| Chapter Twenty-one Risky Behavior |
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�Nadia. We have to talk baby," Mark said as he sat her on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "It's important that we do everything the doctor asks us to do so you can start feeling better soon." "Noooo no no," Nadia cried as she snuggled and held on to Mark with all her strength. "No shots!!! "I know sweetie, but if you don't, then you have to stay in the hospital. Here we can do the shot fast, then you can go play. "No no no Daddy. No shots! Nadia squeezed tighter to marks arm. Mark pried her little hands away and stood her on the floor in front of him. "No no no Daddy," she cried as she shook her head from side to side. "Now sweetie. You know we have to. They showed me how and I will do it as fast as I can.� Mark then reached over and grabbed a small package. he opened it and pulled out the syringe. Nadia started crying harder, but stood where her Daddy had placed her. She watched him as he filled the syringe with the amount of insulin that she needed. Nadia then decided she wasn't going to cooperate, and when Mark placed her over his knee, she started kicking her feet. Mark didn't want to prolong her torture, so he placed his leg over her wildly kicking ones, then wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. he wiped a large spot on her right cheek with alcohol, and stuck the needle in. Nadia screeched and wailed even after he pulled the needle out. He quickly turned her over and cradled her in his arms. Nadia absolutely hated this and Mark wished there were a better way. While Mark remained busy with Nadia, Wendy looked around for Ricky. She didn�t know whether to be angry or worried. That night at dinner, Wendy saw Ricky sitting at a table right next to his dad. Ricky smiled a half smile when Wendy made eye contact. As she returned the smile, Mr. Stein saw her. Wendy cringed then quickly took a seat next to Alex. "Are you going to go say hi to him?" Emily asked. "His dad is with him, and with the rumor going around, I don't think I should," Wendy replied. "No, you have to, or they will think it's all true. You said you were just friends, I know it's not true, but if your trying to save your own butt, you would be better to go say hi while he is in here for everyone to see," Alex said. Wendy kept looking over her shoulder at Ricky. She wished Mr. Stein would leave him for just a moment so she could talk to him. When Wendy turned again to smile at Ricky, she caught Mr. Stein watching her. Before she could turn her face away, Mr. Stein motioned her over. Wendy felt a lump develop in her throat. She slid from her chair and took her time approaching Mr. Stein. �Yes sir?� �You have five minutes.� Mr. Stein stood up and walked away. "Ricky, are you ok?" she asked. When Ricky looked at her, she could see the sadness cover his face. "I'm sorry Ricky, I'm so sorry," she cried. "Shhh," he said as he looked around. "I'm fine, really." "I heard he whipped you pretty good. I told you that you were going to get caught," she scolded. "It don't matter, as long as what I told my dad, kept you from getting a whippen from your dad." "It did, but Ricky, my dad questioned me, and I lied through my teeth to him. I had to. I know Daddy loves me, but if he ever finds out I went against him and then lied too, I know it will be the worst spanking I will ever get from him. I don't want to hurt him by being caught in a lie, so we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend any more. I�m sorry Ricky," All this did make sense, but in his heart, he loved Wendy, and didn't want to let her go. Wendy spent the rest of the evening in her room. Alex kept her company and Wendy went over some of the finer points of the book Patricia had given to Alex. Wendy didn�t mind because it helped to keep her mind off of Ricky and Alex felt a little more at ease knowing Wendy was there to help her. The next morning Mark woke early. The school nurse would be there today, and maybe he could get her to spend some time helping Nadia adjust to her new life. He needed to also spend more time today with his children to make sure everything was ok with them. He also knew he but he needed some time to himself if he was going to be able to deal with the day, so he showered, dressed and went into town for a quiet breakfast alone. While he sat there, he thought of some of the things he had heard, and the different behavior he had observed in Wendy. He kept pushing the thoughts from his mind that she would have lied to him. Mark decided he was going to trust that she hadn't. Right now, his main concern was what to do with Nadia. The coffee and breakfast were great, and he felt much better when he returned to the school. He headed straight for Nadia's room, and when he arrived, Wendy and Jessica were there getting her dressed for the day. "Good morning girls," he said as he delivered hugs and kisses to them all. He then told the girls to go to their breakfast, because he and Nadia had to go visit the school nurse. Not wanting to stick around for the show of the century, the girls obeyed. Mark carried the squirming Nadia toward the nurses office. As they approached, Nadia let go, No no