The X'ed-Out X-Ray (3 page)

Dink nodded. “A little, especially when I twist it.”

“Don’t twist it,” the doctor said.

Just then a police officer stuck his head inside the tent. “Excuse me, Doc,” the officer said. “Did you see anyone run by your tent a few minutes ago?”

“Nope, I was pretty busy,” Dr. Fleming said. “What’s the problem?”

“Someone grabbed Penelope Gwinn’s diamond pendant,” the officer said. “The perp took off in the crowd.”

“Oh no! I hope you catch him,” the doctor said.

“Don’t worry, we will!” the cop said. “Miss Gwinn might be able to identify the thief, so we’re stopping everyone at the main exit gate.”

After the police officer left, the doctor turned back to Dink. “Here’s what we’re gonna do,” he said. “I’ll bandage your arm, then we’ll go to my office and I’ll x-ray it.”

The doctor pulled a sealed bandage from a white cabinet. “While I’m wrapping
your arm, I want you to read that sign over there. Slowly”

Dink looked at the sign. “Why? My eyes are okay” he said.

The doctor opened the package. “I want to make sure you don’t have a concussion. Start reading,” he said as he began wrapping Dink’s arm with the long bandage.

Dink started reading:

HOW TO AVOID SUNSTROKE

1. ALWAYS USE SUNBLOCK
   

2. WEAR A HAT
   

3. DON’T STAY OUT IN THE SUN TOO LONG
   

4. AVOID STRENUOUS EXERCISE ON HOT DAYS
   

5. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
   

“You’re a good reader, Dink,” the doctor said, finished with the wrapping. “Wiggle your fingers for me.”

Dink wiggled his fingers and looked at his arm. The bandage went from his wrist to his elbow. A small metal clip held the end of the bandage in place.

“Not too tight, is it?” the doctor asked.

“No, but the bandage feels weird.”

“They always do,” the doctor said. “Now we’ll call in your father.”

“He’s my friend’s father,” Dink explained.

The doctor stepped over to the tent door and invited the others inside.

“How’s your boo-boo?” Josh asked.

Dink crossed his eyes.

“I’d like to x-ray Dink’s arm in my office,” the doctor told Mr. Hathaway “Can you follow me to the hospital?”

“Of course,” Mr. Hathaway said. “You want to leave right now?”

“The sooner the better,” the doctor told him, glancing at his watch. “My replacement will be here in a few minutes.”

The group left the tent and walked toward the main exit.

Dink noticed an empty space between
Presto Pizza and the lemonade stand. Frank and his hot-dog cart had vanished.

At the exit, a line of people stood around mumbling. Two police officers were blocking the closed gate.

The woman with yellow hair who had been sitting in front of Dink was talking to one of the officers. Her face was pale and she looked angry.

“I demand to be let out of this park!” the woman said through clenched teeth.

“Please, you’ll all have to stay here just a little while longer,” the other officer explained. “We need to wait for Miss Gwinn.”

“Come on, follow me,” the doctor said. He put his hand on Dink’s shoulder and guided him toward the front of the line.

“Hiya, Doc,” the officer said. Dink recognized him as the one who had poked his head into the first-aid tent.

“Hello, Officer. Look, I have to get this patient to my office pronto,” Dr. Fleming said, his hand still resting on Dink’s shoulder. “He has a hurt arm and a possible concussion.”

“No problem, Doc,” the officer said. He nodded to his partner, who pushed the gate open.

Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose, her father, and Dr. Fleming walked through.

“I’m parked in that lot,” Mr. Hathaway said as they crossed the street. “A blue station wagon.”

“Me too,” Dr. Fleming said. “Mine’s a red Jeep. The hospital is about a mile down Main Street.”

The kids and Mr. Hathaway followed the red Jeep away from the park and south on Main Street.

“How’s that arm?” Mr. Hathaway asked.

“It’s okay thanks,” Dink said.

Josh let out a big sigh. “Some people will do anything for attention,” he said.

