Fading

~F i f t y - t w o~

Ch. 52

Amara POV

Why was I such a baby? Why couldn't I just do some tests and not be a crybaby? This shouldn't scare me so much, but it does. And I hate that it makes it harder for everyone. If I could just handle everything like an adult, then it would all go so much quicker.

"I'm going to do a quick blood test and then you'll be out of here once we get the results back. It's going to check your hemoglobin levels, which is the amount of iron you have in your blood. I'm thinking that you have an iron deficiency, which is why you are tired and cold a lot of the time. In an extreme situation, it can make you really dizzy and you can pass out, which is most likely what happened. If that is the case, then we will make sure you stay on top of it and it shouldn't be a problem. Any questions?" Dad explained very basically.

I guess it wouldn't surprise me. I'm pretty sure iron came from meat and I knew that I wasn't one to eat a lot of that, so I guess it makes sense. And I am usually cold and tired, but I thought everyone was like that. No one ever told me it was a problem.

"Have I had this my whole life?" I asked, genuinely curious as to whether my birth parents caused this as well.

"Not likely. It probably started at an early age when you weren't getting enough nutrients and then only got worse from there. Your body is probably so used to the symptoms that it didn't feel any different as you got older."

"Can you fix it?" God I hope so. I didn't want another problem that was going to cause them more trouble.

Dad and Hudson chuckled lightly but I didn't get what was so funny.

"Yes sweetheart there is a solution. How about we get you tested and confirm the diagnosis and then we can talk about solutions, deal?" Dad asked, making me nod.

Please don't be needles.

"It's just going to be a small pinch honey, it wont be bad, I promise" Dad reassured, making me realize I had said that out loud.

I internally rolled my eyes. Nothing was ever a 'small pinch' and they knew that. Stupid doctors.

As much as I tried to stop my heart from beating erratically, I couldn't stop the anxious thoughts that were rolling in my head.

My eyes opened when Hudson grabbed my other hand, making me realize that I had shut them when my dad had grabbed my arm to do the blood test.

"Try to take slow deep breaths, you're perfectly safe with us. You're dad is not going to hurt you, and if he does, then how about you can pinch him back. Show him what a small pinch can be" Hudson whispered, making me crack a smile.

"Hey! I heard that you know!" Dad exclaimed, lookin up from what he was doing.

"You were meant to" Hudson sang out, giving my hand a squeeze while he gave me a playful smile.

"This is so unfair. Two against one? Where's my say? Mara quick pinch, one, two, three" Dad said really quickly as I felt the needle slide into my skin. They had done a good job at distracting me, but I knew my blood pressure and heart rate were higher than they should be.

I heard my heart rate monitor beep loudly, but I tried my best to take slower breaths as it took about five seconds for my dad to be done. Hudson had been squeezing my hand and talking to me to try to distract me, but as soon as I heard the words 'done' I finally opened my eyes and was able to take a breath.

"Good job sweetheart, I know that was really hard. You did really good" Dad comforted, bringing me into another hug.

I noticed Hudson had left when I didn't feel his hand in mine anymore and I figured he went to go test my blood.

"Slow, deep breaths Mara. Focus on my heartbeat. You're safe."

Once my heart had slowed down and the pressure wasn't so much, I felt my head clear a little bit.

Me and dad stayed like that until Hudson got back, just me cuddled into his chest while he rubbed my back. I always felt the safest when I was with my dad and I never wanted that to change.

"There we go, that's where that blood pressure should be" Hudson said, announcing his presence back into the room. He handed dad a tablet which I assumed had my results on it.

After a few seconds of him reading, he nodded to himself and set the tablet down.

I had always wondered what was going on in his brain when he did stuff like that. He would read stuff at home too and I'm pretty sure it was medical mumbo jumbo that made no sense.

"It's what I was thinking, you have an iron deficiency Mara. It's nothing super serious, but we do need to make sure you stay on top of it to avoid symptoms. We will pick up some iron supplements at the pharmacy for you to take and your levels should go up. But this also means trying to eat more red meat and vegetables when you can. It shouldn't reach this level of seriousness once you start taking supplements, but you need to make sure to tell us if you are feeling a lot more tired and dizzy. We don't want you passing out again. Do you think you can do that?" he asked.

I nodded. They would be bugging me about this for the next couple of days, so I tried to mentally prepare myself for the questions and pills.

"Okay sweetheart, let's get you home so you can rest. Take it easy the rest of the day today okay? I'll be home in a couple of hours after my shift"

"Okay"

Dad gave me one more hug and said goodbye before letting me and Hudson walk out of the hospital.

My only thought was how I managed to interact with my dad in his scrubs. The other day I had a major panic attack and now I was hugging him in them.

Is this what trust feels like?

Very unedited but I wanted to get chapters out. Let me know your thoughts!