Sarah’s Hand

I am 17 a Sophomore
In High School knowing
It all in theory at least,
I sit in a comfy chair
In the living room reading
When my sister Sarah screams
From the kitchen as I jump up
Run to her side seeing she has
Been trying to use the Osterizer
To hold a grapefruit half to
Juice it but has slipped and
Cut her fingers many places.
We two are alone at home,
Sarah is 15 years old and also
Knows it all at least in theory.
I help her extract her hand then
Try to stop the heavy bleeding,
I grab a box of Kleenex to wrap
Around her fingers then lead her
Walking out the front door one
Block then three short blocks to
Our family doctor’s office all the way holding her elbow up so her
Hand is over her head slowing
Bleeding and holding her around
Her waist to help steady her.
We enter the doctor’s office
Gaining immediate entrance,
The nurse and doctor
Listen to us each try to say
What happened at the same
Time as the doc uses tweezers
To pull away layers of bloody
Kleenex finally asking me,
“Why Kleenex?”
I blurt out they were the only
Thing absorbent I could see
That were available and clean.
He tweezers off layer after layer
Then looks me in the eye,
“Not a bad choice under the
Circumstances but try never
To use them on a wound again.”
Later he explains they are not
Sanitary as Sarah glares at me
As the nurse bandages her
Stitched fingers and we prepare
For our long walk home me
Holding her elbow up with
One hand and my other her
Waist to hold her up and steady.
We are brother and sister for
A few hours rather than
Implacable opponents.
As I think back on our
Walk to and from
The doctor I feel
She may have
Enjoyed my
Arm around
Her waist
But I know if
I inquired she would
Roll her eyes and laugh,
But … I kinda enjoyed it.