Chapter 5
Rachel had not let go of her mother's hand since the moment they left the apartment. She had wanted her mother to hold her, but Shelby encouraged Rachel to walk beside her down the street. The doctor's office was a few blocks from Shelby's building, so she figured Rachel could handle the walk. At every stop along the way, Rachel coiled herself between her mother's legs as a means of safety from the swarming New York streets.
The duo made it to their destination and found the doctor's office overly crowded which had both Rachel and Shelby on edge. People were recognizing Shelby the moment she and Rachel had entered the waiting room. Shelby was polite with fans saying hello and one asked for an autograph, which she complied. But, Shelby had put her foot down when requests for pictures were asked to be taken. Shelby did not want Rachel in any photos. She could tell her fame was something that she would have to discuss with Rachel at a later time. Rachel seemed perplexed at the reaction her mother was receiving from complete strangers.
After checking in, Shelby had found two empty chairs close to the reception's window and the door leading to the exam rooms in hopes that being in the corner would give the two a small amount of privacy. Shelby helped Rachel into the chair next to the one she occupied. Rachel instantly snuggled up to her mother and continued to rub her ear.
Shelby leaned down to place a kiss on Rachel's forehead and could feel heat radiating from the small girl's forehead. "Come here, baby." Shelby requested noticing Rachel's fatigue and desire to be snuggled. Shelby would give her the moon if Rachel asked her to and with her daughter having a slight fever she'd give her the universe too.
Rachel climbed over the arm of the chair and into her mother's lap, "I sleepy, mommy." She mumbles to her mother and lets out an over-sized yawn.
Shelby wraps her arms around her daughter letting Rachel get comfortable, "I bet you are, little bug. You've had a rough few weeks and I think you have a fever."
Rachel doesn't respond and Shelby can tell she has fallen asleep from the new rhythm of Rachel's breathing. Shelby kisses her baby girl a few more times and snuggled her close. She's still in awe at being able to hold her daughter. Her little girl she thought she'd spend eighteen, awful years without. Shelby knows she's received an amazing second chance and there was no way she was going to blow this chance at raising her daughter.
A few minutes later, Shelby's phone whistles alerting her of a new voice-mail. She reaches into her purse sitting next to her and notices a missed call from Detective Brian Banks.
"Ms. Corcoran, this is Brian. I'm sorry but I won't be able to meet up with you at the doctor's office. Something has come up at the station. I will be able to meet you at your house later or wherever you need me. Just call me and let me know. Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope everything goes well at the doctors. Bye."
Shelby places her phone back in her purse making a mental note to call the detective later in the day. She had wanted Brian present with her at the doctor's office so he could see for himself the bruises on her child and to see if Rachel would say some of what she had told her that morning. But, Shelby realized it didn't really matter if he was there and it was probably better to be alone with Rachel for the examination.
The door leading to the exam rooms opens abruptly, making Shelby jump after being lost in her thoughts. A tall female nurse looks down on her clipboard, "Rachel?"
"That's us." Shelby quietly responds and stands from her seat still holding fast to her sleeping four-year-old.
The nurse smiles towards Shelby and Rachel motioning for the two to follow her, "This way. You'll have to wake her up, Ms. Corcoran."
"Will do," Shelby responds and lightly pats Rachel and kisses her ear before whispering, "You need to wake up, baby."
The nurse leads them past an active nurse station before turning a corner and waves to her fellow nurses in a 'look who my patient is' before turning the corner. A few of the nurses look upon Shelby and smile with shocked faces clearly recognizing the celebrity in their presence.
Shelby smiles kindly back at them and moves Rachel to her hip in hopes of the tot waking up. "Come on, my bug. The doctor needs to check you." Rachel stirs a bit and lifts her messy-haired head up enough to eye her mother and smile nodding her head.
Shelby chuckles at the sight of her bed-headed daughter, "did you have a good little nap?" Rachel nods with her eyes still closed.
The nurse stops the mother and daughter in front of one of the examination rooms, "you can place her on the table and remove her clothing and put her in the robes I left on the table. The doctor will be in to see her in just a few minutes. Just step outside the door if you need anything from me, okay?"
