The Size of It: Field
Aug. 9th, 2012 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warYesterday a woman came up to the deli with her two kids.She wanted a sandwich and some Chinese food. This wouldn't have been a big deal except while she was taking forever eating samples to help her decide which of two entrees was the one she liked (they don't look anything alike to me, beside both being breaded chicken with sticky sauce on them: one has seeds on it) her son was moaning at her side. He was about seven and his sounds reminded me of the time when my middle child got dental work as a three year old. They put him out, but not all the way and my parents, who were giving me the ride, decided that they were going to stop at their favorite fast food place on the way back, despite the dentist saying we should take him straight home. My little boy was in pain and just needed to be home in his own bed, but try as I could I couldn't get everyone to eat faster so we could get home. I will never forget that day or his pain.
And that's what the little boy sounded like. He was in pain. She should take him home. His just older sister was obviously annoyed with him (she fake strangle him while her mother's back was turned). I could not figure out why the woman insisted on eating the entire large sample instead of only one bite of each. Surely if she had a favorite she would know right away. And then she finally decided and then I made her the sandwich. While we walked from China case to sandwich bar, I got the first good look at the kid. I wasn't surprised to see ace bandages on his arms. She should just take him home. I made the sandwich as quickly as I could.
As I rang her up, the boy tugged at her arm, like he's been doing the entire time (while she ignored him). She said he was a trying child, but she loved him. He doesn't talk, so she should have paid better attention. They'd just been to the doctor and it was a regular thing. By the time she left, I felt sorry for her. Plus, she didn't seem like the brightest candle in the room.
(Although school can't start soon enough if it will give the girl some space from her brother. She bullies him. I can tell because I had a brother that annoyed the heck out of me too and I can spot the signs.)
I saw things I hope I'd do different if I were in the mother's situation, but people probably said/say the same thing about my parenting.
Title: Field
Status: Complete
Length: 1.1k
Summary: Aksell is having a busy day, but Micah brightens it.
Masterlist
Aksell blew out his breath slowly. He liked his job, love it in fact, but days when his doctor was scheduled for urgent care were either boring or hectic. Today was one of the hectic ones.
“Aksell,” asked Rachel, Dr. Ivory’s other nurse, “Can I switch lunches with you. I missed breakfast and I’m starving.”
Then what had she been doing during her extended break an hour ago?
Aksell sighed.
Estelle, the receptionist, shook her head. She said Rachel was always going to be a user and she, Aksell, and the others had to protect themselves.
Dolly, the other receptionist on duty, walked over to the window between the reception area and the back. “Aksell? You have a guest.”
Aksell leaned forward on the windowsill until his feet lifted off the floor, but he still couldn’t see far into the waiting room. Who could it be? His mom hadn’t said anything about doctors’ appointments for the little ones. He leaned further. A wheel came into view.
He jumped down and hurried into the waiting room.
Micah grinned at him. “Have you had lunch yet?”
Aksell wanted to kiss Micah right there in front of everyone, but he held it in. Maybe they’d go somewhere they could display their affection not quite so publically. “In five minutes.”
Micah grinned and patted his laptop bag. “Take as much time as you need.”
“Aksell?” Rachel stood in the doorway.
“Are we ready for the next patient?” He took the yellow sheet from the box and checked the wall to see which room was empty.
“Who is that?”
Aksell looked up at the women. “That’s Micah, my boyfriend.”
“He’s your boyfriend? The guy that took you rock-climbing?”
“Yeah.” Aksell tried to dim his grin to work appropriate levels. “And paragliding and snowboarding and hiking through the woods. That guy. He’s the funniest, bravest, smartest guy ever and my family likes him.”
Aksell stepped into the waiting room. “Dougie?”
A woman and three young boys stood up and walked up to him.
Aksell smiled. “Which one of you is Dougie?”
The middle sized boy lifted his head and his brothers looked at him and Mom put her hand on Dougie’s head. Dougie was the one cradling his left arm with his right hand, but that didn’t always signify the patient. The other boys held books and mom had a bag.
Aksell led the way to the scales. “We will be in room seven. You can put you things in there for now.”
The oldest boy turned to his mother. “I’ll wait in the room.”
Dougie lifted his chin. “I’m almost seven.”
Aksell smiled. “What’s your birthday?”
The boy recited the day and month.
“And the year?”
Dougie looked to his mother and then parroted back what she said. Aksell wrote Dougie’s height on the yellow paper. It already had his name, preferred nickname, and birth date.
“Good,” said Aksell. “And your full name?”
Dougie knew that including both his middle names. Kids normally did. Aksell led him around the corner to the scales. Mom lifted the youngest off and Dougie stepped on.
“We always ask to make sure you are the right Dougie.” Aksell noted the Dougie’s weight and turned to room seven.
“Are you always the right Ak-sea-el?” Dougie frowned.
“Ak-sell,” said Mom. “And I see your family name is Rose. Are your parent’s music lovers?”
Aksell smiled. He got this question all the time. “My birth mother named me for the singer and my parents only changed the spelling when they adopted me.”
