TAMING THE VICIOUS STORM (Familiá Altamirano #4)

【CHAPTER 13: DUSTIN】

Why took you so long?

  "PWEDE na raw po kayo pumasok sa loob sabi ni doc, sir Dustin." The paediatrician's secretary said after making us wait for fifteen minutes. Tumango lang ako at tumayo na. We entered the doctor's office and were greeted by a familiar face I'd been seeing since I was a newborn. She was a tall, classy, professional and beautiful-looking lady.

"Hi, Dra. Kelsea."

"Hello to you, my dear cousin," she started and tapped me on the arm. "Let me check this little pumpkin," Lumapit siya sa amin at tinignan si Thunder. She then checked his heartbeat with her pink stethoscope.

"70–110 beats. It was a normal heartbeat for a one-year-old kid," she announced.

Nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag doon. Then, I watched her carefully take Thunder away from me and lay him down on the baby weight scale. She swiftly checked the weight scale after.

"Wow, he's really a big baby now, huh? Thunder has a 9.6 kg weight. Twelve months old and up may have tripled their weight. So, you don't have to worry."

Thunder was a big baby and I couldn't agree more. Wala naman tabain sa lahi namin, siguro dahil sa kinakain at sa gatas na palagi niyang iniinom. Kompleto rin siya sa bakuna at sa mga vatamins.

Then ate Kelsea got the vaccines ready and she let me cradle my son again. Napalunok ako nang makita ko ang matalim at matulis na hiringgilya.

"How many shots are you going to give him?" I asked nervously.

"Four shots."

I gasped, and the calm expression I had became in distress. "Ang dami! Mabilis lang ba 'to tulad nang dati?"

She nodded with a subtle smile on her face. "Yes, this would be quick."

I swallowed nervously. "All right. . . But which vaccine are you going to give him?"

"Measles shots, mumps and rubella (MMR), hepatitis A (HAV)," she says.

Huminga ako ng malalim at hinalikan sa ulo ang anak ko. "Okay. Bud, this is going to hurt. However, this is for your own good. After this, I'll give you a reward, okay?"

"Tsha!" Thunder only made cute little sounds.

Pilit akong ngumiti at lumingon sa doctor na naghihintay sa gagawin. I let the doctor rub the alcohol on Thunder's chubby thigh, and when she moved the syringe closer to his legs, I could not help but swallow hard as my heart leapt in anticipation.

Thunder let out a wailing cry after the first shot was given to him. My expression washed with pain, and I immediately kissed his cheek, burying my face into his chubby cheek.

"It's going to be okay. Daddy's here. . ." My voice suddenly cracked as I soothed my son.

It broke my heart a little hearing my baby cry but I knew this was for him. Hinalikan ko na lamang siya sa noo at pilit na pinapatahan siya. Nagpatuloy ang doktor sa kailangan gawin habang nakaagapay ako sa tuwing umiiyak ang anak ko.

There were four bandages on Thunder's poor chubby legs after the shots. Hindi ko talaga siya mapatahan kanina kaya pahinto-hinto ang doktor sa pagbibigay ng bakuna sa kaniya. Thunder only got over it after the fourth shot.