“I don’t want to.”
“Lily, I will hold your hand the entire time,” Shelby reassured. “It will all be alright.”
“They won’t yell at me or hold me down?” Lily whispered.
“I already told you that wouldn’t happen, baby.” Shelby managed to get Lily off her lap and quickly moved from the table. “Come on, you lie back and I’ll hold your hand while Dr. Kate checks you out.”
Lily finally did as she was asked and laid back slowly. As she lay stiffly on the table, her hand gripped Mama’s and she looked no other place than Mama’s eyes. She seemed to have managed to relax somewhat when Mama began to brush her fingers through her hair.
Lily squeezed Shelby’s hand even more when the doctor began opening her robe.
“I’m just going to check your belly out right now, Lily, and make sure everything is okay inside.” The doctor deftly moved her fingers around Lily’s abdomen, probing gently and making sure that there was no discomfort.
“Lily does this hurt?” Dr. Kate wrinkled her forehead.
“A little.”
“What happened here, Lily?”
Lily looked down and saw the doctor tracing a large bruise gently with her fingers. Lily knew it was a deep one and she had been surprised that it had gone unnoticed by Shelby so far.
“Mom, have you seen this?” the doctor asked Shelby.
Shelby moved to look where the doctor was pointing and shook her head. “I haven’t. Baby, what happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? That doesn’t look like nothing, Lily.” Shelby’s voice was stern but gentle.
“Maybe I fell?”
“Fell, huh?” Shelby looked up at the doctor. “When exactly did you fall?”
“Last night before the show,” Lily hedged.
Dr. Kate stayed quiet during the exchange.
“Lily Anne, tell me what happened right now.”
“I hit my hip on my makeup table.”
Shelby took a deep breath. “And how did you hit your hip on your makeup table?”
“I don’t want to tell you, Mama,” Lily whispered. “I don’t want to get into trouble.”
Shelby moved so she was at the side of the exam table. Helping Lily to sit, Shelby took Lily’s chin in her fingers and held her gaze. “Tell me what happened right now.”
“I just wanted to fly,” Lily whimpered. “But it didn’t work the way I thought it would.”
“Tell me all of it.”
“I was jumping on my couch and I thought it would be neat to fly so I jumped really high and flew off my couch toward my makeup table.”
“And?”
“And I hit the table really hard and hurt myself,” Lily sniffed hugging Mama when her chin was let go. “I wanted to tell you but I didn’t want to be in trouble for jumping on the couch and then they knocked and it was time to go on stage.”
Feeling the kiss to the top of her head, Lily managed to calm down as Shelby spoke. “We will talk more about this at home, baby. Right now Dr. Kate is going to finish her exam.”
“Can’t we go home now?” Lily tried.
“Nope,” Shelby looked at the doctor. “Lie down again so Dr. Kate can finish this part of your check-up.”
Sniffling once more, Lily did as Shelby directed; not happy at all when the robe was once more pushed open totally so the doctor could continue the exam.
“This bruise is going to be sore for a while, Lily.” The doctor explained. “If it starts to hurt really badly, you tell Mom and she’ll give you some ibuprofen to take.”
“Okay,” Lily whispered tensing when the doctor moved her hands again. “What are you doing?”
“I’m just going to check and make sure that your breasts are okay. I know you’re young, Lily, but this is something every little girl needs to do or have their mom do for them.” Nimble fingers began to feel Lily’s breasts and the girl tensed.
“They’re fine.”
“Yep,” Dr. Kate smiled. “They are.” Looking up from Lily, she caught Shelby’s eyes, “Once a month, Mom, just like you do.”
“I’ll make sure it gets done.” Shelby squeezed Lily’s hand and smiled at her as the doctor nodded and turned back to Lily.
“Okay, Lily, one more bit here and then we can let you sit up again.” The doctor moved back to Lily’s body and opened the robe farther before putting her hands in the waistband of Lily’s panties.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lily demanded struggling against the doctor.
“Language!” Shelby admonished.