"Okay, thank you." Shelby smiles and moves to place Rachel on the exam table while the nurse closes the door. Rachel was still sleepy but slowly waking up, "I think you and I need to visit the toy store today. How does that sound?" Shelby was hoping the mention of toys would perk the four-year-old up a bit. She wanted Rachel to be alert enough to answer any questions the doctor might have. Shelby removes Rachel's clothing and places her in the uncomfortable looking, paper thin medical gown.
"Mommy?" Rachel rubs her eyes trying to wake herself up, but still feeling drained. "I hold you? Please, mommy?"
Shelby bends down to the table to be eye to eye with her daughter, "you are too adorable for words. Do you know that?"
Rachel shrugs her shoulders.
"I would love for you to hold me, so I can hold you too. But, the doctor is going to come in and I need you to be awake, okay?"
Rachel's lip quivers. She just wanted to be held and not messed with anymore. She wanted people to leave her alone. She wanted to be with her mother.
"Oh no, don't do the lip." Shelby speaks more to herself than to Rachel. "How about mommy sits on the table and holds you in my lap?"
"Okay." Rachel sighs and holds her arms in the air. Shelby obeys and places her daughter on her lap facing outward.
Rachel happily leans her head back against her mother's chest and looks about the cold, white-walled room. There are a few pictures of baby animals about the room that intrigues Rachel and makes her think of her lost teddy bear, "Mommy?"
"Yes, Rachel?"
"Did you find my Edward Bear?"
Shelby scrunched her face forgetting that she had told her daughter she would try to find the remains of her bear. Shelby thought her daughter would forget about the stuffed animal but clearly her kid had a great attachment to the bear. Shelby knew she had to figure out what to do about the bear, "Not yet, sweetheart. But, I'll keep looking for him."
Rachel groans slightly and folds her arms around herself like she's giving herself comfort. Shelby frowns at this movement. She knows her daughter is doing this action because she's in need of some security. Shelby wants to be that for Rachel; she hopes she is that for Rachel or will be soon. "Don't worry, baby. I'll find him." Shelby knew she needed to come up with a plan but right now she wanted this examination to be over with.
There's a light knock on the door and both mother and daughter advert their attention immediately towards the door slowly opening.
"Hello?" A doctor in her mid-thirties steps into the room plastering a sincere smile at the mother and daughter.
"Hi." Shelby responds and smiles.
"I'm Doctor Kelly, this must be Rachel and you must be mom." The doctor bends down to get Rachel's attention. But, Rachel turns her head towards her mother trying to disappear into her mother's embrace. "I see we have a shy one on our hands today and that's okay. I don't like talking to people I don't know either, Rachel."
Shelby smiles at the doctor appeased that Karen managed to request a pleasant doctor. "She's been through a lot."
"Yes, that's what I've been told. Your assistant spoke with me as well as Detective Banks, so I'm filled in with what they know."
Shelby nods happy she doesn't have to explain events over again and in front of Rachel; the young girl had enough to deal with.
"So, I want to start with a normal physical and then I will have one of my nurses come in to mark down and take pictures of anything we find unusual or that needs to be filled out for CPS and the court." Doctor Kelly informs Shelby and goes to wash her hands in the sink.
"Okay, that sounds good. Um, Rachel has a slight fever, I think, and she's been grabbing at her ear since last night. She is also overly tired." Shelby pauses for a moment, "although, I guess I wouldn't know if she's more tired than normal seeing as I just got her last night. But, she barely had any clothing on and her feet were icicles and the condition of her clothing was awful, which reminds me she had on a pair of very dirty panties and has a horrific rash on her bottom. And, well she ate a lot this morning, in fact she choked too but I got it out. And…" Shelby stops after she glances at the Doctor who is giving her a look of sympathy and understanding. "I'm sorry; I got a little carried away. It's just I've never done this before and I want to do it right."
Doctor Kelly smiles, "Of course you do, and you will do it right to the best of your ability. Just remember mothers aren't perfect. We make mistakes and it sounds like you're doing a wonderful job so far. I mean your daughter clearly loves you." She points to the four-year-old clinging to her mother.
