You Stole My Heart

Noon the next day Matt, Johnny, and Marco found themselves in the waiting room of the doctor’s office the guys had always used. Johnny mentioned taking her to pediatrician, but Matt was pretty sure a pediatrician would have sent them to an adult doctor anyway for their problem. Besides, Matt didn’t really trust some pediatrician to not run to the newspapers with this.

As Johnny looked down at Marco he couldn’t help but have mixed feelings of sympathy yet happiness. It was summer in California yet she was bundled up like it was winter with high socks, a Laplander hat, and a hoodie. Her constant shivers and coughs just made him believe more than maybe she just had the flu. Yet her having the flu made him feel bad that she was stuck feeling like shit for a while.

“Marco?” The three looked up together. A woman in her early forties that didn’t look a day over thirty stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand. She caught their eyes and waved her hand, heading down the hall behind her. Johnny led with way with Marco not far behind, Matt bringing up the end. The doctor stood outside the room as she held her arm up, inviting the three in.

“Hello Dr. Addison,” Matt greeted with a smile. The woman shut the door and gave the singer a warm hearted grin.

“I see you haven’t changed a bit from when I first met you when you were fifteen. Maybe you are a bit nicer than back then,” Dr. Addison joked.

“Maybe just a bit.” The woman turned her gaze onto Johnny.

“Mr. Seward, long time no see. I would be assuming you haven’t been sick for a while then?”

“Nothing that aspirin can’t cure,” Johnny replied with a shrug. She nodded, finally looking at Marco who was currently shivering a bit.

“And who is this little lady?” She kneeled down so she could be eye level with Marco who was sitting on the cushy table covered with that annoying paper that made noises at the smallest shift. Marco looked up and tried to offer a smile, but was cut off with a sneeze.

“She’s a kid that Johnny found. We think she might be sick and possibly - ” Matt cut himself off, not able to say the word when his family’s long term doctor - who the guys all made their doctor once they were older - turned to look at him. He coughed and looked anywhere but at her.

“We think she might be pregnant,” Johnny blurted. The shocked doctor looked between him and Marco who was once again staring at the floor. “It’s a long story.”

“One I would not like the pleasure of hearing Mr. Seward,” Dr. Addison said sternly. She took off her stethoscope and placed the buds in her ears. She slid the cold metal under Marco’s hoodie and shirt to place it on her back causing the small girl to shiver under the touch. “Please take a deep breath Marco and slowly let it out.”

Marco did as instructed and again when she was told to with the device on her chest. The doctor took it out of her ears and draped it on her neck again once finished. “Marco, what have you been feeling for the past few days? I mean, what are your symptoms?”

“I’ve been cold a lot, puking, coughing started today. I keep wanting to go to sleep, my head hurts, and my stomach’s been hurting a lot,” the ten year old whined. The doctor nodded, writing everything down on her clipboard.

“Well I’m completely sure that little Marco has the flu. Now for the other part that you two are worried about I will have to do a test for. I will need to examine her so you two need to wait outside,” Dr. Addison informed. Marco’s eyes grew wide and she put a death grip on Johnny’s hand.

“Don’t leave me,” Marco begged. Johnny leaned down to her eye level and smiled reassuringly at Marco.

“You’ll be fine Marco. Dr. Addison is a genius at being a doctor. We’ll be right outside and will be in here as soon as she’s done, okay?” Marco stared at him for a few moments before nodding. He kissed her forehead before following Matt out into the hallway. As soon as the door shut behind them Johnny began to pace in the small area as Matt sat in a chair by the door.

“Would you stop that? You’re going to make me freak out,” Matt sighed.

“I can’t help it. What if she’s pregnant? A ten year old cannot handle that stress,” Johnny pointed out, shaking his head.

“She’s not pregnant,” Matt said sternly.

“You sound fucking confident,” Johnny muttered. Ten minutes later the door was opening to the room. Johnny paused in mid circle that he had been tracing with his feet this whole time. He was actually shocked that there wasn’t a small indent in the ground. Marco bashfully hurried out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall. Dr. Addison motioned them into the empty room.

