The doors to the emergency room slammed open as they rushed in a battered body. "Three-year-old male, extremely critical." The nurse called out.
The sound startled Sharon as she jumped in her seat, panicked for a bit. Her arms found themselves around Stan. She must have dozed off. She blinked and looked around the crowded emergency room, they were extremely busy tonight. Sharon sat holding Stan while they waited their turn. The paramedics had put Stan just in his diaper and started him on an IV to try and bring his fever down. She hugged her son again and gave him a kiss on the head. Still not awake, which worried her. But not a big enough emergency to be taken in right away. They were calling out for someone else's child who was in danger.
Sharon felt guilt at her relief. She went to church out of obligation but was not overly religious. She sent out a small prayer. Whoever the other child was to be safe along with Stanley.
She hugged her son to her, hopefully not making his fever worse, her feet tapping with anxiety. "Oh, Randy, where are you?"
Randy entered the ER and was surprised to see his wife sitting with his tiny son attached to a big tube. He called Uncle Jimbo and had dropped off a crying Shelly to him. He kissed his daughter and told her he would call as soon as she could visit Stan. Shelly had given the puppy toy to give to her brother.
"Hi Sharon." Randy said, he bent down to kiss her and Stan. "Any news? Hey, what happened to his pants?" Randy tucked the puppy in his son's arm.
"Hi, honey." Sharon returned the kiss. "They don't know for sure. They needed to cool him down, his fever was at 103 just now in the ambulance." Sharon sniffed as a tear fell down her check. "It hasn't been that high in so long. They gave him Tylenol and fluids." She nodded to IV, before her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh, Randy I'm scared, seeing my baby poked like that and no tears... he's really out of it."
"He was so damn hot when I picked him up in the bathroom ... sorry It's not your fault." Randy leaned back and put an arm around Sharon. "If you think about it, it's probably best he's passed out, so he won't feel the pain." He stroked Stan's hair carefully, looking at Sharon again. "I'm sorry for arguing with you, Sharon, I was worried about Stan."
"I'm sorry too. It all happened so fast. Like I said, he was running around and playing two hours ago. I know neither of us is to blame. I just hate not knowing what's wrong with him." Sharon sniffed again and leaned against her husband.
A nurse comes out with a clipboard. "Marsh, Stanley? We're ready for you."
Sharon gets to her feet, struggling but keeping her tight grip on Stan. "Can both my husband and I go back with him?"
"Yes, of course. Follow me to pediatric emergency please." The nurse gestures through the door.
"Do you want to hold him?" Sharon moved to pass Stan over to Randy.
Randy picked up his son somewhat awkwardly, holding him close. "What if I pull out his tube and kill him?"
"Randy…" Sharon's voice grew tense. "I trust you won't kill him on the way to the back." She followed the nurse wheeling the IV stand.
Nurse Abby leads Sharon and Randy to the back into the cheery children's emergency room. The room they put Stan in is decorated with red and pink hearts. Nurse Abby puts Stan on his stomach and hooks him up to check vital signs, puts IV bag on hook. She sees vitals are beeping and puts a tiny oxygen mask on him. "I know it's hard but please don't put a blanket on him, we're trying to get that temperature down."
"Can I hold his hand? Please?" Sharon asked.
"Yes, of course." The nurse says as she continues her exam.
"You're ok baby. you'll be okay, Mommy and Daddy are here." Sharon took a seat next to Stan, holding his little hand.
Nurse Abby looked over the ambulance report. "So, he got sick and fainted after a bath? Did you do anything different? Did he hit his head, or eat or get exposed to anything not routine?"
"Not that I know of. maybe the only thing I can recall is getting soap in his eye, I don't know if he ingested any of it." Sharon did not take her eyes off Stan.
"Was it a new soap? Like a brand you hadn't used before?" Nurse Abby asked.
Sharon finally looked up. "Y-yes. A friend recommended it. She said her own son really liked it because it smells like strawberries."
"Did you notice any tongue or throat swelling?" The nurse continued.
Sharon's eyes went wide. "He- he complained his mouth was itchy when we were going to brush his teeth. His tongue hurt- I thought he was just avoiding brushing his teeth! Oh, Stanley I'm so sorry."
