came to check on me too.
âDo you think itâs broken?â asked Carla.
âOnce I broke my arm. I went to the hospital and they x-rayed it,â Sam said. âI could see all my bones.â
âOh, dear,â Gabrielle gasped. âLuckily, I have never broken anything,â
Just then, Mom came flying through the door and I waved with my cut-up hand.
âAre you all right?â she asked.
âYeah, Iâm okay,â I said with a smile.
âHello, everyone,â said Mom. âItâs so nice to see you, Carla.â
âYou too, Mrs. Gibson.â
âNow, letâs check you out, Bean,â Mom said as she looked closely at my finger and moved it around gently. Ouch!
âIt does look broken, honey.â
âReally?â I said. Then I added, âCan I get it x-rayed, so I can see all my bones?â
âYou donât usually need an X-ray for a finger, but I guess we could stop by the hospital on the way home. We can also pick up a splint while weâre there.â
âHello, Mrs. Gibson. My name is Gabrielle.â Gabrielle gave Momâs hand a polite shake. âI was wondering if you might tell me what a splint is?â
âItâs very nice to meet you, Gabrielle,â Mom said. Then she explained, âA splint is something that will hold the finger still, so it doesnât move around.â
âI had a cast on my arm once and everyone signed it and drew pictures,â Sam said.
âWell, Sam, itâs kind of like that, but much smaller, just for your finger.â Mom headed toward the door. âCome on, Bean. Letâs go.â
âFeel better,â Carla said.
âThanks, Carla,â I said.
âBye, Bean,â Sam and Gabrielle called before the door closed behind us.
âLooks like Carla and you have worked things out,â Mom said as we headed to the car. âAnd Gabrielle seems nice too.â
âYep, things are getting much better.â I hopped in and buckled up.
It was pretty cool to have some alone time with Mom. I didnât have to fight for a seat, I could talk about whatever I wanted, and I even got to pick the radio station.
Mom parked the car in the employee parking garage at the hospital. We headed right in through the sliding doors. I think itâs supercool how the doors know when youâre coming and open up all by themselves. I walked in and out and in and out. Open. Close. Opâ
âOkay Bean, thatâs enough. Letâs go.â
I walked through one more time and then followed Mom up the stairs to the second floor. She waved at a man with a shiny bald head standing by the desk in the middle of the room. He was wearing blue scrubs just like hers.
âHey, Jason, could you do me a favor and x-ray my daughterâs hand?â
âAll righty,â said Jason with a warm smile.
He led me into a room with a big cameralike machine. He told me to put my hand flat on the cold surface and then he covered me with a thick bluish-silver blanket. It was heavy and not soft at all. He said it was to protect my insides. I wondered why my hand didnât need protection too.
âIâll be right behind that wall,â he said. âStay very still.â
I sat like a statue and held my breath while Jason slid behind the wall. I could see him pull a lever, which made the lights flash and a buzzer ring. He came inside and gently flipped my hand over and did it all again, then led me back out into the hall where Mom was waiting.
âShe did really well,â Jason told Mom.
Mom and I waited in the hallway while the X-rays developed like film from one of those disposable cameras. The hall was bright white and clean and it smelled like medicine. A guy rolled by in a wheelchair. He was all bandaged up, and he moaned like he hurt all over. Poor thing! Boy, was I glad I only hurt my finger and not my whole body.
Jason finally returned with two big pictures of
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