{"id":13766,"date":"2024-11-04T21:13:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T02:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/?p=13766"},"modified":"2024-11-04T21:17:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T02:17:55","slug":"doctor-patient-confidentiality-chapter-two-hundred-and-eighteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/doctor-patient-confidentiality-chapter-two-hundred-and-eighteen\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor-Patient Confidentiality: Chapter Two Hundred and Eighteen"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou\u2026can\u2019t swim?\u201d The surprise in his voice is almost comical. He stands there, half-naked, his jeans pooled around his ankles, a look of genuine bewilderment on his face. It\u2019s a flicker, quickly masked, but it\u2019s there. For a split second, the impenetrable Dr. Frost is\u2026confused. And it\u2019s the most human I\u2019ve ever seen him.<\/span><\/p>\n

I clutch the coat tighter around me, the thick wool suddenly feeling thin and inadequate. \u201cIs that a problem?\u201d I ask, my voice sharper than I intended. The heat of the greenhouse, the humidity clinging to my skin, the sheer absurdity of the situation\u2026it\u2019s all making my head spin. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you not read your contract?\u201d he frowns.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize \u2018water play\u2019 meant you wanted to fuck me underwater in the Amazon.\u201d I gesture between us, encompassing the pool, the greenhouse, the entire bizarre reality of my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

He raises an eyebrow. \u201cWhy can\u2019t you swim?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The question, so simple, so reasonable, ignites a spark of annoyance. \u201cBecause I wasn\u2019t born a fish?\u201d I retort. \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly an innate human ability, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That and I almost drowned at a public pool when I was twelve.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut it \u0647\u0648<\/i> a skill that could save your life. Maybe someone else\u2019s.\u201d There\u2019s no judgment in how he says it. Just factual. Wisconsin isn\u2019t exactly a flood-free place.<\/span><\/p>\n

The annoyance fades as quickly as it comes, replaced by a strange vulnerability. I\u2019m not used to revealing this much about myself to him, and I have to remind myself to tread carefully. Still, here I am, standing naked under a coat in a tropical greenhouse in the middle of winter, confessing my inability to swim to a man who routinely makes me question my own sanity. It feels\u2026strangely liberating.<\/span><\/p>\n

His blue eyes study me for a long moment, his gaze intense, unsettling. Then, without a word, he removes the rest of his clothing, folding it neatly into a pile and wades into the pool. The water barely ripples as he moves, his body sleek and powerful. He reaches the white buoy and turns back to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome here, Ramona.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I hesitate, my bare toes curling against the stone path. The water looks inviting, almost seductive. Just like him. Which is what holds me back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026I don\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou said you can\u2019t swim,\u201d he interrupts, his voice calm, almost soothing. \u201cNot that you\u2019re afraid of the water.\u201d After our contract is up, I won\u2019t be able to spell<\/i> water.<\/span><\/p>\n

But he\u2019s right, of course. I\u2019m not afraid of the water. I\u2019m afraid of drowning. There\u2019s a difference. A big one.<\/span><\/p>\n

I breathe in damp earth and something subtly floral, sweet and unfamiliar as I shed the coat, kicking off the boots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lush tropical plants surround the pool, their broad leaves a vibrant tapestry of greens and yellows, glistening with moisture. Giant ferns unfurl their delicate fronds, casting intricate shadows on the stone path. <\/span><\/p>\n

It feels like the plants are part of the live audience\u2014I mean, they are<\/i> alive\u2014silently watching how silly I look folding a coat given the circumstance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The water itself is a clear, aquamarine green, so vivid it almost looks artificial. It makes me wonder about algae\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Frost waits in the shallow end, watching me as I hesitate at the edge. \u201cIt\u2019s a natural pool,\u201d he explains, his voice patient. \u201cFiltered by the plants and beneficial bacteria, not chlorine. That\u2019s what gives it the color. The plants keep any algae in check. And it won’t ruin your hair.\u201d He glances at the high bun I\u2019d secured as instructed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo chemicals at all?\u201d I ask, still a little skeptical.<\/span><\/p>\n

He shakes his head. \u201cNone. The ecosystem balances itself. A closed loop, entirely self-sustaining.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I peer into the water, trying to grasp the mechanics of this \u201cclosed loop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Goosebumps dot my skin despite the saturated air as I step forward, hesitantly dipping my foot into the water, gasping at the unexpected chill. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Ramona,\u201d Frost says, a hint of amusement in his voice. \u201cIt\u2019s not that cold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEasy for you to say,\u201d I mutter, shivering. You\u2019re already a cold-blooded reptile. Of course, you feel right at home.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\nJoin us or log in to read more.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou\u2026can\u2019t swim?\u201d The surprise in his voice is almost comical. He stands there, half-naked, his jeans pooled around his ankles, a look of genuine bewilderment on his face. It\u2019s a flicker, quickly masked, but it\u2019s there. For a split second, the impenetrable Dr. Frost is\u2026confused. And it\u2019s the most human I\u2019ve ever seen him. I clutch the coat tighter around me, the thick wool suddenly feeling thin and inadequate. \u201cIs that a problem?\u201d I ask, my voice sharper than I intended. The heat of the greenhouse, the humidity clinging to… \u0627\u0642\u0631\u0623 \u0623\u0643\u062b\u0631<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"series":[99],"class_list":["post-13766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-contemporary-2","series-doctor-patient-confidentiality"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg","blog_images":{"medium":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-300x100.jpg","large":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg"},"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13766"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13767,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13766\/revisions\/13767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13766"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=13766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}