The Flu Shot

I know that any trip to the doctor will be an adventure filled with new memories but I didn’t think anything unusual would happen when I took Clark and Phil to our local pharmacy a month ago to get their flu shots.  Clark went first.  He is the one who would gladly give blood at the semi-annual blood drive at our church if he could but he can’t because he has never had a seizure-free year.  Then it was Phil’s turn.  He had already been displaying high anxiety behavior--pacing, nervous laughter, jittery bouncing of his legs while he waited.  “Hold my hand?” he asked me.  Of course I would.  In went the needle, up went his arm and out came the needle.  In slow motion I watched it fly up in the air, arch and drop to the floor.  Imagine sounds of pain and fear and that would be Phil at that moment.  I actually wanted to laugh because it looked so funny and was such a surprise.  I asked the pharmacist if he had ever had that happen before.  “No!!!”  Needless to say, Phil had to be poked again.  This time he turned his head so he couldn’t watch, grabbed my hand tightly and successfully received his first flu shot.