Their Little Princess

Chapter Ten

We wait in the waiting room of the Pediatric Care Office for almost 30 minutes. I don't miss the cowering stares everyone is giving Francesco who's holding the same unpleasant look he always gives. Even the receptionists look cautionary, glancing at him between every patient they check in and out.

One of the receptionists walk over with a file, the amount of confidence that must've taken her is respectable, "Hi, Miss Rossi! Would you mind taking a look over this paper and making sure we transported all your files correctly?"

I grab the paper from her and look over it:

Madison Rossi
Caucasian / Spanish
Parents:
Elena Acosta
Daniel Andrews

I nod, about to hand it back to her, "This is incorrect. Bring me a new file to fill out," Francesco interjects rudely.

She scurries off quickly. "It isn't incorrect," I say frustrated.

"Your parents are Elena and Daniel?" He says challengingly "You aren't Italian? What on that paper is true besides the fucking last name," He says lowly. Dangerously.

The look in his eyes is so fiery that I visibly shrink down into my seat, casting my eyes to the floor and digging my nails into the palm of my hand, certain to leave little crescents. My heart races, and when the nurse calls my name, it doesn't help.

I stand up and follow her back, gracious that Francesco has to stay in the lobby.

"Hi! I'm Kayla, I'll be your nurse today," She says, leading me into a quaint all white room with scales and height measuring things.

"Slide your shoes off for me, please. And then you can step on up to the scale," She says, setting her clipboard down on the sliding cart.

I do as she says and she talks quietly to herself as she scribbles my weight down, "69.4 lbs."

Then my height, "5'0."

But I'm gonna get taller, so...

Then the doctor comes in, "Hi, Madison, I'm Dr. Kate Johnson, nice to meet you," She says, pleasantly. Shaking my trembling hand.

"No need to be nervous, we're just gonna check a few thing based on the report your brothers gave me. Does that sound okay?"

I nod and sit up on the hospital bed-bench thing as she clicks around on the computer.

My doctor's office at home was like a little clinic, this doctor's office loos like it could be an entire operation room. There's a bunch of machines and a little TV in the corner that hasn't been turned on and a bunch of cabinets lining the walls as well as cabinets under the bed and 2 waiting seats beside the computer.

"So, it looks as though your ribs and arm were broken, can you tell me yourself who did it to you?"

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out, she looks over at me when I don't answer, "You don't have to answer right now if you don't want to."

She's gonna tell my brothers that I wasn't cooperating, I can already tell that would be the last straw, I won't listen to them, I won't listen to the doctor, they're gonna send me back to Seattle.

"My mom and step-dad. They're..." My voice comes to a stop, I still can't bring myself to admit that they're actually dead, but she nods, typing on her computer.

She asks me a few more questions, mirroring what Alessandro asked me last night.

"And how are your periods? Have you had it yet?" She asks.

"Not in a while," I say softly.

"And about how long ago would you say you had your most recent one?"

"I'm not really sure, maybe last year sometime?" I say, pulling on the ends of my sleeves uncomfortably.