Page 50 of A Hidden Hope
Charlie nodded, his expression serious. “Yeah, that can happen sometimes.”
He had such a way with kids! It was a talent Evie had always admired in Charlie—his knack for connecting with patients. But now wasn’t the time to add to her Charlie list. “Okay, Timmy, I need to clean the area first. And then Dr. King is going to give you a local anesthetic so you won’t even feel the stitches.”
As Evie cleaned the wound, Charlie observed closely. Quietly, he said, “What’s the best technique for stitching up an eyebrow?”
A gasp. “Hold it a minute,” Timmy’s mother said, reaching out to clasp her son’s shoulder. “I assumed you had experience stitching people up. Maybe we should wait for Dok Stoltzfus.”
“I was just testing Nurse Miller on her knowledge,” Charlie said. He spun on his stool, his knees bump-bumping with Evie as he cast a plea at her.
“We test each other a lot around here,” Evie said. “Keeps us all on our toes. Let’s see, eyebrows.” She looked up at the ceiling, as if reading from a textbook. “Eyebrows are tricky because they have a natural curve. Make sure the edges are perfectly aligned. Timmy doesn’t want a crooked scar.”
“But I do!” Timmy said. “Like Harry Potter.”
“Oh, right!” Charlie said. His finger made a large jagged lightning stroke in the air. “Gotcha.”
“No, no!” his mother said. “I really think we should wait for Dok.”
“Not to worry,” Evie said. “This cut’s not as big as Harry Potter’s, but Timmy definitely needs a couple of stitches.” She made a point to telegraph how many stitches Charlie should make on the eyebrow, just in case he got carried away.
Charlie nodded, absorbing the information. He rolled his shoulders as if preparing for the challenge. “Okay, Harry”—he cleared his throat—“I mean, Timmy. Here we go.” He held thesyringe of local anesthesia in the air. “This will just be a little pinch.”
As soon as the anesthesia took effect, Charlie picked up the needle and thread to begin stitching. Evie kept a close eye, offering tips. “The tension should be even ... There you go. Perfect.” One stitch down.
Charlie was so inexperienced, his skills so ... amateurish. But he was so teachable too. So earnest.
Three stitches took much longer than they should have, but Charlie took great care to finesse each one. Finally, he tied off the thread and leaned back to admire his handiwork. “Impressive, if I do say so myself, Harry.” He cleared his throat and added, with a wink, “I mean, Timmy.” He held up a mirror for Timmy to admire his new scar.
Timmy peered at it, frowning. “I can’t evenseethe stitches.”
Charlie beamed. “Music to my ears.”
Timmy’s mom had been hovering anxiously but relaxed when she saw how tiny the stitches were. Charlie applied a Band-Aid over Timmy’s eyebrow. “Dab some Neosporin on the stitches each day. The stitches will dissolve on their own. Just call the office if you’re concerned about anything.”
At the door, Timmy’s mom turned and said, “I’m sorry I doubted you, Dr. King. I can tell this isn’t your first rodeo.”
As the door closed, Charlie swiveled on the chair to look at Evie. “Ah, but it was.”
Chuckling, Evie took away the tray of used tools and set it on the small counter. “You’re a natural with kids, Charlie.”
He shrugged modestly. “Wren would probably argue that’s because I’m still a big kid myself.”
Evie tried to ignore the Wren reference as she finished changing the paper on the examining table. “I’ll go see if Lena Johnson has arrived for her blood pressure check.”
“I’ll go,” Charlie volunteered.
Another win for Charlie, Evie noted. Most doctors wouldn’t dream of fetching a patient themselves.
Lena Johnson, a jolly woman in her seventies, bustled into the room, her face flushed from her hurried pace. “Hello, dear,” she said, puffing, catching her breath. “Sorry I’m late. It’s been one of those mornings.”
“Worked out just as well,” Evie said. “A little boy needed stitches, and we were able to fit him in.” She handed the blood pressure cuff to Charlie. “So you’ve met Dr. King.”
With that, Charlie took the reins. “Let’s see how your blood pressure is doing today, Mrs. Johnson.” He wrapped the cuff around her arm.
As he fumbled with the cuff, Evie almost stepped in to stop him but decided to let Charlie handle it. Another opportunity for him to learn something new.
As Charlie checked her blood pressure, his brow furrowed. “Quite high,” he said, glancing at her chart on the computer. “Higher than usual.”
“Oh dear!” Lena said anxiously. “I’ve been cutting back on salt like Dok told me.”
