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Chapter 151
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Boxing Day in Montreal: Allie Visits
Doctor Haversham But Has Doubts
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After eating a celebratory breakfast of Millicent's special Tropical Pancakes, which Allie deemed her favorite breakfast ever, Nathan walked his fiancée and daughter, while Hendrix escorted his own intended, Estella, outside to their waiting limousine.
There, Allie's grandmothers, Aunties Luciana, Margaret, and Pippa, as well as her Cousin Maggie, were all patiently waiting.
Today had turned into quite the big event, with all the ladies wanting to support their Allie, the newest member of the family. And Allie couldn't have been more excited or pleased!
Yes, her ear piercing had taken on a whole new life of its own, with all the women of the family not only insisting on attending but also making the event a huge party after with a special lunch, which thrilled Allie to no end.
Though Maggie was at least a couple of years away from having her own ears pierced, the child insisted she needed to also be there to support her cousin, while secretly wanting to learn what the process was all about!
"Allie, just be sure this is what you want," urged her Dad. "Once you do it, it can't be undone."
"I'm positive, Dad! Don't worry. I'm going to be fine!" she answered both confidently and optimistically.
Nathan kissed his daughter's cheek, trying not to think about what was about to happen to her.
"I just have to adjust, Allie Girl! Despite my wants and wishes, you're growing up on me. Just promise me you'll stay little for your old Dad a while longer, okay?"
"I promise Dad! Besides, no matter how big I get, I'll always be your Little Girl."
That brought out her Dad's lop-sided grin, which literally blazed across his face, as those were the exact words Nathan needed to hear this morning.
"She'll be fine, Darling! Colleen and I survived it, and so did our mothers, and our grandmothers before them. Besides, I'm sure Dr. Haversham will use the latest technique. Just be sure to compliment Allie's earrings when we get home!" reminded Millicent in an added whisper. "Nothing is more important today than her Dad telling her how beautiful she looks!"
"Thanks for the reminder, Love! I promise I won't forget. And thank you for doing this. I'm sure I couldn't begin to manage it all!"
Millicent giggled.
"Not tough enough to watch a little piercing?" she teased.
"Not when it's my daughter being pierced!" he answered emphatically.
"Completely understood! Truthfully, I'm not relishing the thought either, but it appears this is one of those tasks that falls to us women, Love! Don't worry, everything will be fine. You just enjoy going riding with the men of the family today!"
Nathan sighed, then brightened.
"Looking forward to that! Been missing Newton something awful. Besides I get to try out my new Ranch clothes compliments of my gorgeous fiancée! You know what, I've been itching to ride Black Feather too, though I suppose that's going to have to wait till we get back to the ranch after our Honeymoon!"
"Honeymoon! I love the sound of that! Speaking of the ranch, you have many surprises awaiting there, my Love. Hey, why don't you ride Champion today? He's plenty feisty, with a wonderful heart, and I think, might even challenge you a bit!"
"Champion it is!"
The two kissed goodbye, both looking forward to that moment when they'd be reunited later in the day.
"Oh, we're having a Ladies' Lunch after, so you men will have to fend for yourself as far as food. Is that okay?"
"Edward already has our lunch covered, thank you very much, and we men aren't telling our secrets!"
"You men and your secrets! Sounds fun, though! Don't forget we're supposed to stop by Sarah and Scotty's this evening to meet the pup. Enjoy your day, Love!"
"I'm looking forward to meeting that little puppy! As long as our daughter doesn't get any ideas, that is! You girls have fun, too. Babe, I'll miss you!"
"I'll miss you, too, Baby! Oh, I was just thinking that with the time difference, all our friends from Hope Valley have already boarded their train earlier this morning and have started their journey to our Wedding! That's exciting!"
"So very exciting!"
He gave Millicent one last longing kiss, though again, more chaste than usual due to their audience, then helped seat her in the back with the rest of the family.