“I am just going to check and make sure everything is okay with your private areas, Lily. I am not going to do anything that hurts.”
“Mama, make her stop,” Lily whispered.
Moving around the table, Shelby looked down at Lily and sighed. “Dr. Kate needs to do this, baby. I promise that it’s not going to be like the last time you had a checkup. She is not going inside your body. She is just going to look at the outside and make sure everything is alright.”
“Promise?” Lily asked as a few tears escaped.
“I promise, baby” Shelby brushed the tears from the girl’s face and kissed her forehead. “Go ahead, Dr. Kate.”
Lily scrunched her eyes shut as she felt her panties being lowered to her knees. Gentle hands touched her briefly and then she felt her panties raised once more.
“Looks good,” Dr. Kate pronounced. “No ingrown hairs or any redness to worry about.”
“Can I get up now?”
“Yep.”
Lily nearly bolted into an upright position, not seeming to care if her robe was open or closed.
Lily noticed Shelby roll her eyes as Dr. Kate made herself busy with her chart while Mama closed her robe. “Are we done?” Shelby asked hopping back onto the table with Lily.
“Almost,” the stool rolled forward and blue eyes looked upward. “Lily seems healthy but I’d like to get some blood work to check iron levels and things like that.”
“No needles.” Lily shook her head hard. “No way.”
“What else?” Shelby asked.
“It seems as if Lily has missed a few shots and we really need to catch those up.” Dr. Kate sighed as Lily began to shake her head again. “A tetanus booster which is in the Tdap vaccine, Hepatitis B, and the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The HPV is also recommended for girls of this age but not required.”
“No!” Lily yelled this time. “No needles, Mama. No needles.”
“Shhh,” Shelby began to gently pat Lily’s bottom when she turned to sit sideways on her lap burying her face in Shelby’s chest. “I don’t think she needs the HPV right now. I’d like to research it more before deciding on that. However I do agree that we need to give her the others before leaving today.”
“Please, Mama, don’t let them give me the needles,” Lily whispered pitifully.
“I’m sorry, baby girl, but you need these shots to stay healthy. It wouldn’t be very responsible of me not to have you vaccinated.”
“But it would make you the best mama ever,” Lily tried.
“I guess I’ll just have to take that risk.” Shelby looked at the doctor. “I think the blood draw first while I’m holding her and then we can figure out the logistics of the shots.”
Dr. Kate nodded, “I’ll be right back with my nurse.”
Waiting until the door had closed Shelby moved Lily’s head back and looked into her face. “I know you’re scared, Lily, but this has to be done. The shots will be over before you know it and I bet they won’t even hurt very much.”
“But they’re putting needles in me,” Lily protested.
“Because that’s the only way to get the medicine into you.”
Lily snuggled into Shelby again.
“I will be with you the entire time and will hold you on my lap for all of it, Lily. I know it’s hard but I do not want you kicking, hitting, or biting to try and stop the shots or blood draw.”
“That’s not fair.”
Shelby gave Lily a kiss to the top of her head, “After we’re done here we can go feed the ducks and get a hot dog before going home.”
“We can?” Lily looked up at Shelby with wide eyes.
“We can, but you can’t try and stop the doctor and nurses from doing their job.”
Lily sighed and snuggled back into Shelby, “I’ll try, Mama.”
“Good girl.”
There was a light knock on the door again and Lily buried her face into Shelby’s neck. Lily watched as Jess entered with Dr. Kate, holding a tray with the equipment necessary for a blood draw as well as three syringes. Burying her face in Shelby’s shoulder again, Lily held Mama tightly.
“Mom, I’m going to need you to turn Lily around so we can do the blood draw,” Dr. Kate directed.
“Lily, baby, turn around and lean back on me,” Shelby directed gently. “You can keep your eyes closed and it will be over before you know it.”
“I don’t want to,” Lily tried one last time.
“Come on baby, do this and we’ll be ready to get you dressed and head out.”
“To feed the ducks and get a hot dog?”
“Yep.”
