She led us to a small room and gave the dical table a pat. "Take a seat, Jake. Jake’s dad, you can sit over there." She pointed towards a regular chair in the corner.
I got up on the table and started to get nervous.
The nurse started to go through the basics, taking my vitals like temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. She typed the numbers on a computer at the desk, sitting in a small rolling chair. She glanced at when she was done. "And what is the main reason for your visit today?"
I looked to Dad. He gave a nod. I took a deep breath and told the nurse. "I want...to get so scars removed."
"Can I take a look?" She asked, scooting closer to .
I froze, gripping the edges of my shirt.
"Jake’s a little shy." Dad spoke up. "We’ll wait for Dr. Griffiths to take a look first."
"Alrighty then." She stood up. "He’ll be in with you shortly." She left the room, closing the door behind her.
I sighed with relief.
"I think it would be good if you saw Dr. Moore again. Maybe start going back once a week." Dad suggested.
I looked to him, surprised. "But, I’m better."
He gave a small smile, looking a little sad. "I know you are, kiddo. But, he can still help you. You’re making progress. Significant progress. I just want what’s best for you." His smile drop from his face. "The nurse is a professional, yet you were still scared and insecure to show her what’s wrong. You’re not letting others do their job. It’s not a big deal, but I’m afraid for what that will look like in the future. Will you be afraid of all won nurses and doctors? Will you refuse treatnt even though it could be a dangerous situation. I’m worried about you."
"Okay." I swallowed the lump in my throat.
We waited a couple of minutes in silence before there was a knock at the door. Then an older gentleman ca in, wearing glasses and a friendly smile. "Good morning everyone. I’m Dr. Griffiths. I understand that Jake is here for scar removal?" He closed the door and sat on the small chair that the nurse vacated. He rolled closed to the examination table and looked in the eyes.
I nodded.
"Alright. I’ll need to take a look." He said calmly.
I took off my shirt and showed him the worst of it.
His expression didn’t change in the slightest. He just nodded a little, squinted, and got up to look at my backside. He made eye contact with . "Do you mind if I touch a few of them?"
"Okay." I sat up and tried to stay calm.
He ran his fingers across a few of the bigger ones, especially around my rib cage. "Do any of them hurt?"
I shook my head. "Not really. Sotis I’ll think that it’s hurting, but then I’ll rember that it’s all healed."
He nodded. "That might be sothing psychological. Do any of them itch?"
I nodded once. "So of them, but not all the ti."
"Part of the healing process." He closely examined every scar then went to the desk. He grabbed a clipboard and wrote down so notes. After he finished he sat down and looked at both and Dad. "Now let tell you what I think we should do: laser treatnts."
Dad was surprised. "Treatnts? As in, more than one?"
Dr. Griffiths nodded. "Correct. Laser treatnt isn’t just a one-and-done procedure. You’ll be able to see so improvent in the scars appearance after one treatnt, but for the best results, I always suggest multiple treatnts. Especially for a case like Jake’s. It’s also important to note that the scars won’t disappear. They’ll always be there, but won’t stand out as much. Laser treatnt have also been known to reduce pain and itch even though that’s not one of your main reasons for removal."
"Is it only a minuscule improvent?" Dad asked, frowning.
Dr. Griffiths shook his head. "It varies. The type of scar and the skin play a role in the treatnt." He looked at . "The redness will go down on those few scars. We’ll be able to smooth out the more bumpy ones. Nothing is a 100% guarantee, but if it’s just the appearance you’re concerned about, I can definitely help you."
"That’s great to hear." Dad answered for . "Jake is insecure about his scars so any improvent at all should help. What’s the next step?"
"Schedule a laser treatnt with our nurse. We can start as soon as next month. It’s nothing too painful, but I would recomnd having so Tylenol on hand for the next few days. And then every other month we can revisit and do our best to help the scars fade and heal."
"Sounds like a plan." Dad agreed.
Dr. Griffiths stood up. "Great. I’ll send in the nurse to schedule your next appointnt." He went over to shake Dad’s hand and then ca over to . I gave my hand and he gave it a single shake before heading for the door. "I’ll see you next month."
He left, leaving alone with Dad. I turned to him. "So...it’ll get better? Even though it won’t disappear?"
Dad nodded. "Yes."
The nurse ca in, cutting off any other questions I had. "Hi, I heard we’re scheduling a first-ti laser treatnt in here?"
We nodded.
"Alright, here’s so information to have before you show up for that appointnt." She started handing Dad so sheets of paper, explaining what each one is. Then with his instructions, she schedule an appointnt for the middle of July. We spent more ti with her than the doctor, but Dad didn’t seem upset by that fact.
We finished up with the nurse and were out of the office by 11am. We walked to the car and got in. Dad already had a spot picked out for lunch, and I didn’t mind. It was a cafe on the beach, so we ate lunch with a view.
I liked spending ti with Dad. He didn’t force a conversation, yet was still easy to get along with. Kind of like a mix of Zeke and Noah.
At one point, I brought up the fact that Jeremy doesn’t call Uncle Jack dad. I explained his reasoning and how I felt a little sad about it on his behalf.
He nodded. "Makes sense. He loved his dad and probably grew up idolizing him. I was the sa way. Even though my dad failed to live up to expectations, no one has ever replaced him. I’ve had father figures that I looked up to, but I couldn’t call soone ’dad’."
This made more uncomfortable. "So I shouldn’t call Mom ’mom’ anymore?"
"Do what makes you happy." Dad told . "I couldn’t be happy with a dad. I know ’mom’ is a sensitive topic for you, but the way you are with Mary, I think you’ll be happy with it."
I nodded. "I am happy. I like your family."
"Our family." He smiled.
I nodded again. "Right. Our family."
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