Butterflies

"How is he?"

"He's in the hospital."

"Get out of here, how long?"

"Four days, be out Saturday."

"I'll go visit him."

"Okay."

I visited him. I've only met him once, he's a friends eight year old son.

"Hi Nick,"

He never looked up from the hand held video game he was playing.

"Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay."

"I'm your mom's friend, Michael."

"Okay." Still didn't look up.

"Do you need anything?"

"I'm good."

"Winning the game?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I guess I'll go."

"Okay."

So I left. He never looked up. I got back to the rescue, and we headed back to the station.

"How is he?" Brian asked.

"Okay, I guess. He never looked up from his video game."

"Kids are obsessed with those things. They never get outside and play like we used to."

"I guess."

"What happened to him, anyway?"

"He was riding his scooter, holding a butterfly net with one hand, trying to catch a butterfly that flew into a tree. I guess he got jumbled up and crashed the scooter and fell onto the handlebar. He's got a lacerated liver."

"Should have stayed inside."

"I guess."