Lucas Is Initiated

My mind is still in shock, so please forgive this post if it defies good grammar or wanders from point to point.

I took the kids on a quick drive to drop off dinner for another family tonight. On our way home I was thinking that I should try to kill about 20 minutes hoping to arrive home closer to the same time as Cody. Then we could eat dinner together as a family without all the "I'm hungry" whining we sometimes have while waiting for him.

We stopped at a Big Lots, which is a place I rarely shop, but they have some great deals. In fact, I had found a couple of neat items that I had to abandon when"the incident" occurred. We were in an isle when I heard Lucas fall and start crying. I was examining some monkey hand towels at the time and did not see it happen. I turned and saw him laying in the floor crying. I picked him up and realized with shock and terror that he was bleeding profusely from a deep gash near his eye. I put my hand on it to stop the bleeding and that is where my mind entered shock mode. It was like slow motion as I stood there thinking, What am I going to do? He is really hurt bad. I have 2 other kids with me. I need help. There is blood all over his face and all over me. A woman shopping near by came over and started to help me. I called out for help. A manager came over and I told him I needed something to apply pressure to the cut. I said I needed to call my husband. The manager asked me to come to the front and the lady shopper offered to stay there and watch my other kids. I walked the few yards to the front where he whisked out a first aid kit. He gave me an entire roll of gauze which I pressed on Lucas' face. I had seen the cut a few times now and it looked terrible. I was really concerned and felt we needed to go to the hospital for treatment. But, I could not drive him there because I had to keep pressure on the cut. I asked the manager to call an ambulance. It was all I could think of as an option. We waited near the front and the firetruck arrived first. It was a relief to have some trained people there to help Lucas. They took charge and examined his cut. The bleeding had really slowed at this point so they put a band aid on it. I must admit, a band aid seemed woefully inadequate to me given the horror and blood I had just been through, but it was really all that was needed at that moment. They said he would need stitches. Then the ambulance arrived and the medic suggested I drive Lucas to the hospital myself since his bleeding had nearly stopped completely. They took some information and the store manager also wrote down information. He began telling me that I would be contacted by the company so they could file a claim and pay for the treatment for the injury. I was surprised as I had not expected that at all, but I did not say anything. He did however notice that Lucas was only wearing socks- no shoes- which brings me to the "I feel like a horrible mother" part of this story. I have never taken Lucas into a store without shoes before, but this was an unplanned stop and I figured there was no harm. I also want to add that these socks have rubber grips on the bottom and are not slippery. AND let me add that I don't think slipping was the cause of his fall. Nate told me later that Lucas had been trying to step up onto Nate's foot and fell backward. However, at that moment when the manager made that comment all I could hear was, "You made a lousy decision which cost your child a scar on his face and our company a lot of money." He didn't say those words. In fact, he was very nice the entire time. But I was an emotional wreck and feeling so upset.

So, we drove in heavy traffic to the hospital. By the time we got signed in, Lucas was climbing all over the chairs and acting totally normal. Cody got there a few minutes later. I took Ava and Nate home (by the way, they were REALLY hungry by now). Cody stayed there with Lucas. He got some special glue treatment instead of stitches which is nice, and is doing just fine. The cut still looks ugly and discolored. But it is better now that it is sealed together.

So much for my plan of a nice family dinner at home! But at least now Lucas joins the ranks of Ava and Nate who have gone before him. He's part of the ER club. I don't think I ever went to the ER as a kid, but my kids can't make it to age 2 or 3 before their first visit.