Chapter Text
It’s the first time in his career as a nurse at Omega’s Clinic that Eddie faces such a complicated case.
Steve Harrington, 21 years old, male omega by designation, but he never completed his presentation. His medical file only mentions a generic “emotional trauma,” which doesn’t provide much information. However, Owens himself suggested that the young man be treated at their clinic, so Eddie isn’t going to object. Still, he would feel much more comfortable if he actually knew something about him.
The picture in the file shows a young, healthy man, but if Steve hasn’t had a heat since his presentation, things are more complicated than they seem. Eddie doesn’t like surprises, especially not at work.
He sighs. The omega is arriving soon, and Eddie needs to take his vitals, ensure he’s prepared as recommended, and then wait for Doctor Owens to conduct the first evaluation. Eddie is a bit surprised that the old doctor not only decided to offer the young man a room in their clinic for free but also took him on as a patient, despite not having worked with a patient in years. There must be something special about this omega that Eddie doesn’t know, but he’s curious to find out.
A little knock on the door turns Eddie’s attention. “Come in,” he says, closing the medical file to look at the scared omega who’s just opened the door.
“Are you Nurse Munson?” Steve asks while Eddie subtly smells the air. No scent. A young, healthy omega should smell like a ripe peach, but Steve Harrington has no scent.
“Yeah, that’s me. Take a seat, please,” Eddie says, pointing to the two chairs in front of his desk.
The young omega swallows anxiously, then sits down, leaving his duffle bag on the other chair.
“So, you’re going to stay with us for a bit, huh?”
“Owens said I have to stay until I have my heat,” the young man replies, looking at his shoes.
“Yeah. Are you worried about it?”
“I’ve never had… not a complete heat, so I don’t know exactly what to expect, you know?”
“Don’t worry. Most omegas really enjoy their heat, and we’re going to take good care of you. We have many options to offer: a knot machine, an alpha companion, or anything you might need. There’s nothing to be scared about,” Eddie replies with a soft smile.
“If you say so…” Steve shrugs, and Eddie can’t help but smile a little.
“Bratty, aren’t you?” he asks, amused. It’s not really professional, but this young man awakens something in Eddie’s alpha, and he’s sure it’s not a coincidence. Owens didn’t tell him, but now that they’re close, Eddie’s pretty sure they’re compatible. Owens had requested a piece of scented tissue from all the nurses at the clinic before telling Eddie that he would be the one to take care of Steve.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean—”
“No need to be sorry. I like bratty boys. Now, did you receive the instructions we sent you to prepare for your first exam?”
Steve nods, blushing so sweetly that Eddie has to fight the instinct to pick him up and hold him in his lap.
“Good. And did you comply?”
“I…”
Seeing that the omega is in distress, Eddie simply takes the form from his medical file and lists, “No drugs or suppressants for a week before the exam, no food or water from the night before, and a fleet enema in the morning, is that right?”
It obviously is, as Eddie is reading the very form that was sent to Steve, but he waits for Steve to nod quietly.
“And did you do all of this?”
Steve blushes even harder, avoiding Eddie’s eyes, and Eddie can guess what’s making him so ashamed. But he tries to keep it professional and make the omega feel safe. “Okay. So, have you stopped taking your medicines?” A little nod. “No food or water from last night, right?” Another nod. “And a little enema this morning?”
Steve doesn’t reply, but he swallows loudly.
“Steve, you must be honest with me: did you have an enema this morning or not?”
“I tried, but… I couldn’t,” the omega finally admits, still looking at his shoes.
“Okay. No big deal. You can have one here before the exam. I have to take your vitals anyway, so we’ll add a few more minutes to our meeting, and you’ll be good to go.”
Steve lifts his head so quickly it cracks. “Are you going to…?”
“I’m a nurse; that’s my job.”
“But…”
“Hey. It’s a normal body function, okay? And it’s important for the doctor that you’re clean inside while he examines you, so we are going to do one here. It’ll be super quick, don’t worry.”
“It… it hurts.”
Eddie lifts an eyebrow. It shouldn’t hurt. It may be uncomfortable, but not painful.