Dougie struggled up onto the examination table without using his sore arm. His mother stepped in to help. The next question could be akward, especially when parents and kids didn’t share a skin color like in his family. He smiled at Mom, “And you’re mom?”
She introduced herself.
“We’re not adopted,” said Dougie. “My daddy is darker than you. He was born in Africa.”
Aksell nodded. “That’s a great place to be born.”
“And he’s really smart and he’s on a business trip to England and he makes computers.”
The oldest boy sighed. “He doesn’t make computers. He designs computers. Who is the guy in the wheelchair?”
Aksell glanced at Mom. One could never tell a parent’s reaction. “He’s my boyfriend. He designs games.”
“What kind of games?”
“Computer games.”
The oldest boy nodded and looked back at his book.
“He’s in a wheelchair,” said Dougie.
“He was born with a genetic condition that makes his legs not work the way yours do, but he’s the fastest snowborder I know.”
Mom nodded. “Lower center of gravity.”
Aksell smiled at her. “Something like that.”
He stood at the computer and typed in Dougie’s vitals. “And what brings you here today?”
Dougie held up the hand he’d been cradling. “I hurt it.”
“What happened?”
Dougie told a long complicated story with many additions from his mother and brothers. It sounded like a story told at Aksell’s house.
Aksell paraphrased it in half a dozen sentences. “Doctor Ivory will be in in a moment.”
He stepped out. Ivory looked up from filling out paperwork at the nurses’ station. “I hear you have someone waiting for you.”
Aksell’s grin broke free. “Micah’s come to take me to lunch.”
Ivory patted Aksell’s shoulder. “Have fun.”
“I will.”
And he did.
Micah had packed a picnic lunch and they laid blankets under an oak tree in field across from the clinic and fed each other bits of rolled up sandwiches and grapes. They spend the last few minutes of Aksell’s lunch cuddling with lots of kisses.
And to top all that off, Micah walked Aksell back to work and bid him farewell in the lobby, within sight though the double doors of Aksell’s coworkers, but not of the patients in the waiting room.
He crossed the waiting room and entered the back through the employee entrance. As he washed his hands, Dougie and his family trooped out. Dougie stopped by the sink told of his adventures in the doctor’s office including a good enough description of the xray lab tech for Aksell to guess who was working. Aksell listened attentively and nodded in all the right places and admired Dougie’s new wrist brace.
When the family left, Ivory stepped out of room nine and grinned. “Your boyfriend is the affectionate type?”
Aksell thought for a moment. “Micah lives every moment to the fullest.”
Ivory grinned wider. “Like I said, the affectionate type. My Philemon is the same way.” Ivory passed Aksell a sheaf of papers. “This room is ready for you.”
Aksell heard the child crying before he opened the door, but he could deal with this, as well as any questions people might have about Micah. He could do anything. He had the most wonderful boyfriend in the world and they were going to spend Aksell’s next day off together.
And that's what the little boy sounded like. He was in pain. She should take him home. His just older sister was obviously annoyed with him (she fake strangle him while her mother's back was turned). I could not figure out why the woman insisted on eating the entire large sample instead of only one bite of each. Surely if she had a favorite she would know right away. And then she finally decided and then I made her the sandwich. While we walked from China case to sandwich bar, I got the first good look at the kid. I wasn't surprised to see ace bandages on his arms. She should just take him home. I made the sandwich as quickly as I could.
As I rang her up, the boy tugged at her arm, like he's been doing the entire time (while she ignored him). She said he was a trying child, but she loved him. He doesn't talk, so she should have paid better attention. They'd just been to the doctor and it was a regular thing. By the time she left, I felt sorry for her. Plus, she didn't seem like the brightest candle in the room.
(Although school can't start soon enough if it will give the girl some space from her brother. She bullies him. I can tell because I had a brother that annoyed the heck out of me too and I can spot the signs.)
I saw things I hope I'd do different if I were in the mother's situation, but people probably said/say the same thing about my parenting.
Title: Field
Status: Complete
Length: 1.1k
Summary: Aksell is having a busy day, but Micah brightens it.
Masterlist
Aksell blew out his breath slowly. He liked his job, love it in fact, but days when his doctor was scheduled for urgent care were either boring or hectic. Today was one of the hectic ones.
“Aksell,” asked Rachel, Dr. Ivory’s other nurse, “Can I switch lunches with you. I missed breakfast and I’m starving.”
Then what had she been doing during her extended break an hour ago?
Aksell sighed.
Estelle, the receptionist, shook her head. She said Rachel was always going to be a user and she, Aksell, and the others had to protect themselves.
Dolly, the other receptionist on duty, walked over to the window between the reception area and the back. “Aksell? You have a guest.”
Aksell leaned forward on the windowsill until his feet lifted off the floor, but he still couldn’t see far into the waiting room. Who could it be? His mom hadn’t said anything about doctors’ appointments for the little ones. He leaned further. A wheel came into view.
He jumped down and hurried into the waiting room.
Micah grinned at him. “Have you had lunch yet?”
