That smell of coffee almost bent my legs.
Suddenly everything was white light, professional voices and hands that knew what to do.
They took his dress carefully.
They put cold compresses on him.
I was asked to sign consent forms.
He was placed with a hospital bracelet so small that it looked like it was made for a wrist.
A pediatric burn specialist later entered.
He checked the cheek, neck, chin and area under the jaw.
He spoke carefully.
He said there were first-degree and other partial thickness areas.
He said the hot liquid sticks to the skin of young children.
He said they would control the pain and watch blisters and inflammation.
I heard every word as if it came from the bottom of a tunnel.
Then he said a phrase that brought me back the air at once.
“The pattern of the injury is consistent with hot liquid thrown at close range.”
