IT BURNS! OH GOD, IT BURNS SO BAD!"

She couldn't stay in the bed. She couldn't. The sheets were too rough against her inflamed skin, the pressure of the mattress too unbearable. Rachel threw back the covers and scrambled out of bed, her legs buckling beneath her as she hit the floor. She was on her hands and knees, her gown hiked up around her waist, her bare bottom exposed to the empty room as she rocked back and forth, sobbing.

"It hurts," she choked out, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts so much, please, someone—"

The door burst open, and Ethan was there, his face pale with alarm. Behind him came Matt, Julian, and Adrien, their expressions shifting from concern to horror as they took in the scene before them. Rachel was on the floor, her body wracked with sobs, her hands clutching at her bottom as if she could somehow pry the pain out of her flesh.

"Rachel!" Ethan was at her side in an instant, his hands cupping her face. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"It burns!" Rachel wailed, her voice cracking. "Ethan, it burns so bad, I can't—I can't stand it, please make it stop—"

Ethan's eyes darted to the others, his medical training kicking in despite the panic clawing at his chest. "Matt, help me get her up. Julian, get the lidocaine shots—now. Adrien, I need you to assist."

Matt moved without hesitation, his strong hands finding Rachel's shoulders as Ethan took her arms. Together, they managed to lift her off the floor, but Rachel was hysterical, her body thrashing and twisting as the burning consumed her.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, her voice rising to a fever pitch. "It hurts, it hurts, it HURTS—"

"I know, baby, I know," Ethan said, his voice strained. "But we need you to hold still, okay? We need to—"

Rachel wasn't listening. She couldn't. The pain had stolen every rational thought from her brain, leaving behind only primal, animalistic terror. She fought against Ethan and Matt with all the strength she had, her nails raking across Ethan's arm, her feet kicking out at Matt's shins.

"Adrien, the bed!" Ethan shouted. "Get her over the bed!"

Adrien yanked the covers back, exposing the mattress. Together, Ethan and Matt wrestled Rachel into position, bending her over the edge of the bed so her upper body was resting on the mattress and her bottom was thrust into the air. Rachel's gown had ridden up completely, exposing her bare, inflamed cheeks to the room, and she sobbed with fresh humiliation as she felt the cool air against her overheated skin.

"Hold her," Ethan commanded, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands. "Don't let her move."

Matt pressed his weight against Rachel's shoulders, pinning her to the mattress. Ethan took her hips, his grip strong and unyielding. Rachel thrashed against them, her legs kicking uselessly, but she was too weak, too overwhelmed by pain to break free.

"Please," she begged, her voice breaking. "Please, just let me go, I can't—"

"Rachel, listen to me." Julian's voice cut through her hysteria, calm and steady. He was standing behind her, a tray of syringes in his hands. "The ointment we put on you must have caused a reaction. Your tissue is inflamed, and it's spreading. We need to give you a lidocaine injection to numb the area and stop the burning. But we need you to hold still, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Rachel shook her head violently, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't. I can't, Julian, please—"

"Adrien, prep the injection site," Julian said, his voice brooking no argument. "We don't have time to wait."

Adrien moved quickly, his hands steady despite the chaos. He pulled down Rachel's gown further, exposing the full expanse of her bottom, and swabbed her right cheek with an alcohol pad. The cold sensation made Rachel flinch, but she was too exhausted to fight anymore. She just lay there, her body trembling, her sobs reduced to pathetic whimpers.

"You're going to feel a small pinch," Julian warned, his voice gentle. "And then the burning will stop. I promise."

Rachel heard the snap of gloves, the soft hiss of a syringe being uncapped, and then—a sharp sting in her right buttock. She gasped, her body tensing, but Julian was already pressing the plunger, flooding her inflamed tissue with the cooling relief of lidocaine.

The first shot was followed by a second, just an inch below the first, and then a third in her left cheek. Rachel felt each injection as a distinct pinch, but within seconds, the searing fire began to recede. The relief was almost instantaneous, washing over her like a cool wave, and she let out a shuddering breath as the pain dissolved into a dull, manageable ache.

