“Wright? That’s my last name too.”
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he extended his hand. “I’m Ethan, probably your distant cousin.”
“Delaney.” She shook his hand. The man seemed genuinely kind, his grip gentle and firm.
He focused on the patient. “And you must be Charlotte. I hear you’re not feeling so great today.”
Charlotte pressed closer to Delaney, eyeing the doctor warily.
“She was fine before her nap, but she woke up with the fever and the rash.”
“Do you mind if I have a look?” Dr. Wright directed the question at Charlotte. When she shrugged one shoulder, he studied the welts on her face and neck, then those on her arms. “Anywhere else?” he asked Delaney.
“Her stomach.”
He checked, then looked at her throat and ears. Delaney held Charlotte’s hand throughout the examination, murmuring reassurances.
“Has she been anywhere unusual recently?” Dr. Wright asked. “Playing outside, maybe?”
“We were at the park this morning,” Delaney said. “She ran into the woods.”
“I wasn’t s’posed to.”
“I see.” Dr. Wright nodded thoughtfully. “Did you touch any pretty plants?”
“Uh-huh. I found green berries with fuzzy on ’em.”
“Ah.” He looked at Delaney as if she should have had the same realization he just did.
“Ah…what?”
“Poison oak.”
“Really? What does it look like?”
He squinted as if she’d surprised him. “Where are you from that you don’t know poison oak?”
“Maine. We have poison ivy.”
He studied her for so long that she started to feel uncomfortable. Then, he seemed to shake off whatever had distracted him. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, then lifted it to show Charlotte. “Is that what you saw?”
“Uh-huh.”
He angled so Delaney could see green berries and their leafy little bushes. Charlotte had been plopped right in the middle of a big clump of those a couple of hours ago. “Poison oak?” she confirmed.
“Yup. Little Charlotte’s having an extreme reaction.” He focused on the child. “I know the berries are pretty, but you need to stay away from them. They’re poisonous.”
Her eyes rounded. “Am I gonna die?”
“Nope.” He smiled to calm her. “You’re just gonna be uncomfortable.”
She accepted that, nodding around the thumb she’d stuck in her mouth.
“I’m going to prescribe an antihistamine to help with the itching and hydrocortisone cream for the rash. I recommend oat and baking soda baths to soothe her skin.” Dr. Wright confirmed the pharmacy, then tapped into the computer at the edge of the room. “I’m also going to give her a low dose of prednisone to reduce the swelling and speed up healing. Since the reaction is so severe and she has a fever, I’ll add an antibiotic as well.”
Delaney nodded, feeling both relieved and guilty. She should have caught Charlotte before she’d touched those plants. On the other hand, she wouldn’t have known to steer her away. “How long until she starts feeling better?”
“The antihistamines should help with the itching within an hour, but the rash itself will take several days to clear up completely.” He turned from the computer. “I’ve sent them straight there, so hopefully you won’t have to wait long. Make sure she doesn’t scratch. It can lead to infection.”
