Battle Wounds

Maria was bouncing Tony on one hip and brushing his bangs back gently, when he ordered her, in shuddery, tearful breaths, "Kiss it again, Abuela." With that he began rubbing at his head.

She did so, and suggested, "Let me put you down now so that I can see how badly you hit the table."

Tony refused outright and threw both arms around her neck. He began crying hard again.

The doorbell rang, and Maria said soothingly, "Nieto, por favor, let's go to the door and see who is there."

Normally Tony loved answering the door and it was a testament to his pain and upset that his response was a stuffed up, adamant, tearful, "I don't want to go to the door, Abuela! Yo no quiero ir!"

"Ok, then I will put you down and go myself. Remember that Tayan is coming over?" Maria leaned down to set him on the floor but his sobs increased and he clutched her harder. Rejecting that idea, she made their way to the door. Maria opened it and ushered in their guest, who was scheduled to babysit Tony for the evening.

Maria shut the door and pointed to the living room. "Make yourself at home, por favor. Antonio ran into the table and hurt his head a few minutes ago and I need to take care of him first."

Tayan, a perky teen who had cared for Tony before, nodded agreeably and asked, "Is there something I can do, Ms. Osirio?"

"No, not right now- just get comfortable. He'll be ok in a few minutes."

Tony still clutched her tightly, but his sobs were beginning to slow a bit. Maria carried him upstairs, then stopped at the restroom to wet a cloth and grab a tissue. She settled them both into the rocker in Tony's bedroom, and moved him so that he was lying across her lap. Bathing his face with the cloth, she spoke soothingly and his sobs began to slow.

Finally, he reached up and rubbed her hair. "Is the Red Cross coming, Abuela?"

Maria smiled, "No, not today- we don't need Dr. Mallard for this, Antonio. It is just a tiny cut."

Within another couple of minutes of rocking he stopped crying altogether, and she held the tissue over his nose and ordered him to blow. He did, and she sat him up so that he was facing her. She spoke soothingly as she brushed back his hair and kissed the cut area.

"Now, Abuela has checked you and you are ok. You have a little cut on your forehead and we are going to find a bandage for it, es verdad? I will kiss it again and it will be ok, and then my bambino can go see Tayan. She came to be with my big boy today."

Tony leaned over and wiped his face on her dress front and she kissed the cut again. "Come, we are going to the bathroom now."

She carried him in and sat him on the counter, then pulled out the bandages and allowed him to choose one adorned with characters. He chose Sesame Street's Elmo, and waited patiently for her to dab an antibiotic ointment on first, then handed her the bandage. Once she had applied it she set him down on the floor.

"Use the toilet now, and I will be right back." He nodded and climbed his step stool to do as she'd ordered as she made her way into his father's room, and to the cabinet where they kept medicine secured out of Tony's reach. She used the painkiller's dosage-for-children- cap and measured some medicine out for him.

When she got back to the bathroom Tony was finished, and had balanced himself on his stomach on the counter to wash his hands.

"Drink this, Bambino, so I can give you the medicine. This is the one that has strawberry flavouring."

Tony obeyed eagerly, then opened his mouth widely to show her he had swallowed it all. She laughed and kissed him.

Taking him by the hand she spoke softly, "Now come, Bambino, we need to pay attention to our guest. We must have our good manners and be good hosts."

Tony puffed his lip into a pout. "I don't want you to leave me, Abuela. Tell her to go away now. Only you will stay and take care of me- solo le."