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Inside the parked car on a sunny morning, Jessie sits in the back seat clutching her stuffed bear, her other hand gently on her neck. Light filters through the window, illuminating her worried face and the car’s gray upholstery.
Jessie rubbed her neck sadly. Her throat hurt again, and it was hard to swallow. She sat in the car on the way to the big hospital. She held her stuffed bear tight. She hoped the doctor could fix her throat.
In a brightly lit hospital hallway with shiny floors, Jessie pauses before a wall painting of a funny fish, holding her stuffed bear beside her. Overhead fluorescent lights bounce off the polished tiles, creating a clean, slightly intimidating glow.
The hospital was very large and clean. It had bright lights and shiny floors. Jessie walked down the hall with her bear. It was a little scary, but the walls had colorful pictures. Jessie looked at a painting of a funny fish.
Inside a small hospital exam room under soft ceiling lights, Dr. Martinez steps through the doorway smiling warmly while Jessie, seated on the padded table with her bear, waves shyly. A blood-pressure cuff and tongue-depressor tray rest nearby.
A man in a white coat walked into the room. It was Dr. Martinez. He had a very kind smile. "Hola, Jessie!" he said cheerfully. Jessie waved her hand shyly. He seemed very nice.
In the same exam room, afternoon light from a high window outlines Dr. Martinez perched on a rolling stool, holding up a colorful throat diagram. Jessie leans forward on the table, eyes curious, her bear sitting between them.
Dr. Martinez sat on a stool next to Jessie. "Your tonsils are sick," he explained gently. "They are like two little swollen bumps in your throat." He showed her a drawing. Jessie looked at the picture with interest.
Under bright ceiling lights of the exam room, Dr. Martinez gently explains beside the diagram while Jessie nods solemnly from the table clutching her bear. His reassuring hand rests on the chart stand, emphasizing the word "tonsillectomy".
"We need to take the bumps out," the doctor said. "It is called a tonsillectomy." Jessie nodded her head. Dr. Martinez promised she would feel much better soon. "You will not have sore throats anymore," he said.
Inside a pre-op room with mint walls and morning light, Jessie lies on a wheeled hospital bed wearing a blue gown patterned with clouds, smiling proudly. Dr. Martinez stands beside her, thumbs-up, calling her a brave superhero.
Jessie put on a special hospital gown. It was blue with little clouds on it. She climbed onto the soft hospital bed. "You look like a brave superhero," Dr. Martinez told her. Jessie felt proud and strong.
In a softly lit operating suite, Jessie’s bed is positioned beneath a round surgical lamp as Dr. Martinez gently places a strawberry-scented mask over her nose. Her eyelids droop while her bear rests near her pillow.
They wheeled Jessie's bed into a new room. Dr. Martinez put a soft mask over her nose. "Smell the strawberry air," he whispered. Jessie took a deep breath. It smelled sweet like candy. Her eyes got very heavy.
In a dim recovery room glowing with a single bedside lamp, Jessie awakens groggily, hugging her stuffed bear close. The quiet monitors and pale curtains frame her peaceful, drowsy expression.
Jessie opened her eyes slowly. The room was quiet and dim. She felt very sleepy and fuzzy. Her throat felt a little scratchy, but it was okay. She hugged her bear close to her chest.
The same recovery room now bathed in gentle morning light shows Dr. Martinez standing at Jessie’s bedside, smiling broadly while holding her chart. Jessie manages a small smile back, still propped by pillows and clutching her bear.
Dr. Martinez came back to check on her. He smiled broadly at Jessie. "The surgery is all done," he said softly. "You did a great job." Jessie tried to smile back. She was glad to see him.
In the bright recovery room, Dr. Martinez hands Jessie a cold red popsicle from a small tray table. She takes her first bite, eyes widening happily, while her bear sits at her side.
"Now for the best part," Dr. Martinez announced. He brought her a cold, red popsicle. "Ice pops help your throat feel better," he said. Jessie took a bite. The cold felt soothing and delicious.
Afternoon sunlight streams through the recovery room blinds as Jessie, now sitting upright and finished with her treat, shares a triumphant high-five with Dr. Martinez. The empty popsicle stick and her relaxed smile show her growing comfort.
Jessie sat up in bed and finished her treat. The scratchy feeling was going away. Dr. Martinez gave her a high-five. "You are ready to go home soon," he told her. Jessie felt happy and safe.
On a sunny neighborhood playground a few days later, Jessie races across the grass laughing, her stuffed bear tucked under one arm. Bright afternoon light and colorful swings emphasize her renewed energy.
A few days passed, and Jessie felt strong. Her throat did not hurt at all. She could eat and play without pain. The hospital visit was easy. Dr. Martinez had fixed her up perfectly!