"There we go," Julian murmured, rubbing the injection sites with a gentle hand. "That's better, isn't it?"

Rachel nodded weakly, her face buried in the mattress. Her body was limp now, the fight draining out of her as the lidocaine worked its magic. She could feel Ethan's hands still gripping her hips, Matt's weight still pressing her shoulders, Adrien's fingers dabbing at the injection sites with sterile gauze.

The burning was gone. The screaming, searing, unbearable fire had been extinguished, leaving behind only the ghost of its memory.

"Please," Rachel whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please, just let me rest."

Ethan's grip on her hips loosened, and his hands began to stroke her back in slow, soothing circles. "I know, bug. I know. You're okay now. It's over."

Matt eased his weight off her shoulders, his hands moving to cup her elbows and help her straighten up. Adrien pulled her gown back down, covering her exposed bottom, and Julian pressed a gentle hand to her forehead, checking for fever.

Rachel let herself be guided back onto the bed, her body weak and trembling. The men moved around her with practiced efficiency, adjusting her pillows, pulling the covers up to her chin, smoothing her hair away from her damp forehead.

"Her vitals are stabilizing," Julian murmured, his eyes fixed on the monitor. "Heart rate's coming down. Blood pressure's normalizing."

Ethan let out a shaky breath, his hand finding Rachel's. "That was—"

"Terrifying," Adrien finished, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. "Yeah. That was terrifying."

Matt said nothing, but his hand found Rachel's ankle beneath the covers, squeezing gently. His quiet presence was a comfort she hadn't known she needed.

Rachel lay there, her body limp and exhausted, her eyes half-closed. The lidocaine had done its job, but the emotional toll of the past few minutes was immense. She felt wrung out, hollowed, like every ounce of energy had been drained from her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—I couldn't—"

"Hey." Ethan leaned over her, his face inches from hers. "Don't you dare apologize, Rachel. That wasn't your fault. You were in pain. You couldn't control it."

"But I—"

"No." Ethan's voice was firm but gentle. "No. You listen to me, Rachie Bear. That was not your fault. None of this is your fault. Do you understand me?"

Rachel stared at him, her eyes swimming with tears. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to let go of the shame and the guilt and the humiliation. But it was so hard. So impossibly hard.

Adrien appeared at her other side, a cup of water in his hand. "Here," he said softly. "Drink this. You're dehydrated."

Rachel took a sip, and the cool liquid soothed her raw throat. She drank until the cup was empty, then let her head fall back against the pillows.

Julian checked her IV one more time, adjusting the flow. "The lidocaine should last for several hours. We'll monitor you closely, and if the burning starts to come back, we'll give you another dose. But for now, you need to rest. You've been through a lot tonight."

Matt moved to the foot of the bed, his hands finding her feet beneath the covers. He began to massage them gently, working the tension out of her arches, and Rachel let out a soft, involuntary moan of relief.

"That feels good," she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed.

Matt smiled faintly, his thumbs pressing into the soles of her feet. "Good. That's what it's supposed to do."

Ethan settled back into his chair beside her bed, his hand still wrapped around hers. He watched her face, watched the tension slowly drain out of her features, and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Okay," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Okay. Get some rest, bug. We'll be right here."

Rachel nodded, her eyes already heavy. She felt the warmth of Ethan's hand, the gentle pressure of Matt's fingers on her feet, the soft presence of Julian and Adrien hovering nearby. She was still embarrassed. She was still humiliated. The memory of being held down, of her gown being yanked up, of three shots being administered into her bare bottom while four men watched—it would haunt her for a long time.

But the burning was gone. The pain had stopped. And the men who had witnessed her at her most vulnerable were still here, still caring for her, still loving her.

Rachel let out a long, slow breath, and let sleep pull her under.

The room fell into a hushed silence, broken only by the soft beeping of the monitors and the occasional rustle of someone shifting in their chair. Ethan hadn't let go of Rachel's hand. He sat there, his thumb tracing slow circles on her knuckles, his eyes fixed on her peaceful face.

"You doing okay?" Adrien asked quietly from across the room.

