BECCA'S BUMP!

Here is a conversation I had with Becca today. She called me at work at about 12:30.

BECCA: Mom, you will never believe what just happened! (kind of a panicky voice)

ME: (thinking to myself – what on earth???) (trying to be calm) Okay, so tell me.

BECCA: I got hit in the head with a rock and now there’s a bump the size of a golf ball.

ME: WHAT?!? How did this happen? Are you okay? Are you bleeding?

BECCA: Megan threw a rock at Justin because she likes him, and he threw a rock back at her and hit me. It doesn’t hurt, honest.

ME: (thinking to myself – stupid Jr. High Kids!) Where are you?

BECCA: In the parking lot at Safeway.

ME: (trying to be a good nurse) I want you to get home as quick as you can and put ice on it. Can you get home okay? I’ll call Trudy to see if she can come over and check it. If she can’t, then I will come. Okay?

BECCA: Okay.

We hung up and I called Trudy. She was traveling home from being gone all week and wasn’t going to be there for a while, so I let my office manager know I had to leave for a while. I hopped in the car and headed for home as fast as was safely and legally possible. I immediately hit some bad traffic. As I was battling this obstacle my phone rang. It was Becca.

BECCA: (crying hysterically) Mom, I’m scared. This bump is REALLY big. (sobbing)

ME: (trying to stay focused on traffic) Becca, did you put on the ice yet?

BECCA: No. I looked in the mirror. This bum is REALLY big and I’m scared. (more sobbing)

ME: (still maneuvering traffic) Okay, Becca. This is what I want you to do. Calm yourself down. You will be fine. Just calm down and get the ice on it. The ice will help the swelling. (she is sobbing) BECCA! If you don’t get ice on it right now, I will have to kick your butt when I get there. Now get the ice and lay down. I’m on my way and will get there as soon as I can. (I am no longer trying to be a good nurse or a nice mom, I just want to get home to my hurt baby.)

BECCA: Okay. (sobbing and hang up)

After about 5 minutes I am finally clear of the heavy traffic and on to some fairly smooth sailing. I try to call Becca to stay on the phone with her until I get home. No answer. (Thinking to myself, okay she is still getting situated with her ice pack) Called a few minutes later, no answer. (thinking to myself: Okay, maybe she is not okay and can’t answer right now.) Called a few minutes later, no answer. (Thinking to myself: I am going to find her in a heap on the floor, unconscious. Should I call 911 now, or wait to get home to see if she is breathing. Will I have to do CPR? I wonder how fast the paramedics can get there. Oh…..I hope she is okay!!!) Step up the acceleration a little, and am now traveling at not so legal a pace. I get home, walk in calling her name…she is laying on the couch talking on her phone, with an ice pack on her head, with very red puffy eyes and sniffling. Immediately she hands me the phone – it is her dad. He wants to know how she is. I haven’t even had a chance to look at her and check her out. I tell him I will call back when I have had a chance to look at her. Hang up. While looking over the bump and checking her overall condition we had the following conversation:

ME: Becca, why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been trying to call you!

BECCA: I called dad and was talking to him.

ME: Once the traffic was better, I tried to call you to stay on the phone with you until I got home. Didn’t your phone beep when I called? I wanted to make sure you were okay.

BECCA: Yeah, but I didn’t know that’s what that beeping was. (sheepish laugh)

ME: Okay, now you know. How do you feel now?

Etc., etc. Hugs, kisses, pats, looking at the bump, hearing the whole story again. Of course, it was not quite as life threatening as we thought and she is fine. She started getting a headache, so I gave her Ibuprofin. I did not want her to stay home alone all afternoon, so I asked her if she wanted to come to work with me. She decided she did not want to be home alone all afternoon, so she packed up her guitar and went back with me. It was great to have her there, and she got lots of attention. She has a wonderful bump (almost as good as some of Cooper’s), and I think it will be multi-colored before it is all over. But see? She really is okay. She just has a Beautiful Bump with a little broken skin, and a little bump right on the end of her eyebrow.

Know this – I would truly like to kick Justin’s butt!!