Mr. Spuffington Calls the Doctor

"Look, Pablo," said Mr. Spuffington, "I cut my finger playing the bass fiddle! I can't practice."

Pablo purred. He didn't like listening to the bass fiddle.

Mr. Spuffington called his friend Dr. John. They played in the same band.

"Don't worry," said the doctor. "Your body is already working to heal the cut. Just wash your finger and put on a Band-Aid to keep out dirt and germs until the cut closes. You'll be fine."

Mr. Spuffington found the Band-Aid box. Then he dropped it. When he stood up, he banged his head on the sink.

"Pablo, I've got a bump and it hurts," Mr. Spuffington cried. Pablo rolled over and went back to sleep.

"Dr. John, Dr. John," Mr. Spuffington called his friend right away. "Should I go to the hospital?"

Dr. John asked him some questions. "Calm down, Mr. Spuffington. A bump or a bruise is caused by bleeding just beneath the skin. Because your skin didn't break, the blood can't get out, so it pools together and makes a bump. It's usually not very serious. You can put some ice on the bump to keep the swelling down. But your body is already taking care of it. The bump will be gone by the time we have our next band practice. Relax."

Mr. Spuffington decided the doctor was right. "I'm going to go out on the front porch and relax." Pablo thought this was an excellent idea!

They sat on the sunny porch and talked about the bass fiddle. Pablo thought this was much better than listening to the bass fiddle. The sun became very warm. And they both fell sound asleep.

When Mr. Spuffington woke up he felt hot. "Oh, no. I'm running a temperature! I'm sick!" he said to Pablo. Pablo wasn't worried.

"Dr. John," Mr. Spuffington yelled into his phone. "I think I'm really ill. My finger hurts, my head aches, and now I have a fever."

Dr. John made Mr. Spuffington explain everything. Then he said, "A fever can be a sign that your body is fighting germs. But you're just warm because you sat in the sun. Take a nice cool shower, have something to eat, then listen to some music and go to bed. You'll feel better tomorrow."

Mr. Spuffington did exactly what the doctor said. The next morning he felt much better.

The next week when he saw Dr. John at their band practice, Mr. Spuffington said, "Thanks, Dr. John. You saved my life."

Dr. John said, "It wasn't me. Your body took care of itself."

Pablo thought, "I think I'll go outside before he starts playing that bass fiddle."

Copyright Carus Publishing Company Jan 2006
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