Removing the stethoscope from his ears and placing it around his neck, Devin asked, "Any sinus congestion? Stuffy nose, anything like that?"

"No," Carrie shook her head. "Nothing but the headache." She sniffed. "See?"

He smiled as he reached for her face. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he pressed his thumbs against her forehead and around her eyes. "Does that hurt?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied.

"Any chance you could be pregnant?" he asked.

"God, no," was her reply.

"'God, no,' because you don't want to be, or because you haven't had sex?"

She blushed. She hadn't realized discussing her sex life, or lack of one, with her childhood crush was part of the deal. "I was sitting at the singles' table," she said. "What do you think?"

"What I think," he said, "is that doesn't really answer the question. That could mean either one."

She laughed weakly. He had a point. "I have not had sex in a very long time," she admitted.

He smiled and nodded. "Okay." Backing his chair up a little bit, he directed her, "Sit up for a minute and face me."

She complied, silently wondering how much longer it would take before he would be satisfied.

"Any neck stiffness?" he asked.

She shook her head no.

"Bend your head back for me and look at the ceiling."

She did as he asked.

"Now forward and touch your chin to your chest. Good, now touch your left ear to your shoulder. And the right ear? Good."

She followed each instruction, proving her neck was just fine. She gave him a look of I-told-you-so.

Undeterred, Devin continued with his assessment. "Smile for me," he told her.

She flashed him a sarcastic grin.

"Now stick out your tongue."

She did so, gladly.

Devin laughed and shook his head. He held his palms up in front of him. "Put your hands on top of mine," he commanded.

She placed her hands in his, not expecting her heart to skip a beat. All those times she had imagined holding hands with him… This wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it caught her off guard. She gulped, hoping he didn't notice. She pushed down against his hands as he asked her to, then switching positions, pulled up as he checked that her arm strength was equal on both sides.

Satisfied with his neurological checks, he placed the back of his hand first to her forehead, then her cheek, trying to gauge her skin temperature. "I want to take your temp," he said.

"Okay," she replied softly, still shaken by her reaction to their hands touching.

He continued to look into her eyes. "You just drank cold water, so an oral temperature isn't going to be accurate."

"Then how…" Her eyes widened. "Oh! No!"