At Indiahoma High School, the morning had barely started when Dougie shuffled slowly into the classroom clutching his favorite comfort blanket. His eyes were red and watery, and every few seconds a shaky sob escaped his chest. Normally he loved sitting by the window and lining up his comfort items on his desk, but today he just curled into himself, rocking back and forth.
His LCP, Dr. Shofiner, noticed right away that something was wrong.
"Dougie," Dr. Shofiner said gently as he knelt beside him, "you don't look like you feel very good."
Dougie cried harder, his face flushed bright red. He pressed his AAC device with trembling hands, but all it managed to say was, "Mom... hurt... sick..."
Dr. Shofiner rested a calm hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, buddy. Let me tell Grace. I need to check your temperature and possibly make a phone call to your adopted mother, Thresa."
Across the room, Grace immediately came over when she heard Dougie crying. She had known him for years and could tell this wasn't an ordinary rough morning. His breathing was shaky, and tears poured down his cheeks so fast that they soaked the collar of his scrubs.
"Oh, sweetheart," Grace whispered, "you're burning up."
Dr. Shofiner used the thermometer while Grace rubbed Dougie's back slowly to help calm him. A few seconds later the thermometer beeped.
"102.4," Dr. Shofiner said quietly.
Grace frowned with concern. "No wonder he feels miserable."
Dougie whimpered and buried his face into his Lightning McQueen blanket. His stomach hurt, his head hurt, and the bright classroom lights felt too strong. Every sound around him seemed overwhelming.
"You're safe," Grace assured him. "Nobody's upset with you. We're just going to help you feel better."
Dr. Shofiner stepped into the hallway and called Thresa.
"Hi, Thresa," he said. "Dougie's running a pretty high fever and crying hysterically. I think he needs to go home and rest."
On the other end of the phone, Thresa sounded worried immediately. "I'm leaving right now."
While they waited, Grace sat beside Dougie in the quiet sensory room. She dimmed the lights, brought him a cool washcloth, and let him hold his favorite plush toy. Little by little, his crying softened into exhausted sniffles.
A short time later, the front office doors opened and Thresa hurried inside carrying Dougie's extra comfort bag.
"There's my baby," she said softly.
The moment Dougie saw her, he reached toward her immediately. Thresa hugged him tightly while Grace explained everything that had happened.
"We'll miss you today," Grace told him kindly. "But your job today is resting."
Dougie weakly tapped his AAC device one more time.
"Love you."
Grace smiled warmly. "Love you too, buddy. Feel better soon."
