wasn’t right.
He cracked the door and leaned in to ask, “Casey? You in there?”
“Go away, Dad.”
“What’s goin’ on, honey?”
“Just go away. Where’s Mom?”
“Mom’s still out on the hike, remember?”
“I need Mom, Dad.”
“I’m coming in, Case. You decent?” He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Don’t come in here!”
He made a quick look around the corner, trying to evaluate the situation. Casey was in one of the bathroom stalls. He hovered by the entrance alcove. It was easier to talk to her if he didn’t have to shout through the main locker room door, but he still wanted to give her privacy.
“So what’s going on, baby? You sick?”
“No. Maybe. Please, go away.”
“I will, but I don’t want to leave you out here by yourself. Did you hurt yourself? Do you need help?”
Casey didn’t answer him. After a few seconds, he heard what sounded like silent crying coming from her stall. He stepped around the corner and noticed a trail of red from the shower to the bathroom stall where Casey was huddled.
“Aw, shit. Did you cut yourself? What happened?”
“I’m bleeding.”
“I see that. Honey, can I take a look? You may need stitches. That’s a lot of blood.”
“I need Mom.”
“She’s not here. I am. What’s going on?”
“Dad, I’m bleeding .”
“Yeah, babe. I see that.”
“ Bleeding bleeding.”
And it hit him what was going on. “Oh. Oh, hell.” He drew a deep breath. Christ, he wanted to run out of the room, but there was no one else to help her. “Okay. Okay, this is okay. This is normal. All girls do this.”
“This is not normal. I’ve never done it before. I told you I didn’t feel good this morning.”
“Yes, you did. And now we see why.” He activated his comm unit. “Greer—”
“No! Don’t tell anyone about this!” Casey complained from behind the stall wall.
“Go, Kit,” Greer answered.
“Send someone after Ivy. I need her back here ASAP.”
“Roger that. Everything okay?”
“Um. No. Yes. No. Just get her here. Stat .”
“Copy that.”
“Mom’ll be on her way back shortly,” he said to Casey, who was sitting on the toilet behind the door of one of the bathroom stalls. “I can go get Mrs. Jackson to help you.”
“No. No one. Only Mom.”
“Honey, let me take you up to your room. You can wait for Mom there.”
A commotion sounded outside the locker room door. Shit . He hoped the whole team didn’t pile in here. He heard muffled voices. He turned on a faucet, trying to drown out the noise they were making. He didn’t want Casey any more upset than she was already. He went to the door and cracked it open. Val and Kelan stood there.
“’S’goin’ on, Kit?” Val asked.
“Dad! No!”
Kit made a face. He was a man caught between a typhoon and a twister. If he didn’t tell the guys what was happening, they’d never leave it alone. And if he did tell them, Casey might never talk to him again. “Um. Nothing.”
“So…why did you need Ivy?” Kelan asked.
“It’s personal. It’s all good.” Kit sent a look back at Casey’s stall. “I think.” He stepped outside and pulled the door behind him. “She got her period.”
“Oh. Ohhh,” Kelan said, rocking back on the heels of his feet. “Yeah. Well, I’ll go keep an eye out for Ivy.” He pivoted and hurried to the door. Freaking coward.
Val laughed. “You need a hand?”
“What the fuck do I do?”
“Take her up to her room. She can’t be comfortable in there. Look, Kit, girls everywhere go through this. Don’t make a big deal about it.”
“Yeah, but it’s a fuckload of blood.”
“Give her a washcloth to clean herself up with, put her in a robe, then carry her out of there. I’ll go clear the way so you don’t run into anyone.”
“Okay. Good. Yeah. We’ll do that.” He reached out, setting a hand on Val’s shoulder before he could turn away. “Thanks, man.”
“Congrats, my friend. Your little
He cracked the door and leaned in to ask, “Casey? You in there?”
“Go away, Dad.”
“What’s goin’ on, honey?”
“Just go away. Where’s Mom?”
“Mom’s still out on the hike, remember?”
“I need Mom, Dad.”
“I’m coming in, Case. You decent?” He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Don’t come in here!”
He made a quick look around the corner, trying to evaluate the situation. Casey was in one of the bathroom stalls. He hovered by the entrance alcove. It was easier to talk to her if he didn’t have to shout through the main locker room door, but he still wanted to give her privacy.
“So what’s going on, baby? You sick?”
“No. Maybe. Please, go away.”
“I will, but I don’t want to leave you out here by yourself. Did you hurt yourself? Do you need help?”
Casey didn’t answer him. After a few seconds, he heard what sounded like silent crying coming from her stall. He stepped around the corner and noticed a trail of red from the shower to the bathroom stall where Casey was huddled.
“Aw, shit. Did you cut yourself? What happened?”
“I’m bleeding.”
“I see that. Honey, can I take a look? You may need stitches. That’s a lot of blood.”
“I need Mom.”
“She’s not here. I am. What’s going on?”
“Dad, I’m bleeding .”
“Yeah, babe. I see that.”
“ Bleeding bleeding.”
And it hit him what was going on. “Oh. Oh, hell.” He drew a deep breath. Christ, he wanted to run out of the room, but there was no one else to help her. “Okay. Okay, this is okay. This is normal. All girls do this.”
“This is not normal. I’ve never done it before. I told you I didn’t feel good this morning.”
“Yes, you did. And now we see why.” He activated his comm unit. “Greer—”
“No! Don’t tell anyone about this!” Casey complained from behind the stall wall.
“Go, Kit,” Greer answered.
“Send someone after Ivy. I need her back here ASAP.”
“Roger that. Everything okay?”
“Um. No. Yes. No. Just get her here. Stat .”
“Copy that.”
“Mom’ll be on her way back shortly,” he said to Casey, who was sitting on the toilet behind the door of one of the bathroom stalls. “I can go get Mrs. Jackson to help you.”
“No. No one. Only Mom.”
“Honey, let me take you up to your room. You can wait for Mom there.”
A commotion sounded outside the locker room door. Shit . He hoped the whole team didn’t pile in here. He heard muffled voices. He turned on a faucet, trying to drown out the noise they were making. He didn’t want Casey any more upset than she was already. He went to the door and cracked it open. Val and Kelan stood there.
“’S’goin’ on, Kit?” Val asked.
“Dad! No!”
Kit made a face. He was a man caught between a typhoon and a twister. If he didn’t tell the guys what was happening, they’d never leave it alone. And if he did tell them, Casey might never talk to him again. “Um. Nothing.”
“So…why did you need Ivy?” Kelan asked.
“It’s personal. It’s all good.” Kit sent a look back at Casey’s stall. “I think.” He stepped outside and pulled the door behind him. “She got her period.”
“Oh. Ohhh,” Kelan said, rocking back on the heels of his feet. “Yeah. Well, I’ll go keep an eye out for Ivy.” He pivoted and hurried to the door. Freaking coward.
Val laughed. “You need a hand?”
“What the fuck do I do?”
“Take her up to her room. She can’t be comfortable in there. Look, Kit, girls everywhere go through this. Don’t make a big deal about it.”
“Yeah, but it’s a fuckload of blood.”
“Give her a washcloth to clean herself up with, put her in a robe, then carry her out of there. I’ll go clear the way so you don’t run into anyone.”
“Okay. Good. Yeah. We’ll do that.” He reached out, setting a hand on Val’s shoulder before he could turn away. “Thanks, man.”
“Congrats, my friend. Your little
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