" Doctor Gary, she's in there." A nurse said, handing Gary a clipboard.

Gary nodded. " Thanks."

As he turned, the nurse added, " Oh yes. Before I forget, she was picking her eyebrow."

Gary blinked and turned. " Picked?"

" Yes. I think she has... What was it..?"

" Trichotillomania?"

The nurse nodded. " Yes. That's it."

" Thanks for letting me know, Bella."

He turned and walked down the hall, deep in thought.

An eight year old girl with trichotillomania?

This wasn't normal.

What would an eight year old have to be so worried about?

Gary sighed. He might as well just ask.

He stopped in front of the examination room, took a deep breath, knocked, and walked in.

A girl, who was buried in some calculus book, looked up when she heard the door open. " Hi, Doctor Gary!"

Gary grinned and ruffled her hair. " Hiya, kiddo! Whatcha doin'?"

Hilda sighed, grabbing her pencil. " Calculus."

Gary nodded. " Oh, oka- wait what?!"

Hilda looked up. " Calculus. You know. Math."

Gary shook his head. " Nono, I know what it is, but... CALCULUS?! You're eight!"

Hilda blinked. " Yeah, so?"

Gary opened his mouth to say something, but he sighed.

" Never mind."

He walked to the computer and swiped his ID. " Okay, so looking at your chart... Wow, kid, you've grown."

Hilda grinned. " Guess what?"

Gary looked at her, smiling. " What?"

" I grew an inch!"

Gary gasped. " An inch?! Wow! You're growing so fast!"

Hilda giggled. " Yeah... But..."

Gary's smile faded slightly. " What's wrong?"

" They said I'm light."

Gary sighed and looked back at her chart, clicking a few stuff. " Yeahhhh... You have been a bit on the light side... But let's not worry about that! Your blood pressure looks good too, so now we just have to check you out!"

He walked to the cabinet and opened it, taking out a soft examination gown.

He turned back to her. " Here. Put this on and I'll go get you something to organize."

If Gary has learned one thing from Hilda being his patient, it was kids cooperate better when you give them something they like to do

For Hilda, it was organizing. Either stickers or plastic toys or even candy, she would make nest piles and organize.

Plus, it helped the staff give kids their prizes

He walked out of the room and to the shelf, pulling out the sticker pile.

" She'll love organizing this one." He muttered with a smile.

He walked back in and set the tray on the counter, then turned to Hilda

His smile vanished.

Hilda was still doing her calculus.

Gary tapped her shoulder. " Uhh... Kid? I thought you were supposed to be changing..."

Hilda looked up. " Huh? Oh, sorry. Hold on just lemme finish this question."

Gary sighed, then gently tilted her chin up.

" Hey." He said softly. " You can do calculus any other time, okay? But right now, it's doctor Gary time. And we all love doctor Gary, don't we?"

Hilda giggled, playing with her fingers.. " Yeah. We do."

Gary smiled warmly. " There she is. Now, you want help changing?"

Hilda hesitated, then nodded faintly.

Gary carefully helped Hilda out of her soft lavender sweater, its fabric adorned with a delicate pattern of tiny white stars. He moved slowly, ensuring she didn't feel rushed or uncomfortable as he eased the garment over her head. Her hair, still slightly tousled from the motion, framed her face as she blinked up at him.

Next, he reached for the straps of her flowy, knee-length dress, the light fabric decorated with a gentle floral pattern of pale pink roses and trailing green vines. He unfastened the clasp at the back, letting the material slide down her shoulders before guiding it past her arms and down her body, revealing the smooth skin of her collarbone and the slight rise and fall of her breath. He averted his gaze slightly, maintaining his focus on ensuring she remained comfortable.

He then knelt to help her step out of her cream-colored flats, his fingers briefly brushing against her ankle. The shoes were well-worn, molded to her feet from years of use. With a quiet touch, he set them aside before moving on to her fitted black pants, unbuttoning them with careful precision. He let her take the lead in slipping them down her legs, only assisting when needed, and when she finally stood in just her undergarments, he offered the soft hospital gown.

