had to stop right now.
“I’ll take responsibility, if that will help,” Sara said.
I had forgotten she was still on the hall. Right now all that entered my muddled brain about this whole situation was that Stevie was on the floor in a serious meltdown and I was about to be pulled away. Sara was still talking however.
“Jesse is really the only one who can soothe the child. He’s going to start hyperventilating if we don’t calm him soon, and that wouldn’t be in his best interest either.”
“Friday” nodded and “Officer Gannon” let go of my arms. I knelt down to talk to Stevie where he lay on the floor face down, writhing and screaming.
Drew had slumped down beside him, knowing by now that Stevie needed touch to help him calm down, so he rubbed circles on his back while I spoke to him. “Come on, big guy. You need to get this under control. Come on. Lie still, Stevie.”
He finally did do that much, and his screams were slowly transitioning into sobs. Drew pulled him up to a seated position and leaned him against his chest, still rubbing circles while I spoke.
“That’s it, sport. Man, I know it’s hard to stay calm right now. All this emotion. I’m sure it hurts. You’re doing great, Steve.”
A few more moments and he was just silently crying. He turned toward me and tried to hug me, but of course I couldn’t return it, and that was beginning to upset him again. He started wriggling again and whining.
“Hey. It’s okay, big guy. You know I’d hug you if I could, but I need to go with these nice police officers now, okay? And it’s their rule that I have to be in cuffs. Everything will be okay, sport.”
He sat back against Drew, and looked me in the eye. His voice was so broken, it broke my heart. “I don’t want you to go, Bear.”
“I know, Stevie. But remember when your teacher talked about police officers in class?” He nodded. “She said they help people, right?” Another nod. “Well, right now, for some reason these nice men think it will help if I go with them for a while.” Stevie wasn’t convinced. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I heard the lead police officer say something about threatening the child with the fact that he’s not safe for long even when I’m gone, but I focused on Stevie. “We have to listen to police officers, right, sport? When you’re all big and become a police officer, and you think it would be best for someone to come with you, you would want them to listen to you, don’t you think? Even if they really, really, didn’t want to go.”
“I guess, Bear, but—”
“I know, buddy. We’ll get this worked out, okay? For now, I’m going with these police officers and you’re going to stay here with Drew. He can help you build the walls, okay? You listen to him.”
Dr. Brown entered the hall. To this day I have no idea who called him in the middle of all this turmoil, but his presence reminded me of what was going to happen to Stevie. “And Steve, Dr. Brown and another doctor need to make sure you’re not hurt anywhere, okay? And—”
“I didn’t hurt myself this time, Bear.” He was utterly bewildered and pulled up his shirtsleeves. “See? No scratches.”
“I know, buddy. You did such a good job of remembering not to scratch, even when you were upset. I’m really proud of you, but the doctors still need to look all over and make sure there are no ouchies from any other time, okay?” I looked at the officer in charge. “Did we decide he could be sedated?”
With the most compassion I had seen him express, he said, “Well, our doctor hasn’t arrived yet, but… I don’t see where it would hurt anything. I’m willing to sign off on it, if his own doctor thinks it would be okay for him to have it.” He looked at Dr. Brown, who nodded. Sara must have told him who the doctor was when he arrived, but I hadn’t been listening to anyone but Stevie at that point.
“Thank you,” I said to him and then turned to Stevie.
“I’ll take responsibility, if that will help,” Sara said.
I had forgotten she was still on the hall. Right now all that entered my muddled brain about this whole situation was that Stevie was on the floor in a serious meltdown and I was about to be pulled away. Sara was still talking however.
“Jesse is really the only one who can soothe the child. He’s going to start hyperventilating if we don’t calm him soon, and that wouldn’t be in his best interest either.”
“Friday” nodded and “Officer Gannon” let go of my arms. I knelt down to talk to Stevie where he lay on the floor face down, writhing and screaming.
Drew had slumped down beside him, knowing by now that Stevie needed touch to help him calm down, so he rubbed circles on his back while I spoke to him. “Come on, big guy. You need to get this under control. Come on. Lie still, Stevie.”
He finally did do that much, and his screams were slowly transitioning into sobs. Drew pulled him up to a seated position and leaned him against his chest, still rubbing circles while I spoke.
“That’s it, sport. Man, I know it’s hard to stay calm right now. All this emotion. I’m sure it hurts. You’re doing great, Steve.”
A few more moments and he was just silently crying. He turned toward me and tried to hug me, but of course I couldn’t return it, and that was beginning to upset him again. He started wriggling again and whining.
“Hey. It’s okay, big guy. You know I’d hug you if I could, but I need to go with these nice police officers now, okay? And it’s their rule that I have to be in cuffs. Everything will be okay, sport.”
He sat back against Drew, and looked me in the eye. His voice was so broken, it broke my heart. “I don’t want you to go, Bear.”
“I know, Stevie. But remember when your teacher talked about police officers in class?” He nodded. “She said they help people, right?” Another nod. “Well, right now, for some reason these nice men think it will help if I go with them for a while.” Stevie wasn’t convinced. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I heard the lead police officer say something about threatening the child with the fact that he’s not safe for long even when I’m gone, but I focused on Stevie. “We have to listen to police officers, right, sport? When you’re all big and become a police officer, and you think it would be best for someone to come with you, you would want them to listen to you, don’t you think? Even if they really, really, didn’t want to go.”
“I guess, Bear, but—”
“I know, buddy. We’ll get this worked out, okay? For now, I’m going with these police officers and you’re going to stay here with Drew. He can help you build the walls, okay? You listen to him.”
Dr. Brown entered the hall. To this day I have no idea who called him in the middle of all this turmoil, but his presence reminded me of what was going to happen to Stevie. “And Steve, Dr. Brown and another doctor need to make sure you’re not hurt anywhere, okay? And—”
“I didn’t hurt myself this time, Bear.” He was utterly bewildered and pulled up his shirtsleeves. “See? No scratches.”
“I know, buddy. You did such a good job of remembering not to scratch, even when you were upset. I’m really proud of you, but the doctors still need to look all over and make sure there are no ouchies from any other time, okay?” I looked at the officer in charge. “Did we decide he could be sedated?”
With the most compassion I had seen him express, he said, “Well, our doctor hasn’t arrived yet, but… I don’t see where it would hurt anything. I’m willing to sign off on it, if his own doctor thinks it would be okay for him to have it.” He looked at Dr. Brown, who nodded. Sara must have told him who the doctor was when he arrived, but I hadn’t been listening to anyone but Stevie at that point.
“Thank you,” I said to him and then turned to Stevie.
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