The nurse busies herself opening cabinets to give Stan more medicine in his IV. "I'm giving him a child's dose of antihistamine and steroids. We'll have to double check with a doctor and allergist of what ingredients were in that soap Your son ever had an allergic reaction before?"
"No, you think he's having an allergic reaction?" Sharon looked between Randy and Stan.
"Doctor needs to diagnose it but he's at the age where allergies appear in children. I'll be back to consult with the doctor when she's available." The nurse nodded and stepped out of the room.
Sharon leans over Stan, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Stan, sweetheart I am so sorry. Mommy and Daddy are right here ok? Ruffy is right here too." She tucked his puppy closer to him.
"Staaaan?" Randy gingerly touches Stan's other hand. "I don't like seeing him like this..."
"I don't either, but we need to be strong for him Randy. The soap, I cannot believe it. I thought I was so careful."
"Remember when he was in NICU when he was born? I'm getting that feeling again." Randy said.
"Yes… He's been in the hospital more in his three years than Shelley has Why? Why do accidents always happen with him Randy?"
"Shelly cried the whole time to Jimbo's. She usually fights with him, but she was crying and asking me if he was going to die. I told her he wouldn't but what do I know… He'll be fine. Even if the whole family has to stop showering."
Sharon cracked a smile. "Randy come on, be serious. That's nice to know Shelly was concerned about her little brother. She'll be so happy when he comes back home after this mess."
Both parents freeze and look down as Stan lets out a cough and stirs a little in his sleep. Randy carefully reaches down to pat him on the back. "Oh, maybe I shouldn't do that."
"No, it's ok, he needs to know we're here." Sharon kissed the side of Stan's temple and strokes hair.
"Oh baby... please wake so Mommy can see your pretty eyes."
The door swishes open and the doctor enters. "I think with his dose of antihistamine and steroid he'll sleep through the night." She held out her hand, "I'm doctor Gonzales, you're Stanley's parents?"
Sharon nodded as she shook the doctor's hand back. "Yes, hello."
Doctor examines him, opens his eyes to check with light, doing a reflex test, checking temperature and vitals again. "So, I'm thinking he had an allergic reaction to some soap. What was the brand and how much was used?"
"I think the brand is called Rosie, a new kid's soap, he dropped about half the bottle in the tub." Sharon shook her head. "He also put it on a washcloth over his face. He may have chewed the cloth, he's in a chewing and biting phase."
"I'm going to order a full scratch test to see what he's allergic to. Also, can you have a friend or family member carefully bring in the soap to test against its ingredients? I'm also going to have to prescribe an epi pen along with other medications. We'll keep him overnight for now. Any other questions or symptoms you can tell me?"
Sharon looked at Randy. "We can have someone bring in the soap, maybe Jimbo, Randy? How many items will he be tested for? He was recently diagnosed with a coconut allergy, oh no what If the soap had coconut in it? I didn't even check the list, I just bought it because it smelled good."
"We're going to do the full test, it's 50 pokes all at once, due to his age and size we'll do it on his back." The doctor continued with her exam.
Sharon put a hand to her mouth as Randy put an arm around her. "My baby, oh I hate seeing him poked so much tonight."
"We'll let him sleep it off and order the test for the morning, can't risk too much contact with allergens." Doctor thought for a moment. "Before we release him, I would scrub down the areas the soap came in contact with bleach just to be sure it's out of the house. Tonight, I'll order an MRI and chest X-ray to be on the safe side."
"An MRI as well?" Randy asked.
"We trust you doctor, whatever has to be done, I just want my baby to feel better." Sharon could see Randy was not handling this hospital talk. "Randy, can you call Jimbo so he can bring the soap here?"
"Yeah, sure." Randy wanted to ask for a 6 pack of beer as well after a stressful night but knew better to say it even in joking in front of the doctor. "I'm gonna step into the hall."
"I'll be back to check on his results." Dr Gonzales shakes Sharon's hand once more.
A moment later Nurse Abby comes in. "Mrs. Marsh? Dr Gonzales ordered an MRI for your son. We're ready if you want to accompany him to get his test done."
Sharon sat up straight. "Yes of course."
Abby grabbed a wheelchair. "You'll sit here and hold your son on the way to radiology."
Sharon goes to the chair, numbly holds her arms out. Just do what she can to get her and Stan through this night.