Lily turned slowly and leaned back against Shelby. Closing her eyes tightly she felt the sleeve of her robe being pushed up and the elastic band being tied around her arm. Feeling a pinch she felt the elastic release and a few minutes later Shelby was kissing her head. “All over, baby. I am so proud of you.”
Opening one eye Lily looked at the cartoon Band-Aid on her arm. “That was it?”
“Yep,” Dr. Kate smiled. “Jess is amazing at taking blood.”
“I’m ready to leave now,” Lily tried once more.
“Almost done,” Dr. Kate interrupted. “We just need to give you these shots and then mom can get you dressed.”
“Mama, can just get me dressed now and then we can leave,” Lily tried, thinking this seemed like a good compromise.
“Shots first, Lily Anne,” Shelby’s voice brokered no argument. “Come on over my lap.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I know.” Shelby moved Lily’s face to look into her eyes once more. “Come on, baby girl, you are in the home stretch now. Just over my lap, a couple of pinches, and all done.”
Lily made no move to put herself over Shelby’s lap, but didn’t protest with anything other than a whimper as Shelby did it for her. Getting Lily over her lap, Shelby lifted the robe and nodded to the nurse. “Go ahead.”
Thanking the doctor for handing her Albie, Shelby handed the toy to Lily and frowned when she buried her face in the bear, already crying. The crying turned to full-blown wails when she felt her panties being lowered once more and the coolness of the alcohol swab.
“No!” Lily’s screams filled the room as the shots were given in rapid succession in her bottom. Three Band-Aids later, Lily was once more upright in Shelby’s lap, being held and comforted.
“How soon before the blood work comes back, Dr. Kate?” Shelby asked over Lily’s crying.
“Early next week sometime. We’ll call with the results as soon as we have them. Are there any other questions?”
Shelby shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Dr. Kate smiled at the woman. “The injection sites might be sore for a day or two so you’ll need to go easy on those areas. She also might get sleepy from them.” Dr. Kate made her way to the door and stopped with her hand on the knob. “It was very nice to meet you, Lily.”
Hearing the door close, Lily relaxed a little bit and began to calm down. “My hiney hurts, Mama,” she whined.
“It won’t hurt for long, baby. Are you ready to get dressed and go see the ducks?”
“And get a hot dog?” Lily’s tears were almost completely stopped.
“Yes, and get a hot dog.” Shelby smiled.
Lily nodded. “I’m ready and I don’t wanna come back here for a really long time.”
* * *
Almost tripping over Lily’s shoes yet again, Shelby yelled for Lily to come back from the living room and pick them up. Wondering why she was being ignored Shelby strode into the living area with a set purpose in mind. That purpose ended however when she got sight of Lily asleep on the couch clutching Albie.
Deciding to let her continue her nap, Shelby took the throw blanket from the back of the couch and covered Lily up. “Sleep well, baby,” she whispered before heading back to the front door to pick up the trail left by Lily upon entering.
It was just a short time later when Shelby heard, “Mama! Mama!” as she moved toward the living area.
“Hey there, baby what’s wrong?” Shelby entered the room wiping her hand on a kitchen towel.
“I don’t feel good and I’m hungry.” Lily wrapped her arms around Shelby as she sat on the edge of the couch. “My bottom is sore and I’m hot,” Lily’s whining became louder and Shelby sighed.
“Let’s go get you changed and then we can have a snack.”
“Cookies?” Lily asked hopefully.
“We’ll see,” Shelby’s reply was noncommittal as she stood and helped lead Lily down the hallway to her bedroom.
“Just say yes, Mama. It’s nicer that way.” Lily yawned and held onto Mama’s hand tightly as they headed to her room to change.
“Hold me, Mama.” Lily stood on the bed her arms held up to Shelby.
“Lily do not stand on the bed.” Shelby admonished before sitting down and pulling Lily onto her lap. Lily felt warm and Shelby had a feeling the worst of the injection side effects were not over.
Tears began and Lily buried her face in Shelby’s neck, “I just wanted you to hold me, Mama. You don’t hafta get mad at me.”
