Lena's hands trembled as she pushed open the clinic door. The sharp scent of disinfectant stung her nose, and her stomach lurched when she spotted the flu shot sign hanging on the wall.
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She had always hated needles.
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When she was seven, she'd passed out getting a vaccination. Even now, twenty years later, just thinking about that cold, sharp pain made her throat tighten and her pulse race.
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"Lena?" A nurse with kind eyes waved her over. "Ready for your shot?"
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Lena swallowed hard. She wasn't ready—would she ever be?—but she nodded anyway.
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The nurse noticed her clenched fists. "Nervous?"
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"I don't like needles," Lena admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
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The nurse nodded. "Then don't look. Take a deep breath for me." She pressed a small stress ball into Lena's hand. "Squeeze this as hard as you need to."
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Lena focused on the ball, on the way it gave under her fingers. She inhaled—
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"All finished."
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Lena's eyes flew open. "That's it?"
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The nurse chuckled. "That's it. The waiting is always worse than the shot itself."
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Lena let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Maybe needles weren't so terrifying after all.
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At least, not this one.
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