“I luckily saw no infections or any damage down there from what Marco explained to me. I had to send her off to do a urine test just in case, but I really don’t believe she is pregnant,” Dr. Addison explained. Somehow this didn’t calm Johnny at all. Until he had a definite answer he was scared shitless. “If anything I would be more worried about her starting her period soon.”

Matt and Johnny both blushed and Johnny sunk onto the table Marco had previously occupied. “Really? At ten?”

“Well I’ll skip the details on why I think so, but it is a good sign that might be soon.” The doctor looked up from where she had been writing things on her clipboard and laughed. “I’m sorry guys, I forget men nowadays are squeamish about the words ‘periods’, ‘tampons’, and ‘pads’. I apologize.”

“Please stop,” Matt begged, face turning redder by the more words coming out of the woman’s mouth. She let out another chuckle.

“Really? What would your fans think of ‘badasses’ like yourself getting antsy over those words? I’d be pretty disappointed,” Dr. Addison remarked with a shake of her head. A small cough made the three adults turn to look at the doorway. Marco stood there, her face tilted down. “Are you done sweetheart?”

“Yes. I left it on the shelf like you said to,” Marco muttered. She nodded, patting Marco’s head.

“Well you go sit with Johnny and I’ll get to you guys when I’m done.” With that Dr. Addison left the room, closing the door behind her. Marco ran over to Johnny, climbing onto the table and lying down with her head in Johnny’s lap. Matt pulled out his phone, reading over a text and muttering a curse.

“Guys are you going to be up to going to the studio after this? I forgot we start today and Syn is bi - ” Matt caught himself, coughing a little to cover up his almost slip. “Complaining that we’re late and the producer is going to serve his head on a silver platter if we don’t show up soon.”

Johnny looked down at Marco who was almost asleep in his lap. He looked up to see Matt staring down at her too. “I guess if they really need us. The doc can give us her medicine and she can just sleep on a couch. I’m pretty sure they’ll have a pillow and blanket at the studio.”

Matt nodded in agreement. “I’ll go call him now and explain the situation.”

“Okay.” Matt made sure to shut the door behind himself as he left the room. Johnny placed a hand on Marco’s head and listened to the steady sound of her breathing. Johnny wasn’t sure how much time passed before the doctor walked back into the room. She smiled softly at the sight of the child sleeping the in adult’s lap.

“Like I said, Marco is not pregnant. I’m going to subscribe her some Tamiflu for the flu. They’re just capsules she’ll have to take twice a day for five days. By then the flu symptoms be gone. If not you should start to worry. I already filled out the prescription for you.” She placed an orange pill bottle on the counter and smiled. “I put it under M. Seward so the people downtown will just see your last name and pass over it.”

“Thanks doctor,” Johnny said. She nodded before leaving the room. Johnny carefully picked up Marco, resting her head on his shoulder. He grabbed the bottle before heading down the hall to the lobby. Matt was talking on the phone, but hung up when Johnny appeared.

“All good?” He asked quietly as he held the door open for him. He nodded, heading over to Matt's SUV. Johnny climbed in the back with Marco lying across the street as Matt drove. Within minutes they were outside the small recording studio, Jimmy and the rest of the band smoking at a small table.

“About time you - ” Jimmy quickly covered Brian’s mouth with an over dramatic ‘shush’. Brian slapped his hand off as Johnny walked into the studio with the still sleeping girl. He placed her on a couch in back room already set up with a pillow and red throw blanket. He fetched a water bottle from the next room before opening the bottle and pulling out a while pill.

“Marco, wake up kiddo.” Marco cracked her eyes open tiredly.

“Stop calling me kid,” she whined.

“Sorry. Take this and you can go back to sleep.” Marco sat up to take the white pill and swallow it down with some water. Johnny pulled the blanket back over her body as she laid down and kissed her forehead. He stood and flickered off the light, the room bathing in darkness expect for the light from the cracked open door. “I’ll be right out there if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.” Like that Marco was asleep.