At least we've met our deductible

I got a call from camp today at 10:00. It's Construction Week, The Boy was sanding a bench he built, and got a sliver under his thumbnail. He was inconsolable. I spoke with him, asked them to put a bandaid on it and send him back to camp, and dad would be there at lunch to remove the sliver. They called back not two minutes later. The director said the sliver was shoved in from the tip to the cuticle, and they wanted me to take him to a doctor.

Even without my reading glasses I could see it in there - right at the very edge of the nail. The PA was surprised I brought him in. "The sliver is just sitting at the very tip of his thumb," she said. "It'll work out on it's own."

"Really?" I asked. "This whole thing right here isn't a sliver under his nail?" Upon further inspection, she concurred.

We went to the procedure room. Four of us restrained him, and there was no way she was getting that sliver out. She gave him a topical. Still nothing. She gave him valium. He grinned at me and said, "I will not let this medicine calm me down." SERIOUSLY??? Is that possible? After 15 minutes or so, we restrained him again while she deadened the thumb with a shot, and then again about 15 minutes later when she pulled it out. It was no less than 1/2 inch long.

He kicked, flailed, and swung his fists. He yelled, cried, and screamed "STOP IT! I MEAN IT! I HATE YOU! YOU STUPID DOCTORS! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

It scared the shit out of me. If I ever piss him off that badly, I'll be sleeping behind locked doors.