Abby unhooks Stan from the oxygen and vital machine, pressing the silent button of the whine the machine would give off. She unhooked the IV bag and attached it to the wheelchair and carefully picked up the little boy and placed him in his mother's arms. "Hold tight," she said.
A page for 'code blue pediatrics' is heard overhead as Abby pulls Sharon and Stan to the side as another rush of medical personnel runs by and into another room. Behind that curtain was the sounds of chaos and devastation. Sharon hugs Stan closer, worried for her son and thinking of the parents of whoever was in there. Sharon gives her son a kiss. "Mommy is here baby; Mommy isn't going anywhere."
After a moment, the hall is clear and Abby wheels Sharon towards pediatric radiology and sits her to wait in the hall. "They'll come get you when it's your turn."
"Thank you so much." Sharon says looking up at her.
"Marsh, Stanley?" Another nurse named Justin called back as he went to take Stan from Sharon's arms.
Sharon hesitates, but hands over her son to the other nurse. "Oh, Stanley." She said softly, wiping her eyes. She was already breaking her promises to him.
Sharon was led to a viewing room where she could watch from behind a window. She felt her heart shatter that she couldn't be there with him. It was just a simple test, nothing bad could happen, she told herself.
Nurse Justin put Stan on a little bed, made sure to put up the gate barriers on the side in case he rolled. He put him on his back with his arms above his head and stepped back as the large machine whirred to take pictures of the little boy.
Sharon observed. "You'll be okay Stanley, we'll be home soon. I'm so sorry what mommy did." Randy kept saying it wasn't anyone's fault, but she still felt guilt eating at her for buying that stupid soap.
After the MRI is complete, Nurse Justin laid Stan on a gurney to roll him back to his room. He gestures for Sharon to follow. Randy was in the room, head buried in his hands and holding Ruffy. He jumped up when the nurse came back with Stan. "Oh, Sharon...I came back, and nobody was here, the intercom, I was worried that he took a turn or something."
Nurse Justin hooked Stan back up to the IV and vitals. "The drugs are doing their work. His blood oxygen is looking better thanks to the steroids, the doctor may order another round after she examines the results." He said.
"Thank you so much, really." Sharon smiled at the nurse as he left them. She turned to her husband. "They took Stan for an MRI, I couldn't be in the same room with him. Someone else is really sick. Poor thing." She touches Stan on his head gently.
"What did they do to him?" Randy tucks Ruffy under Stan's arm again, grabbing his hand again.
"An MRI, you know that machine that spins around?"
"No? It's fine Sharon. Maybe it's best I don't see it. I don't even like seeing him like this." Randy squeezes Stan's hand.
Sharon took a seat again on the opposite side of Randy to grab Stan's other hand. "It's kind of like an X-ray, it doesn't hurt him, just takes pictures of his insides. They still want to keep him overnight and probably order more testing... did you get a hold of Jimbo?"
"Yeah, he sent Ned and his girlfriend, Rita over to our house to clean up the bathroom and get the soap. I have no idea how well they would clean our bathroom with one arm between the two of them, but I appreciate the offer. I also asked them to get some pajamas and clothes for Stan...and for you."
"Thank you." Sharon gets up to kiss her husband over their sick son.
"I think he'd want you when he wakes up." Randy continued.
"How is Shelley?" Sharon asked, smoothing Stan's hair. "I feel so bad we just left with her Jimbo when Stan got rushed to the hospital. I hope she's not too mad."
Randy sighed. "Jimbo said she cried herself to sleep. I told him to not take her to school tomorrow and I'll come get her in the morning. They're really going to admit Stan?"
"They aren't 100% sure what caused this, so they need to play it safe and run their tests to find it out. But I have a feeling there was coconut in the soap and I didn't look at the ingredients and Stan put it on his face…" Sharon puts a hand over her mouth to cover a sob. "Of course, I make sure he doesn't come in contact with it in food but I didn't think of soaps or anything."
"Coconut is in everything. He might have to look out for Lotion, Sunscreen, Massage oil, Lube, Ahhh when he's older I mean..." Randy let out an awkward laugh before getting serious again. "I just hate seeing him like this. Is that goddamn doctor just sitting on her ass?"