Shelby looks down at Rachel as the tot looks up at her mother and smiles with her big, brown eyes. Shelby kisses her baby's head and averts her attention back to the doctor. She didn't mean to get carried away with concern, but she wants her daughter to have a clean start with her. She wants Rachel to be healthy and happy living with her and being in this office feels like the first step in that direction, so she wants to get it right.
"So why don't I check for your temperature first and then I'll take a look at your ears, nose, throat and listen to your breathing. Okay, Rachel?" The kind, patient doctor questions hoping little Rachel would begin to respond to her.
"Okay." Rachel answers.
"Hmm I think I see some giraffes in your nose." Doctor Kelly plays with Rachel who laughs and looks to see if her mother is laughing too. Shelby is laughing and feeling a bit more at ease with this doctor. She was afraid this would be a traumatic visit for Rachel, but she can tell Doctor Kelly is very understanding and trying to make this as painless for all of them.
Doctor Kelly finishes the topical examination and places her stethoscope around her neck, "well, Ms. Rachel definitely has an ear infection, which is why she has a slight fever. I will give you some antibiotics that she'll need to take twice a day for ten days. She'll feel better in about 24 hours."
Shelby nods, "Okay, great. We can do that."
Doctor Kelly smiles, "Yes you can. Now I'm going to call in the nurse for the rest of the examination and I want to give her a couple of shots that she needs about this age anyway."
Rachel's quips up at the mention of shots, "no, no, no thank you," she responds shaking her head profusely.
The two women laugh at the young girl's reaction. "Unfortunately Rachel, you need them just like every little girl and boy." Doctor Kelly explains while she exits the room to get the nurse.
Rachel turns herself towards her mother, "I no want to, mommy."
Shelby rubs Rachel's back, "I know, baby. But, even mommy has to get shots sometimes. And it is really quick."
Rachel heavily sighs into her mother while Doctor Kelly enters the room with a young, female nurse holding a clipboard, pen, and a digital camera. "Okay ladies, this is Nurse Dana and she's going to help us out today."
Shelby internally sighs knowing this part of the examination is not going to be easy for Rachel, and honestly herself. But, she knew she needed to be strong and get Rachel through this portion of the doctor's visit unscathed.
"Rachel, I'm going to have you lie down on your back on this table, okay?" Doctor Kelly explains.
Shelby quickly begins to lift Rachel up off of her lap hoping her daughter will be cooperative to make the exam less painful. Rachel quietly whines at this movement and instantly grabs onto her mother realizing that her mother was removing her from her protective grasp.
"Honey, I'm going to be right here. Mommy is going to stand next to you." Shelby places a few gentle kisses on her daughter's head and lays Rachel down on the examination table the two had been occupying together. Rachel nods her head at her mother keeping quiet, which worries Shelby. She instantly strokes her daughter's hair hoping to calm some of Rachel's fears.
"Okay, let's start by looking at this painful rash your mommy told me about, okay sweetheart?" Doctor Kelly was aware how uncomfortable the examination could become if Rachel had evidence of sexual abuse, so she was trying to keep the conversation light and explain a little what she would be checking on Rachel's body.
Rachel nodded her head and smiled up at her mother who was caressing her hair and cheek, which gave Rachel a huge sense of comfort.
Doctor Kelly quietly instructs Nurse Dana to take some photos of the entire bottom area containing Rachel's rash. It was one of the more severe rashes Doctor Kelly had ever seen and a clear sign of neglect that needed to be documented.
Upon further inspection, Doctor Kelly sighed in relief that Rachel had not been sexually abused. "Okay, so little Miss Rachel here has a severe rash, similar to what we would refer to as a diaper rash. There also seems to be the beginning stages of a yeast infection, so I'm going to prescribe a topical antifungal ointment for you to apply for two weeks. This could also be contributing to her mild fever."
Shelby kept biting down on her lip the entire time the doctor was speaking trying hard to keep her emotions at bay. "Okay, is there anything else I can do to help relieve her pain? She was very uncomfortable this morning. We took a bath and that seemed to help a little."
"I like bathies." Rachel chimes in to the discussion.
Shelby looks down upon her very patient little girl, "I know you do and those bubbles too." She taps the tip of her daughter's nose which makes Rachel giggle.
