Ellie took the ear thermometer from her father and handed him his pocket scope and a tongue blade.
“My daughter’s a registered nurse. I trained her so she could help me when I make house calls. It’s hard to get good help these days.”
Jesse nodded, as if seeing the wisdom of this.
Ellie couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t listen to him. He told menotto be a nurse.”
“Someone with her brains ought to be a doctor.”
Ellie shook her head. “Iwantedto be a nurse, Dad.”
It was an old argument.
Her father flicked on the scope’s light, held the tongue blade ready. “Open wide.”
Jesse did as her father asked.
It only took her father a glance.
He removed the tongue blade and flicked off the scope. “Your throat looks like shit. I won’t bother with a throat culture. You’ve got strep.”
Jesse looked up at Ellie, a lopsided grin on his face that made Ellie’s pulse skitter. “Kid germs, huh?”
She nodded. “The worst.”
* * *
Strep throat.
So much for your monster immune system, buddy.
“Ellie said something about this damaging the heart.”
“If it goes untreated for a long time, you can get rheumatic fever. Trust me—you don’t want that.”
Hell, no, he didn’t—whatever that was.
The doc packed his things away in his bag. “Are you allergic to any drugs?”
Jesse shook his head. “No, sir.”
“Well, then, you’ve got a couple of options. I can write you a prescription for ten days’ worth of antibiotics that you can take to the pharmacy tomorrow morning when it opens, or I can give you an injection of penicillin now. Either way, you’ll start to feel better about twenty-four hours after your first dose.”
Jesse thought he understood what the doc was saying. “So, it’s either a shot now and done, or start pills tomorrow?”
The doc nodded. “That’s right.”
Jesse would rather be well sooner than later. “I’ll take that shot.”
The doc watched him through heavily lidded eyes that were green like his daughter’s. “Just so you know, the injection is given in a large muscle. Generally speaking, that means your glute.”
Did the doc think getting a shot in the ass was a deal breaker?
Jesse found himself grinning. “In the army, they give you vaccines for diseases that haven’t been invented yet. I’ve gotten more shots in my behind than I can remember.”
“Okay then.” The doc reached into his bag, took out a small vial of medication, along with a syringe and a needle, both of which were encased in packaging. “What’s your weight?”
“I’m two-twenty.” Jesse got to his feet, turned his back to Ellie and her father, and started to unzip his jeans.