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She could hear him working in the next room. The saw was methodical and almost putting her to sleep on her feet as she worked in automatic pilot with the ironing.
Suddenly there was a sceech - a yell powerful enough to wake the dead. She went running in to him.
"What is it? Did you saw off your finger?" He was clutching his hand and doubled over.
"Not quite. But it F'ing hurts!!!"
She looked once he let go of the offending culprit. He had a splinter lodged under the nail of his thumb.
"That's ok. I have some tweezers. I can get it out."
"NO!!!" Don't you bloody touch it!!!"
He was screaming at her with fear on his face. There was pain, fear and phobia. He's the one who wanted to know what all of the fuss was about with labour contractions yet he couldn't deal with a splinter!
"Do you want me to take you to the doctor?"
"Shit - I don't know! Maybe the emergency!"
She looked at him and finally cracked it.
"Don't be so stupid!! It's a pathetic little splinter and Emergency Departments are for people having heart attacks you idiot. I can take that out myself and you have to just shut up and trust me!!
He finally looked at her and went quiet. She went to the bathroom and got her tweezers - the splinter was out in a minute.
"Now, you can come with me to the Doctors anyway. You haven't had your Tetanus shot in a long time so you should have it. Does your thumb still hurt?"
He just shook his head. Then he let out "No..."
She eased up and smiled. Just because he had a low tolerance to pain, doesn't make him any less lovable.
"How about we go out for lunch after?"
He smiled as well, all was good. "As long as it's Burger King!!"