Eli and the Superhero Check-Up

Chapter 1: A boy who is afraid of the doctor or the dentist

Eli was six years old, and he was brave about almost everything. He wasn't afraid of the dark, or of the neighbor's big dog, or of the tallest slide at the park.

But he was very afraid of the doctor.

On the morning of his check-up, Eli sat on the stairs with his shoes in his lap and did not put them on.

"Eli, sweetheart," said Dad, crouching beside him, "we need to leave in ten minutes."

"My tummy hurts," said Eli.

Dad studied him for a moment. "Is it a sick tummy, or a worried tummy?"

Eli's lip wobbled. "Worried," he admitted. "What if there's a shot? What if it hurts? What if they put that cold thing on my chest and I don't like it?"

Dad sat down beside him on the step. He didn't say, "Don't be silly." He didn't say, "There's nothing to be scared of."

"That's a lot of what-ifs," he said gently. "Thank you for telling me. Lots of people feel worried before the doctor, even grown-ups. I get nervous too sometimes."

Eli looked up. "You do?"