Drama queens? Indeed! Anytime anyone tells you they have chest pain and shortness of breath, it’s probably a good idea to have it checked out. Even if it is going to interrupt your day or your meeting or your trip. Better safe then sorry.

“You kinda look like a drama queen right now.” I laughed as I gazed at his turban.

“Oh. Ya. I probably do.” Father Brian and I chuckled as he touched his t-shirt turban. 

Mmmmm hmmmm

“Mmmmm hmmmm.”

“Gotta get back to work.” Father slowly got up from the dock.

“Thanks for the update.” 

“Thanks for your help. I appreciated the assistance.”

“No problem.” I waved as Father started to walk along the dock. “That’s why I get paid the big bucks.”

“I’m going to put in the paperwork for a 10% raise for you, Anne.”

“Mmmmm hmmmm.” I said again.

I sighed. I didn’t like the news about the pulmonary embolism at all and my thoughts were swirling in my head. I was considering how glad I was that I had taken Bill in to be seen as I went back to supervising the fishing expedition but it wasn’t a minute before my thoughts were interrupted as the counselor Chelsea sat down beside me in the exact spot that Father Brian had just vacated. 

“Nurse Anne? What do you think of this?” Chelsea, sporting a bikini, asked as she leaned back and pointed at her navel piercing.

Ouch!

“Looks like you are brewing a little infection there,” I said as I looked at the erythema surrounding her piercing. “Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

“What’s the story?”

“Well, I got it the piercing the week before camp started and didn’t think it would be very hard to take care of. They told me I had to do salt water rinses four times a day and I thought it would be a piece of cake. Now I realize it’s impossible with the camp schedule.” As she spoke she played with the piercing, pushing it up and down.

“So you haven’t been doing the soaks?”

“Nope. I ditched them the second day I arrived at camp.” Chelsea answered with an uncomfortable grin.

“And do you play with it a lot?” Chelsea immediately stopped playing with the piercing and pulled her hand away.

“Ya. I do. I can’t help it. It’s a bit of a habit now. What do you think I should do? I don’t want to lose my piercing! It hurt like hell when they put it in, so I don’t want all that pain to be for nothing but an ugly scar!”

“I hear you sister! But you have to be more diligent. You have got to do the soaks. Now is more important than ever since you probably have a cellulitis going on there and possibly an abscess.”

“What is cellulitis?”

“An infection of the skin.”

“What is an abscess?”

“Basically a pocket of infection.”

“Like a pocket of pus?” Chelsea squealed as she paled. I nodded. “Like a humongous pimple?” I nodded again. “Noooo! You are joking!”

“No. I’m not. Also you need to leave it alone, girl. Every time you play with it, you introduce germs from your hands into that raw tissue. You need to stop swimming in the lake too. God only knows what germs are in the water!”

“No Nurse Anne. This is NOT what I wanted to hear.” Chelsea said as she grimaced.

“We can try some antibiotic ointment and if it doesn’t improve I would like you to see a doctor. You might need oral antibiotics.” 

“Oh man! I’m kinda sorry I even asked.” 

“I’m super glad you did! What if you have left it and not done anything? You could be really sick.”

“I could get sick from an infected navel piercing?” Chelsea gave me a skeptical look. “No way. That has to be an urban myth.”

“I’m telling you straight.” I looked at her earnestly. 

“No Nurse Anne. You are being a drama queen.”

Chelsea squinted her eyes and gave me a look. She wasn’t buying any of this. 

“Nah……”

“I have been accused of that,” I laughed, “…and not long ago, as a matter of fact!”