Trigger
"Have you been taking your medicine?" asked Dr. Johanson. Justice Kennedy nodded.
"And my daddy helped me," the five-year-old girl piped up.
Wise to Jim Kennedy's history of drinking, the doctor cast a glance at Mrs. Kennedy, who stood at the little girl's side.
"How'd he do that?" the doctor asked, smiling at Justice.
"He gave me Tiggs!" Justice swung her sneaker-clad feet over the edge of the examination table. Again, the doctor turned to Mrs. Kennedy.
"Tigger is Justice's, uh, lizard," she explained. He nodded.
"What kind of a lizard is it?" he asked Justice.
"A big kind," Justice answered honestly.
"How big?"
"Umm, a little shorter than me."
"That's mighty big for a lizard," Dr. Johanson commented.
"Yeah. He plays rough, too. He's got a big hook-claw," Justice answered. The doctor's brow furrowed.
"Hook-claw?" he asked
"Yeah--like this."
Justice made a hook shape with her index finger and held it to the inside of her foot.
* * * * * * *
When the visit was over, the doctor and Mrs. Kennedy walked out to the parking lot; they paused to talk while Justice rushed ahead.
"She's getting stronger," Dr. Johanson pointed out.
"Yes. She was sick for a long time," Mrs. Kennedy added.
"Yeah, well, cancer's like that. Susan, if it'd be alright with you, I'd like to bring some friends of mine
to see your daughter's lizard. There's just something about it that's not quite right."
"Of course--we'd love to have you stop by," Mrs. Kennedy answered.
"Perfect. I'll have to check my schedule, but I think Saturday next should work. How's that?"
"Saturday next is fine. We'll see you then."
* * * * * * *
On the following Saturday, a beaming Justice skipped up to meet Dr. Johanson and his two collegues. He introduced them:
"Justice, this is Dr. Reese Smith and Dr. Alicia McAvoy." Justice smiled shyly, then raced off toward the backyard.
"Don't ware yourself out," Susan called after her.
"I won't! Tigger! C'mere boy!" Justice responded.
The adults followed Justice out into the backyard where they were all (except for her mother) surprised to see a
creature the size of Justice running around the yard.
The creature was brownish-green in colour, with darker reddish stripes. It had a long face with a mouthfull of
sharp teeth, and a long tail which it used for high -speed direction-changes like a cheetah, and it ran on two legs.
Not at all like most lizard, which could run on hind legs for short distances only, carried their front legs open wide,
and their hind legs moved in a splayed motion. No, this lizard was born to move upright. It wheeled about on muscular
legs with the greatest of ease. It carried its hands close to its chest. And on the inner toe of each foot was a sickle-
shaped hook-claw.
* * * * * * *