“I’ll be really gentle, I promise, but it’s important we do it now. There’s an exam gown on the table. You can leave your pants and underwear on the chair and sit on the exam table right there,” Eddie says, pointing to the bed in the corner. “I’m going to grab a fleet and be back in a jiff,” he adds, closing the curtains around the bed to give Steve more privacy.
It’s not uncommon for patients to be uncomfortable with enemas; they can be a bit humiliating for some people, but they are necessary sometimes, and this is one of those cases. Owens is going to take a good look at Steve’s reproductive system: in male omegas, their uterus is connected to their rectum, so they must be sure it’s perfectly clean to get a good view. Nothing to be ashamed of. Eddie grabs a couple of fleets, just to be sure, and knocks on the door before returning to the little examination room where the omega is waiting.
Once more, Eddie tries to detect the omega’s scent. As stressed as he is, the room should reek of scared omega, but Eddie smells nothing at all.
On the chair where Steve was sitting, there’s a pair of pants and a dark red pair of boxers, neatly folded. Good boy.
“Hey, Steve, I’m going to open the curtain,” Eddie announces before moving the curtain aside. The omega is sitting on the edge of the exam table, his toned legs dangling from the bed, wearing a pair of white terry socks.
“Can you lie on the bed in the Sims’ position for me?” Eddie asks, dragging a little wheeled tray closer.
“What?”
“Lie on your left side for me, facing the wall. Good. Now bend your upper leg a bit. Perfect.”
Steve tries to turn his head to see what Eddie is doing, but the alpha gently stops him. “Don’t look at me. Try to relax, okay? I’m going to lubricate your anus a little bit and then insert the tip, but I’ll tell you everything I’m doing so there are no surprises. I don’t like surprises. Do you, Steve?”
“It depends. Not this kind.”
“Understandable. Now, you’ll feel my finger rubbing around your rim. The lube is a bit cold; I’m sorry. Ready?”
Steve gives a tiny nod, and Eddie takes it as a yes. He gently spreads way too much lube around Steve’s rim, noticing how puffy and red it is, not a good sign.
“Can you take a deep breath for me, Steve? I’ll insert my finger really quickly as you exhale, okay?”
“Wait!” Steve yelps.
“I’m not doing anything. I’m just here, waiting for you. Do you want to take a couple of deep breaths? I promise I won’t touch you.”
Steve gives another small nod.
“Okay, big breath in. And out. Good. Another one. Big breath in. And out.” The omega follows Eddie’s directions, and his body relaxes slightly. “On your next exhale, I’m going to push just the tip of my finger inside you. Then, on your next breath, I’ll insert the tip of the bottle, okay?”
This time, Steve doesn’t nod, but he takes another deep breath, and on the exhale, Eddie gently pushes his finger inside. The omega yelps and Eddie finally understands why Steve couldn’t manage this at home: his internal walls are swollen and hot. Poor boy.
“You’re doing great, Steve. Just one more step, and we’re done, okay? Don’t worry, the tip is thinner than my finger. Take another big breath for me, and I’ll push it in.”
Steve takes a big breath, and Eddie carefully inserts the enema’s tip. Steve lets out another little whimper.
“You okay?”
“Just… just do it, okay?”
“Alright. I’m going to squeeze the bottle now. It shouldn’t hurt, maybe a little uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt.”
“I just want to be done with this, okay?”
“Okay, I’m squeezing,” Eddie replies, applying pressure to the bottle and releasing the saline into Steve’s intestines. He knows the omega doesn’t realize that enemas are a standard procedure at the clinic and that he’ll likely have more, and larger ones, during his stay. But now isn’t the time to bring that up.
The plastic bottle squeaks under Eddie’s firm pressure, and within a couple of minutes, it’s emptied into the omega.
“Oh, shit. Can I go now?”
“No, I’m sorry, but we need to wait a few minutes.”
“How long?”
“Five minutes at minimum.”
“Are you kidding me?!”
“Did you read the instructions when you were home?”
“Fuck, I really have to go.”
“I know, but we need to wait. Try not to think about it.”
