When we pull in, he helps me out of his truck. I can’t believe how big and gorgeous his house is. You could see the pond in the distance. I couldn’t help but remember our first time together there. He walks me inside and it’s just as pretty as the outside. It’s masculine, but homey. He takes my stuff to the living room and puts it on the couch. “Well, what do you think?” “I love it! It’s gorgeous!” “I would go ahead and give you a tour, but I think its best that I go ahead and get you to the exam room, and then tomorrow I can give you a tour.” “That sounds best. I can’t wait to see your whole house, but I really don’t feel like walking around that much.” “It’s right this way.” He opens a door that leads to the basement. When I get to the bottom of the steps it looks like any other bachelor’s basement. It has a pool table, and a big leather sofa, with a large flat screen hanging on the wall. I look around and to my right on the far side, almost in the back corner, is a door that’s open and I notice it’s a bathroom. “I thought you said your basement was an exam room. This doesn’t look like an exam room to me.” He grabs my shoulders and makes me take a step to the right. “Now, turn around.” When I do I see that right behind me is another door. This must be the exam room, which makes sense, because it’s close to the bathroom. He walks over to it and unlocks it, opens the door, and turns on the light. I’m getting a little nervous so I slowly walk in. I can’t believe what I see. It does look exactly like an exam room. It comes complete with the exam table, the counter and sink, and there’s another door that leads into the bathroom. It’s not huge, but it’s definitely not small. It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting it to be. I couldn’t believe that this was inside an actual house. All of a sudden it hits me that it’s an honest to goodness working exam room, and I started to get really nervous. I don’t want to be here anymore, I want to be back in my bed, at my house. I watch him walk over to a cabinet and take out a gown. I’m still standing just one step into the room. “Nicole, it’s ok. You can come on in. I’m going to go up stairs and get your things and bring them down here. While I’m gone, I want you to change into this gown for me. The opening goes in the back this time.” “I understand why I needed a gown last time, but this time? You’re not doing a pelvic are you? I really don’t think that’s necessary just because I have a cold.” “No, babe, I’m not going to do a pelvic this time, but I will need access to your bottom.” “Why? What are you going do to my bottom? I don’t have to have another suppository do I? I’m not the least bit nauseas, and that thing was horrible.” “No, I don’t think you’ll need another suppository. I am going to have to take your temperature, and more than likely give you a couple of shots. It all just depends on what your test results show. Now if you’re ready to change for me, I’ll leave you to it.” I was still nervous and scared, but I nodded my head anyway. He walked out and shut the door. I started taking off my clothes, and put the gown on. I hopped up on the table, and since I wasn’t feeling good, I laid back on the table and rested my head on the pillow. It wasn’t too long before he came back into the room. “Ok, first I want to get your temp. You know the drill, darling, on your belly.” I rolled over on my belly, and waited for it. I heard him opening a drawer, and then opening a bottle or container of some sort. I just laid there with my eyes closed. I felt him open my cheeks, and I knew I was exposed. “This will be a little cold Nicole,” When he said that I felt the cold rod going into me. Oh, how I hate cold things inside me. I just kept my eyes closed through it, trying to block it out. A few minutes later, I felt it sliding out. “99.8. That’s way better than before. It’s still not normal, but we can take care of that. Go ahead and roll over, and sit up for me.” I do as I’m told and just wait to see what’s going to happen next. He takes out his stethoscope and starts listening to me breathe. “Take a few deep breaths for me,” I do as I’m told, “Good, good. Your lungs seem clear. I’m going to listen to your heart now.” He puts the disk down the front of my gown. The gown is big on me, so he has plenty of room to move it around and listen. “Everything seems fine here also.” He walks back over to the cabinet and gets the tool he uses to look in my ears, eyes, nose, and throat. He walks back over to me. “Just look straight ahead, baby.” I feel him move my hair out of the way to look in my ears. “It doesn’t look like you have an ear infection.” He moves to my eyes. “You do have some of the prettiest blue eyes.” “Thank you.” Even when I’m sick he can still melt my heart. He then looks in my nose, and then walks over and gets a tongue depressor. “I know you hate this part, but I need you to open up nice and wide for me.” I do I hate this part, but I open up my mouth anyway. I try not to gag when he puts the tongue depressor on my tongue. He makes a low whistle and says, “ Damn, babe. Your throat is really red. I’m going to need to get a swab to rule out strep throat.” “No, please don’t. I’ve never had strep before, so I’m sure that’s not it. I’ve had the test before though, and I can’t stand it!” “I know it’s not fun, but it has to be done.” He walks over and gets what looks like a really