drowning

47

The next day the girls woke up in a little more pain, which we expected.

Sierra and Luke left to go get breakfast as I rubbed Ava's back and neck gently, feeling her hands trace shapes into my legs, which where on both sides of her.

"Baby, I think you need to let me take you to the chiropractor-" "I'm fine" she interrupted, but I continued to rub the one sensitive place on her neck that certainly didn't feel right to me.

"Baby you've never gotten an adjustment anyway, let's just go today and maybe it will help you feel better" I told her, seeing her immediately begin rubbing her face.

"You can't just do it?" She almost whined out, making me pull her into a backwards hug.

"No baby, I have absolutely no medical say in your bones or how they are adjusted."

After making Luke feel the spot and him agreeing that it didn't feel normal, we managed to talk her into just letting the chiropractor check it out, without adjusting her.

So we brought the girls to work with us, leaving them in the office we were given to share before heading off to do our own things for a while.

Once I had a break in clients, I went straight to where I knew the chiropractor was, seeing him smile as soon as he saw me.

"Doctor Irwin, how can I help you?" He asked immediately.

"Yes Doctor-" "call me Dean, please" he immediately told me.

"Thanks, Dean- my girlfriend got into a small fender bender yesterday and she was having some neck pain and I was checking her out this morning and there's just a few spots that doesn't feel normal to me, so you think you'd have some time to check her out today- I'm not sure she's comfortable with being adjusted but I'd like to just make sure it's nothing serious-" "of course, I'm actually free for the next two hours if she's available."

And that's why we are now sitting in one of his exam rooms, Ava's knee consistently bouncing, myself trying to assure her that she was more than okay.

He soon entered, introducing himself to Ava, which she responded with the smallest "Ava" to.

He got her to move to the bed, which she did, looking to me the entire time.

I gave her a small wink, seeing her send me the smallest smile.

I watched as he started more around her face and jaw before moving down her neck and to her shoulders, focusing more to areas that he got a reaction from Ava when touching.

He felt down her spine and to her hips, which made her look towards me intently.

You're okay baby, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you.

"Okay" he exhaled, stepping away from her.

"So she needs a pretty big adjustment- most of this is likely from the wreck, some from before" he told us slowly.

"So after everything she will be pretty sore, I'll get you some oils and such that will help with pain and then of course just regular pain relief for it as well" he spoke as he touched her shoulder, guiding her to lay back.

"Just relax your body, okay?" He told her calmly as he sat towards the top of her head, touching her neck calmly.

"She's tensing" he sent me the smallest smile, making me more closer to her, laying my hands on the sides of her stomach gently.

"Ava, relax baby" I told her.

The second she actually relaxed, he quickly popped her neck, making her arms shoot up to instantly grab his wrists.

"Fuck" she spoke quickly, making him laugh lightly.

"You're all good, just stay nice and relaxed" he spoke, making her slowly drop her hands.

I stood by her the entire time, giving her words of comfort when she didn't seem relaxed.

Suddenly he popped the spot I had been worried about and she instantly sat up, letting out the smallest noise that I had never heard her make before.

"No- I'm done" she spoke firmly.

"Hey- hey, relax" he told her, gently grabbing her shoulders to stop her from getting completely up.

"No- ash- it hurt" I cupped her face as she looked to me.

"It was just a bad pop- sometimes we get those, does it still hurt?" He asked her as he rubbed the area.

"Yes- I want to go," her eyes stayed looking straight to me.

I looked to Dean, who was focusing to the area, nodding lightly.

"I still have some joints down her back I'd like to do-" "I think we will wait." I told him.

"I understand your concern, but if she doesn't get adjusted fully that could cause the nonadjusted areas to feel more pain, I highly recommend-" "she has vocalized to both of us that she doesn't want to do this anymore, as long as the worst one is taken care of, I think we are good to wait until she is ready for the rest, which my friend back home can take care of." I told him slowly, grabbing her hands to help her stand up as he nodded slowly.

"Whatever you guys want."