Staples In Time

We got the mess and Gabe's head cleaned up. We took Gabe to several "storefront" emergency rooms but, they all rejected us because they couldn't verify our health insurance. Finally, I took Stephan and Mackenzie to rehearsal and then took Gabe to an emergency room at a local hospital.

We'd gotten him to stop bleeding by than but, they still got him in to be seen by a doctor in under an hour. Pretty dog gone good, according to my emergency room experience. The physician had an assistant with her. I don't know if he was a physician's assistant or an intern. I do know that Gabe saved him a trip to the dentist and me a few days in jail.

They told me he was going to need staples. I guess they save time over stitches? They told me to hold his head still. I figured they were going to give him a pain killer shot. That's what they did to me when I needed three stitches in my head as a kid. They were behind him and I was in front of him. Looking him in the eyes I held his head between my hands. I was smiling and saying, "Look at me, son". When they turned around the guy had a staple gun in his hands and quickly popped two staples in my little boy's head!

Gabe immediately started shaking and crying. I held him close to comfort him and started planning how badly I was going to cuss this guy out once I was confident that Gabe was OK. In the midst of his convulsive crying, Gabe turned around, pointed at the man and said, "You go away!" And he did.

For the second time that Saturday he had me smiling at a time I never would have considered it.

The bill was $500. Two weeks later, when it was time to get the staples out, I knew I could not afford another $500 so, I took them out myself. He complained a little but, he never cried once. He was and is a pretty tough kid.

I am a blessed man.

I am amazed at how easily my kids teach me better ways to deal with life. Gabe had someone in his life causing him (in his estimation - and mine) unnecessary pain. Instead of getting angry and violent Gabe simply acknowledged his pain and told the person to get out of his life. To my knowledge, we have never seen that man again. It may not work every time but, it is an excellent first response. At least, that's my view from here.