Small Island Doctors

What a great place this is... lots of room to run and play, lots of room to trip and fall, lots of gravel to trip and fall upon. And me with two toddlers, one of which has a nebulous relationship with gravity (hint: gravity usually wins). So, my friend from California, backpacking her 6 month old, Sterling (age 4), Siena (age 2.75) and I are walking to the library. Siena trips and falls right into a pile of gravel which is supposed to represent a sidewalk (or, in her case, a side-fall). Lots of tears, lots of screams, and, usually, that's about it. Only this time her mouth is covered in blood.

Needless to say, we've walked from home, and it is a very steep path uphill to return. I grabbed Siena up, try to calm her down, and make a smart choice. I was thinking of taking her down to the barber in hopes of borrowing some sink time to clean up her face. When Siena began to spit blood, my friend suggested we backtrack to our island doctor's office. Good plan.

But our Doctor's office is locked. Instead I rush into the other doctor's office, whom we've never met, and immediately I'm met by the doctor, his schedule patient ("I guess we'll wait a minute, Doc") and am shown into an awaiting office. No questions, no problems. I've got my MSP card (a Canadian insurance/medical card), and that's enough. Doesn't even matter that, in reality, all we've got is a profusely bleeding lip and one loud screamer. I was able to clean Siena up myself while Stering played with one of the office toys and the baby got a bottle. The doctor took a look, everyone is fine, and after some thanks and best wishes, we are on our way. Oh yeah, they did ask for our phone number. But that was it!

Where else could someone take a child, just for the sake of an easy cleanup, into an awaiting doctor's office, be treated so well, and just pay with a thank you? I love Bowen Island.