As he draped the gown over her shoulders and secured the ties, he couldn't help but notice the faint redness around her eyebrows. His hands briefly paused before continuing their work, his expression softening. He resisted the urge to point it out, knowing it would only make her self-conscious. Instead, he smoothed the fabric of the gown over her shoulders and gave a reassuring nod.

"All set?" he asked gently, his voice low and steady.

Hilda nodded, and Gary helped her sit down comfortably, legs draped over the table.

He grabbed the penlight and tilted Hilda's face up. " Look at my nose." He said, shining the light into her eyes.

She obeyed, obediently looking at the flashlight while fidgeting with her hands.

Gary nodded approvingly. " You've got beautiful eyes, Hilda."

The young girl grinned. " Thank you!"

Gary smiled warmly, relieved to see Hilda's playful side emerge. "Alright, now let's get through this check-up. You're doing great." He tapped the edge of the examination table and grabbed the stethoscope.

He moved it over Hilda's chest gently, the cool metal pressing softly against her skin. "Take a deep breath for me, kiddo."

Hilda inhaled deeply, her chest rising. As she exhaled, she continued to fidget with her fingers, her focus drifting slightly.

Gary listened carefully, making a few notes in her chart. "Sounds good," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "How are you feeling? Any headaches or feeling dizzy?"

Hilda shook her head, and Gary grabbed the otoscope, attaching a new nozzle to it, carefully adjusted the otoscope and gently lifted Hilda's chin. "Alright, let's take a look in those ears, just to make sure everything's good."

Hilda, still a bit fidgety, tilted her head slightly, her eyes focused on the light from the otoscope as it got closer. "It tickles," she murmured, her lips curving into a small smile.

Gary chuckled softly, trying to make her feel at ease. "I know, I know. I'll be quick."

He carefully examined her ear, making sure to be gentle and not cause any discomfort. "Looking good in here," he said, as he finished up with the first ear and moved to the other side. "No ear infections today, lucky you."

Hilda grinned, her expression lighting up with relief. "Yay! No ear bugs."

Gary nodded. " Mhm. And hey. Guess what?"

Hilda blinked

Gary gave her the sticker tray. " I told you you'd be able to organize the stickers, didn't I?"

Hilda's eyes widened, and she grabbed the tray from Gary and started arranging.

Gary smiled as he watched Hilda organize the stickers on the tray, completely absorbed in her task. She was meticulously arranging them in neat piles, matching colors and shapes as if they were the most important thing in the world at that moment. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Hilda," Gary said, his voice light, "I need you to open wide, alright? Just a quick look with the tongue depressor, then you can go right back to your stickers."

Hilda didn't seem to hear him at first. She was too busy placing a shiny star sticker next to a cute dinosaur one, making sure they were aligned just right. Gary watched her for a moment, waiting patiently.

"Hilda..." He said again, this time a little louder. "Open wide, kiddo."

She looked up briefly, still twirling a sticker between her fingers, and then her eyes went back to her organized piles. "I brush my teeth, I swear," she muttered, almost as an afterthought, and continued rearranging.

Gary grinned, trying to hold back his laughter. "You're a very good brusher, Hilda, but I just need a quick peek."

Hilda nodded absently but didn't budge.

Gary sighed, pretending to think for a moment. He needed to find a way to get her to open her mouth, and after a moment of thinking, he came up with a plan.

He leaned in just a little closer, holding the tongue depressor at the ready. "You know, Hilda," he began with a mischievous smile, "I've heard that if you open your mouth really wide, a whole bunch of secret coolness might come flying out."

Hilda, caught by the words 'secret coolness,' glanced up with wide eyes, momentarily distracted from her stickers. "Really?"

Gary nodded seriously, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Yep, all the coolest things are hidden inside your mouth, waiting to be discovered."

Hilda raised her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. "What kind of cool things?"

Gary gave her a wink. "I'll show you, but you have to open wide first."

