Addicted

Chapter 17: Right

Harvey arrived at the house, slightly sweaty and out of breath, eager to see his favorite patient in the whole town. He adjusted his tie and straightened his hair before giving the front door a quick knock, smiling and only slightly nervous. The door opened to Shane, who was standing with a worried look on his face and Jas wrapped around his leg like a boot. Maree was still on the couch, with a blanket over her and her face in a frown, eyes glued to Shane. "Hey, Harv," said Shane, stepping out of the way to let Harvey into the house.

Harvey's smile faded a bit at the sight of Shane in Maree's house, though he'd heard the rumors and seen them dancing at the Saloon himself, he didn't want to think of Maree as being with Shane, in any capacity. He had courted her for a season when she first moved to town, with the amount of time that she spent in the mines, she'd had plenty of check ups and visits with him at the clinic, but never once in her own home. He looked around, making a mental note of the cleanliness and the chicken in the playpen. Harvey cleared his throat, "Do you have a private room for an exam?" he asked looking to Maree and then to Shane with a nod.

"I'll take Jas outside," said Shane, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack and walking the 5-year-old out the door and towards the snow patches on the ground. The door shutting with its signature thud as he closed it behind him.

"Look, Doc. I already know what's wrong with me. It's a stomach bug and the results of my brother rebuking the alcohol from my system like two days ago." Maree stood from the couch and made her way around Harvey and into the kitchen. "With that being said, my farmhands need me back at work, so, I'm giving in to this stupid check-up." Maree poured herself a cup of coffee and then poured a second one and handed it to Harvey.

"Ah, I see. We can start with the routine questions and then on to a classic well exam." He smiled, his mustache curling with his lips, causing Maree to let out a small giggle while looking at him. Harvey set his bag on the kitchen table and sipped his coffee, listing off the routine questions as she answered them, giving up the unhealthy secret of her alcohol abuse and constant smoking, of both legal and illegal substances. After they had gone through all of the questions, Harvey removed his stethoscope from his bag and listened to Maree's heartbeat and lungs. Starting on her back for a minute, he moved to listening to her chest asking, "Is this alright?" before he moved the cold metal across her skin, only once giving her a shudder. Moving on from the stethoscope, he checked her temperature and blood pressure, her face growing more uncomfortable by the moment as she looked at her empty cup.

Maree let out a sigh as Harvey began to pack up his tools. "Am I right, Doc? Just a stomach bug?"

Harvey let out a sigh, "It seems to be that way. No fever or any other symptoms so it's safe to say that it's just a minor flu." He looked up from his bag to Maree and gave her a smile, his eyes hiding behind the shine off of his glasses. "Just drink plenty of liquids and if it gets worse, just give me a call and I'll be right over since the clinic will be closed tomorrow." His smiled faded as he looked back down at his bag.

"Thanks, Doc," Maree sighed, standing from her chair and making her way back to the coffee pot. "You want another cup before you hit the road?"

She was already pouring her own cup when Harvey looked up at her. "That'd be nice," he said, offering her his empty cup. She poured him a mug full and then handed it back, only holding her own mug by the handle and looking out the window as she leaned against the countertop.

"How-how come you aint settled yet, Doc?" she asked, trying to make small talk and get to know the good doctor some more in her efforts. She sipped her coffee, her eyes still watching outside the window.

"I guess I still haven't found the right woman yet." He answered, his voice cracking for only a moment and then following her gaze to watch the window and the little girl playing in the snow with the dog. "Are you thinking about settling down?" he asked, unsure of where the question was coming from as he turned to see her reaction and gauge if she was lying.