The next morning, Doc was just as angry at Eric as he had been the night before. I haven’t ever seen him that mad, not even all these years after. I tried to tell him to at least wait to fire him until he had a replacement, since this was the only time he’d done anything wrong and he seemed to be popular with the patients. I didn’t want Doc to have to shoulder the load alone, especially since the clinic had taken on more patients since Eric’s arrival. Doc said he would see, that if Eric was contrite, he’d keep him on until he hired another doctor.

I anxiously awaited for Doc to get home from work. When his car pulled in the laneway, I stepped outside onto the front porch and headed for the steps. “Don’t you dare come down those steps!”

“I’m fine, Doc. Dr Beckett said I can walk on the leg, remember?”

“Inside the house. As I recall, you need to be in the wheelchair when outside.”

“Not on my own property.” By then he was up the steps anyway and kissed me hello. “So how did it go?” I asked.

“Eric is no longer my employee.” Come inside, I’ll tell you all about it while I make supper.”

“Supper is in the oven.”

“You aren’t to be cooking.”

“You do not need to be cooking for me after a long day at work, Doc.”

“I’d have to cook for myself if I was at home, it’s no more work to cook for you as well.”

“You have a point there.”

“Of course I do.”

We sat down to supper and Doc told me about what happened with Eric. “Sometimes things just work out”, he said. “I was going to take your advice to wait until I had a replacement before firing Eric. When I got to the clinic, there was a resume from a doctor looking for a position that had come with the morning mail. I read it over, gave him a call and talked to him for a bit. Then I called his references and everything checked out, so I asked him to come for an interview. He’s in town visiting relatives, I saw him on my lunch break and hired him.”

“Did you fire Eric?”

“Yes.”

“How did he take it?”

“Not well. He threatened to make trouble for me and I told him if he even tried, or if he ever tried to work as an ob/gyn again, I will have his licence revoked for what he did to you. I even showed him the pictures I took of the cut. He backed down after that. I will not say anything if he takes a job where he won‘t be doing pelvic exams on women.”

“That is good.”

“Yes, but just to be on the safe side, I’m going to be proactive. I’m meeting my lawyer for lunch tomorrow to discuss getting this in the open with my licensing body. Not only to let them know you and I are in a relationship but also to get special permission for me to be your ob/gyn again, because of what happened and also what happened with Dr Watters. You may need to give a statement.”

“That’s fine, I have no problem doing so.”

Doc’s lawyer assured him that he could get things taken care of. His plan was to draw up papers for Doc and I to sign declaring we were in a mutually consenting relationship and I agreed to never sue him or the licensing body should the relationship end. I would never consider turning on Doc in such a way. He also had me sign a statement detailing why I refused to see another ob/gyn ever again.

By then, we were getting to late September. Fall was definitely in the air, it was turning quite cool. My bones were healing and the pain was minimal. I had stopped taking pain medication. I was still in the air cast but Dr. Beckett said I could walk without using a crutch, what a relief that was. Doc reluctantly let me do more and more around the house and barn, but he was still insisting on spending nights here. I told him I didn’t know why he bothered paying rent on an apartment.

I talked Doc into going to the local fall fair but I had to give something in return. He made me promise to go on the Ferris wheel with him. I’d never been on one and it wasn’t on my bucket list.

“I can’t believe you haven’t been on a Ferris wheel, Meredith!”

“They scare me, Doc. I’m not big on rides, if I’m going to go on one, I prefer the ones that don’t go high up in the air.”

“What about flying?”

“I’ve flown once and it will not happen again.”

“So, if I wanted to take you on vacation to somewhere tropical or to Europe, you wouldn’t go?”

“Only by boat, Doc.”

“By the time we got there, my vacation time would be over.”

“I’m not really into going to somewhere tropical anyway. Too hot. The furthest away you would get me is up the coast to watch the orcas.”

“Will you at least let me take you out somewhere nice for dinner some night?”

“Sure, Doc. I can do that.”

We went to the fair and had a blast. I kept my word and went on the Ferris wheel with Doc. As we were waiting for it to start, I remarked to him “I should have worn Depends.” My stomach was in knots. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the ride. It was neat to see the lights of the fair down below when we were at the top.

“Next is a plane”, Doc said as we got off.

“No way in hell.”

I insisted that Doc go through the livestock barns with me. He wasn’t crazy about the idea, but I had set aside my fear and gone on the Ferris wheel with him, so he couldn’t very well refuse. This part of the fair was my element. After we toured the barns, we watched cattle being shown for a while.

I’m not big on fair food, Doc was impressed with that. It’s nothing to do with the fact that it’s not exactly healthy. I just don’t care for it.

They had a country band as the evening’s entertainment. We sat and listened for awhile. They were good and I really enjoyed it. I think Doc was even getting into it, though it wasn't his genre of choice.

On the way home, I thanked Doc for coming. “I know it’s not your thing, Doc, so I appreciate it.”

