Where There's Smoke

“Your mother?”

“She’s afraid I’ll get pregnant.”

“Is that a possibility?”

Heather hesitated. “Well, I guess. I mean, I have a boyfriend… and we, you know.”

“I’m not asking to be nosy,” Lara told her gently. “I make no moral judgments. I’m a doctor who needs to decide what’s best for my patient. The only way I can do that is to have as much information as possible.” She let that sink in, then asked, “Are you having sexual intercourse?”

Heather looked down at her tightly clasped hands. “Not yet.” Then she furtively glanced at the closed door. “She thinks we already have. I’ve told her we haven’t, but she doesn’t believe me.”

Once she began, the words poured from her, crowding one another in their rush to get out. “She caught Tanner and me making out in the living room. We weren’t doing anything. I mean, I had taken off my blouse and bra, and Tanner had taken off his shirt, but by her reaction you’d have thought we were totally naked, that she’d caught us actually doing it.”

Suddenly her eyes swung up to Lara. “Oh, jeez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way. I didn’t link it to you and Senator Tackett.”

“No offense taken,” Lara said quietly. “This is about you, not me. When your mother found you and Tanner, she jumped to the wrong conclusion, is that right?”

“To put it mildly, she went totally apeshit,” Heather said, rolling her eyes. “She screeched so loud she woke up my daddy. He ran downstairs, bringing his pistol, thinking the house had been broken into again.” She shoved back a handful of glossy auburn hair. “It was awful. Tanner kept telling them that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, but Mother threw him out of the house and hasn’t let me see him since. I’ve been grounded. She took away my car keys and my phone.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I might as well be in Siberia. It’s awful! And I didn’t do anything! She looks at me like I’m a, you know, a whore. Daddy’s tried to make peace, but she doesn’t easily forgive and forget. I’ve told her a million times that I’m still a virgin. Technically, that is. Tanner’s, you know, used his finger, but not his…”

Lara indicated her understanding with a nod.

“But Mother doesn’t believe that. This morning she told me we were coming to you, and I was going to start taking birth control pills whether I liked it or not. She said if I was going to screw around, at least she wasn’t going to get stuck with a grandkid to raise.”

Lara empathized with the girl because Darcy’s sentiments echoed those of her own parents. The message had been: Do whatever you want, just don’t get caught and thereby inconvenience us. Heather sniffed wetly. Lara passed her a box of tissues. “I miss Tanner so much. He loves me. He really does. And I love him.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“He’s so sweet to me. Not like her. Nothing I do pleases her.”

Lara waited while Heather noisily blew her nose, then said, “I see no problem in prescribing the pills for you. You appear to be in good health.”

“They’ll make me fat, won’t they?”

Lara smiled. “Weight gain can be a side effect, but I doubt that will be a problem for a young woman as active and energetic as you.” She looked intently into the girl’s face. “Aside from the physical aspects, I want you to be psychologically prepared for this step. Are you certain that this is what you want, Heather?”

Again, her eyes darted toward the door. “Yeah, it is. I mean, Tanner’s promised that he’ll use something, but if I was taking pills, too, no way could I get pregnant.”

“Just remember that the pills don’t protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. If you’re going to be sexually active, I suggest using a condom every time, even with a steady boyfriend. Encourage your friends to do the same.”

She wrote out the prescription form, then together they moved toward the waiting room. Darcy was impatiently thumbing through a magazine. She tossed it aside as soon as they entered.

“Well?”

“I’ve given Heather a prescription for oral contraceptives and asked her to come back in six months just to see that everything is okay. Of course, she’s to call me if she has any negative side effects or discomfort.”

“You were in there an awfully long time.”

Lara refused to be defensive. “Your daughter is a delightful young woman. I enjoyed talking with her. Which reminds me, I’m interested in implementing some health education programs at the high school. As president of the school board, would Mr. Winston be open to hearing my ideas?”

“You’ll have to ask him.”

“Then I will,” Lara replied graciously, in spite of Darcy’s curtness. “I’ll contact him as soon as the semester begins.”

“How should I handle the bill?”

“Nancy will take care of it now.” Lara turned to Heather. “Good luck with cheerleading. I’ll be watching you from the grandstands.”