Page 24 of Sweet Home

“Doc Lawrence,” the lady with the toddler said, her voice soft with relief as her eyes lit on West. “You didn’t have to come running in on your day off.”

“No such thing,” West told her. “Besides, we were right across the street.”

He stepped closer, but slowly, as if he didn’t want to frighten the toddler.

“Someone’s not feeling well,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry you’re sick, sweetheart.”

The little one looked up at him from the lady’s shoulder with serious eyes.

“She just calmed down,” the lady said. “She doesn’t want to go back there.”

“She’s a smart girl,” West said. “She remembers that she got a shot last time. Don’t you, Ava? Well, you’re not getting a shot today, and we can stay right out here. Okay?”

The little face peeked out from the crook of her mother’s neck now, looking slightly less worried.

“But I need your mom to come sit by me so we can take a look at you,” West said. “Would that be all right? We’ll have to do a quick exam if we want to help you feel better.”

There was a pause, and then the little head nodded.

“Great,” West said. “Go ahead and have a seat LeeAnn, I’m just going to wash up and grab a few things.”

LeeAnn sat down and patted little Ava between her shoulder blades. It reminded Dulcie of the winter when she and Delphine had gotten the flu. They had both been miserable, and she’d been too sick herself to do much more than keep Delphine’s sippy-cup full and pat her back while they dozed on the sofa. Mom had been gone by then, and Dad wasn’t about to pry himself out of his chair to take them to the doctor’s. It was funny to think of it as a fond memory, but at this point, she didn’t really remember the sick feeling. It was mostlyjust a memory of snuggling on the sofa with her sister, and that part had been nice.

“Okay,” West said, heading back in. “First, I’m just going to take your temperature and look at your ears and your throat, okay, Ava?”

“Ithurts,”the little one croaked.

“I know it does,” West said kindly. “This won’t take long.”

The little girl submitted to being examined, Dulcie suspected partly because West talked her through it gently the whole time, and partly because she was feeling too weak and sick to put up much of a fuss.

“This is strep throat,” West said quietly to LeeAnn. “I’ll have to do a culture, but we can start treatment before it comes back.”

“Oh, no,” the mom said.

“You brought her in right away,” West said. “So she’ll get better quickly. But I do have to swab her throat.”

LeeAnn nodded, looking really sad.

Dulcie didn’t blame her. Those swabs were the worst.

“Ava, I will always tell you the truth,” West said gently to the little girl. “I have to put this swab on your throat to get some of the germs that are making it hurt. It won’t feel like a shot, but it will be really yucky for just a second. But as soon as I do it, I’ll be all done looking at you, and I can give you medicine to help you feel better.Andyou can choose a prize from the pirate’s treasure chest. Okay?”

Ava looked to her mother, and LeeAnn nodded her head up and down, so Ava turned back to West and nodded to him too.

“Usually, you’re not allowed to stick your tongue outat a grownup,” West said. “Butright now,I want you to stick your tongue out at me, okay, Ava? Stick your tonguewayout and say,gahhhhhhhh.”

Ava’s eyes lit up and she stuck her little tongue out and imitated the noise for all she was worth.

With a practiced, fluid motion, West swabbed her throat before she even had a chance to react. But Dulcie’s heart still broke for the little girl, because as soon as he was done she started whimpering, which certainly hurt her throat even more.

“You did it,” West told her. “You were so brave and you did such a great job. Go on over and tell Nurse Deb that you can choosetwoprizes from the pirate’s treasure chest.”

Ava’s eyes lit up just a bit, and her mom moved to get up.

“Not you,” West said softly.

Nurse Deb came over with a big smile to take the little girl over to look at the chest and point to what she wanted. Dulcie had to smile herself when she saw that it was a real wooden chest.

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