He was wearing his Ninja Turtle shoes

She was standing there while he was in the seat

Complaining about feeling blue

No energy, weight gain

A rash and pain in her feet

There was mischief in his eyes

I could see in hers it took everything not to cry

I had to ask her to sit down on the exam table

She wasn’t used to sitting down

But not quite used to exercise either

The boy started pestering his little brother

His mom watched him hover

I tried to look in her ears

As she looked at him, fighting back tears

She told the boy, “We’re not getting stickers when we get out of here”

It was like an omen

The younger boy screamed

Her eyes whispered My soul feels broken

I looked at the gray strands at the top of her scalp

As I leaned in close, she whispered “Get out”

Her eyes were bloodshot

She asked me, “Doc, is this my lot?”

The questionnaire on the clipboard had highlighted all the answers

Severe depression with a touch of anxiety

I felt like the poor woman was in captivity

I called in the nurse for a moment

I asked the woman if we could occupy her children for a few minutes

She agreed to it

The nurse came in and took the two little boys away

Those Ninja turtle shoes lighting up as they made their escape

I closed the door, dimmed the lights, handed her a pillow and blanket and said, “Close your eyes”

I lit the lavender candle and wrapped her in warm towels

All kinds of “health code violation”

No Prozac or Valium, just a little relaxation on the table – a mini vacation

She crashed hard

I exited the room

An hour later I came back

That woman looked revived after a nap

Her hair was dark brown
She wore a smile instead of a frown

Her skin cleared up and her feet improved

Her energy level was renewed

Her boys returned safely with stickers on their shirts

Still in those Ninja turtle shoes

All it takes is some rest for no one to get hurt

A little respite to cure the blues