**Doctor’s Orders**

Chapter 47

YARA'S POV

The silence in the exam room felt heavier than it should have.

I sat on the edge of the table with my knees apart, hoodie still on, shorts still on, and refused to look small. Even here. Even like this. The paper under me crackled every time I shifted. The fluorescent lights hummed. Somewhere down the hall a phone rang once and stopped. None of it mattered. The only real sound was my own breathing and the soft rustle of his white coat.

Dr. Elias Voss stood with my chart in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of his coat. He had...