"Good evening doctor Watson
could you help me with" she gestured towards the small boy with blond curly
hair at the left of her
"with what?" he asked but then turned to the boy "what's the matter?"
"I'm called Lucy his child minder I think he has a fever but his parents
won't provide me with a thermometer or calpol and then he threw up bile. I
brought him here to try and get a prescription for...well, something…"
"ok Lucy. What's his name?"
"John."
"Well isn't that strange." He turned to the boy "that's my name as well."
He smiled and watched as the boy took a small step back. He noticed that the
boy hadn't had much sleep as he had bags under his eyes.
"Ok, John. Can you sit up there for me please?" he pointed to the
examining bed. The boy walked over to it and climbed up clumsily.
"Ok John how old are you?"
The boy had a week voice "six years old on Monday sir."
"Ok that's in two days isn't it?" The boy nodded to answer John's
question.
"John now I would like you to pull your top up so I can examine your
stomach."
"But daddy says I'm not allowed! I'll get into trouble if I do."
"Your dad isn't here though, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me looking John I
am a doctor." John thought the boy's father had been trying to teach him some
manners
"no I will get into trouble." John noticed how the boy was shaking now.
"Look John you will probably get into more trouble if you don't. stay
calm I'm not going to hurt you." Little John nodded and proceeded to pull his
top up.
John gasped "when did you last eat and what was it?"
The boy smiled cheerfully at John clearly remembering "last week on the
Thursday I got it early because I-i-I did something. Daddy says I have to be
good to deserve food."
"Tell me. John, did daddy cause these?" he pointed to the large bruises
on the boy's side
"nope that was mummy. I moved her cigarettes by accident and they fell on
the floor." The boy's eyes quickly filled with tears remembering but he quickly
snapped out of it when he saw john move his hand. He moved it to ruffle the
boy's hair but he flinched as John raised his hand.
"I'm not going to hurt you John. I was going to touch your hair. You stay
there I'll be back in a minute. Lucy could you step out here a minute please?"
Lucy followed john out they closed the door so little John couldn't hear
them.
"Lucy did you know his parents did this to him?"
"No, not at all. I get paid from two o'clock till four so I don't eat with him.
Sorry."
"No that's ok Lucy you can go now tell Sarah that I need to speak with
her please. The woman at the desk."
"Ok."
Lucy walked away and John went back inside the room