Team8s and Counting

180. The Talking Doctor

Thread had woken up on a bright and sunny Tuesday morning after a nights slumber, feeling pretty well rested, rare for a school night. Thread turned to face her alarm clock, wondering why it hadn't gone off, and her eyes widened at the time: it was 10am!

Thread quickly propped herself into her wheelchair, and was very confused as to why her parents hadn't woken her up sooner. She knew that her moms were already at work by now, but that her dad was still at home.

"Dad!" She shouted from the top of the stairs.

Coiny, who was cleaning up after breakfast, went over to the bottom of the stairs. "Hey Thread, did you sleep well last night?"

Thread looked at her dad with confusion. "You do know it's 10 already, right?"

Coiny chuckled. "Of course I know sweet girl, I turned off your alarm last night so you could get some extra sleep today!"

"But why though?" Thread asked. "I don't mind school."

"Because," Coiny headed upstairs to where Thread was, and got down to her level. "You actually have a doctor's appointment today."

"Really?" Thread questioned. "Then why didn't you tell me!"

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, we would have done so if we had known." Coiny said, taking a hold of Thread's hand. "We actually just got the appointment last night."

"But why do I have to see the doctor?" Thread asked, fiddling with the sides of her chair. "I feel fine."

Coiny smiled warmly at Thread. "So we're actually going to a different doctor. She's not going to do any crazy tests on you, she's just going to talk to you, me, and your moms."

"About what?" Thread looked down at her lap.

Coiny sighed. "Look, Thread...your moms and I know that sometimes when things become a bit too much for you... it can feel impossible to stay in control of your feelings, and we want to help you, and we think that maybe having someone to talk to could help you feel more at ease."

Thread frowned, absorbing her dad's words. She felt a knot of uncertainty forming in her chest. "So... she's not going to make me do anything weird, right? Like... answer a bunch of questions I don't want to?"

"Nope," Coiny assured her. "You can share as much or as little as you want. This doctor is just here to help us all figure out how to make things easier for you. She's on your team, Thread."

Thread's fingers traced the smooth surface of her wheelchair's armrest as she considered this. "Okay," she said finally, her voice small but steady. "I'll give it a try."

Coiny gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You still have plenty of time to get ready. We're going to go pick up your moms from the bakery and we'll all be with you."

Thread nodded slowly, feeling a little reassured by her dad's words. "Alright. I'll go get ready."

Thread rolled herself back to her room and began getting ready, her mind buzzing with thoughts about the upcoming appointment. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but knowing her parents would be there made her feel slightly less nervous.

___________________________________

Thread tightly gripped the wheels of her chair a little tighter as her and her parents sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office. She didn't have much time to dwell on her nerves, though, because a kind-looking woman appeared in the doorway moments later.

"Thread? Hi, I'm Dr. Cream," she said with a smile, crouching slightly to meet Thread's eye level. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Hi," Thread said quietly, feeling a little shy.