We got home with the pizza and the boys attacked the pizza. Little Gabey out ate both his big brothers that night...6 slices to Marty's 5 and Joey's 4 1/2. Once everyone was sated, Marty and I sat back down at the table to finish the work. We hadn't been there even 5 minutes when I heard a loud thump and Gabe started to wail. I looked over and Gabe was standing in the corner by the TV with his hand over his chin. Joey told me Gabe leaned forward off the ottoman to pick up something he dropped and he slipped and pitched chin first into te entertainment center. I called him over to comfort him and, once he was calmed down a bit, I asked him to let me check it out. I gently moved his hand back and the blood started flowing. It wasn't dripping. It was like someone had turned on a faucet. I yelled for one of the older boys to bring me a rag and slapped it over his chin and put pressure on it. When I thought the cut was just on the outside, I was prepared to hold pressure until the bleeding stopped and put some butterfly bandages on to hold it shut. But, as I'm holding Gabe and holding pressure, I noticed there was a fair amount of blood in the mouth too. So, I took a peek in without removing the pressure from the outer sore and can see a cut bleeding freely. My fear at that point was that his teeth had punctured his lip. That was it. I decided I had to take Gabe in. I couldn't look up the info I needed so I called Vic at work and asked him to check if any of the Urgent Care centers were still open. As I was talking to Vic, Gabe figured out I was going to take him to the doctor and he started wailing louder and louder. Despite the fact that it was only about 7, none of them were accepting any more patients for the night and that meant an ER trip for us. After I got off the phone with Vic, I had to calm down a frantic 5 yr old. Ever since Gabe had his back to school physicals, he has been quite vocal about how much he hates shots and never, ever wants to have another one. The pain of the injury plus the exhaustion from the first day of school plus the fear of needles made him almost inconsolable but we managed a brief state of calm. That calm was shattered once I got up and started moving him toward the door and the van. Gabe started fighting me tooth and nail and I knew there was no way to get Gabe to the hospital by myself while maintaining pressure on his cut. While I tried to calm (again) the wailing, screaming, and crying Gabe, Joey called Vic and told him I needed him to help us get to the ER. Gabe completely wore himself out and while we were waiting for Vic, Gabe fell asleep leaning back on my chest. He actually started snoring.
When Vic got home, Gabe woke up and started fretting again. His little power nap helped though and I was able to get him to listen. I promised him that the doctors would find the best and easiest way they could to take care of him. I told him that if we were lucky that the doctors might be able to glue his cut shut but I couldn't promise that. Well, the idea of gluing the cut shut must have sunk in. When we got to the ER, Gabe told the triage nurse he wanted it glued shut while she was checking and putting gauze over the gash.
