Dr. Lennox nods and approaches us cautiously, setting her bag on the bedside table. “Zoey,” she says to me, her voice professional despite the tension in the room, “I’ll need to ask you some questions.”
“All right,” I manage, although another wave of dizziness makes me lean more heavily into Aerix’s side.
He rests his forehead against the side of my head and closes his eyes, as if he can wish this all away if he wants it badly enough.
The doctor pulls out a small notebook and a pen, looking ready to go. “Have you been experiencing persistent nausea?” she asks me.
“Yes.” I wrap my arms tighter around myself, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than ever. “It started about a week ago. Blood started tasting terrible, and it’s gotten worse every day. Even the smell of it turns my stomach now.”
Aerix’s jaw clenches, his wings shifting behind him, but he remains quiet.
Dr. Lennox notes something down, then glances back up at me. “What about dizziness or fatigue?”
“All the time,” I answer quickly. “I’m so tired I can barely get out of bed sometimes. If I stand up too fast, everything spins.”
“Sensitivity to scents or tastes? Vampires experience heightened senses, but have you been having any aversions to foods you enjoyed as a human?”
I think guiltily about the cookies Aerix brings me daily. As a human, Ilovedthose cookies. Now, I can barely stomach them.
“Zoey?” the doctor presses.
“Yes,” I answer, not giving further details.
She notes that down as well.
“One final question,” she says. “Have you noticed any physical tenderness—particularly in your chest area?”
I blink, surprised. “Actually… yes,” I admit. “I thought it was just part of being turned—of being able to feel everything more intensely.”
Dr. Lennox sets down her pen, her face growing pale as she looks at Aerix, then back at me.
“What is it?” Aerix demands, his voice sharp with barely contained tension.
The doctor’s focus remains on me. “I’d like to perform a physical examination,” she says. “Could you please remove your bottom undergarments and lie down?”
Aerix stiffens beside me, his wings flaring in a protective gesture that makes Dr. Lennox step backward.
“Is that really necessary?” His voice is edged with warning, his eyes darkening as he stares the doctor down. “She’s already answered your questions.”
Dr. Lennox holds her ground, remaining surprisingly calm. “Your Highness, I understand your discomfort,” she says carefully. “But some diagnoses can’t be confirmed through questions alone. If you want answers, I need to examine herdirectly. I’ll refrain if you don’t allow it, but for both your sakes…” She trails off and focuses on me again, as if asking me to handle this.
Aerix’s jaw tightens even more, and the temperature drops, frost blooming across the windowpane.
“It’s okay.” I rest a hand on his thigh, hoping to bring some reason to him. “We need answers.Ineed answers. I don’t want…” I swallow, hating the words that need to be said, but also knowing they might be what he needs to hear for me to get through to him. “I don’t want to die up here.”
His expression crumbles, the protective fury replaced by sheer terror.
“You’re not dying,” he insists, his voice strained. “I won’t let you die.”
“Then let her check,” I say, praying he’ll agree, since all three of us in this room know what happens when anyone touches me without Aerix’s permission. “Please.”
The doctor and I hold our breaths as we wait for Aerix’s response.
“Fine,” he says to Dr. Lennox, although his tone makes it clear that this isn’t a concession—it’s a command. “But I’m staying right here. Touch her with anything but the utmost care, and it will be the last thing you ever do.”
Dr. Lennox nods quickly. “Of course, Your Highness.”
“Turn around while she undresses,” he adds, which strikes me as a bit illogical since she’s going to see everything anyway, but I keep my mouth shut. If this is what Aerix needs to feel more comfortable, then it’s the least we can do.
