Daddy’s Little Girl

I heard a small child crying when I came into this section of the ER, and I found a dad sitting with his small daughter.  The patient was crying as the nurse was coaxing her to let her have access to her elbow.  It seemed as though the child’s arm needed to be set, and so I approached closer and stood where the child could see me.  I played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and the child watched me.  She was still crying, but she was distracted, especially when her father began to sing along.  The nurse was able to set her arm without the patient realizing it.  I stayed a few more minutes, and the patient quieted down and nodded when she recognized the song.  She didn’t want to sing, but she eventually began to smile instead of crying.