Ethan nodded, not looking away from his sister. "Yeah. I think so. That was—" He shook his head, unable to find the words.

"Terrifying," Adrien supplied again. "I'm going to keep saying it until it feels less true."

"It's not going to feel less true," Julian muttered, slumping into a chair. "That was genuinely terrifying. I've seen patients have reactions before, but that—" He shuddered. "That was something else."

Matt finished his massage and moved to stand beside Ethan, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "She's stable now. That's what matters. She's going to be okay."

Ethan let out a shaky breath. "I know. I just—I hate seeing her like this. I hate that she's suffering and I can't take it away."

"You did take it away," Adrien said softly. "You held her down. You got her the help she needed. You did exactly what she needed you to do."

Ethan finally looked up, his eyes glistening. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

Adrien grinned, his usual humor peeking through. "Probably spiral into a dramatic, chaotic mess, if we're being honest."

Julian snorted. "He's not wrong."

Matt smiled faintly, squeezing Ethan's shoulder. "You don't have to find out. We're not going anywhere."

Ethan laughed, a wet, broken sound. He looked down at Rachel's sleeping face, so peaceful now, and felt a surge of love so fierce it almost hurt.

"Yeah," he whispered. "I know. And I'm never going to stop being grateful for that."

An hour later, Rachel stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering. The first thing she saw was Ethan's face, his eyes closed, his hand still wrapped around hers. The others had drifted off too—Adrien curled up in a chair with his feet propped on a stool, Julian dozing with his head against the wall, Matt slumped in a corner with his arms crossed over his chest.

Rachel watched them for a long moment, her heart full to bursting. They were exhausted. They were rumpled and disheveled and clearly running on fumes. And they were still here. They had stayed.

She shifted slightly, testing her bottom. The burning was gone, replaced by a dull, numbed sensation that was almost pleasant in comparison. She could still feel the pinprick of the injection sites, but it was manageable. Bearable.

Ethan's eyes opened instantly, as if he'd been waiting for her to wake. "Hey, bug," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"

Rachel managed a small smile. "Better. A lot better."

Ethan's face crumpled with relief. "Thank God. You scared the hell out of me, Rachie Bear."

"I scared myself too," Rachel admitted, her voice still hoarse. "I don't... I don't remember much. Just the burning. And then—" She trailed off, her cheeks flushing.

Ethan squeezed her hand. "I know. I'm sorry you had to go through that. But we handled it. You're okay now."

Rachel nodded slowly, her eyes drifting to the others. "They stayed?"

"They stayed," Ethan confirmed. "They're not going anywhere, bug. You're stuck with us."

Rachel felt tears prick at her eyes again, but these weren't tears of pain or humiliation. They were tears of gratitude. Of love.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Thank you all. I don't—I don't know how to—"

"You don't have to say anything," Ethan cut in gently. "Just rest. We've got you."

Rachel nodded, letting her eyes drift closed again. She felt Ethan's hand tighten around hers, felt the warmth of his presence, and let herself sink back into the comfort of sleep.

She knew the memory of tonight would stay with her. She knew the humiliation would take time to fade. But as she drifted off, surrounded by the love of her brother and the quiet devotion of her caregivers, she felt something she hadn't felt in days.

Peace.

-------

The first pale fingers of dawn were creeping through the blinds when Rachel stirred. The room was bathed in a soft, grayish light, the kind that promised a beautiful summer morning if only the world would wake up to meet it. Rachel blinked slowly, her mind foggy with the remnants of a dream she couldn't quite remember. For a moment, she forgot where she was. The soft hum of the IV pump, the faint antiseptic smell, the scratchy hospital sheets—it all came rushing back in a wave of disorienting reality.

She shifted carefully, testing her bottom. The burning was gone, replaced by a dull, numbed sensation that was almost pleasant. The lidocaine had done its job, and the injection sites were just tiny pinpricks of memory now. Rachel let out a slow breath, relief washing over her.

