Dr. Julie Moore whispered to the mom. Her little girl was already wailing. With a light touch, Jules swabbed the deltoid muscle with an alcohol wipe, stretched the skin taut, inserted the tip, injected the vaccine, and was done in less than five seconds. Not that it mattered to the toddler, who was clinging to her mom’s neck for dear life. “I know, sweetie,” Jules said, real empathy in her voice. Keeping pressure on the site of the injection, she set the needle down, gave the area another wipe, and deftly applied the Hello Kitty bandaid. “All done,” she announced quietly. Mom patted the little girl’s back as the wailing continued and Jules gave them both a sympathetic smile. It always hurt the moms more than the kids. After hearing all the other toddlers cry while waiting in the clinic’s little lobby, Jules wouldn’t blame the moms for crying too. “Look what I’ve got for you,” came Logan’s cheery but deep voice. In her peripheral vision, Jules saw a green lollipop twirling.