"Randy now stop it, Stanley isn't the only sick child here." Sharon tried to push the chaos and fear from behind that other curtain out of her mind. "We are going to have to go through everything back home and toss all lotions and anything with a trace of coconut. I mean we were doing good with Shelley; she has the allergy too, but again, things always happen with Stan."
Randy grabs Stan's hand again. "You're a tough guy, you won't let this show you down."
"At least he's breathing okay for now... I just hope he isn't traumatized from baths after this." Sharon rubbed her son's other hand.
Door opens again and Dr Gonzales enters. "I went over his results and he had some throat swelling and some congestion in the lungs but it's improving. I'm going to give him more steroids and antihistamines and oxygen as a precaution. One of you will have to come do paperwork to admit him, someone from admin will be in to help register you. Only one parent can stay with children under 18 overnight."
"Only one?" Sharon looks up at Randy. "Who should stay with him? I don't want to leave his side but it's not fair to you either, you're his parent after all as well."
"You know who he will want when he wakes up, besides I have to get Shelly, but we'll visit tomorrow as soon as they let us." Randy was happy to get out of that hospital as soon as possible.
"Are you sure?" Sharon squeezed Randy's hand but knew she was the best choice to stay with Stan.
"Just text me when you get new information." Randy sighed looking down at Stan. "If he weren't sick he would look cute sleeping like that, like he's one of those baby lotion commercials."
Sharon smiled sadly. "He is still our baby. He really is a little angel like this. I'm sorry, Stanley."
"It wasn't your fault, Sharon." Randy kisses his wife and son one more time and leaves to go get the paperwork sorted out.
Nurse Katie comes in. She smiles at Sharon. "So, the doctor ordered your son another bag of IV, we're going to keep flushing his veins with fluid to keep his temperature down, kids are tricky with fevers but he was very lucky they caught the high fever when they did."
Katie pulled out two needles off a tray. "This is the Tylenol to keep his fever down another vial of steroids to keep his swelling down. In another two hours we will taper down the anti-histamine to prepare him for an allergy test. We also want him fully alert when he has his chest X-ray, we want babies to cry so we can see the full lung expansion and we'll need you to hold him during it."
Sharon nods, sniffing again. So much information to take in.
"Are you ready to follow your son to his room?" Katie asks, getting Stan's bed ready.
"Yes, of course. Let's get him settled in for the night so he can get better. I want him awake, but I don't want to hear him crying or in pain." Sharon quickly followed Stan and nurse Katie out of the room.
"It's good when babies cry. It means they can breathe." Katie gave a sad sigh as she put her hand on Sharon's shoulder gently. "How are you doing? I know it's a very stressful time when your child is in the hospital."
Sharon nodded as they stepped into the elevator. "I'm just stressed, I don't know what to think. If Stanley were awake, he'd be crying and putting up a fight with everything, but at least he'd be his normal self. To see him lying there is hard. It's not how he usually is, you know?"
Katie kept quiet for a moment; she had just come from a code where they lost another little boy the same age as this one. She had to tell the boy's parents personally as she handed over a tiny orange parka.
She smiled instead. "Your son will be awake by morning. I suggest you get to sleep so you're taking care of yourself for when he's awake."
"I'll try my best, thank you." Sharon said, holding Stan's hand.
Katie opened the door to a private room. She turned Stan's gurney and carefully lifted the sick boy onto the bed, taking care to keep the blankets off him. She hooked up his vital machine, oxygen, and IV. "Over here is a bed you can sleep in next to his, here is the call button, here is the remote for the tv, the restroom is right over there. The hospital cafeteria starts serving breakfast at 5am. I'll be in until morning shift comes so I'll care for your son during the night. Let me know if you need anything else."
"You are too kind, thank you for everything, really. This should be all I need." Sharon took a seat at Stan's bedside. "I just don't know if I want to sleep or stay awake for him. I don't know if I'll be able to get much sleep."
"Sleep. You and him have a long day tomorrow. I'll try to get one of the cool nurses for day shift for him." Katie winks at her.
Katie pat Sharon on the shoulder, she was planning to take a quick break to go cry in the supply cabinet over the deceased little boy. Then back to taking care of her rounds of patients.
"I should be okay Miss, I'm sure you have other children to tend to." Sharon was left alone with Stan. She was exhausted, frazzled, and scared. She lay down next to him and put a hand on his back. She didn't even remember falling asleep.