The quiet boy

Most of the time, when a child sees me at work, they know they're likely in store for some uncomfortable thing, some painful thing. Tonight a little boy was in with pneumonia. Poor thing. He was wheezy and dyspneic and putting up a strong front. I gave him stickers for his bravery and a coloring book to distract.

While only six years old, little boy X was very impressive. He was so well-behaved. Obeyed his parents, was polite and sweet. The lab tech had to draw some blood: he didn't throw a fit or scream. I had to give him an intramuscular injection. He flinted but didn't make a peep. Not because he was so lethargic but due to the fact that his parents were both there, supporting him, loving him. It was pretty rad.

It's rare to find well-behaved kids in general, let alone when they're sick in the ER. He was my highlight this past shift.