Aksell wanted to kiss Micah right there in front of everyone, but he held it in. Maybe they’d go somewhere they could display their affection not quite so publically. “In five minutes.”
Micah grinned and patted his laptop bag. “Take as much time as you need.”
“Aksell?” Rachel stood in the doorway.
“Are we ready for the next patient?” He took the yellow sheet from the box and checked the wall to see which room was empty.
“Who is that?”
Aksell looked up at the women. “That’s Micah, my boyfriend.”
“He’s your boyfriend? The guy that took you rock-climbing?”
“Yeah.” Aksell tried to dim his grin to work appropriate levels. “And paragliding and snowboarding and hiking through the woods. That guy. He’s the funniest, bravest, smartest guy ever and my family likes him.”
Aksell stepped into the waiting room. “Dougie?”
A woman and three young boys stood up and walked up to him.
Aksell smiled. “Which one of you is Dougie?”
The middle sized boy lifted his head and his brothers looked at him and Mom put her hand on Dougie’s head. Dougie was the one cradling his left arm with his right hand, but that didn’t always signify the patient. The other boys held books and mom had a bag.
Aksell led the way to the scales. “We will be in room seven. You can put you things in there for now.”
The oldest boy turned to his mother. “I’ll wait in the room.”
Dougie lifted his chin. “I’m almost seven.”
Aksell smiled. “What’s your birthday?”
The boy recited the day and month.
“And the year?”
Dougie looked to his mother and then parroted back what she said. Aksell wrote Dougie’s height on the yellow paper. It already had his name, preferred nickname, and birth date.
“Good,” said Aksell. “And your full name?”
Dougie knew that including both his middle names. Kids normally did. Aksell led him around the corner to the scales. Mom lifted the youngest off and Dougie stepped on.
“We always ask to make sure you are the right Dougie.” Aksell noted the Dougie’s weight and turned to room seven.
“Are you always the right Ak-sea-el?” Dougie frowned.
“Ak-sell,” said Mom. “And I see your family name is Rose. Are your parent’s music lovers?”
Aksell smiled. He got this question all the time. “My birth mother named me for the singer and my parents only changed the spelling when they adopted me.”
Dougie struggled up onto the examination table without using his sore arm. His mother stepped in to help. The next question could be akward, especially when parents and kids didn’t share a skin color like in his family. He smiled at Mom, “And you’re mom?”
She introduced herself.
“We’re not adopted,” said Dougie. “My daddy is darker than you. He was born in Africa.”
Aksell nodded. “That’s a great place to be born.”
“And he’s really smart and he’s on a business trip to England and he makes computers.”
The oldest boy sighed. “He doesn’t make computers. He designs computers. Who is the guy in the wheelchair?”
Aksell glanced at Mom. One could never tell a parent’s reaction. “He’s my boyfriend. He designs games.”
“What kind of games?”
“Computer games.”
The oldest boy nodded and looked back at his book.
“He’s in a wheelchair,” said Dougie.
“He was born with a genetic condition that makes his legs not work the way yours do, but he’s the fastest snowborder I know.”
Mom nodded. “Lower center of gravity.”
Aksell smiled at her. “Something like that.”
He stood at the computer and typed in Dougie’s vitals. “And what brings you here today?”
Dougie held up the hand he’d been cradling. “I hurt it.”
“What happened?”
Dougie told a long complicated story with many additions from his mother and brothers. It sounded like a story told at Aksell’s house.
Aksell paraphrased it in half a dozen sentences. “Doctor Ivory will be in in a moment.”
He stepped out. Ivory looked up from filling out paperwork at the nurses’ station. “I hear you have someone waiting for you.”
Aksell’s grin broke free. “Micah’s come to take me to lunch.”
Ivory patted Aksell’s shoulder. “Have fun.”
“I will.”
And he did.
Micah had packed a picnic lunch and they laid blankets under an oak tree in field across from the clinic and fed each other bits of rolled up sandwiches and grapes. They spend the last few minutes of Aksell’s lunch cuddling with lots of kisses.
And to top all that off, Micah walked Aksell back to work and bid him farewell in the lobby, within sight though the double doors of Aksell’s coworkers, but not of the patients in the waiting room.
He crossed the waiting room and entered the back through the employee entrance. As he washed his hands, Dougie and his family trooped out. Dougie stopped by the sink told of his adventures in the doctor’s office including a good enough description of the xray lab tech for Aksell to guess who was working. Aksell listened attentively and nodded in all the right places and admired Dougie’s new wrist brace.
When the family left, Ivory stepped out of room nine and grinned. “Your boyfriend is the affectionate type?”
Aksell thought for a moment. “Micah lives every moment to the fullest.”
Ivory grinned wider. “Like I said, the affectionate type. My Philemon is the same way.” Ivory passed Aksell a sheaf of papers. “This room is ready for you.”
Aksell heard the child crying before he opened the door, but he could deal with this, as well as any questions people might have about Micah. He could do anything. He had the most wonderful boyfriend in the world and they were going to spend Aksell’s next day off together.