After, Nathan helped seat the cousins, moving Maggie from the back, kissing both Allie and her on their cheeks, then leaving them with one last Dad joke, but seating them up front since both girls insisted on always sitting with Albert!
In no time at all the ladies were off for their momentous morning, as Nathan and Hendrix, feeling quite helpless, stood forlornly in the drive, waving goodbye to the women they loved…
"Ladies, here we are at the Doctor's Office, though I thought it best to pull to the back," announced Albert, as he jumped out to open the limo doors.
Experience had taught him to use the back entrance for privacy, but remain tightly flanked by the two security cars, as they were in a seldom used alley, and one could never be too cautious.
Millicent was first out, so she could check on Allie.
"Are you doing all right, Sweetheart?"
"Yes, I'm so excited," but then her daughter leaned in and whispered. "But, Momma, maybe a tiny bit nervous, too? Is that okay?"
"I'll tell you a secret," answered Millicent conspiratorially. "So was I when I got mine done. And so was your mother. I know so because she told me. See that's perfectly normal, Sweetheart, so don't worry. Come, are you ready for me to introduce you to Doctor Haversham and his Nurse?"
"Yes, Ma'am," answered Allie, but a bit hesitantly. "I think so."
Hand in hand, Millicent led Allie through the back door, with their entourage following closely behind.
The Ladies were soon met by the good Doctor himself, along with his smiling Nurse.
"Allie, this is Dr. Haversham, who's taken care of me for as long as I can remember! And this is my dear friend, Nurse Leandré. They'll take excellent care of you today! Dr. Haversham, Nurse Leandré, this is my daughter, Alison Rose Grant, known as Allie," introduced Millicent, purposely not using her friends' first names so that Allie would know how to address them properly.
"Welcome, Miss Allie," smiled the doctor. "I have one more patient to finish up with, then I'll be in to get this procedure underway. My Nurse is going to follow you into your exam room and get you ready for me! Please do see that our patient is numbed up very well, Nurse," the doctor reminded. "But as for my patient, I need you to choose three people to go in with you as I'm afraid the exam room is quite small. The rest of your group can make themselves comfortable in my private office just across the hall, here."
Dr. Haversham knew he could have placed the group in a larger exam room, but experience had taught him, to keep the numbers in attendance small, in order to minimize any patient nerves.
"Momma, will you, Gramma, and Grandmama come with me, please?"
"Of course, Pumpkin," smiled Sophia, suddenly remembering holding Colleen's hand for this very same procedure all those years ago.
"Tori, why does it feel like yesterday when we did this for Colleen and Millicent?" she asked her best friend with tears starting to dampen her eyes.
"I don't know, Soph. Time just seems to fly! And though I hate to admit it, it seems to be moving faster and faster as we get older."
"Ladies, please make yourself comfortable in this far exam room," directed Nurse Leandré as Dr. Haversham directed the rest of the family into his plush office.
Outwardly, Millicent was being as encouraging and positive to Allie as possible, but she also was watching her daughter closely because she was determined that Allie not feel pressured to do something she wasn't ready to do, in any way.
"Miss Allie, I need you to wash your hands right here in this clean basin, using this special soap, please. Just scrub as best you can!"
Allie did as she was told.
"That's perfect! Now, we'll need you to sit right here on the end of our examination table," directed the Nurse. "There's no need for a gown today, but I do want to wipe your ears with an antiseptic before we start numbing them up with ice packs. Are you ready?"
Millicent had already pinned Allie's hair half-back earlier this morning, and tied it with a pretty blue bow, knowing it would need to be pulled away from her ears.
"Yes, Ma'am, I'm…I'm ready!"
Allie seemed chipper enough, but Millicent noticed her daughter's response wasn't as confident and her voice was a bit shaky, which greatly concerned her.
She also noticed a change in Allie's eyes, looking anxious.
"Oh, here are the earrings Allie's wanting to use. They were mine when I first got my own ears pierced," explained Millicent.
