The Injection

“I feel sick,” Paul complained.“No, you don’t,” sighed Miss Jones.“I do. My stomach is all gurgly and I think I might throw up.” He demonstrated howthis might look and sound.“Stop it!” his teacher commanded. “You are unnerving everyone else in the queue.”“But what’s going to happen to us?” he wailed.“It’s going to be alright, honesty,” she soothed. “The nurse will just roll up your sleeve and dap a little bit of...”He interrupted her... “wire like wool that’ll tear along my naked flesh. Then they’llbring out the needle! A huge metal spike that they’ll stab into my delicate skin and piecemy veins, injecting their foul diseases...”“Next!” called the nurse’s voice which silenced him and he hesitated.“Ben?” asked George as he watched Paul being forcefully pushed into the nurse’sroom.“Yes, George,” replied Ben from behind him in the queue.“I’m scared, Ben.”“I know, George.”“What will they do to me, Ben?”“Don’t know, George.”“Will it hurt, Ben?”“Really don’t know, George.”“Are you worried, Ben?”“Not at all, George.”“You’re a tower of strength to me, Ben.”“I know, George. Tell you what I’ll go in front of you shall I?”“That’s very kind of you Ben,” George smiled.“Not at all, George. What are friends for.”“In you go then,” said Miss Jones.“Bye bye, George,” said Ben as he wandered calmly into the room.

“Bye bye, Ben,” waved George.“Are you alright, George?” asked Amber from behind him.“Yes, fine thanks, Amber,” he replied.“I don’t think he is fine,” Amber said turning to Jenny.“Nor me,” nodded Jenny. “Definitely not fine. He looks kinda pale and his hair isstanding on end. No, he doesn’t look alright to me. Not at all.” She took a deep, nervousbreath.“You’re nervous,” stated Amber.“Does it show?” Jenny asked a bit worried.“I’m nervous too,” said a voice behind them in the line.“Great. Who cares about you? Go away, Rose,” said Amber, turning up her nose.“Yes, leave us alone, we don’t want to talk to you, we’re too nervous and we don’twant to talk to you, so just go away,” mumbled Jenny.“Yes, it does,” Amber said to her.“What does?” she replied confused.“Show,” Amber smiled and waved goodbye as she entered the nurse’s room leavingJenny whimpering and next in line.“Hello,” said Rose turning to Sam behind her.“Aren’t you scared, Rose?” he asked. “Do you realise that they are injecting youwith the very same disease they don’t want you to catch?”“Well, I wasn’t until you told me that!” she said paling.“Do you think she’s cute?” Chris wondered out-loud from behind Sam as hecontinued to explain to a wide-eyed Rose the exact science behind vaccinations.“Who?” asked Dominic from behind him.“The nurse of course," Chris replied. "I bet she’s really cute, just out of nurse’scollege all ready for a handsome young man like myself.”“I bet she’s really old and wrinkled - which means you might be in with a chance,”he laughed.Chris proceeded to stick him in a head lock until Miss Jones had to come down theline and prize them apart. She’d just got back to the head of the queue when Chris slippedpast her.“Chris!” she hollered. “Just where do you think you’re going?”“I’m, erm, just having a look,” he said peeking into the nurse’s room.“Oh, no, you’re not!” she replied. “You can just get back into line. It’s nearly your turn anyway.”

“I’m not having a male nurse!” he suddenly wailed staring into the room. “He’llexpect us to be tough! He’ll be really horrid to us like the P.E. teachers!”“That’s the new caretaker,” Miss Jones sighed as a man in blue overalls came outcarrying a bucket. “George was sick,” she added ushering him back into line.“Have you seen the nurse, Miss? What does she look like?” he asked excitedly.“Well, she reminds me of your sister,” his teacher replied thoughtfully.“Oh, ugly then,” he sighed disappointed.“I remember when I was little and I fell off my bike,” Sonia began from behind him.“And I had to have three stitches. It won’t hurt more than that will it?”Polly raised her head from her book. “Probably. They don’t give you anaesthetic for injections.”“Okay, what about the time I fell out of a tree and broke my arm. Will it hurt morethan that?” she asked.“I don’t know about the falling, but the hitting of the ground was probably morepainful,” Polly answered then returned to her book.“How you can read at a time like this!” she wailed hysterically.“It takes my mind of it,” Polly replied calmly.“If she even touches me,” Tammy snarled from near the back of the line, “I’ll giveher a left and a right.” She punched the air and danced on the balls of her feet.“Quit with the jumping about already,” moaned Laura. “I’m trying to fix my make-uphere and this eye-shadow isn’t cheap. What do you think, Jasmine?” she asked turning toa girl behind her. “Would my green or blue top go better with it for my date tonight?”“Maybe the green,” Jasmine almost whispered.“Thanks,” Laura smiled then pulled Abigail to her. “Jasmine's quiet isn’t she?” shewhispered to her.“Nervous I guess,” shrugged Abigail chewing her nails.“Stop that,” snapped Laura pulling Abigail’s hand away from her mouth. “Sam won’tlike you if you’ve got all chewed up fingers.”“You’re right,” she sighed and began to twist her hair instead.“Now you’ll just get split ends,” sighed an exasperated Laura.“But there’s only three of us left!” Abigail wailed as Tammy was lead away punchingthe air.“Two,” corrected Laura as Jasmine fainted and fell to the floor. Miss Jones rushedover and lead her away.“Two left. Two left,” Abigail began to pace. “Who’s next? You or me?