“You got it.”He twisted as best he could in his seat.“Tori, honey.You need to see the doctor.It’s important when you’re hurt to get the right people to help you.”
“Is her broked?Is her broked like you?”Peter was staring, sniffling, but staying mostly calm.
“It’s her arm rather than her leg, but yeah, I think she’s broken her arm.It happens sometimes when you play hard, you know?”He kept his own voice calm, pretending everything was easy breezy.
“Oh, my poor, poor sisser.”Peter sniffled.
“She’ll be fine,” Ian said from the driver’s seat.“I broke my arm roller blading when I was six.I was in a cast for six weeks, and it’s all fine.”Ian smiled and held one arm up.“See?Perfect.And look at my leg – look at how much better it is than when I first got here.Broken bones heal, and they heal fast when you’re little.Everyone is going to be just fine.All of us.Especially Tori.”
Peter turned back to his sister.“See, Tori?You be fine.I promises.”
They pulled up at the emergency entrance.“I’ll take her in,” JP offered.“You can park and bring Pete?”He knew Ian wanted to be with Tory, but he sure as hell couldn’t drive the SUV himself.
“All right.We’ll be right in.Can you carry her without falling?”
“Yes.”Because he had to so he would.
He got out and opened the back door to undo Tori’s seatbelt.“Come on, Tori.”
“Dad.Dad, help me.I want to go home!”
“As soon as we have the doctor check you out, okay?Your Daddy is worried, so we need to do this.”He limped into Emergency and went right up to the window.“Excuse me, my daughter’s broken her arm.”
“Oh no.Okay, come to the triage area, through those doors.”
“My husband and our son are parking the car.”
The woman at the desk nodded and ushered them into an area with a vitals machine and a nurse at a desk.
“I hear someone broke her arm?”The nurse behind the desk asked.“Curtain three.I’ll be there in a moment to get your information.In the meantime, I’ll take her health card.”
“Uh, I don’t have it.My husband is parking the car and will be here soon.Is that okay?”
She nodded and he headed for curtain three where he sat with Tori still in his arms.
“Dad.Dad, please.Please, I want to go home to my toys.I want to go home.”She was breaking his heart.
“Soon, baby girl.Okay?”He rocked her, feeling like shit that he couldn’t give her what she wanted.
“Promise.No shots, okay?No shots?”
Fuck a doodle goddamn doo.
“I’m not a doctor, honey…” He couldn’t promise her that.
The nurse came back with a couple of doctors, a tech, and a portable x-ray machine.“We’re going to take pictures.It won’t hurt.Can I give her some juice with ibuprofen in it, just to ease things?”
“Yes.I just want her to stop hurting.”He’d take it for her if he could.
“This will help a lot.”She handed over a sippy cup filled orange juice.
“Have some juice, Tori.”He held the cup up to her lips.
“Is it posin?”
“No, honey.It’s orange juice.”
“It’s not poison.”The doctor — who was young, a gentle smile on her face, heavy black braid over her shoulder – was the one who answered.“It is juice with medicine.It will make your arm feel better.”