long q-tip. “Open up again for me.” I really don’t want this test, so I refuse to open my mouth. “Really, Nicole? This is how you’re going to react. Listen, we’re not at my professional office anymore, I told you that I’d punish you if you didn’t take your health seriously, and this would be one of them times. So, I’ll give you one more chance to open your mouth for me, otherwise I will turn you over and tan your hide. Don’t think I won’t. You’re in my house now.” I look him in the eye and I can tell he means business. Still, I can’t bring myself to open my mouth. I hear him take an aggravated sigh and he moves towards me. That’s all it took, I quickly open my mouth for him. “That’s a little better.” I watch the stupid swab come towards my mouth. “Just try to breathe through your nose as best as you can. I’ll be as quick as possible.” I feel the swab touch the back of throat, and as soon as I feel it I start gagging. It only takes about three seconds, but it’s one of the worst three seconds of my life. “Easy, babe, I’m all finished. I know that sucked, but it’s over now.” He takes the swab over to a cabinet and does something with it, but he’s in the way and I can’t see. When he comes back he hands me a tissue, to wipe the tears from my eyes from gagging, and to blow my nose. After handing me the tissue he walks back over to the cabinet. “Now, what?” “Now, I need to do a quick finger stick.” He walks over with everything he needs. “Ok, babe, I need your hand.” I look down and in the most pitiful tone I could manage I asked, “Do you have to?” He wasn’t having it however, and I could tell he was starting to get really aggravated. “Are you really going to question and argue about everything that I need to do? Yes, I have to. Everything that I do is for a reason, and is very necessary. Do you think I enjoy causing you pain? That I get off on it or something? If you do, let me tell you something right now, I hate having to cause you any kind of discomfort. It absolutely kills me. When you hurt, I hurt. I don’t do these things for fun, Nicole. I do them because I have to. I do them because they are for your own good. I do them because I care about you, babe.” Why is it every time he acts like I disappoint him, I feel absolutely horrible. I hate disappointing him. I’ve really got to quit acting like a baby. I know he does everything because he has to, but I still don’t like having it done. “I know, Travis, and I care about you too. I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll try not to complain and question anymore, but it’s going to be really hard. I just get so scared, and I don’t know what’s happening or why you’re doing it.” “Babe, I know some things are scary, but you’re going to have to learn to trust me. There’s really no reason for you to be scared around me. No matter what it is, I’ll help you get through it, and I’ll be right there with you through everything. When you’re scared tell me you’re scared. If you don’t know what I’m doing, ask me. Any questions you have don’t be afraid to ask. If you want to know WHY I’m doing something, ask me. Just don’t ask if it’s necessary and if I have to, because the answer every time is going to be yes. I know that some of the things I do don’t feel good, and I don’t expect you to just sit there and take it without a sound or change in your facial expression, that’s not what I want. I want you to tell me if something bothers you, and if you’re hurting. Scream, cry, cuss, do whatever you need to. If I don’t know how bad something is hurting you, there’s no way for me to know when to comfort you. We’re in this together, babe.” “Ok, I’ll try to be better, I promise.” As I said it, I knew I really meant it. I was going to try my best to not throw anymore fits, and to trust in him. To prove to him that I was actually going to try, I took a deep breath and handed him my hand. “Ok. I’m ready for you to do the finger prick.” “Thank you, and so you’ll know, the reason why I have to, is so that way I’ll know exactly how bad your infection is.” “Thank you for telling me.” “You’re welcome.” He takes my middle finger, and wipes it off with an antiseptic wipe. He puts the lancet up to my finger. “Ok, babe a little stick.” Right after he says that I hear the loud click, and I jump when I feel it pierce my skin. He starts collecting the blood in a little tube. I have to look away. For some reason seeing my own blood makes me queasy, and it feels like it hurts worse when I watch. I can feel him squeezing my finger to get more blood out. I start wiggling a little trying to take my mind off my discomfort. “I’m sorry, babe. I know it doesn’t feel good. I’m almost done though. Are you doing ok?” I just shake my head yes, and try to block it out. It wasn’t long before he was finished and he takes it back over to the cabinet. Once again I can’t see what he’s doing, but I’m assuming he’s running his tests on it. A few minutes later he tells me, “Well, the good news is, it’s not strep throat. The bad news is that you do have a pretty bad infection. I think I can clear it all up with a couple of shots and an IV.” I was fixing to make another remark about how I didn’t want it, but I caught myself before it slipped out. He turns back around to the cabinet and I see him get out a couple of needles. “I’m going to go get the medicine. I’ll be right back.” He walks out the door and I start to get really nervous.