The Body #1: Santo and Fiorella

Chapter 13 (Fiorella): Am I Numb?

I was a Body girl born and bred. We were gentle, quiet, calm and passive.

Having just thrown a bunch of heavy objects at my husband, I thought I'd gotten all of the years of suppressed violence out of my system. Guess what? I hadn't because I found myself really wanting to bash the good doctor over the head with the nearest heavy object.

When he'd said he was going to numb my face, I knew I needed to ask if that was safe for the baby. 

But I didn't want Santo to know.

I, who never had had any control or say over my life, was determined to tell him about the baby when I decided. In my time. Maybe when I was in labor. Maybe on the baby's first birthday, but the point was, it would be on my terms.

Especially after what I'd been through these last couple of months.

Surprisingly, Santo agreed to give me a minute alone with the doctor. Body men did not leave their wives alone for any reason with another man. Never. It just wasn't done. When he'd reluctantly agreed, his acquiescence had shocked me.

So I asked the doctor in a whisper if the local would hurt my baby in any way. When he said no, I told him Santo didn't know about the baby, and I didn't want to tell my husband quite yet, so I would appreciate his discretion.

He'd looked at me in confusion just as Santo walked back into the room carrying a glass of water for me.

And then the stupid, stupid doctor showed me which horse he was backing in the race by offering his congratulations to Santo.

"Yes, congratulations on the coup, today! Very well done!" I put in chirpily. Was it proper etiquette to congratulate someone on having overthrown the old Body regime through a series of brutal assassinations? I didn't know, and Santo and the doctor shot me an odd look, but it was the only other reason for congratulations I could think of.

"Are you ready to stitch her?" Santo asked the doctor.

"Yes, and I just want to reassure you that the shot won't hurt --"

"Won't hurt me at all!" I interrupted him. Bashing him over the head was looking better and better if he didn't shut up.

The doctor grabbed the syringe from his bag and wiped my face again with an alcohol wipe. I flinched and Santo was there suddenly, his large hand wrapped around the doctor's wrist.

"I said not to hurt her." His voice was so threatening I couldn't believe it. Theoretically, I knew what my husband had to do as a Body man, knew what he was capable of, but I'd never heard it or seen it. That never came home. "You hurt her."

"I had to clean the area," the doctor explained, but his fear was peeping through his calm. Santo was a big, powerful man and having his anger trained on you would be frightening, knowing you could lose your life at this man's whim. "I'm trying to be gentle with her given the ba --"

"Given the bad location of the wound!" I interrupted yet again, trying to skewer the doctor with my eyes, but he missed my look because his eyes were trained on Santo.

"Are you OK, Fiorella?" he asked me gently.

"Just fine!" I assured my husband. "You might want to let go of the doctor's wrist so he can sew me up!"

There. I had the doctor's back. Now he should have mine.

Slowly, Santo released the doctor's wrist. "Continue."

I forced myself not to flinch when the doctor gave me the shot. "Now, we just wait a few minutes for it to take effect."

Of course, the doctor decided to talk to Santo while we waited.