free.love

Content warning:

In this chapter, the main character is seeking treatment for a forced claim bite. His mental and physical condition and some of the treatment he receives are analogous to the experience a person might have after a sexual assault or an experience with intimate partner violence in our world.

Reading this chapter may be triggering for people who have a sensitivity to discussion of sexual assaults or intimate partner violence or people who suffer from panic disorders. Please read with caution.

Teneisha watched from the nurses desk as the two doctors came down the hall together, conversing. They looked like a very odd couple on matching outfit day in their dark blue scrubs and white coats. Dr. Susan Caris was a tiny little Omega, about 50 years old, with cropped white hair and heavy black-framed power glasses. She moved with a brisk places-to-go, people-to-see energy. Beside her, taking one step for every three of his colleagues, was Dr. Alexander Anderson. He was a tall, rangy, broad-shouldered Alpha in his early thirties with glossy black hair cut into stylish layers and a face that could have earned him a much easier living draping himself over furniture and appliances and sucking in his cheeks for the camera. Teneisha had worked with him for three years, and he was young enough to be her son, but she still couldn get over that face. ”I may be married, I may be menopausal, but Im not dead, ” shed say to her friends about him, laughing.

”So? Hows he tolerating the meds? ” asked Susan.

Teneshia handed her the tablet shed taken notes on in the exam room. ”As far as that goes, everythings normal. Hes pretty traumatized, though, and thats what I wanted to talk to you about. Alexander, I think you better give him his space when you
e in there. ”

He nodded. ”Of course. Thanks for the heads-up ”

Teneisha continued, ”Hes super smart and sweet, finishing up an MS at Loyola is what he told me last time. So you can go ahead and explain things to him in detail. I think hed appreciate it. ”

Alex nodded again.

”The blood pressure cuff gave him a panic attack just now, and he told me that hes really sensitive about having his neck and back touched since the attack. So we
e not going to mess around with him too much during the consult, okay? ” Teneisha gave them both a warning look.

”Was there a separate sexual assault as part of the forced claim? ” Alex inquired grimly.

”No, at least he was spared that, ” Susan responded. ”I spoke with the officer that referred Gabriel to us. Apparently, the Alpha was a guy hed been introduced to by a friend from class. Theyd gone out just a couple of times. They were at a party near campus last week, had a few drinks, were having a good time, were making out in a back room, and the next thing this poor kid knows, hes got some big, dumb, drunk, entitled **ing Alpha pushing his face into an ottoman and force-claiming him. Someone heard a yell and came into the room and pulled the guy off of him. ” Susan sighed. ”Gabriel went to the police the same night, which is rare, but awesome. Of course the asshole said he thought it was consensual, but the police brought him in on an assault charge anyway because hed punched the guy who pulled him away as well as forcing the claim, and that was the best they could do. We did a forced claim kit on the wound just to have the evidence, but you know how it is– its just a bite wound in the eyes of the law. And to make it worse, the Alpha knows someone who knows someone in DC and phone calls were made, and so he was back out on the street by morning. The cop was pissed. ”

Alex made a derisive snort. He was unsurprised but never failed to feel frustration with the way the law just limped along, decades behind the science when it came to forced claims. ”Thats such bullshit. Lets see what we can do for him on our end. ” He put out a hand. ”Hand me the chart, Susan? So the patient started treatment within 48 hours and its been… eight days since the assault? And hes tolerating the meds fairly well…? ”

”Just some anosmia and nausea. I counseled him about eating regularly and taking the meds with food, ” Teneisha supplied.

Dr. Caris listened attentively. ”Well get him some Zofran, too. Thatll help. Teneisha, remind me to send in a script when we
e done in there. ”

”Will do. ”

Alex scrolled through the notes and photos on the tablet, reviewing the images of the wound. ”Looks like theres just one claim site and not too much trauma to the tissue, so I think we
e not going to have any issues with the reversal either cosmetically or otherwise. At least the bastard had the good grace to have bad aim– if he got more than one fang in the cervical gland, Id be surprised. Should be very straightforward. ”

”Precisely. Thats what I told him at his first appointment, ” responded Susan. ”Honestly, I wish we could get more Omegas in here that quickly. We could do so much more for them. ”

Alex looked to Teneisha inquiringly. ”Has he gone to see Dr. Charles? Shell help him with the panic attacks. ”

”His first appointment is tomorrow, hes starting with twice a week. ” Teneisha responded in an approving tone.

”Perfect. ”

”Thats what I just told him. ”

”Alright ” Alex said with a sigh. ”Ladies, you go in first, because hes not going to be thrilled to have a big Alpha lurking around him right now, understandably, and you can be a buffer between us. The anosmia should make it a little easier for him, at least. Teneisha, did you let him know about me? ”

”You know I always do. ”

”Then lets head in, ” said Alex, holding the door for his colleagues.

Gabriel sat up quickly when the doorknob turned, pivoting to dangle his legs over the edge of the exam table. He looked up briefly at Dr. Caris and the man behind her, automatically scenting the air to get a read on the tall Alpha, but of course the air now smelled like nothing but antiseptic to him, and he looked down again, feeling a little panic rising up around the edges. Breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, he coached himself.

”Hey baby, you ready for us? ” Teneisha asked in a friendly voice, scanning his face with concern. ”You look like you
e feeling a little steadier. ”

Gabriel looked up again briefly and gave her a little gesture of assent. The doctors were standing behind her with their carefully neutral faces and their deliberately slow movements. They were being considerate, he knew, but it made Gabriel feel like a medical curiosity on display in a jar. Everyone handling him carefully, as if he might shatter, everyone clucking their tongues and thinking what a pity that such a thing had happened.

”I am feeling a bit better, thanks ” he half-lied. At least my stomach is.

Teneisha gestured to the small Omega behind her, ”Gabriel, you remember Dr. Caris from your first appointment? ”

”Of course, nice to see you again, ” said Gabriel hoarsely, and then flushed at how absurd it was of him to call anything about this experience nice.

Dr. Caris stepped forward. ”Its good to see you back, Gabriel, and it sounds like you
e doing well on your meds, although Im sure it doesn feel that way. I hear you
e having some anosmia? Thats actually a sign that the meds are working. And Teneisha says youve been having some stomach upset? Well call in something for your nausea and it will be ready at the pharmacy for you later today. You can take the nausea meds twice daily as needed, but usually your body kind of adjusts to the suppressant drugs and the nausea decreases after a couple of weeks. I understand Teneisha spoke to you about eating regularly with these meds? ”

”She did, I will. I mean, Ill start…eating ” said Gabriel lamely. It was like hed completely forgotten how to have normal conversations with people.

”Sounds good. So, I want to introduce you to my colleague, Alex Anderson. Dr. Anderson is kind of a rare bird. Hes an endocrinologist and he has worked with me for a while on perfecting the claim-reversal protocol, but hes also board-certified in plastic surgery, and he specializes in claim-site revision. Hes going to talk to you a little about your surgery, and if you have any questions, he can answer them for you. ”