The room was quiet, save for the soft beeping of her monitors. Ethan was asleep in the chair beside her bed, his head lolled to one side, his hand still loosely wrapped around hers. Julian was sprawled across a bench in the corner, his reading glasses askew and his mouth slightly open. Matt had disappeared at some point—probably to grab coffee or check on other patients—but his jacket was still draped over the back of his chair.

Rachel smiled faintly. They had stayed. All of them. They had watched over her through the night, had held her down and given her shots and tucked her back into bed like she was something precious. She still felt a twinge of embarrassment when she thought about it—about how they'd seen her at her absolute worst, screaming and thrashing and completely out of control—but the shame was quieter now. Muffled by exhaustion and gratitude.

The door creaked open, and Rachel turned her head to see Adrien slip into the room, a tray of supplies balanced in one hand and a paper cup of coffee in the other. He was already in his scrubs, his hair sticking up in a dozen different directions, and there was a bright, mischievous glint in his eyes that made Rachel's heart lift.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Adrien announced, his voice carrying that familiar warmth. "Or don't. I'm not here to judge your life choices. I'm here to bring you snacks and make terrible jokes. It's a very specific skill set."

Rachel laughed—a soft, genuine sound that surprised her. "Adrien, what time is it?"

"Early," Adrien said cheerfully, setting his tray down on the bedside table. "Like, disgustingly early. The kind of early where only nurses and insomniacs are awake. And Ethan, apparently, who looks like he's been hit by a truck."

Ethan stirred at the sound of his name, his eyes blinking open. "Wha—Adrien? What are you doing here?"

"Bringing your sister breakfast in bed, obviously. What does it look like?" Adrien gestured to the tray, which held a small bowl of applesauce, a cup of orange juice, and a handful of crackers. "I couldn't find any gourmet options, so you'll have to settle for hospital cuisine. But I did sneak in a pack of those chocolate chip cookies from the vending machine. Don't tell Julian."

Rachel's eyes lit up. "Cookies?"

"Cookies," Adrien confirmed, producing the package from his pocket with a flourish. "I'm basically a hero. You can thank me later."

Ethan groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Adrien, she's supposed to be on a clear liquid diet."

"Applesauce is a liquid," Adrien said with complete confidence. "It's basically water with extra steps. And orange juice is a liquid. And cookies are—" He paused, considering. "Cookies are a spiritual liquid. They nourish the soul."

Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but Rachel cut him off with a small laugh. "Ethan, it's fine. I'm starving. And I really, really want a cookie."

Ethan looked at her, at the first genuine smile he'd seen on her face in days, and his protest died in his throat. "Fine. One cookie. But you have to eat the applesauce first."

"Deal," Rachel said, reaching for the bowl.

Adrien helped her sit up, fluffing her pillows with an exaggerated flourish. "There you go, your highness. The finest accommodations the Brooks family hospital has to offer."

Rachel took a bite of the applesauce, and it was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food hit her stomach, and she devoured the bowl with embarrassing speed. Adrien watched her with a satisfied smirk, handing her the orange juice when she'd finished.

"Atta girl," he said approvingly. "You're doing better already. I can tell because you haven't tried to claw my eyes out yet."

Rachel choked on her juice. "Adrien!"

"What? It's a compliment. You were very fierce last night. Very intimidating. I'm honestly still a little scared."

Ethan snorted, finally waking up enough to register the absurdity of the situation. "Adrien, you're impossible."

"Thank you. I try."

Rachel finished her orange juice and reached for the cookies, breaking one in half and nibbling at it slowly. It was warm and sweet and melted on her tongue, and she closed her eyes in bliss.

"Okay," Adrien said, his tone shifting slightly. "As much as I love watching you enjoy that cookie, I do actually have work to do. And it involves you, I'm afraid."

Rachel's eyes snapped open. "What kind of work?"

Adrien reached for the tray of supplies he'd brought in, pulling out a small packet and a thermometer. "You need a suppository this morning. And I need to check your temperature rectally to make sure your fever hasn't spiked again."

Rachel's cheeks flushed a deep, mortified red. "Oh. Oh, God."

"I know," Adrien said, his voice softening. "I know it's not fun. And I know you're probably sick of people seeing your butt at this point. But I promise you, I'm going to make this as quick and painless as possible. And I'll talk the whole way through so you don't have to think about it. Sound good?"

