“If I could trade places and hurt instead of you, I would in a heartbeat.”

The school nurse sent Badger home from school today because she was in so much pain.

She thinks the ER has missed a break in her collarbone.

I was reluctant to send her to school as it was, but she doesn't have an excused absence.

The ER doctor wouldn't give one, so she just can't miss school.

They get really witchy with me for unexcused absences.

I hate for her to be hurting, but the ER doctor said to wait until Friday before she's re-seen, and I think they know more about what they're talking about than my gut instincts, which are telling me to take her back and demand something more be done.

It's also really hard to gauge how badly she's hurting.

She doesn't cry like most kids, the dangest thing I've ever seen.

Things that would send most kids screaming, she's just blank.

I'm assuming that's the anxiety they insist she has?

We also can't get her to tell us how bad it's hurting.

If we're lucky, she might say, "I hurt," but she won't or can't say where it hurts, how bad it hurts, or how long it's been hurting.

It's just guesswork with her.

We'll try and limp along until Friday, and then they will re-evaluate her.