"The baths are good for her and I would wipe down her bottom with a lukewarm, damp cloth after she uses the restroom before applying the ointment. This will help a lot. The ointment will give her relief within 24 hours. It should begin to clear up and she'll start to feel more comfortable. Also, continue to feed her all three meals and at least two snacks everyday. She is a little malnourished but will easily bounce back after a couple of weeks of healthy eating."
"Okay, I can do that."
The doctor smiles, "Yes, you can. Look I know these are a lot of steps to take…"
Shelby cuts her off, "I don't care. I'll do anything for her."
The nurse and doctor share a smile at the new mother whom clearly is a dedicated parent. "Well, it's so nice to see your devotion to your daughter." Doctor Kelly leans down to Rachel, "you are one lucky girl, Rachel."
Rachel nods, "I am I got pannycakes and my mommy hugs me." The young girl explains to the three women who can't stop smiling at the adorable tot.
"Well, pancakes are a favorite of mine too. Okay, Rachel we are almost done. Now I need you to sit up on the table so I can take a look at your torso." Doctor Kelly motions her midsection at an attempt to show Rachel the area she will be checking.
The doctor looks around the bruised areas of Rachel's arms and chest and a few down her back area. The nurse hands Doctor Kelly a ruler after she asks for it. Nurse Dana photographs all the areas of Rachel's body that are bruised while Shelby nibbles on her nails since she's unable to touch her daughter while they photograph her.
"Rachel, can I ask you a few questions?" Doctor Kelly politely and gently asks.
Rachel looks up at her mother almost as if she's asking permission. Shelby notices and steps close to Rachel, "honey, can you tell us about the bruises and anything that Doctor Kelly asks you?"
"Okay mommy" Shelby smiles and notions for Doctor Kelly to ask her daughter questions.
"Rachel, did someone put something around your body; under your armpit area?" Doctor Kelly motions around her armpit area while lifting up her arms to show Rachel the area she was questioning.
Rachel nods her head but says nothing and folds her arms into her looking for some comfort. She did not want to talk about being with that man and lady. Shelby and Doctor Kelly notice Rachel's change in demeanor.
"How about you sit with your mother again?" Doctor Kelly looks to Shelby who is already picking Rachel up and placing her on her lap.
Rachel clings to her mother's arms wrapped around her, "they put a rope thingy." Rachel surprises the three adults and Nurse Dana jots down some notes on the clipboard.
"Do you mean they put a rope around that area?" Shelby can't help but ask the question before the doctor has a chance to.
"Yes, like on doggies."
"Did they say why, sweetheart?" Doctor Kelly questions.
"Cause I tried to run to mommy. They took so long to go to her." Rachel begins to cry and turns her head into her mother.
Shelby grips her daughter close and begins humming hoping she'll calm her daughter down. Shelby was ready for this examination and questions to be over with. But, Rachel was giving them important information that the police would need in order to find the monsters who had her daughter and the whereabouts of Leroy Berry; all of whom Shelby wanted to personally torture. Shelby knew they needed to press Rachel a little further to see what she'd reveal and then Shelby and Rachel could be done and go on with the rest of their day.
"You're with me now, baby. Shh it's okay." Shelby explains to Rachel and she calms down a bit. "Rachel, how did you get the other bruises? You told me that they didn't hit you last night." Shelby wanted to know if Rachel had just been too scared to tell her the truth or if the crazy man and lady had used some other form of abuse besides a rope. The thoughts of these people made Shelby hold on to Rachel tighter.
"They pull me and kick me, mommy." Rachel mumbles out still hiding her head in her mother's embrace.
Doctor Kelly lowers herself to be more eye level with Rachel, "did they pull you here?" She places her hands around her upper arm. Rachel nods at the doctor and Nurse Dana writes everything down. "Okay, and did they kick you here?" Doctor Kelly points to her back and stomach areas to which Rachel nods and the nurse writes these details down.
Doctor Kelly turns to thank the nurse and allows her to leave the room. She grabs a roller chair and sits next to the mother and daughter, "What Rachel has described coincides with her injuries and the size of her injuries on her body. The pictures and notes that Nurse Dana is putting in a file, including sending an email to the detectives, will help her case immensely."
Shelby nods not really knowing what to say or do next.