Rachel stared at him, her heart pounding. She could feel the familiar panic rising in her chest, the humiliation clawing at her throat. But there was something in Adrien's eyes—something warm and steady and utterly without judgment—that made her take a breath.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay. Just... just get it over with."

Adrien nodded, his usual cheerfulness tempered with a gentle professionalism. "That's the spirit. Ethan, can you give us a minute? I think Rachel and I need to have a conversation about the birds and the bees, and I don't want you getting any ideas."

Ethan rolled his eyes but stood, pressing a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "I'll be right outside if you need me, bug."

Rachel watched him go, her heart rate spiking. She was alone with Adrien now. Alone with the nurse who had seen her at her worst, who had rubbed her belly and cracked jokes and held her down while she screamed. And now he was going to see her bottom again. He was going to expose her, examine her, administer a suppository while she lay there helpless.

But as Adrien pulled the curtains around her bed, creating a small, private cocoon of light and shadow, Rachel realized something. She didn't feel scared. Not really. She felt nervous, yes. Embarrassed, certainly. But there was also something else—a flicker of trust that she hadn't expected.

"Okay," Adrien said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Here's the deal. I'm going to talk about the most ridiculous things I can think of, and you're going to lie there and pretend you're somewhere else. A beach, maybe. Or a tropical island. Or a really comfortable couch with a giant bowl of popcorn and a terrible reality TV show."

Rachel couldn't help but smile. "That sounds nice."

"It does, doesn't it? I've got it all planned out. I'm going to tell you about the time I accidentally walked into the wrong patient room and ended up giving a very confused elderly man a lecture on the importance of dental hygiene. He was not amused. But I was, so it counts as a win."

Rachel laughed as Adrien helped her roll onto her side, pulling the back of her gown up to expose her bottom. The cool air kissed her exposed skin, and she tensed instinctively.

"Relax," Adrien said, his voice still light. "Think about the beach. Waves crashing. Seagulls screaming. Some guy trying to sell you a coconut with a tiny umbrella in it."

"I'm trying," Rachel said, her voice strained. "But it's hard when my butt is out."

"Your butt is a beautiful, functional part of your body," Adrien said, applying a generous amount of lubricant to his gloved finger. "It's been through a lot. It deserves some respect."

Rachel snorted. "That's the weirdest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"Probably not the weirdest thing you'll hear tonight. I'm just getting started."

Rachel felt the cool press of his gloved finger against her anus, and she tensed, her breath hitching. But Adrien didn't pause in his rambling.

"So anyway," he continued, his finger sliding inside her with a gentle, practiced motion, "the patient—Mr. Henderson, I think his name was—he looked at me like I'd grown a second head. And I just kept going. 'You need to floss more, Mr. Henderson. Your gums are not happy with you.' And he just stared at me."

Rachel focused on his voice, on the absurdity of the story, trying not to think about what he was doing. The suppository was cool and small against her tissue, and Adrien pushed it gently into place before withdrawing his finger just as smoothly.

"Done with that part," Adrien announced, reaching for the thermometer. "Now for the temperature check. This will be quick, I promise. Just a few seconds."

Rachel nodded, her face still flushed. But the panic was receding, replaced by something that felt almost like... okayness. She wasn't comfortable, exactly. But she wasn't terrified either.

Adrien inserted the thermometer with the same gentle efficiency, his gloved hand resting against her bottom to steady the device. "Okay, so anyway, I finally realized I had the wrong room. And I'm standing there, looking at this guy, and I just—I panicked. So I said, 'Well, Mr. Henderson, I hope you have a lovely day,' and I walked out. And then I walked back in to grab the supplies I'd left. And he said, very calmly, 'My name is Mr. Jenkins, and I'm here for a colonoscopy.'"

Rachel burst out laughing, the sound muffled by the pillow. "No way!"

"Way. I wanted to die. I just—I bowed and said, 'My apologies, Mr. Jenkins. I wish you luck with your colonoscopy,' and I practically ran out of the room. I avoided that hallway for a month."

