"Ah, well, we can work with that, though I'm afraid some touching will have to be necessary," the doctor said, taking it in stride.
Xander didn't relax even an inch, but, true to her word, the doctor touched him as little as possible, giving a lot of verbal guidance for what she needed from him. She took longer with Xander than she had with Alec, in part because he had a lot more to examine and in part because a touchless examination was naturally slower. The worst part was when she had to check his face to make sure nothing had been broken.
When she concluded his examination, the doctor addressed both Xander and Dark. "It feels as though you got away without breaking anything, but that is a lovely concussion you have. All concussions are not good, but, thankfully, yours is on the lower end of serious. You still need to take it serious so it doesn't get worse. I would recommend not going back to school until Monday, and I'll write a note for your teachers. Use painkillers as needed - don't be tough, take the pills and you'll heal faster - and keep your stimulation to a minimum. No homework, no more than half an hour of screen time twice a day, no books, and only calm music. It's boring, I know, but it could be a lot worse. Have you been having trouble with your ear?"
Xander hesitated, feeling a little lost with the sudden flow of information, but he finally said, "It keeps ringing, and sound is... fuzzy."
"Not unexpected," the doctor assured him. "It'll take some time for that to go away, and it looks like that eardrum was slightly damaged, but it will heal. Until then, try not to compensate for the loss of sound by turning your speakers up to 11. That'll make it worse. Just be patient, and it'll be gone in no time. Well, two-to-three weeks no time."
~~
"I would be surprised if he didn't," Sally admitted. "I hope it is in a place where I might be allowed to see it in a non-intrusive manner. Do you know what the boys will be doing for him for father's day?"