April walked into the exam room with trepidation and excitement. She liked seeing Dr. Wexler because there was something in his eyes that comforted her, but she hated to see him because she was so ill and was too young to be so ill. She was only 24. April felt that he would agree with that assessment; his deep, mesmerizing voice often spoke with a tinge of sadness around the edges, as if he hated to tell her the latest round of bad news.
They had developed a rapport over the last year as she spoke to him almost weekly. It was always this lab result, that lab result, have this test done, see this doctor, etc. He had relaxed his demeanor with her, speaking to her with less authority and more of a friendliness. She appreciated seeing a human spark in him. It made coping with her disease less alien.
It was no coincidence that Dr. Wexler's bedside thaw coincided with her realization of an attraction to him. He was always very concerned and caring, almost like a father. April thought of Dr. Wexler often and she thought of him continuously when she was in the hospital. For all that he had inflicted on her, he was her hero for discovering her disease in the first place. She was curious about Dr. Wexler, about his real life, if he thought about her. There were times when he would call her and say her name with relieved exuberance, as if it had been running through his mind for an unbearably long time.
April always came to the appointments alone. Her medical problems were her problems alone. No one else had any business being in the room with her and Dr. Wexler. It was between them; their secret. Besides, she had lost many people in her life in those first frightening days after her diagnosis. She spent most of her time alone now, the weekly calls from Dr. Wexler her only contact with the outside. She sighed and tucked a brown curl behind her ear. She pulled the hem of her green skirt down over her knees as she heard a knock. Dr. Wexler entered, standing 5'10 and muscular, with the slim build of a runner, his brownish-red hair slightly disheveled.
"Hello there," he said not meeting her gaze. "How are you today?"
April smiled. "I'm fine. How are you?"
"I'm...good! Let's see how your neck is doing," he said. "Turn around." April turned her back to him and gasped as he gripped her neck firmly looking for swollen lymph nodes. Her pulse raced. Dr. Wexler stopped his examination, his hands still around her throat.
"Are you scared? I can feel your pulse racing."
"I'm, uhh...
"You are safe with me," Dr. Wexler said hypnotically, deepening his voice, his hands releasing her neck and sliding down onto her shoulders. He gave them a squeeze. "You can face me. We are done."
April turned herself around again on the exam table, facing him, her legs dangling over the edge. She looked up into his blue eyes. He smiled at her, the lines around his eyes evident.
"We have been over this before. No news is good news. Everything feels completely normal." April looked down and began to cry.
"I'm...sorry...too old now t-t-t-to c-cry, I need to g-g-g-get it together." She stammered, looking down. He picked up her hand, squeezing it. She looked up at him with wonder and he moved in, placing a free hand on her cheek and kissing her softly. April kissed him back, pushing her lips hard against his his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Dr. Wexler moved his body closer to hers, roughly pushing her thighs apart with his hands.
"Ohhhh...my god," April whispered, her pulse racing as she arched her body towards him.