A few minutes later, Dr. Fleming pulled into a small parking lot in front of Hartford Hospital. He parked near a sign that said,
HOSPITAL STAFF ONLY.

Mr. Hathaway parked in a visitors’ space, and they all climbed out.

Dr. Fleming led the group through a side door and down a long corridor.

They took an elevator to the third floor, then went down another hallway.

Dr. Fleming pushed open a door with
X-RAY
printed in green letters. Everyone walked in, and Dr. Fleming pointed to some chairs.

“You folks can wait here while I get a couple of X-rays,” he said. “This should only take ten minutes or so.”

Dr. Fleming led Dink through a door into a smaller room. Pointing to a table covered with a white sheet, he told Dink to lie down. Then he put a lead apron over Dink’s chest.

Dink laid his head on a small pillow
and stared up at the ceiling. He could hear Dr. Fleming opening and closing drawers and cupboards. Then Dink saw an X-ray machine slide over the table.

Dr. Fleming’s face appeared next to the machine. “Now, I want you to lie very still,” he said. He placed Dink’s arm across his chest. “When I say ‘one,’ hold your breath. Let it out when I say ‘two.’”

Dr. Fleming’s face disappeared. From a few feet away, he said, “One!”

Dink held his breath. He heard something click. Then Dr. Fleming’s voice said, “Two! You can breathe now.”

Dr. Fleming stepped next to the table again. “I’m going to get a look at this in the other room,” he said. “Be back in a jiffy.”

Dink counted ceiling tiles until Dr. Fleming returned.

“This shot is too blurred,” he said, dropping an X-ray on a table. He grabbed a fat red marker and drew a big
X
over the X-ray. “I’ll have to shoot another one, without the bandage.”

Dr. Fleming began removing the bandage from Dink’s arm. “See that sign over there?” he asked Dink. “Read it to me, please.”

Dink read the sign. It was about drinking milk to make your bones strong.

“There,” Dr. Fleming said as he dropped the unrolled bandage on the table next to Dink’s shoulder. He positioned Dink’s arm again. “Lie still and hold your breath till I tell you to breathe.”

Dink did as he was told, and after a minute, Dr. Fleming came back and asked him to sit up. “After I develop this one, you’re free to go,” he said.

“Okay, this one is much clearer,” Dr. Fleming said a few minutes later. “The arm looks fine, but I’ll put the bandage back on. No baseball for a few days, okay?”

Dink watched as Dr. Fleming rewrapped his arm. “You should have your own doctor take a look at this,” he said.

Then Dr. Fleming opened the door and asked the others to come in.

He showed Mr. Hathaway the X-ray. “No fracture at all,” he said. “Probably
just strained it when he fell.”

“I have to go see my doctor,” Dink told Josh and Ruth Rose.

“We should take the X-ray with us,” Mr. Hathaway said.

“Of course,” Dr. Fleming said. He found a large envelope in a drawer and slipped the X-ray inside.

“Can I have the other one?” Dink asked. “The one that you said was no good?”

“No, I’ll just throw … sure, why not?” Dr. Fleming said. He slid it into the envelope with the other X-ray and handed it to Dink. “Don’t stand up on any more moving carousels,” he said.

That evening, Dink ate dinner in front of the TV with his parents. His mother cut his meat for him and made his favorite cookies for dessert. His bandaged arm was resting on a pillow that he held on his lap.

Dink’s father winked at him. “Some kids will do anything to get out of their chores,” he said.

“Look, there’s Penelope Gwinn!” Dink’s mother said. She turned up the volume on the TV.

A reporter was interviewing the singer about the theft of her diamond
pendant. Dink could see the white PENGUIN trailer behind them.

“It was a gift from someone special,” PENGUIN said. “I’m shocked and angry that anyone would steal it.”

“I’m sure you must feel terrible,” the reporter said. “But your fans feel awful, too. Will you give another concert tomorrow?”