Mind Games

“Maddy—”

The doctor left the bride in the dust. “How often, Thea?”

“A couple times a week, sometimes three.”

“A headache, sudden onset, two or three times a week? What else?”

“Some queasiness. Not always, and it doesn’t last either. Just a few minutes.”

“Vomiting? Blurred vision?”

“No, and no. Honestly, it’s—”

“I’m getting my bag out of the car and giving you a looking over,” the doctor interrupted. “And scheduling you for a workup, including an MRI.”

“Maddy.”

“We rule out everything else. You do that for me, I look at wedding dresses for you.”

“It’s Riggs.”

“We rule out everything else.”

Since she’d have better luck fighting a phantom ninja than Maddy, Thea submitted.

Two days later, she let herself be poked, prodded, needle stuck, and learned during the MRI she had a touch of claustrophobia.

When she sat in the exam room, once again fully dressed, Arlo stepped in.

“Maddy had to handle an emergency walk-in. We didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“Oh.”

“Nothing major.” He sat, lab coat over jeans, a stethoscope poking out of his pocket. “But a patient who gets a little anxious if it’s anyone but Maddy. You can wait for her if you’d rather.”

“No. I hardly ever see you in doctor mode. So how am I doing, doc?”

“It’ll take a couple days for the lab tests, and a conclusion on the MRI. But I looked over the scan, and what I saw was a healthy brain. Nothing else.”

“Good news.”

“You’re a healthy weight for your height and build—barely, but you make it.” He smiled at her. “I can go over point by point, but I’m going to tell you, you’re fine physically.”

Thea narrowed her eyes. “But?”

“The headaches, the queasiness. I know your history, Thea, and if the cause is what you say, it’s out of my wheelhouse.”

“It’s Riggs, Arlo.”

“I believe you. I know you, and I believe you. But that doesn’t eliminate stress.” Eyes gentle, he took her hand. “It brings stress. I can prescribe something to help with the symptoms.”

“I don’t want meds. I don’t want to risk taking something that could loosen the locks.”

“What locks?”

“I have to keep him locked out. Out of my head, block that connection we have. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“That works. I’m not opposed to alternative medicine. Maddy knows more than I do in that area. Miss Lucy knows more than both of us combined, and I expect you have better than a working knowledge.”