A chilling start to autumn...

The five year old writhed in fear, violently tossing and turning in her car seat. Tears cascaded down her cheeks whilst a guttural screech kicked every family member into high alert. She screeched like a relentless runaway train whose brakes were engaged, producing sparks on a rusty old track — somehow the train wasn’t slowing down, only getting louder and louder, and stopping for air every so often amidst pathetic sobs and sniffs.

Minutes continue to pass as the child’s helpless yells filled every part of the vehicle’s cabin, threatening to burst out into the calm and warm afternoon — an otherwise most pleasant ambience, with passersby blissfully unaware of the chaos ensuing at an arm’s length from them.

Careening through local roads in the hills and making headway towards the downtown medical center, desperately trying to stay focused on the road, the father and mother’s eyes lock momentarily — words needn’t be exchanged to convey a sense of distress, eyes dart between each other, the child and the road ahead.

“Should we be doing this?” the gaze ponders.

Another desperate gulp of air, and sweet small sobs provide a short lived break to the cacophony. As the high pitched decibels restart, a second voice emerges from the other side of the car. The two year old’s generally strong will is starting to break as she becomes overwhelmed with her sister’s desperate cries. She doesn't really understand what waits ahead, and doesn't have the capacity to reason — only react.

Reassured words pass from the parents to the children. Their calming words only work momentarily. The 5 year old doesn’t relent for long, as the assault on the deepest vocal cords in her throat continues. She wails as hard as a high pitched and fast electric guitar solo. But this is no melody, no no no.

“No, no, no — mommy I don’t want to, I don’t want to” The five year old musters yelps punctuated with sobs. Echoes cut sharply through the cool, dry cement parking structure eerily haunting innocent passers by.

Having finally reached their destination, the adults jump out of the vehicle each deftly picking a child to escort into the facility. As the family walks together, the father gets several paces ahead with the younger, whose confusion about what is happening has her puzzled, but willingly tagging along. They pass another family, an oddly familiar scene plays out in front of them between a mother and two young boys.

More young guttural yelps emerge as they enter a portable building attached adjacent to the more permanent hospital structure.

The looks on parents’ faces are determined as they hold kids down against their will. Their frantic explanations and reassurances are dead on arrival. Skilled nurses tend to the task at hand. Its causing absolute madness among the young souls as they are facing that which they fear as deeply as death itself — nay death would be better would it not?

The time comes as quickly as it goes. The sharp needle plunges into the flesh and back out in a flash.

The unassuming two year old feels it first, it’s a delayed reaction to the sharp pain, and whereas the jab is in the leg it’s the face where all the action is. Tears burst onto soft cheeks as her shrieks fill the air.

It’s an awful scene absolute chaos as children despair in unison.

The five year old is betrayed, dismayed, and utterly loses control. “I can’t stop crying…” she responds even as her momentary pain has fully subsided.

The two year old’s reaction is more appropriate than her older sisters’, but why? Don’t we become more rational as we get older? Why it works this way is a conundrum. The parents feel assured a study in cognitive development (that they’ll not search, find or read) probably covers this.

Small bandaids are swiftly applied, and tears fade away as a brightly colored lollipop is revealed at the climactic moment. Can it be? Is it for me? Say the looks on the childrens’ faces. The top layer of sugar quickly melts in the mouth bringing an immediate relief to the fleeting devastation.

The first vaccine of the year is complete, giving the parents hope. However, there’s one more jab to add to the list this year all because of what started in twenty nineteen.