Stevie comes to stand near my head and takes my hand. “So, you were telling me all about having hot sex with Garrett last night.”

I rear up on the table and practically shriek at Stevie, “You ass…that’s not appropriate here.”

“Yes,” Dr. Yoffman says drily as he walks up to the table and eases me back down with a hand on my shoulder. “We want to keep her blood pressure stable, so no talking about hot sex while I’m doing this.”

Stevie’s face gets red and he mutters an apology. I reach out and slap him on the chest with a warning look to behave, then I take his hand in mine and squeeze it hard. He looks at me sheepishly and then his eyes start following Dr. Yoffman while he gets ready.

I can’t see anything, but I can hear Dr. Yoffman rustling around, the squeak of stiff wheels on the mobile cart that holds the instruments, and then the snap of gloves.

Dr. Yoffman pulls the paper sheet down, and judging by the cool air that hits me, I’m guessing he’s exposed my lower back and half my ass. “Okay…I want you to tuck your legs up, Olivia.”

I do as he asks and he starts pressing on my lower back, just above my right hip bone. “I’m looking for your sacroiliac crest. That’s where I’ll go in.”

He presses around, deeply, and then I can feel a cool, wet feeling. “I’m just marking you with a Sharpie.”

I feel more wetness rubbing in circles around the area and Dr. Yoffman says, “This is some Betadine, and now I’m putting a sterile dressing over the site.”

His hands press something over me, smoothing it into place.

I hear something rattle on the tray, and I watch Stevie’s eyes go wide and his skin get pale. “I’m going to inject you with some lidocaine now. This will sting just a bit.”

I barely feel the prick of the needle and I think to myself, This isn’t all that bad.

“Now I’m going to get a little deeper with the needle so I can numb around the bone,” Dr. Yoffman says, but I still can’t really feel it. After a few seconds, he says, “All done.”

Stevie swallows hard and leans down toward me. “Holy shit, that was a big needle.”

“I hardly felt it,” I tell him with reassurance, and his hand squeezes me tighter.

“Okay, Olivia…I’m making a tiny incision,” Dr. Yoffman says calmly. “You won’t feel it.”

He’s right…I don’t feel anything.

“Now, I’m putting the Jamshidi needle in…you might feel a little pressure.”

Stevie’s face gets paler, then starts tingeing green. His eyes drop down to mine and he gives me a tremulous smile.

“It’s nothing,” he says, his voice cracking. “Just an itty-bitty needle.”

I chuckle and squeeze his hand, finding it hilarious that I’m the one that’s comforting him.

“Okay…the needle is in place. Now I’m going to put a syringe on and aspirate some marrow out. This is the part that might hurt a little. Deep breath in.”

I do as he asks and then it feels like an electric shock slams into my hip so hard, I gnash my teeth together.

“Oh…ouch, okay…that hurts,” I mutter, but then the intense feeling is gone.

“Good job, Olivia,” Dr. Yoffman says. “Now I’m going to get a core biopsy. I’m going to work the Jamshidi into your bone. You might feel some more pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful. Just have some patience and hold tight.”

I have no clue what Dr. Yoffman is doing now, but my body sways slightly back and forth and Stevie squeezes his eyes shut tightly.

“You okay?” I ask him.

“No. I’ll never be okay again,” he whines, his palm sweaty and slick against mine.

“Hey…it’s okay,” I coo at him. “Look at me.”

His eyes open and pin mine, tears filling up in crystal pools. “I’m sorry I’m such a weenie.”

“You’re not. You’re here with me, and that says a lot. And just think…when we’re done…we’ll go for a coffee and I’ll tell you all about my date last night with Garrett. Okay?”

Stevie swallows hard and nods, blinking the wetness out of his eyes.

My lower body continues to sway back and forth, and I imagine Dr. Yoffman is pounding the needle into my bone. Strangely…it doesn’t hurt that much.

“So, you had a hot date last night?” Dr. Yoffman asks genially.

“She’s going out with a professional hockey player,” Stevie says, his eyes brightening, and he even risks a peek up at Dr. Yoffman.

“Oh, do tell,” Dr. Yoffman says.

“She’s seeing Garrett Samuelson,” Stevie supplies before I can even get the words out of my mouth. “And Doc…he is H-O-T.”

Dr. Yoffman laughs. “I don’t know about those things, but he’s a phenomenal player. We were lucky to get him last year. Okay…I’ve got the core sample. I’m removing the needle now.”

I feel nothing, except some gentle prodding pressure. “No stitches are needed. I’m just putting a small bandage over this, and you can remove it a bit later.”

I hear the snap of gloves being removed, then Dr. Yoffman and Stevie are helping me sit up.

The nurse busies herself with taking the samples out of the room, and Dr. Yoffman washes his hands again. “You did really well, Olivia. I wish all my patients were that brave.”