Then she handed over the tiny diamond hearts knowing they would need to be wiped with antiseptic.
"These are so lovely, Miss Allie. They're just perfect for your first earrings. If I had these, I don't think I'd ever take them out!"
"Thank you, Nurse. I love them so much! But I especially love that they are Momma's."
The nurse quickly used a diluted 0.2% phenol solution to prevent any skin irritation and wiped down the prospective earrings. She then wiped down Allie's ears both front and back, making sure both earrings and ears were fully cleansed. Then she began preparing two sterile ice packs for the front and back of each ear. (*198)
To distract her patient, Nurse Leandré asked Allie to use her right hand to hold the dual pack on her right ear, and then use her left hand to do the same on her left ear.
"Nurse, do you mind to give us a few moments alone? I'd like to talk with my daughter."
"Of course, Miss Bradford. Take all the time you need. I'll be back in a bit to check on our patient," winked the Nurse.
As soon as Nurse Leandré closed the exam room door, Millicent knelt before Allie, taking both of her hands.
"Allie, you know, tradition is a funny thing. It can sometimes be a very wonderful thing for us to honor by keeping things the same, but at other times, it's best to set our own individual paths and change things up a bit. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Yes. But, Momma, I want to do this. It's just…it's just…it's a little scary now that we're really here."
"Of course, it is! This is one of those times, though, that you need to decide what's best for you, without any pressure from anyone else; not even tradition. You know, you don't have to get your ears pierced today, Allie. That can be done when you're older or if you decide, not at all!"
"But we're going to have a celebration lunch, and if I don't, we won't have anything to celebrate."
"Oh, Allie, whether you pierce your ears or not, we are going to have lunch to celebrate you! Beautiful, kind, loving, smart, thoughtful you! Again, with or without your ears pierced!"
"So, you mean I really don't have to?"
"That's exactly what I mean, Angel, you definitely do not have to at all! I just want you to decide what's right for you, and when you decide, be sure it's what you truly want."
"Does it hurt really bad?"
"It does hurt badly, but for just a few seconds, and then it's done, and the pain instantly goes away," answered Millicent as honestly as she could.
"But what does it feel like, Momma?"
"Let me think back. I know! It sort of feels like when you have blood drawn, and they stick the needle in, but it's much, much quicker than that because nothing is being drawn out. Does that make sense?"
Allie thought for a minute or so, then brightened.
"Momma, I've never been scared when Dr. Carson or Dr. Faith has had to check my blood. Opal said the needle was huge and that it would hurt a lot, but I watched the whole thing when they did mine, and that needle wasn't huge at all. It was little and it just hurt a little bit. Will you and Gramma hold my hands?"
"Absolutely, right Sophia?"
"Right, Allie Girl! We'll hold them both as tightly as we can," promised her Gramma.
Allie was quiet, thinking for a minute.
"Then I want to do it!"
"Are you positive, Allie?" asked her Momma, wanting her daughter to be sure and to be deciding for the right reasons.
Allie smiled broadly and shook her head up and down in the affirmative.
"I am sure, Momma! I got scared there for a minute or two, but the three of you aren't going to let anything bad happen to me and Dr. Haversham seems like a nice man. He won't hurt me any more than he has to. I really want to wear your diamond earrings, Momma. And I know now after what you told me I don't have to, but I want to do what you and my mother did; I want to follow the tradition even if it does hurt a little bit. Besides, I want to wear my earrings for our Wedding! And I want to look grown-up, too!"
"You, Sweetie, already look grown up by the mature way you carry yourself," assured Millicent. "You don't need to have your ears pierced to do that. But I do understand wanting to wear your earrings for our Wedding. Are you absolutely sure, Allie…"
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198. 0.2% Phenol, though toxic at higher strengths, was often used historically as an antiseptic for wounds, first used in 1860 by Küchenmeister as a wound dressing in Germany; substituted phenols and to some extent phenol itself, are still used today in antiseptics, disinfectants, and preservatives. Public Domain.
