The Shrieking DW Crisis
It happened too quickly for Arthur to remember. He was at the park with his friends and DW playing on the playground. At first he was enjoying the slide with Buster and Francine. Then Brain and Sue Ellen ran up with worried looks. DW had fallen from the jungle gym. Her screams could be heard across the park; her arm was definitely broken. A kind neighbor drove them to Elwood City Medical Center, where their parents met up with them. David and Jane were worried, but DW was in good hands, and she returned home that same night with a huge pink cast on her arm…and a surgery date for two weeks later.
Arthur thought this would be a simple time. DW would be confined to her room, which meant a much quieter life…or so he thought.
"GET ME A JUICE BOX! GRAPE NOT APPLE!" DW screamed. Her parents were too guilty to deny her, and Jane went on an emergency grape juice box run. Five minutes later, after Jane was gone, the demands changed. "APPLE! I WANT AN APPLE JUICE BOX! AND HURRY!" DW shrieked.
The demands were endless, and Arthur's head pounded from the noise. He knew his parents wished they were there for their daughter, but did they have to let her take control of the house? Arthur did his best to escape, spending the second day with Buster, but Bitzi's questions about DW's condition, questions he couldn't answer, made him feel guilty too.
So he was back home, just in time for DW's screams to pierce the night.
"IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!" she screamed loud enough to shake the windows. Arthur shoved two pillows on top of his head, but her cries broke through, which meant now he was hurting as well. And he couldn't sleep.
The next day, Grandma Thora arrived, but the house was still filled with DW's screams. Thora didn't understand why she was being so loud and tried to quiet her, but it was no use. DW continued screaming, and the Read's felt they had no choice but to call the doctor. He gave them an emergency appointment, but after the exam, he confirmed everything was normal, aside from her demands. He had nothing to offer them, so they were forced to return home with nothing but the most demanding little kid in the world.
Arthur felt trapped, and before Grandma Thora left, he asked to go home with her. His parents disagreed, but Thora argued on Arthur's behalf. They let him go, and Arthur immediately felt better, his headache improving. But two days later, he felt guilty again for leaving his family.
"Arthur, your sister was badly injured. She's going to be…picky, but she'll be okay. The doctors will repair the break, and in a few weeks, everything will be normal again," Thora assured him. "I'm willing to let you stay here to help you be comfortable though."
But in a DW-involved situation, no one could be comfortable. She turned the Read household into a nightmare for over a month while she healed. Everyone lost sleep and picked up a distinct ringing in their ears, but it ended eventually, at least until her next crisis….
~End