“Hello Tyler, my name is Doctor Shaw.” Tyler struggled to wipe the surprise from his face. “Um, hello…” His mother closed the door to his bedroom, leaving the three enclosed in the neat space. Dr Shaw moved to stand beside the desk, the only messy part of the room, with notes and books strewn across it. She paced the bag on the chair, rather than disturbing the notes, and pulled out a stethoscope to drape around her neck. “Tyler you mom asked me to give you a look over so that I can write that medical cert, and of course see what’s causing the problem. Does that sound ok? Can you tell me how you’ve been feeling?”

Tyler cursed himself for not just dealing with the stomach cramps and doing the final anyway. They weren’t really bad enough to skip school, but since he wasn’t the best at math he didn’t want to sit the final with anything that could make him score worse. “Oh, I guess I just started to not feel great last night. I’m sure it’s nothing, just I ate something weird or something…” Sitting in bed he felt small, looking up at the doctor and his mother. At 6 feet tall, he wasn’t used to looking up at women.

“Ok Tyler, let’s just have a little look. Why don’t you take your shirt off and sit up nice and straight for me.” Tyler did as he was told, his mom taking the blanket from the bed and folding it away, not leaving anything for Tyler to hide behind. The doctor gave him a reassuring smile as she took his pulse, her cold fingers applying firm pressure. Pulling a pen light from her pocket, she looked in Tylers eyes. As he looked at her, he realised she was quite young, but quickly tried to think about something else.

After a trip to her bag she sat on the bed to be level with Tyler, producing an otoscope to examine his ears and a tongue depressor that left a woody dryness in his mouth. “Tyler, I’m going to feel the lymph nodes in your neck. Let me know if you feel any discomfort.” Tyler stared at the wall behind the doctor as the slightly less cold fingers pressed around his jaw and ears, making their way down his neck to his collarbones. Dr Shaw noted he was quite muscular for a teenager, but that’s not unexpected given he has a sports scholarship waiting for him after this school year finished.

“That all looks fine Tyler. Now just breathe normally while I listen to your chest.” Tyler jerked as the cold stethoscope touched him for the first time, causing Dr Shaw to place one hand firmly on his shoulder as the other moved around his chest, pausing to listen in each spot. “Lean forward a little so I can listen to your back now. Deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.” Tyler bent a little awkwardly to do as he was asked, and realised his mom was still standing in the corner, watching intently. “That’s good Tyler. I’m going to just wash my hands, just lie down flat on your back for me and I’ll be back in a moment.”

Tyler watched as Dr Shaw left, closing the door behind her. His mother approached the bed again and put her hand on his forehead. He pushed it away immediately “I’m fine mom, I didn’t need to see a doctor.” He tried to sound stern but it came out as more of a whine. “Well you do if you want a chance to resit your final exam! So you had better just behave and do exactly what the doctor tells you. I don’t need any teenage moping today.”

Tyler, lying flat on his back, was resigned to just wait for the next steps in his exam. The doctor reappeared, this time with several items in her hands. As she laid them out on the bed beside Tyler, he raised his head from the pillow to see what was coming. “Hold this under your tongue.” A firm by kind instruction that Tyler followed immediately, opening his mouth to allow the thermometer to be placed in. “Blood pressure is next, you’ll feel this squeeze but it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable.” the doctor explained as the velcro loudly closed around his arm. Unable to respond with the thermometer in his mouth, Tyler lay silently as the cuff tightened and released, the doctor holding his elbow before placing his arm at his side. The thermometer was removed, relieving Tyler of the plastic-y taste.

“That’s a little high, but nothing too bad.” The doctor declared, returning the equipment to her bag before taking sitting next to Tylers torso on the bed. “I’m going to press around your tummy next, if you feel any pain or discomfort let me know.” Tyler didn’t respond, he was uncomfortable just from his mom watching him so intently. The doctor moved around his stomach making small circles, before starting again and pressing more deeply. At one or two points Dr Shaw noticed a slight wince. “That’s that done Tyler. You did great.” Tyler recognised he had done nothing except lie still, but appreciated that the process was over. His paediatrician, a man who probably should have retired at least a decade ago, never did any more than this during any of his visits, and so assumed nothing else was left and sat back up.

“Since your temperature was a little high, it would be a good idea to double check it.” Dr Shaw was back rummaging through her bag as she said that. Tyler didn’t know what to respond, but figured agreeing would make her leave after. “Oh, sure.”