The thermometer beeped, and Adrien withdrew it smoothly, pulling Rachel's gown back down and helping her roll onto her back.

"You're doing great, Rach," he said, his voice softening. "Temperature's normal. Everything looks good."

Rachel let out a long, shaky breath. She felt strangely light, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The embarrassment was still there, lingering at the edges, but it was muted. Manageable.

"Adrien?" she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For... for making it not so awful."

Adrien smiled, and it was the softest smile she'd ever seen on him. "You don't have to thank me, Rach. That's what I'm here for. And honestly? You're one of my favorite patients. Even when you're screaming and crying, you're still better than Mr. Jenkins."

Rachel laughed again, the sound surprising her. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not."

"It's definitely a compliment," Adrien said, his eyes twinkling. "Mr. Jenkins was a nightmare. He had strong opinions about the hospital food. And he never apologized for anything. You, at least, are deeply, adorably apologetic. It's endearing."

Rachel shook her head, still smiling. "You're ridiculous."

"I know," Adrien said cheerfully. "But it works, doesn't it? You're not thinking about your butt anymore."

Rachel paused. He was right. For the first time in what felt like days, she wasn't drowning in humiliation. She was just... talking. Laughing. Being treated like a normal person.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Yeah, it worked."

Adrien grinned, his hands busy organizing his supplies. "Excellent. My plan is working perfectly. Next step: world domination, one suppository at a time."

Rachel laughed so hard she nearly choked.

---

Ethan poked his head back into the room a few minutes later, his expression wary. "Everything okay in here? I heard laughing."

"Everything's fine," Adrien said, packing up his tray. "Rachel and I were just discussing the finer points of my career in comedy. I'm thinking of taking it on the road."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You're a nurse, Adrien. You can't just—"

"I can do whatever I want, Ethan. This is America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. And the occasional nurse who moonlights as a stand-up comedian."

Rachel giggled, and Ethan's expression softened at the sound. It was the most relaxed he'd seen her since before the exam, and he felt something loosen in his chest.

"You feeling okay, bug?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Yeah," Rachel said, surprising herself. "Yeah, I think I am. For now, anyway."

Ethan reached for her hand, squeezing gently. "Good. That's really good."

Adrien winked at Rachel as he headed for the door. "I'll be back later to check on you. And I'll bring more cookies. And possibly a tiny umbrella for your coconut."

Rachel laughed again, the sound bright and genuine. "I'll hold you to that."

Adrien disappeared through the door, and Rachel leaned back against her pillows, a smile still playing on her lips. The humiliation was still there, lurking in the shadows. But it had receded, pushed back by the warmth of Adrien's jokes and the kindness in his eyes.

For the first time in a long time, Rachel felt like she was more than just a patient. More than a body to be examined and poked and prodded. She felt like a person. A person who was loved and cared for and surrounded by people who saw her at her worst and didn't look away.

She glanced at Ethan, who was watching her with a soft, wondering expression.

"What?" she asked.

"You're smiling," he said. "A real smile. I haven't seen that in days."

Rachel's smile widened. "I know. It feels good."

Ethan squeezed her hand again, his eyes shining. "I'm so proud of you, bug. You're handling all of this so well."

Rachel snorted. "I screamed and cried and tried to claw Adrien's eyes out last night. I don't think that counts as 'handling it well.'"

"It counts," Ethan said firmly. "You're here. You're fighting. You're still smiling. That's more than most people could do."

Rachel was quiet for a moment, processing his words. She thought about everything she'd been through—the exams, the extraction, the enema, the burning, the shots. She thought about the humiliation and the shame and the moments when she'd wanted to disappear.

And then she thought about Adrien, cracking jokes while he gave her a suppository, making her feel like a person instead of a patient. She thought about Ethan, holding her hand and refusing to let go. She thought about Matt and Julian, quiet and steady, always there when she needed them.

"It's not so bad," she said finally, her voice soft. "When you have people who love you."

Ethan's face crumpled with emotion. "You're right," he said, his voice thick. "It's not so bad."

Rachel smiled, and for the first time, she meant it.