Hilda hesitated for a second, her fingers stilling as she thought it over. Then, she gave a small nod, her curiosity piqued. "Okay. I'll do it."

Gary barely held back a grin as he gently tapped her lip with the flat side of the tongue depressor, just enough to get her to open her mouth. The instant her lips parted, he quickly slipped the depressor inside, catching her off guard.

"Gotcha!" he said with a light laugh as he quickly checked her throat and her mouth.

Hilda blinked in surprise, not even realizing what had just happened. "Oh... You tricked me," she said, blinking a few times, a smile tugging at her lips.

Gary chuckled, holding up the depressor and giving it a mock salute. "It was for your own good, kiddo. I promise, no coolness was lost in the process."

Hilda grinned, clearly amused. "You're sneaky, Doctor Gary."

"Just trying to get the job done," Gary replied with a smile as he removed the depressor and set it aside. "You did great, Hilda. You're all clear."

Hilda nodded, satisfied with the results. "Okay, cool. Now I can go back to my stickers?"

Gary nodded, stepping back to give her space. "Yep, all done. But you're gonna make sure you keep brushing those teeth, right?"

Hilda didn't even look up from her stickers as she answered. "I will, I promise."

Gary smiled and pat her head. " I have no doubt. But first, let's change you into your regular clothes. We need to talk."

Hilda blinked, looking up. " About?"

" Nothin. Now, hurry. Let's get you changed."

After changing back into her normal clothes, Hilda sat on the table, looking at Gary confused. " What did you want to talk about?"

Gary leaned on the counter and sighed. " Kid, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but do you like doing calculus?"

Hilda nodded. " Yes!" she said a bit too quickly.

Gary nodded.

Okay, it can't be because of that

But when he opened his mouth, he realized something.

Her mouth said one thing, but her body said another.

Her eyes looked like she was lying.

He sighed and leaned on the table. " Hey."

Hilda turned to him.

" You know, you can be honest." He said. " I won't tell anyone."

Hilda hesitated. " Promise?"

Gary held his pinkie out. " Pinkie promise."

Hilda looked at his outstretched pinkie, her own fingers twitching slightly before she slowly hooked her small one around his. She squeezed it tightly, like she was making sure he really meant it.

Gary gave a firm, reassuring squeeze back. "See? Locked in now. I don't break my pinkie promises."

Hilda glanced down at her lap, her fingers absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She took a deep breath before mumbling, "I... I do like math. But... I have to be really, really good at it."

Gary tilted his head. "Why do you have to?"

Hilda's lips pressed together for a moment. Then, she whispered, "Because if I'm not smart, then I'm useless."

Gary's heart clenched. He frowned, kneeling so he was eye level with her. "Hey," he said softly. "Who told you that?"

Hilda hesitated before shrugging. "No one. I just know."

Gary exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "Kid, that's not true. Not even a little bit."

Hilda looked at him, skeptical. "But... if I don't know stuff, then people won't like me."

Gary shook his head firmly. "No way. People like you because you're you, not because you're smart. I mean, yeah, being smart is cool and all, but it doesn't decide your worth." He poked her gently in the forehead. "That brain of yours? It's amazing, but it doesn't define you. You define you."

Hilda stared at him, processing his words. Her fingers went up to tug at the ends of her sleeves. "... But I have to be perfect."

Gary sighed, reaching out to gently take her small hands in his. "Nah, kiddo. Nobody's perfect. And you don't have to be. Being you is enough."

Hilda blinked, her eyes glistening just slightly. "Really?"

Gary nodded. "Really. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they can take it up with me." He puffed out his chest dramatically. "Doctor Gary doesn't allow nonsense like that."

Hilda giggled at his theatrics, and Gary smiled, relieved to see some of the tension leave her shoulders.

"Now," he continued, ruffling her hair, "how about we make a deal? You still do your math because you like it, not because you have to. And if it ever feels like too much, you tell me, okay?"

Hilda hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Okay."

Gary grinned. "That's my girl."

Hilda smiled softly, and for the first time, she looked just a little lighter.