While modern medicine holds the answers to a longer, healthier and happier life; there are some aspects that still remain mostly disturbing. Not disturbing like finding out your pharmacist has been watering down your cancer medication, no disturbing like reading the accounts of traveling ice pick lobotomist. The method for insertion and removal of items from the blood stream is still something that has changed little, in concept, from the time of inception.
When taking the boy in for his necessary vaccines the nurses hover above and prepare their instruments while the father, in this case me, is instructed to hold his hands up. From then on what happens cannot be described as a pretty picture, for the amount of blood and tears that fill the room would disquieted to even the most hardened soldier.
The syringes, yes plural, pierce his flesh and after squeezing the liquid through are quickly removed and gauze applied to the area. Of course once the needles penetrated, the screaming begins, and with no language to communicate, no consolation is possible. Then the process is repeated as necessary to prepare the internal defenses against the 'beauty' of nature, and all the tiny creatures she has created to invade the body.
Even after the crying has subsided there is still that awful face staring back at me. The distended lower lip inducing subduction on the upper, the eyes still filled with tears looking back at me. Oh the thoughts that must invade the mind, the trust that must be lost as he stares back at me, the one who held him down and allowed this to happen. The first few hours were toughest, the face of horror remained, eventually it subsided but can it be completely forgotten?
