Lev (Shot Callers 1)

Dr. Henley led me behind a curtained area, instructing me to remove my jeans and panties before pulling the sheet over my lower half. I did as ordered and found it easier knowing that Nas was only a yell away.

The exam was short and relatively painless and, satisfied with the results, Dr. Henley let me dress, leaving a glass of water and two painkillers on the tray table. I swallowed them down, stepped out, and she scribbled on a piece of paper before handing it to me. “Go on next door and ask for Marianne. She’ll have the order filled in a few minutes.”

Marianne was a stout woman who looked as though she didn’t smile a whole lot. As Dr. Henley advised, my order was filled within minutes, and soon after that, I was back on the exam table, my lower half naked and covered with a sheet.

Nas stayed on the other side of the curtain. Dr. Henley and I were soon joined by Jane, the nurse who originally showed me to the exam room. Jane held my hand tight and told me to breathe deep as I was opened up with a lubed plastic speculum. Dr. Henley warned me when my cervix would clench on its own, causing my stomach to cramp painfully. She was honest and open, and it seemed as though she knew what she was talking about. The pain didn’t last long. In fact, the birth control device was inserted in less than five minutes, and as soon as the speculum was removed, the pain receded to nothing.

“That’s it?” I asked, stunned at how good I felt after having something inserted into my uterus.

Dr. Henley pulled the sheet down to cover me. “That’s it,” she stated. “Don’t be fooled. You’ll get some wicked cramps later on as the device settles. I’d advise you to take ibuprofen every four hours, even if you think you won’t need it. It’ll help the inflammation.”

She and Jane left me to dress, giving me a pad to wear. I dressed quickly and stepped out to join the others.

Nas looked up. “You all suited up, sunshine? You know what they say. No glove, no love.”

I glowered at her. “Shut up, Nas.”

She grinned. “Oh, hush now. You love me.”

I did love Nas. She was fast becoming my best friend. It didn’t matter that she was my only female friend. She was supportive and funny and listened to me. I was thankful for her friendship.

Dr. Henley warned, “You’ve got the glove, but no love for a week though, okay? Not without a condom.”

My face turned beet red. “I don’t even have a boyfriend. There will be no love.” I turned to Nas. “There will be no love.”

Dr. Henley smiled. “I’ll have the results of you pap smear and STD test by Monday. I’ll have Jane call. Also, I’ll have you booked in for a follow up in five weeks. I expect you to keep a diary in that time of how often you’re spotting.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she must have seen it coming, because she raised a hand and cut me off. “It’s standard. I have to make sure the device has settled well.” She threw a fear tactic out there. “If it doesn’t settle well, it can become embedded in your uterus and you’ll have to get it cut out. Come to the checkup, Mina.”

Her fear tactic worked, damn her. I agreed to the appointment.

From the moment Nas and I left the clinic, I felt better than I had in a long time, and something told me things would only get better.

I should have listened to Dr. Henley, but being the badass I was, I didn’t.

Her advice not followed came back to haunt me as I almost doubled over from pain, a sharp stabbing sensation throbbing throughout my belly. I thought I was going to be ill from the pain alone.

Holding onto the railing of the stairs, I made my way down slowly, one stair at a time. I found Lev in the kitchen. The second he saw me, he dropped the newspaper he was reading and shot up out of his chair. “Mina, what’s wrong?”

I groaned, clutching my stomach. “I need painkillers. Ibuprofen.”

He helped me sit before searching through the medicine cabinet. “I only have acetaminophen,” he said as he brought it over with a glass of water.

I shook my head. “No. Ibuprofen. It needs to be anti-inflammatory.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked again, but I ignored him.

“Call Nas.” I grimaced as another cramp took hold, causing me to grit my teeth.

He did, and she arrived soon after holding a white box of tablets in her hands. She shook her head at me. “Didn’t listen to the doc, huh?”

“What doc?” asked Lev.

I moaned in agony, my forehead beginning to bead with sweat, doubling over. “Do you have the meds or not?”