Page 32 of Dr. Off Limits

I nodded, trying to give her space to explain why she hadn’t taken her baby to see a doctor for his six-week check. “And have you mentioned the issue to the health visitor?”

She shook her head, clasping and unclasping her hands. “She’s not been for a few weeks. When she came before, he wasn’t so bad.”

“So it’s become worse recently? Is that why you brought him in today?”

“He’s been turned like that for a few weeks now. My mum saw him today and went mental. She said I had to bring him here.”

I nodded. The poor girl. She couldn’t have been much past eighteen herself. I had a suspicion that she hadn’t seen a health visitor for more than a few weeks. They would have picked up on an issue like this before it had gotten so serious.

“Dr. Scott, what would your next steps be?” Jacob asked.

“I’d do a brief exam.”

“Go ahead,” he said.

I paused, expecting him to say that he was joking and that he’d take over. Then I nodded, set my iPad down on the spare chair, and pulled out some fresh gloves from my pocket. “Is it okay if I examine him?” I asked Amy.

She nodded, her eyes a little glassy. “Should I have brought him in sooner?”

“You’re in the right place now. I’m just going to have a look at him. I won’t hurt him,” I reassured her.

I glanced up at Jacob and he gave me a nod. I needed to remember who I was. John was my first patient as a fully qualified doctor, and one I would remember forever. I stepped toward the cot. “Hi, John,” I said. “I’m Sutton. I’m just going to have a little feel, if that’s okay.” John gurgled back at me and I took it to mean he didn’t mind at all.

“Do you like tummy time?” I asked him.

“He hates it,” Amy said. “He’s much happier just lying on his back. We like to watch telly together.”

I gave him a quick examination and found no unusual lumps or unevenness in his body or skeleton.

“You’re a very happy little boy,” I said. He was adorable with big, edible cheeks and a huge smile.

“He seems happy all the time,” Amy said. “He doesn’t seem bothered by his neck at all.”

I finished my exam and stood back and glanced at Jacob.

“My next step would be to get physiotherapy down here,” I said.

“Likely diagnosis?” Jacob asked.

“Congenital torticollis.” Our eyes locked for a second. We’d talked about it during our dinner and how much Jacob enjoyed reassuring patients that their babies were going to be okay.

“What’s that?” Amy asked, her voice breaking again. “Is he going to be okay?”

Jacob gave me a nod, and it was like he’d turned up outside my bedroom window with a boombox over his head.

“Yes,” I said, trying to hide my relief at being able to tell her everything would be okay, and my pride at being the doctor who’d diagnosed John’s issue. “It just means that in the womb, he got a bit too comfy in one position. And since he was born, he’s still preferred that same position. We’ll send the physio down and they’ll give John and you some exercises to do. You’ll have to make sure you do them just as the physio says and come back here for progress checks, but this condition resolves itself fairly easily in most cases.”

Amy sucked in a breath and nodded. “Thank you so much.”

This is why I’d worked so hard for so many years. So I could help people like Amy and John. It was clear Amy had been thinking the worst when with just a few physio sessions, John would be much better.

“Will you do me a favor, Amy?” I asked. She shook her head enthusiastically. “Tummy time can really help issues like this. It’s ever so good for babies. I know he might not like it, but just keep trying. Try a few seconds every hour and build up. I’m going to have a health visitor pop in and visit you.” I was pretty sure I’d covered everything. I glanced at Jacob.

“Do you have any questions?” Jacob asked. I’d forgotten that bit.

Amy shook her head. “Just... thank you.”

“Okay, so we’ll call the physio but there might be a bit of a wait,” I said. “The nurses will keep you updated.”

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