Nestled in a sleepy suburb just a few miles away from the city is Greenwood Pediatrics. Initially a small office run by a single doctor, it has grown in both reputation and size with a waiting list a mile long. Why? Because the doctors always make sure to take the time to get their patients everything they need to be happy and healthy. Today is one such case.
Lakelynn, age 5, is cowering under the examination table. Her mother is beside herself with embarrassment, “Lakelynn, please come out.”
“Don’t wanna! Don’t want shots, don’t want to be here!” the girl cries out.
The attending physician, Dr Cheryll Chang, smiles softly and presses the intercom, “We have a code purple at room 12.” Dr Chang turns to the mother, “Not to worry, I’m bringing in an expert.”
Soon sounds of tiny tapping come from the bottom of the door. Dr Chang grins, “Lakelynn, I’ve got a special friend for you to meet.”
The door opens and a white stallion with a red mane strides in confidently. He takes a wide stance and bellows out, “Doktah Fwuff ams hewe!”
Wearing a tiny head mirror and the smallest pair of scrubs he was the very image of a cartoon doctor. Around his neck was a lanyard that read, “Doctor Fluff, M.F.”. “Hewwo fwens! Ams hewe tu hewpies. Doktah Changies, nice mummah wady, widdle wady.” He nodded politely to each of them in turn.
The mother looked incredulous. This was her first time visiting and while she’s heard good things she didn’t expect them to bring in a fluffy of all things. “Don’t worry, he’s a professional.” Dr Chang said, “Dr Fluff, our friend Lakelynn has a bad case of scaredies. Can you help her?”
The fluffy sat on his haunches and stroked under his chin, “Dat am sewious pwobwem. Buh Docktah Fwuff ams sewious doktah. Doktah wiww take da case.” The little doctor waddled closer to the examination table, stopping 2 feet away from Lakelynn.
“Hewwo, cans doktah fwuffie tawkies?”
The little girl sniffled, “I guess…”
“Doktah undawstandies, doktahs ams vewy scawwy sometimes. Sometimes hurtie pokies, bad fewws, ans eben cowd stickies.” The stallion inched closer as he talked, “Buh doktahs nuh wan hurties, sometimes hurties awe foh happies watew.”
Lakelynn nodded along, not caring that the stallion had sat down next to her, “Buh dat nuh means dat yu awent scawdies an dats otay.”
“Du yu wan huggies?”
“…yes…”
Doctor Fluff enveloped the girl in a tender hug, “It ams otay. Ams hewe. Wen weady fuh doktah Changies teww Doktah Fwuff ans we go togethah.”
The two sat snuggled together in silence for a while. Dr Chang updated files while the mother grew more impatient. “I’m ready…” Lakelynn said as she crawled out from under the table.
Dr Fluff followed behind and sat in the uppies position next to her.
“You’re being very brave.” Dr Chang lifted Lakelynn onto the examination table and then placed Dr Fluff next to her. He giggled with laughs of “Uppies!”
“Ok, first we’re going to check your blood pressure. It’ll feel like a tight hug.” Dr Chang wrapped fabric around Lakelynn’s arm. Lakelynn looked to Dr Fluff with worry in her eyes.
“Dat ams gud huggies, nuh huwties.” the stallion said with a knowing nod…
Dr Chang puffed up the armband and took measurements, “Good job. Not too bad, right?”
“No…”
“Now I’m going to take your temperature. Dr Fluff, would you care to demonstrate?”
“Ams gud hewpaw, awways wan hewp.”
“We’re going to put the thermometer just under Dr Fluff’s tongue and hold it there for just a little bit.” Dr Chang placed the thermometer in the fluffie’s mouth. He turned and smiled at Lakelynn.
She smiled back.
“And done. Looking good, Doctor. Now it’s your turn.” Dr Chang replaced the disposable cover and asked Lakelynn to open her mouth. “Very good.”
“Now I’m going to use this stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs. But first, do you want to try it?”
Lakelynn’s eyes lit up, “Yes!”
Dr Chang replaced the ear pieces on her stethoscope and helped Lakelynn put them on, “We’re going to check Dr Fluff’s breathing. Doctor, if you could lie on your back.”
Dr Fluff fell backwards onto his back, “Ams weady!” Dr Chang helped move the stethoscope to the fluffies chest. Lakelynn heard the thump thump thump of his heartbeat and the slow happy breaths of his lungs.
“Heawt ams fuww ob wub ans wungies ams foh tawkies!” the good doctor said, trying to explain what the organs did.
Lakelynn giggled.
“That they are. Ready, Lakelynn?”
The girl nodded and gave the stethoscope back to Dr Chang who replaced the earbuds again. Dr Chang held the stethoscope up to the girl’s chest and moved it around, asking Lakelynn to breathe deeply. “All good. You have a strong heart and healthy lungs.”
“Next we’ll look inside your ears with this.” Dr Chan took an otoscope from a small black case.
“Doktah’s thinkie pwace ams fuww ov huggies ans wub ans wots of fwuff.” Doctor Fluff added helpfully.
“We won’t look that far, just a little bit inside the ear. It might feel a little funny, but it won’t hurt. Promise.”
Lakelynn nodded and Dr Chang checked her ears. “So brave.”
“Vewy Bwave.”
“Now we’ve got the hard part. Lakelynn, you’ll need a few booster shots.”
The girl’s eyes welled up in tears. She had forgotten that her mother told her about the shots, the reason why she was hiding under the table.
“Ams hewe.” Doctor Fluff hugged the girl tightly, “Doktah Changies, cans Doktah Fwuff habs huwties tu? Wiww show wakewynns dat ams otay.”
Dr Chang smiled. When he started Doctor Fluff had to be goaded into taking the fake saline shot but after seeing how much it helped he’s been volunteering for it. “Of course.” She picked up a syringe labled, “Doctor Fluff Special Medicine” and poked it into the fluffy’s leg.
“Huu…” The fluffy winced for a moment then smiled, “Onwy smaww hurties foh widdle times. Aww bettah nao. Wiww wakewynn hab pointies? Doktah wiww be wid yu whowe times”
Lakelynn nodded silently, stifling tears. If the little doctor could do it, she could too. She took her shots like a champ, stroking the fluffies fluff for comfort. He cheered her on with every poke.
“Yu ams bestest! Aww dones wid huwties!”
“He’s right, you did well. Doctor, thank you for your help today.”
“Jus doin’ Doktah’s jobbies. Wiww wakewyn be otah?”
“Yes, I just need to chat with her mother for a bit and they’re good to go. Head on over to the break room and get yourself a treat.”
“Wubs tweat. Wubs Wakewynn. Yu ams bestest fwen, pwease stays heawthy foh Doktah Fwuff.” He gave the girl a hug and made the uppies pose. Dr. Chang picked him up and placed him back on the ground. “Anodda hawd case sowved by… Docktah Fwuff!”
“Bye Doctor Fluff! Thank you!” Lakelynn waved off her new friend as he strode heroically out the door.
“See? An expert.”
He is not a real doctor but he is a real fluff and is interesting in hugs.