shots no shots no shots Daddy no shots. "This was hard for Mark and he just didn't know if he could go through this two times a day with her. No shots no no no shots," she continued as he handed her over to the nurse. Mark didn't enter the room with her. He gave the little bag containing Nadia's medication to the nurse, and shut the door. As he stood in the hall, he heard Nadia continue to protest. "No shots no no no shots shots shots shots nooooo." Mark then heard the change in her voice as the �no shots� protest turned into screams and crying. He knew it was over for a few hours, but this just had to be handled differently. Suddenly the door opened, and the nurse handed Nadia to him. She was yelping and crying as she wrapped her arms tightly around Marks neck. Mark took Nadia back to her room and rocked her until she quit crying. He then took her to where the other kids were and he left to make a phone call to her doctor. He told the doctor what had been happening, and the doctor assured him, Nadia was just trying to deal with what was happening to her, and that if she got that upset with the nurse, it wasn't because the shot hurt, it was because the thought of it happening was more than she could take. He also told Mark, he was doing fine and to make sure she was getting her injections on time. Mark pulled himself together, gathered his children, had the cook pack a lunch and he took his kids in the van to the park for the day. When they returned, Nadia was laughing and Wendy looked happy too. They all sat together for dinner and had a great time. That night Mark sat down with Nadia and told her she had to try to accept the shots and that he would hold her after each one. She promised she would try to be brave. That night just before bed, Mark seated her on his lap. He wrapped his arm around her, and as she squeezed his shirt she buried her face into his chest. Nadia yelped as Mark injected the insulin through the top of her leg. As promised, Nadia remained quite still. And as promised, Mark held her until she fell asleep. For the next few days Wendy did her best to avoid any contact with Ricky but at night she tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn�t get him out of her mind. Six days later, Wendy went back to the linen closet. Wendy knew the price she would pay if her dad ever found out, but he was so cute, and he made her heart feel good. So far they had only just talked and played cards. A couple times he had kissed her, but he had never tried anything else and Wendy trusted him. The bags under Wendy�s eyes told Mark something was up again so he decided he would have to start checking on her more. Later that afternoon, he ran into Wendy and pulled her aside. "What�s up Daddy," she asked. "Wendy, I know you like Ricky, and being friends is ok. Just remember what I said, your to young for a boyfriend. do you understand that?" he asked. "Yes Daddy, I know, no boyfriends. Can I go now?" she asked. Mark excused Wendy because it was time again to deal with Nadia and her nightly injection. The day for Mark had been long and he felt very tired. Nadia had been doing a bit better with her injections, but tonight she decided she wasn't going to cooperate. Mark had cuddled her and read her a story but when he stood her on the floor, she began to fidget. The rotation of shots had put them back to an injection in her bottom and Nadia knew this. She hated this place the most and protested it greatly. Mark however wasn't in the mood to play games. He prepared the injection, but as he reached for her, she ran. No no no no shots," she cried as she covered her bottom. Mark calmly called her back over, but she didn't come. Mark remembered what the Doctor had said about them not hurting, and she was learning to accept. It had been long enough in his book so time for accepting was here. He walked over, scooped up the screaming, kicking, protesting child, and placed her over his knee. Nadia then felt the stinging poke of the needle. she screamed and wailed like Mark had never heard before. He knew she was over reacting and decided this had to stop once and for all. He stood her on her feet and held onto her. "You will stop this right now, and you will take those shots. You won't fight it any more, or this is what you will feel every time you throw a fit when it's shot time. He then pulled her back over his knee. "Ohhh nooo Daddyyy nooo spanky no spank," she cried. Mark lifted his hand and smacked her bare bottom over and over, scolding as he went along. Nadia kicked and screeched with every smack that landed onto her stinging bottom. When Mark was finished, he placed Nadia in her bed and covered her. "I love you, and I know this is hard for you, but spankings hurt a lot more than a little shot. Mark turned off the light and left the room. Mark knew he needed a break. He hated the fact that he had to handle Nadia that way, but nothing else had worked, and he just wanted things to get easier for Nadia. He made his rounds and said goodnight to all of his children. He then took a walk down the long country road in the moonlight. He thought about what he was doing, and if it was something he wanted to continue to do. He loved his kids, but he needed a vacation. |