Disclaimers and such with the first chapter! (Don't sue me, it's an un-needed hassle for everyone. I don't own the ER characters.)
I.3. Too Brave
Turning his focus back to Samantha he gave her a quick once-over looking for any other injuries. Not immediately noticing anything, he gave his head a slight shake and decided to focus on the gash in her leg, and then try to figure other things out. Are there any drug interactions with Lidocaine? Think! No, I don't think there are…but don't fuck this up Ray.
"Samantha, it's okay. This is not for Mommy, it's for you, and it will make your cut not hurt, okay?" She eyed him warily, but slowly nodded. "Ready?" She nodded again. "A little pinch…" She remained perfectly still. What child doesn't flinch at a needle? Especially at the site of a laceration of this size…He felt his stomach flip again as he answered his own question. One whose mother is a damn drug addict and fucks her kids up too.
He quickly sutured up the cut. She watched him intently the whole time, silently. No more giggles floated through the room. Her smile had faded. She focused completely on his hands as they worked.
"Are you going to make the policemen come to my house again?" Her voice was soft and scared.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" As he tied off the last stitch, he looked up into her eyes, now wide with fright.
"When Dina came here Mommy said it was her fault the policemen came to my house. She said we shouldn't talk to the policemen. She said they were bad. They would make me go far away, and never ever see Dina again." Dina? That sounds so familiar. Ugh, it's not the name of some band grou—no, DINA! Dina was that adorable little child a few weeks ago! She had a…broken arm? Yeah, and suspected child abuse…
He couldn't ever remember being rendered speechless, especially by a child. This situation was too bizarre. Dina. Sam came back into the room, followed by Wendell. Say something Ray. This is when you can make the child feel better. This is why you became a doctor. This is when you don't show how much it gets to you.
"Sam!" Or you could say something, he thought glancing back at Samantha, the unexpected raising a half smile on his face. Her voice was happy, but her fear was poorly masked, if she was even trying to mask it in the first place. Relieved that Sam was now talking to her, he bandaged up the wound while Sam got ready to take her blood.
"Hey sweetie! This is my friend Wendell. She wants to talk to you, okay?"
"Okay." Her voice had lost all excitement, now sounding tired and scared again.
"She's really nice, I'll bet you can bandage her up too!" Ray's comment brought Samantha's smile back. "Alright, Samantha, your owie is going to get better now. It might hurt, and if it does, tell me and I'll try—I'll make it better, okay?" The words felt awkward in Ray's mouth. Her previous words echoing in his head, he added, "you can tell us if it hurts. You won't get in trouble. Deal?" She smiled for him. Please let that mean she will. "I am going to talk to Wendell right outside, but she will be right back, okay?" He hadn't used all of the tools in the suture kit. He snipped the needle off the thread, held the thread up along with a hemostat, and asked, "do you want to practice your suturing?" She smiled her warm smile again and took the supplies from Ray. Beautiful child. Absolutely beautiful.