Dr. Trigliani's clinic was tucked into an office block near the ultra-upscale homes in Oak Park. Dean figured that made sense. On average, Alphas were wealthier than Betas. And also significantly more likely to have Omegas as mates. So a neighborhood like this would have higher demand.
There was a light on inside when Dean parked in the lot, so he helped Sophie out of the car, gathered her into his arms and knocked on the office door.
"Dean and Sophie?" The doctor asked when he answered.
"Yep," Dean replied. Sophie was still dazed, sluggish. She'd curled into his chest and gripped onto his shirt.
"I'm Doctor Trigliani," the man said, "But you can call me John."
John was older, probably sixty by Dean's best guess, and notably short. He had dark curly hair and the edge of a silvery mating bite peeking out of his shirt collar. Then Dean caught the scent. A male omega. Tremendously rare. Especially one with a medical degree.
Dean breathed a silent sigh of relief that he wouldn't be dealing with extra Alpha pheromones making Sophie even more anxious than she already was.
"Come right in," John said, ushering them through the small but luxuriously appointed waiting room and into his office.
There was a large wooden desk with an array of framed medical diplomas and certifications behind it. Two leather arm chairs faced the desk, and there was an exam table in the corner.
"I'm gonna have to put you down now," Dean murmured into Sophie's hair, but she just held onto him tighter.
"It's alright," John assured them, "Just take a seat. It'll be easier to look her over if she's not agitated."
"Nobody's gonna hurt you," Dean whispered, kissing Sophie's forehead, "No one's mad. You're safe."
"I am gonna need you to look at me Sophie," John said, "Gotta check your pupils. I heard you hit your head."
"She had a seizure," Dean told the doctor.
"Your brother mentioned that. This happen often Sophie?"
Sophie swallowed hard, then replied.
"Not particularly," she said, "I'm on clonazepam. But if I get agitated enough or over tired enough I still have them once in a while. I think five total in the last two years since I got diagnosed?"
"And what happened this time? Do you remember?" The doctor was checking her over as they spoke, pupil dilation, her pulse, blood pressure, looking at the livid bruise on her forehead.
"I got upset," Sophie said, "And I had a very short but fairly bad grand mal seizure. And I hit my head on the edge of the bathtub."
"She threw up after," Dean added, "A lot."
"That normal for you Sophie?" The doctor asked.
She nodded.
"Every time," she said.
"Could you walk after?" John asked.
Sophie nodded.
"Unsteady but she was on her feet," Dean replied.
"This just helps her stay calm?" The doctor gestured at the two of them.
Dean nodded.
"And how's the clonazepam working generally?" He asked.
"I get hives and heart palpitations," Sophie said, "I think it makes my nightmares worse. But the seizures are few and far between. And I haven't really been offered any alternatives so…"
Dean winced. She hadn't mentioned those kind of side effects. He figured she worried they'd make her seem "undesirable" and that he'd send her away. He bent and kissed the top of her head, shuddering at the thought of her back there at Sonny's.
John pulled Sophie's hair over her shoulder and noticed the single, black mating bite on her neck.
"You're still in the system?" He asked, tone getting gentler now.
Sophie nodded and curled closer into Dean's chest.
"But I take it you have plans to change that?" The question was clearly directed at Dean.
"Just waiting for her to go into heat," he replied.
"Once you two make it official let me know," the doctor said, "I'll get her on a better drug. Clonazepam is cheap but it's poorly suited to this type of seizure."
"And for tonight?" Dean asked.
"No concussion," the doctor replied, "Didn't bite her tongue hard enough for stitches. She'll sleep really hard and be sore tomorrow. But I'm not concerned."
"Thank you," Dean said, "What do we owe you?"
"I'll put it on your brother's tab," John smiled, "But I'd recommend you pick me up on retainer. Especially considering her history."
"Absolutely," Dean agreed immediately.
"I do have one more suggestion," John said as Dean got up to leave, "Only if you're interested."
Dean paused.
"I can give her something to induce heat," John said, "Right away. It'll make her pretty sick. But if you're concerned and need to hurry things along."
Dean glanced down and Sophie and saw her shake her head, almost imperceptibly.
"She's due for her next one in a few days," Dean said, "But thanks for the offer."
"Sorry, but when did you say you two got together?" John asked.
"I picked her up on Saturday," Dean replied.
"And you're due for heat this week?" John said.
"Any time between tomorrow and Sunday," Sophie said.
"Could you come sit back down for me?" John asked.
Dean could feel Sophie trembling and her breath hitching like she was going to cry. But he complied, and sat back down.
"Sophie," John rested a hand on her arm, "I know this is a difficult topic, but sexual assault and rape are relatively common in the orphanage system. Has anyone assaulted you in the last week?"
"The day I came and got her," Dean replied.
John nodded solemnly.
"It's extremely rare," he said, "But in theory it's possible for some Omegas to conceive in the days leading up to Heat. I'm not saying I think she's pregnant…"
Dean felt Sophie tense up and curl closer in to him at that word.
"But I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't check," John finished, "Sophie I'm just gonna take a small blood sample and we'll get you an all clear. Okay?"
She nodded and held out her arm. The doctor took the sample and disappeared through a locked door at the back of his office.
Dean felt rather than heard Sophie start to cry.
"You're okay," he soothed, "You heard what he said. This is just a precaution. He doesn't think anything happened."
She gripped onto him tighter.
"And no matter what," Dean said, "I'm not leaving you. I'm not sending you back."
Sophie shook her head and pushed back enough to look at him.
"But if I am," she swallowed hard, shuddering as she got the word out, "Pregnant. From him. Then he has rights to that baby."
Realization dawned on Dean slowly.
"Would they…give you to him or just…" he trailed off.
"I read all the documents when I first got there. Just in case," Sophie said, "Sonny was pretty good about making sure girls didn't conceive. Not every other home was. But it happened. Last time I heard of it was a year or so before I got there…"
"And," Dean prompted.
"He'd have visitation rights during pregnancy," Sophie said, "Right to be there during the birth. And full custody of any babies."
"But we could still?" Dean asked. He wasn't quite sure if that was a selfish, asshole-ish question or not. He didn't want to give her up. Of course he didn't. But he also knew how terrified she was of being separated.
"Yeah," Sophie said, "You could still claim me. Provided you'd still want me…He didn't want me. But he'd be entitled to the baby."
She shuddered and curled back against Dean's chest.
"You'll be okay," Dean murmured, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead, "We'll be okay. And we'll stay together. No matter what. Alright?"
Sophie nodded.
She was dozing against his chest by the time John came back from his lab with results.
"You're in the clear," he said, "Sorry for any worry that might have caused. But you can't be too careful with these things."