The Shot
"It's okay, sweetie," Didi said gently, hugging Tommy close as the exited the elevator. Tommy was terrified out of his little mind, thinking of what Chuckie had told him about the rooster shot. How they pinned you down and stuck you with a sharp thing that hurt… Tommy would have thought Chuckie was lying, because babies weren't supposed to get hurt due to how cute they were but Chuckie had never lied to him before.
He'd tried everything to keep them from going. He'd tried to wiggle away when mommy changed his diaper in the morning, to escape and hide but she'd been too quick. Then he'd tried to ruin his clothing by spilling his breakfast all over it but his mommy had just changed his shirt. He'd screamed and thrashed when they'd went to the car but mommy had still put him in the car seat. And now he was just tired and scared and he… he… he wanted to go home!
Didi wasn't feeling okay either. Tommy had been very fussy that morning. He'd always loved to get away and explore the house but their appointment was early so she couldn't let him. That had made him clearly upset but she'd powered through it. But now in the Doctor's office Tommy was shaking like a leaf, clinging to her shirt. She thought about setting him down to play with the toys but seeing how he was sniffling and whimpering she… she couldn't do it.
"It's okay," she said again, choosing a seat away from everyone else. She began to rock him and sing softly to him, just as she'd done when they'd first gotten him home from the hospital. She wondered if he remembered everything that had happened then and that was why he was so scared. To be honest… Didi was scared too. Her little miracle baby had been through so much and come out so strong and happy but… she was still scared they'd go in there and the doctor would tell her that there was something wrong.
"Mrs. Pickles… maybe you shouldn't see him."
"But he's my baby! And he's all alone in that incubator."
"I know. But it might be best to… not get attached. The odds of the patient surviving-"
"His name's Tommy! And he will survive and he will do so with me by his side!"
So when they were finally called into the examining room Didi, rather than setting Tommy on the cold paper-lined table, kept him firmly on her lap. She rubbed his back and cooed to him. And it turned out all that fear was for nothing. Tommy handled the doctor just fine, not even wincing during the shot, and was given a clean bill of health.
That didn't mean that Didi didn't hug him close the entire walk back to the car. Or that Tommy didn't love it when his mommy spent the rest of the day playing with him.
Just mommy and Tommy.