Whomp! The elevator lurched to a stop.

“Oh, no!” Melanie said. She waited to see if it would start up again and when it didn’t, she went over to the emergency call box.

“Help! We’re stuck between floors. Elevator number 2! Hurry! I have a sick child!” Melanie, frantic, let go of her son, Davey’s hand, and rummaged around in her purse. The boy was having a hard time breathing and his face was white. “I can’t believe we’re stuck in this stupid elevator,” she muttered, glancing at the rather grungy looking man leaning, nonchalantly, against the back wall.

“Figures,” he said.

“Could you please call them again? I’ve got to find his inhaler. I thought I put it back and … “She looked up at the man.  He was eyeing her with interest.

Oh God, she thought, please don’t let him try anything. She maneuvered Davey next to the front, right corner where the call box and the floor buttons were, and standing in front of him, called again for help.

“What’s the matter with him?” the man said.

Melanie thought fast. “Aside from asthma, he’s got Covid.”

The man immediately moved to the far corner of the elevator. “For crying out loud, lady, what kind of mother are you? Why doesn’t he have on a mask?”

“Because he can’t breathe in a mask! Can’t you see, he’s having enough trouble as it is!”

The man looked accusingly at her. “Well, why don’t you have one?”

“Because I’ve had Covid,” she said, punching in the number of the doctor’s office, in the building. Don’t put me on hold, please, she thought.

Just then, the man grabbed her, causing her to drop her cell phone.  Melanie screamed before he got his hand over her mouth. Davey yelled, and punched the man as hard as he could, right where it hurt the most and kicked him in the shin. The man doubled over and fell to the floor.

“Hello, hello” said a voice on the cell phone.

Melanie grabbed it off the floor. “Help! This is Mrs. Stewart on Elevator 2. I’m being attacked! Get somebody quick!”

“Oh, my God, right away,” and she disconnected.

Melanie hugged Davey with one arm and was digging, frantically, in her purse again with the other, when the man, growling, managed to stand. “You little brat! You’re going to pay for that!”

As the man moved toward Davey, Melanie aimed mace right at the man’s face.

 Suddenly there were noises on the other side of the door and the elevator started jerking down, and opened!

Melanie pushed Davey out in front of her, and was right after him.

Two cops and another man, who turned out to be the building manager, blocked the attacker’s exit and he was handcuffed. Melanie gave a brief account of what transpired and told them she had to get her son to the doctor.

~ ~ ~

 Dr. Oliver walked into the room where they waited. “Hello there, pardner.  I understand you’re not feeling so good?”

Davey shook his head.

 “Well, climb up here on this table and let’s see what’s going on, there,” he said, tapping on Davey’s chest. Take as deep a breath as you can. Good boy. Another one. Another one.” He moved the stethoscope to Davey’s back and went through the same procedure. When he was through, he said, to Melanie, “I understand there was some trouble on the elevator.”

“Yes. It stopped between floors, and….”

“A bad mad gabbed Momma and I socked him!”

“He did,” Melanie gave a weak smile. “I’m still shaking, but Davey saved me. He’s my hero.”

Dr. Oliver said, “Good for you, son. That was a brave thing you did, protecting your mama.”

“Want me to show you how I did it?” Davey said, balling up his fist and leaning forward. Melanie grabbed his arm.

Dr. Oliver blanched, moving out of the way and said, “Oh! Like that, huh? Uh, excuse me. I’ll, be right back.”

Davey said, “I wad’n really gonna hit ‘im. I was jes gonna show ‘im.”

“Well, Sweetie, this isn’t like ‘show and tell’. This is just ‘tell.’ I’m afraid you scared Doctor Oliver.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t, and I want you to know I am very proud of you for protecting me! You were so brave and your dad’s going to be proud of you, too.”

Dr. Oliver came back in with some medicine, which he handed to Melanie; the other hand was behind his back. Now, with both hands behind his back, he said, “Okay, young man. I have something for you. Pick a hand.”

Davey, naturally, picked the hand the doctor originally had behind his back. Doctor Oliver opened it, and it was empty.

Davey pouted. “Does that mean I don’t get the surprise?”

The doctor smiled and said, “Well, now, since you were so brave and protected your mom, I reckon you do,” and he brought his hand around holding a paper bag, which he handed him.

Davey looked inside. Oh, boy!” he said, grinning, and showed his mom. Inside was a small, cold bottle of chocolate milk and a package of graham crackers, aa-nd, a sheriff’s badge. “Can I have it now?”

Melanie knelt down and pinned the sheriff’s badge on Davey, then stood and shook Dr. Oliver’s hand. “Thank you, doctor.”

“He’s a smart kid,” the doc said. “Has the right instincts. I’m glad it turned out all right. Now, give him that when he needs it and be sure he stays hydrated and gets enough rest. He’ll feel better when all this rain and humidity’s gone. Call me if he doesn’t.” He ruffled Davey’s hair. “Good Job!”

When they finally got home, Melanie said, “Let’s save your milk for supper and the graham crackers for dessert, okay? I’m going to start on supper now. Dad ought to be home soon.”

 Davey put his milk in the fridge and went to look at his new sheriff’s badge in his mom’s full length mirror. He thought a minute, ran back to his room for his cowboy hat, then back to the mirror. He was putting on his cowboy boots, when he heard his dad come in the back door.

Davey grinned and ran to the kitchen. His dad said, “well, howdy, Pardner. How ya doing?”

“I’m the sheriff,” Davey said.

“He’s my hero,” Melanie said. I’ll tell you about it, later.”

“I saved Mom from that bad man,” Davey said, climbing up on the kitchen stool.

“What!” Dad looked at Melanie.  

“Can I show him, Mom?” Davey balled up his fist.

“STOP! Right this minute,” Mom said, rather loudly. “Remember what I told you? This is not ‘show and tell,’ this is ‘tell’ time.”

“Well, you two have certainly got my curiosity up,” dad said.

Mom sighed. “Okay, Sheriff, tell Dad how you saved me from the bad man.”

Davey grinned. “I punched him, hard.”

Dad looked at Melanie. “He did? Really? What’d the man do? Wasn’t he mad?”

“Nope. He fell over on the floor, making funny noises,” Davey said.

Dad’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Melanie nodded.

Well, Sheriff, I tell you what. I am mighty proud that you protected your mama! Tomorrow’s Saturday; anything special you’d like to do?”

Davey’s face lit up “I know, let’s play in the mud puddles, and I can…”

“Besides that,” Dad said.

“You don’t like mud, Dad?”

“Nope. Too messy, Davey.”

“You can put on some not nice clothes, okay?”

“Davey, I don’t want to play in the mud. Do you have another idea of something you’d like to do?”

“Ummm. OH! I know! We could have a ketchup fight, like…”

Mom and dad, together said, “like who?”

“Grandpa. We had the best time.”