What About The Watch?
Kim’s pulse started racing, she would never let anything happen to her son, but things like this were just out of her control. It was clear from the doctor’s expression that something was very wrong.
The doctor breathed in deep and looked at Kim. “Mrs. Tremblay, I haven’t seen anything quite like this. Does your son own a watch?” Kim’s mind flashed to the one she had bought him for his birthday. How did he know? What was wrong with her son’s ear?
A Happy Family
Kim Tremblay felt so lucky. She married her high school sweetheart right out of Northern Secondary School in Toronto. She and Paul, her husband, couldn’t have been happier.
But things would change drastically after Kim realized she was pregnant. And nine wonderful years later, she was still happier than ever, with her husband and her eight-year-old son Timothy. But she had no idea what was going to happen to her son.
Timothy Tremblay
Timothy Tremblay is your average eight-year-old boy. He loves video games, playing outside in the Toronto summer with his toys, and even drawing pictures in the harsher winter months.
But Timothy did have a curiosity about him, one that wasn’t uncommon for young children exploring the world around them. But his mother didn’t know that this curiosity would soon lead him to the ER.
His Birthday
Soon Timothy’s birthday rolled around. His parents knew just what to get him, a watch! He had been begging them to get him a digital watch for months. Now that it was his birthday, they could finally get it for him.
Timothy excitedly ripped the wrapping paper off of the box and looked at the watch inside. He jumped up and down in excitement and put it on. But if Kim knew that the present would mean he’d end up in the hospital, she would never have given it to him.
Waking In The Night
Timothy’s birthday passed, and the following week he ate nothing but leftover cake for dinner. But then, one night, he crept into his parents’ bedroom and woke them up in tears.
“Mom, are you awake? I’m in pain.” Kim woke to the sound of her child’s distressed voice, just as any mother would. But what he told her next only led to further confusion, and it would only be the beginning of the iceberg.
Ear Ache
“What’s wrong, darling? Is everything okay?” Kim asked in a soothing voice. “My ear, it’s really, really sore.” Timothy softly replied. Kim went into overdrive as any mother would. She got up and made her way to the medicine cabinet.
She gave her son some medication to help with the pain and let him sleep in the bed between them. But things wouldn’t fix themselves as easily as she’d hoped.
Next Morning
The next morning, Kim woke up with Timothy still in her bed. Her husband had gone for his morning run, so she decided to go downstairs and make breakfast. But just as she was about to put the stove on, she heard Timothy crying.
He came down the stairs, still complaining about the pain in his left ear. She now knew that it might have been more serious than she played it off to be the previous night.
Deciding What To Do
Kim knew she had to act if she wanted to help her son. Ear pain is no joke, and if it was serious, then he could end up losing some or all of his hearing in that ear. Kim felt obligated to make sure her child was safe and protected.
It was clear that the medication wasn’t working, so she knew he would have to go to the hospital. She knew he hated it, but he had to go for his own benefit. But she had no idea what the doctors were going to find.
A Difficult Situation
The moment Kim mentioned the hospital, Timothy went into a full tantrum. His emotions were already running high from the pain but hearing the word “hospital” put him into a frenzy. He didn’t want to go.
It was a difficult situation, he needed to get better, but the only way for that to happen was to get him there. After a lot of pleading and promises of treats on the way home, Timothy finally agreed. And good thing they did, because the doctors were about to find something astonishing.
The ER
Kim rushed Timothy to the nearest hospital to get him examined. She had to sign some paperwork and sit in the waiting room until finally, they got a doctor available.
The doctor smiled at Timothy and asked him a few questions. After that, he started examining his ear. But Kim watched in horror as the doctor’s expression went to a grimace. What was going on?
A Watch
Kim’s pulse started racing, she would never let anything happen to her son, but things like this were just out of her control. It was clear from the doctor’s expression that something was very wrong.
The doctor breathed in deep and looked at Kim. “Mrs. Tremblay, I haven’t seen anything quite like this. Does your son own a watch?” Kim’s mind flashed to the one she had bought him for his birthday. How did he know? What was wrong with her son’s ear?
A Watch Battery
The doctor further explained that Timothy did have something creating his ear pain. It was a foreign object that shouldn’t have been there. The doctor told them that it was, in fact, a watch battery.
Kim was speechless. She couldn’t believe that it had been a battery from the watch she got him for his birthday. She needed an explanation.
Reasons
“Timothy, why did you do that?” she asked in confusion. He replied, “I was experimenting. I thought that if I used batteries on myself, I’d get more energy.” Kim couldn’t help but laugh.
Kids will always be kids, she thought. “Well, I hope you learned a valuable lesson, mister!” But now, it was time to get him treated.
Treatment
The doctor told Kim that it wasn’t too serious as long as they extracted the battery right away. If it sat in his ear for another week, it could cause him serious harm, though. They prepped a room with the tools they’d need and got to work.
Kim sat nervously outside. She just hoped that there were no complications. After waiting for 45 minutes, the doctor said she could come back in.
Souvenir
Kim entered the room as the doctors finished up. Timothy excitedly showed his mother his souvenir. It was the battery in a clear container. As an eight-year-old, he didn’t know any better about putting foreign objects in his ear.
Kim just hoped the souvenir would be a constant reminder of the dangers of putting things where they don’t belong. At least this time, everything worked out.