"I highly suggest you take Rachel to a child therapist just so she doesn't have trauma later from keeping what has happened to herself. She has done an amazing job of talking to us and she clearly feels comfortable with you enough to tell you things, which will only strengthen her trust in you and build a strong relationship."
Doctor Kelly smiles upon the mother and daughter as Shelby takes everything in, "do you have a recommendation for us?"
"Yes, of course. I can even make the call for you. She's a friend of mine and very good with traumatic situations."
"That would be a great help. Thank you." Shelby chokes out trying not to cry for the millionth time. She can't believe how many people have been extremely helpful to her and her daughter. Normally, Shelby gets handouts or people fawning over her with the intention of getting something from Shelby in return. But, since her daughter has shown up, everyone has been genuine in their generosity and it's almost overwhelming for the new mom.
Doctor Kelly places a comforting hand on Shelby's shoulder, "You're doing great with all of this you know. And Rachel will come back from this before you know it and you'll both get into a routine. Then your life will be boring like everyone else's."
Shelby laughs, "I'll look forward to that day. I can't thank you enough."
Doctor Kelly waves off the gratitude, "I'm just doing my job."
"No, you've done more than your job and I thank you. Now is there anything else this little one and I need to do or can we get her antibiotics and be on our way? She and I need to do a little shopping and lunch before we go home." Shelby explains sitting Rachel up a bit hoping the girl will perk back up.
"Toy store." Rachel mumbles out to which Shelby and the doctor smile.
"Unfortunately, we can't forget about her shots she needs. There are two of them; one for each arm. We can do them quickly, though, so you two can head to that toy store. That sounds fun." Doctor Kelly wisely changed the subject as she heads out the door, "I'll be right back."
Shelby nods and rubs Rachel who begins to stir and tries to turn her body into her mother. "What are you doing, silly bug?"
"I want to hide." Shelby chuckles and complies with her daughter and allows Rachel to face inward. Rachel tucks her arms into her mother's stomach like she did the night before when she wanted to go to sleep. But, today she wanted to hide her arms from getting shots and a little nap wouldn't hurt her either.
Doctor Kelly walks back in with a tray displaying two syringes. Shelby sits Rachel up and pulls her arms to Rachel's side upon which Rachel purses out her bottom lip, "Oh no you don't. You have to get these shots, baby so your lip won't work this time."
Rachel sighs deeply and Doctor Kelly chuckles and makes quick to pull Rachel's sleeves up and clean the area with alcohol. "We'll do these quick. Ready?"
Rachel shakes her head but Doctor Kelly ignores the reaction and pinches Rachel's skin and quickly inserts the first needle. Rachel squirms a bit and whines but doesn't start hysterically crying until the second needle was exiting her skin. Shelby stands up with Rachel in her arms and rocks her back and forth rubbing her back trying to get her overly dramatic daughter to calm down.
Doctor Kelly cleans up a bit and begins to exit the room, "The antibiotics should be ready for pick up by now and her left arm will be a bit sore for a day or two. I'll send you appointment information with the therapist. Please call me or email me for any questions now or in the future. It was a pleasure meeting both of you, Ms. Corcoran."
Shelby waves goodbye to the doctor, "Please call me Shelby from now on and thank you so very much for everything."
Shelby rocks Rachel for a few more moments and then places her on the examination table to quickly put Rachel's pea coat on before the duo were going to head out into the November cold. Shelby was looking forward to some shopping and hopefully a more fun-filled day with her little love bug.
Thank you so much for all of the reviews and follows. I appreciate every one of them and it truly encourages me to continue writing. Life and work have been really busy and continue to be busy, so I'm not sure when my next update will be. I do have half of the next chapter already written, so hopefully I'll have another update soon. The next couple of chapters will still have to do with this same day and then I'll be moving forward. There are a few things I wanted to set up on this first day with mother and daughter, so bear with me. I hope you're not getting bored. :) I have had a lot of questions or comments about my knowledge of a four-year-old. To answer any intrigues, I do not have children of my own, but I have two nieces and two nephews. Two out of the four are ages close to Rachel's in this story and I have used several things that my niece and nephew say and do with their mom (my sister) in this story. I have give them props :) I hope all of you have a great week! -T