On the other side...

I don't know if I should have been more intuitive, but Dillon didn't eat anything today. He's 2. Sometimes he just doesn't eat. He was acting like his normal self, getting into everything. He felt a little warm this morning, so I took his temp: 99.1. Hardly anything to get excited about. He's passing gas, and it smells as awful as the dog's, if not worse. Maybe he just ate something and it's messing with his system. I take him to TCU with me, so I can help out with Marci's MDSs while she's swamped and so I can earn a little extra cash. He's cuddly, but he hasn't taken a nap.

Nate comes to get him and they go home. I carry on with my MDSs, and then I get a frantic phone call from Nate telling me he's taking Dillon in. I think he's overreacting; it's just a little throwing up. I don't want to be one of those parents that take their kid in for every little thing...He was fine just a few hours ago; unless he had some fall or some other injury, he doesn't need to go to the ER! I clock out, and meet them in the waiting room at the ER. Dillon is lethargic, and his eyes are glazed over. Maybe Nate knows what he's doing after all. So he's a little tachy, and Deb wants to give him IV fluids. Wait a minute; how did he get so bad so fast?...a small tremor of fear goes through me, and I know it's for the best, but how really, how did he get so dehydrated so fast? Teresa pops the IV in, and with each drop of saline he becomes more animated, more like his usual outgoing into everything self Dillon.

It's hard being on that side of the emergency room. I forget too easily the fear, the anxiety, everything that goes with having a sick loved one waiting to be taken care of. But my co-workers are amazing, and if I can have half as much knowledge and finesse as Teresa someday, I'll be satisfied. Dillon tells her, "Good job buddy" as we leave.

I kissed Nate good-night tonight, and thanked him for being such a good father. He has some good instincts, and maybe I should listen instead of automatically thinking he's wrong...