“That’s easy for you to say. God, it hurts so much. You told me it wouldn’t hurt.”
“You’re a bit swollen inside. That’s why the doctor wants to take a good look.”
Steve curses under his breath while Eddie instinctively starts drawing soothing circles on his back, keeping an eye on the time. As soon as the five minutes are up, Eddie points to the bathroom across the room. Steve, having lost all his earlier shyness, runs toward the bathroom and slams the door behind him.
A few minutes later, Steve emerges, clutching his exam gown, his self-consciousness returning.
“Everything okay?”
“Are you asking if I shit myself?”
“No, I’m asking if you’re still in pain.”
“I already told you it hurt.”
Eddie thought Steve might have been exaggerating, but the swelling inside the young man is definitely concerning.
“When did you say you presented?”
“I didn’t. I was sixteen.”
“And you’re twenty-one now and have never had a proper heat, right?”
“That’s why I’m here. Owens says I can’t stay like this. I have to have at least one proper heat, then I’ll be able to go on suppressants. But if I don’t, he won’t prescribe them.”
Eddie nods. Before going on suppressants, every alpha has to go through a rut or two, and it’s the same for omegas. What doesn’t make sense is why Steve’s heat never came in five years.
Emotional trauma , Eddie reminds himself as he grabs the thermometer and blood pressure cuff.
“Can you get back in position for me?”
“Why?”
“I need to take your temperature.”
“Can’t you take it in my mouth?”
“I could, but I’ll still need to take a rectal temperature. Before a heat, an omega’s temperature drops slightly before spiking, so we need a baseline to compare with while you’re here.”
“Are you saying you’re going to stick a thermometer up my ass every day?”
“Yes. Either I or another nurse will take your vitals every day.”
“Fuck. This place sucks,” Steve whines, but when Eddie gently but firmly guides him back onto the bed, he doesn’t put up much resistance. Eddie notes that Steve’s temperature is slightly elevated for an omega and records it alongside his blood pressure on the chart. A knock on the door startles Steve.
“Stevie. How are you? Sorry, I couldn’t come sooner; I had a few things to take care of. But now I’m all yours.” A man with white hair says, getting into the examination room.
“Hey, doc. Is it true you’re going to stick things up my ass every day?”
Doctor Owens turns to Eddie, confused. “I just took his rectal temperature and told him it’s a daily routine here at the clinic. He wasn’t exactly thrilled.”
“Steve, you see, an omega’s temperature drops a few days before their heat and then spikes about twenty-four hours before it hits. So, yes, we take rectal temperatures every morning, and if we suspect you’re close to your heat, also in the evening.”
“This place really sucks,” Steve sighs, banging the back of his head against the exam table.
Doctor Owens steps closer to Eddie and reviews his notes. Eddie quickly informs him that Steve just had a fleet enema and that his insides are quite swollen.
“Slick glands too?”
“His insides are too swollen to tell, and I didn’t do a full exam, but from what I felt, it’s almost as if he doesn’t have slick glands.”
“Yeah. That’s what I feared. Okay, let’s get this show on the road, huh?” Owens says, turning to Steve. “Hey, Steve, why don’t you slide down and put your legs into these stirrups?” Owens asks, quickly attaching the metal bars to the lower part of the bed.
“Can’t we skip this part? You know I hate it.”
“I know, kid, but it’s really important. Why don’t you hold Eddie’s hand while I take a good look?”
“I’m not a kid.”
“No one said you are, but sometimes it helps,” Owens replies, snapping on a pair of blue gloves. Steve shivers in fear. Eddie steps closer, placing a warm hand on Steve’s shoulder, wishing he wasn’t on scent blockers like everyone else who works at the hospital.
“Why don’t you tell me something about yourself? Are you in college?” Eddie asks, trying to distract him from the exam.
“I… no, I work at a shop with my best friend.”
“Oh, that sounds nice. I play with my best friends too—we have a little band. It’s a lot of fun.”
Owens selects a small speculum, the smallest they have, but Eddie knows Steve won’t like it. He keeps talking to distract him from what’s happening between his legs. “Gareth plays drums, Jeff is on second guitar, and Freak plays bass.”
