Sick Kids Need Their Momma

I got a call at 8:30 this morning from Zach's current crib. "Your son is sick and you need to come take him to the doctor."

So they want to keep him under lock and key only letting him out for work..no calls no visitation but when he gets sick suddenly they want me involved. Tim had already left the house taking Massey to school so I called him to go pick Zach up and take him to our current PCP "The Doc N The Box" by Party City in the strip mall next to Target across the street from my job and drop him off.  I had to be at work by 10:30 and of course I had no money...that's why I was headed to work! I called the owner of the restaurant and she met me at work before ten... loaned me some money so they would see Zach and I went across the street and dropped off the money. He was sitting in a chair in the waiting room shivering and his head felt like an erupting volcano. It tore at my heart.

They can be six months old or they can be a stupid nineteen year old but when your kid is sick... Momma worries.

I paid Dr. Ben Casey (only old peeps like me will get this one) and they led Zach back to an examination room as I left to go back to work.

I got all my opening work done and called the "Doc N The Box." Zach had just left with three prescriptions to be filled next door at Target.  I got in my car and drove across the street to Target to pick  him up but as I walked into the door my cell buzzed and Zach said weakly "I'm at the restaurant. They said it would be forty five minutes and they didn't have a chair."

Back to the restaurant I went...trying to keep in mind he was not only incarcerated but sick.

I gave him a huge glass of OJ and found a warm up jacket someone had left on the coat hook by  the lobby entrance. He went to the back of the restaurant and fell asleep in one of the booths. The forty five minutes turned into two hours. (How long does it take to put pills in a bottle?) Barb watched my tables while I woke Zach and stuffed him into my car. They had given him three prescriptions, one being 800 mg Ibuprofen. I told him to take one immediately for the high fever and drove him back to the cage.

He was supposed to work at five because we had a party of 55 to 70 people coming in. I dropped him off and said to ask someone for a slice of bread or a cracker so he could take his other two meds. I really wanted to get out of the car and hug him tightly. No,  I take that back. I wanted to take him home and tuck him into his bed. I simply had to leave  him at the gate and know I had done all I could do.

I screamed back to work running only two yellow lights...it  was now the middle of my lunch shift and I tried to compose myself. I didn't get off til four but right before clocking out the party called and downsized to thirty people.  My boss said to let Zach stay out of work and called another server and told them the same. At least he's got tonight off and should be much better tomorrow. I went home and assumed the Lily Munster sleeping position for thirty minutes and climbed back into my car. I didn't get off til almost ten tonight.  Went by Kroger and got some milk and bananas. As a bonus I picked up some Pepper Jack Cheez-Its and headed home.

At least after mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms he got to (hopefully) go to sleep and let the meds kick in.  I have thought about him all day...I  think about him every day.

Yes he made a stupid mistake.  Yes it has taken a toll on all of us but he is learning his lesson and paying the toll as well.

I am "SO" over neighbors not waving or even attempting to acknowledge me as I drive down our short street. You know what? They should instead be thinking "There goes the 52 year old woman who not only works seven days a week but keeps the front of the subdivision cut for us and is fighting back from what was almost certain foreclosure when her husband and she as well lost their job.  Her kid screwed up but at least he is paying for it...You know what? She must be a pretty good woman and mother. How much can it hurt to just wave at her?"

"Karma"...and in the words of Forrest Gump "That is all I have to say about that."

Glad my boy is getting better and glad that on Mother's Day...ironically I will have him back!

Til next  time (Did I sound too bitter?) COTTON