“Any place you go, I want to go, too, hon. I did have a good time.”

One Saturday afternoon, he called me into the downstairs bedroom after lunch. I had just let Jessie out into the yard. He was sitting on the bed with my wooden hairbrush next to him. Right away, I knew what was going to happen.

“I waited until you were pretty much healed from your injuries, I know you are still in the air cast but you are walking quite well on it and not taking pain medication anymore. You also have recovered from that appointment with Eric. So, the time of reckoning for taking off from my place is here. You know what to do - pants down and over my knee.”

“What’s that brush for, Doc?”

“What do you think it’s for?”

“If you think you are going to spank me with it, you have another think coming.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Doc.”

“Over my knee. Now.”

“Not until you agree to not use anything but your hands.”

“You don’t get to choose what you are spanked with.”

“Oh, yes I do. I allow you to spank me, but I am putting my foot down on what you spank me with.” I turned and walked out of the bedroom.

“Get back here, Meredith!”

“Not without a promise of no hairbrush!”

I could hear him get up from the bed so I headed for the back door. I went as fast as I could on that air cast. Down the steps, through the yard to the gate, through the gate - making sure Jessie didn’t get out - and toward the barn. I heard the door slam again and knew Doc was in pursuit. Doc has a few extra pounds on him - but not many. He’s in pretty good shape but he hates running and will not do it unless he has to. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to run, but now was a good time to find out.

I surprised myself and did manage to break into a run. Well, sort of a run. I went around the horse trailer that was blocking my way and then I had the barn door in sight. As I opened it, I looked back and Doc was gaining ground on me. This is one way to get him into the barn, I thought. He still hadn’t been inside it, except for that time when Copper had colic.

Once inside, I headed for the wooden ladder to the hay mow. I did not think in a million years that he would follow me up there. When I was about halfway up, I could hear him very close. I looked down and he was starting up. Crap, I thought. What do I do now? I continued up and when I got to the top, I started across the wooden floor, looking around for a place to hide.

Doc was coming off the ladder now, just a few steps behind me. I took another step and he grabbed me by the waist. I tried to get away, to no avail. He took me over to a hay bale and sat down on it, pulling me over his lap. I had on a pair of stretch-type pants, which made it easier for him to pull off of my behind than if I’d had jeans on. With one hand, he pulled my pants down to just off my butt, then my panties. He was still a bit out of breath - so was I, for that matter. He said “This is for running away from my place”, and proceeded to spank me with his hand. Just as hard as the last time. I thought it would never end, then he stopped.

“Now, this is for all the times you walked on your leg when you weren’t supposed to.” A bunch more slaps on my bare bottom followed. “This is for your belligerence and for running from me today.” Even more spanks followed. Finally, it was over. He released me and I stood up. There were tears in my eyes, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed and laughed. “You think this is funny?” Doc said as he grabbed me, put me over his knee yet again and gave me a few more whacks.

Somewhere along the line of spanks, I became wet but had not wanted to let him know. However, when he let me go the second time, I couldn’t help it, I stood up and leaned down and kissed him. After his initial shock, he returned the kiss and I pulled him off the hay bale and onto the floor. He was on top of me and we were going at it pretty good with the kissing and he put his hand on my breast. I knew if we continued, we would not stop. So I had to break away.

“Doc”, I said, “We have to stop. We want our first time together to be special, not a frantic roll in a barn.”

“You’re right, hon. But why did you kiss me?”

“That spanking was so hot”, I confessed. “Not to mention the chase.”

“It appears that my Ms Hottie likes to have her bottom reddened.” I blushed. “Let me see it, hon. In the interest of your health, of course. I have to check it and make sure you aren’t hurt.” I turned over onto my belly and let him look. “It’s quite red, sweetie. I think I will have to apply some of that cream when we get back in the house.”

Suddenly, it dawned on me. “Doc, we have to get down from here!”

“We got up, we can get down.”

“YOU aren’t wearing an air cast.”

“Seems to me the one with the air cast came up here first.”

“Guilty as charged, but that doesn’t make it easier to get down. Maybe if I take it off first…”

I felt a slap on my still bare bottom. “You will not!”

We did manage to get down and made our way back to the house. My leg was starting to hurt. I did not want to tell Doc, but he could see as I was beginning to limp. “You should get no sympathy for that, Ms Brat.”

“I’m not asking for any.”

“However, you will get medical attention to that lovely red behind of yours. Into the bedroom and pull your pants down so I can apply the cream.”

“Can I lay over your knees, Doc?”

He looked shocked, but pleased. “Why, yes you can, Meredith.”

I pulled my pants down and lay over his knees while he gently rubbed the cream into each buttock. When he was done, he leaned over and very quietly said into my ear “I did not use the hairbrush. If you *ever* do that again, I *will* use it and you will not like it. Understand?” I nodded.