Shushing Lily Shelby brushed some hair back from Lily’s face and rocked her back and forth. “I am not mad at you, baby. Are you still hungry?”
Feeling a nod on her shoulder Shelby stood and then took Lily’s hand as they walked to the kitchen. Helping Lily sit on one of the barstools Shelby smiled gently at Lily. “Snack time, baby girl.”
“Cookies, Mama. I want cookies.”
“You may have one cookie with the rest of your snack.” Shelby bit her lip as not to smile at the pouting lip that resulted on Lily’s face with her pronouncement of one cookie.
“Three cookies?”
“No cookies?”
“No, Mama! One cookie is good,” Lily backtracked quickly. “I can eat one cookie.”
“If you’re sure,” Shelby teased.
“I’m sure. One cookie is good.”
Shelby nodded and moved to the pantry grabbed the coveted bag of cookies. Reaching inside she removed one cookie and brought it back to the counter. “Do you want to eat it now or after the rest of your snack?”
“Both.” Lily sniffed and stared at the lone cookie still pouting.
Shelby broke the cookie in half and handed Lily one of them before placing the other half on a plate. “There you go, baby. You can have the other half after you eat your apple.”
“Man,” Lily pouted but went ahead and ate the apple that Shelby had cut up for her anyway. “All done, Mama, can I have my cookie half now?”
“Yes you may,” Shelby handed Lily the remainder of the cookie and chuckled as she ate it with a look of pure joy on her face.
Pouring some juice into a glass Shelby handed it to Lily and was happy that she didn’t have to fuss to make Lily drink it. “That’s good apple juice, Mama. You know what would make it even better?”
“What?”
“Another cookie.” Lily grinned at her brilliance. “I could sure use another glass of juice and a cookie.”
“The juice we can do but not the cookie.”
Opening her chocolate-eyes wide Lily pouted. “Please. That apple juice doesn’t wanna be lonely when I drink it. It needs the cookie.”
Closing her eyes as Mama’s hand felt her forehead Lily looked up into hazel eyes with longing. “I don’t feel so good, Mama but I know the cookie would help me feel better.
”
Lily watched as Mama shook her head and poured another glass of juice before heading to the pantry in silence. “One more, that’s it, little girl.”
Squealing in delight Lily hugged Shelby tightly, “You are the best Mama ever.” She proclaimed taking the prized item from Shelby and biting into it closing her eyes in contentment.
Chapter Six
Two more weeks had passed and Lily and Shelby were enjoying some little Lily time on their one day off. They were finishing up their brunch and Lily was having fun making faces at Albie. Putting their plates on the counter Shelby turned her attention to Lily.
“Would you like to play a game, Lily?”
“Yes!” Lily grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll go get it, Mama.”
“Alright. No running, Lily.” Shelby admonished as bare feet ran down the hallway.
The running feet returned quickly and a board game was placed on the table. “It’s the color game, Mama. I wanna be the red one.”
Throwing down the kitchen towel Shelby grinned. “I think I’ll be the yellow one then.”
“Okay.” Lily set up the cards and then got on her knees as the game began. “Oh a double purple.” Lily grinned and moved her red figure the proper spaces.
* * *
Putting the bottle of juice on the coffee table Shelby put down her glass of iced tea before heading back to the kitchen to grab the popcorn.
“I wanna watch this, Mama!” Lily held up her favorite princess movie and waved it back and forth. “Hurry up, put it in for me, please.”
Chuckling Shelby put the popcorn down on the coffee table and took the video from Lily’s hands. “The ice queen one, again?”
“Yup, I love the castle. It’s so pretty when it comes up outta the snow.” Lily happily watched as Shelby put the movie into the DVD player.
“Are you ready to watch it?” Shelby asked.
“Almost,” Lily ran from the room and returned rather quickly with a duffle bag. “Now I’m ready.”
Sitting on the floor in front of the TV, Lily unzipped the bag and began to pull items from it. “I knew these would come in handy.” She muttered to herself stopping just for a moment when the movie began.
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