“Oh, shit. Shit. Shit,” Steve curses, clutching the paper on the exam table so hard it tears while the doctor firmly inserts the scope.
“Why don’t we try some direct pheromones?” Owens suggests, patting Steve’s inner thigh to calm him. Eddie nods and grabs a small mask.
“Just take a few deep breaths, okay?”
Steve nods slowly, and Eddie gently places the mask over his face, securing it with an elastic band behind his head.
“Deep breaths, Steve.”
“It smells strange…”
“It’s a mixture of alpha’s relaxing pheromones,” Owens explains, glancing at Eddie for confirmation. Eddie watches Steve closely until he sees the grimace on his face relax and his pupils dilate, then gives Owens a small nod.
The doctor quickly opens the speculum, taking a look inside while Steve whimpers softly.
“Definitely worse than the last time I saw him,” Owens murmurs. “We’ll need to drain that prostate soon.”
“Are you going to do an internal ultrasound?” Eddie asks, keeping an eye on Steve, who’s clearly uncomfortable despite the anesthetic.
“I’d like to, but I can’t. He’s too swollen, it would hurt him without giving us a good view. I’ll wait until the swelling goes down a bit,” the doctor replies, removing the speculum and covering Steve’s legs.
“Hey, bud, you okay?” Eddie asks, helping Steve sit up on the examination table.
“I… I don’t feel too good,” the omega whispers, starting to dry heave. Eddie quickly grabs a kidney dish and places it in front of him. Since the patient hasn’t eaten since the night before, Eddie isn’t surprised when Steve only vomits bile and saliva.
“Don’t want the mask…” Steve whimpers when he finally catches his breath.
“No more mask, I promise,” Eddie reassures him, brushing some hair away from his face as Owens returns with a glass of water.
“Rinse your mouth and take a few sips when you’re ready.”
Steve nods, clinging to Eddie.
“We were supposed to show you your room and the common areas, but I’m guessing you’re not up for a tour right now, am I wrong?” Owens asks with a small wink. Steve doesn’t respond, but his pale face says enough. “Eddie, can you wheel him to his room?”
“Sure. I’ll get a wheelchair.” When Eddie started his day, he didn’t expect to be caring for an almost fainting omega, but there’s no way Steve can walk to his room. Eddie quickly leaves the exam room, retrieves a wheelchair, and returns.
Steve tries to protest when he sees the chair, but Owens insists it’s hospital policy. It definitely isn’t, but there’s no way they’re making him walk. Once seated, Steve stops complaining, too focused on holding his head and battling another wave of nausea.
Eddie is fairly certain Steve didn’t hear a word Owens said, but that’s not a problem, they can explain everything again when he’s feeling better.
When they reach the room, Eddie realizes that Steve’s bag and clothes are still in the exam room, and he’s only wearing an exam gown. But Steve seems so out of it that he doesn’t notice, or at least doesn’t complain. Eddie helps him into bed, then fetches a set of scrubs. It’s not standard procedure, but Eddie doesn’t care. He helps Steve into the scrubs and back onto the bed.
“I’m going to put an IV in your arm now, sweetheart,” Eddie tells him gently, cleaning the area. “Then I’ll give you something for the nausea, okay? And some fluids so we know you won’t get dehydrated.”
Steve doesn’t even look up, too focused on staying still as Eddie finds a vein and inserts the IV.
“It didn’t hurt, right?” Eddie asks with a half-smile, but once again, Steve doesn’t respond, his eyes fixed on a point on the wall. “That bad, huh? Unfortunately, some people do experience nausea with relaxing pheromones, and it looks like you’re one of them. But don’t worry, there are other methods we can use, or we can give you something for the nausea before using the pheromones.”
Steve remains silent, so Eddie pats his arm softly. “You’re all set. Try to relax. I’ll check on you in an hour, but if you feel unwell or need to go to the bathroom, just press this red button and I’ll come right away, okay?”
Eddie doesn’t expect an answer, but then Steve calls out in a soft voice.
“Eddie?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Just try to sleep a bit. You’ll feel better soon.”