| Margaret MacDonald: Good morning! It's a lovely Saturday, isn't it? |
| Mason Miller: Oh. Hi. Yeah. It's... it's fine. Good morning. |
| Margaret MacDonald: You're up early. Usually, I don't see you until the afternoon. Are you heading out to take some photos? |
| Mason Miller: No, no photos today. Just... running an errand. To the store. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Oh, really? I need to go to the store later, too. I need to buy some yarn for my knitting. What're you looking for? |
| Mason Miller: Just... things. You know. Basic stuff. Toothpaste. Maybe some... uh... ice. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Ice? You've got a freezer in your apartment, right? Why do you need to buy ice? |
| Mason Miller: It's not for drinks. It's for... never mind. I've gotta go. Have a good day. |
| Mason Miller: Ouch. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Wait a minute. You're holding your left hand against your chest. You look like you're in pain. |
| Mason Miller: I'm fine. Really. It's just a scratch. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I'm a nurse, remember? I know the difference between a scratch and pain. Let me see your hand. |
| Mason Miller: It's nothing. I just had a little argument with a frying pan. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Mason, please. Show me. If it's infected, it could be serious. |
| Mason Miller: Fine. But don't make a big deal about it. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Oh my goodness! That's not a scratch! That's a burn. A nasty one. |
| Mason Miller: It looks worse than it feels. |
| Margaret MacDonald: The skin's bright red, and it's starting to blister. How long ago did this happen? |
| Mason Miller: Maybe... twenty minutes ago? I was making breakfast. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Twenty minutes? And you didn't put it in cold water? Why is it shiny? Did you put... grease on it? |
| Mason Miller: It's butter. My grandmother always said, "If you burn your hand, put a stick of butter on it." It stops the pain. |
| Margaret MacDonald: No, no, no! That's a terrible idea! |
| Mason Miller: It is? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Yes! Butter holds the heat inside the skin. It makes the burn deeper. We need to wash that off immediately. Come on, let's go back to your apartment. |
| Mason Miller: I really don't want to trouble you. I was just going to the pharmacy to get some bandages. |
| Margaret MacDonald: You can't put a bandage on top of butter. We need to clean it properly. I'm not asking, I'm telling you. As a medical professional. |
| Mason Miller: Okay, okay. You win. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Okay, put your hand under the water. The water should be cool, but not freezing cold. |
| Mason Miller: That stings! |
| Margaret MacDonald: I know. But we have to get the butter off and cool the tissue down. Keep it there. Don't move. |
| Mason Miller: How long do I have to stand here? I've got a lot to do today. |
| Margaret MacDonald: At least ten to fifteen minutes. We need to stop the "cooking" process in your skin. |
| Mason Miller: Cooking process? That sounds disgusting. |
| Margaret MacDonald: It's true. A burn continues to damage the skin even after you take your hand away from the fire. The heat stays in the tissue. The water takes the heat away. |
| Mason Miller: Fine. Fifteen minutes. I guess I can wait. |
| Margaret MacDonald: So, tell me. How did this happen? You're usually very careful. You worked in Antarctica! That's a dangerous place. |
| Mason Miller: Well, it's a funny story. I was trying to cook something fancy. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Fancy? Like what? |
| Mason Miller: I was trying to make a glaze. You know, sugar and butter? I was watching a cooking video online. But then... I saw a bird on the balcony railing. |
| Margaret MacDonald: A bird? |
| Mason Miller: Yes! It was a Peregrine Falcon. I'm sure of it. They're very rare in the city. I grabbed my camera with one hand, and without looking, I reached for the pan with the other hand. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Oh, Mason. You and your photography. You've got to focus on one thing at a time! |
| Mason Miller: I know. It was stupid. I want to be a chef one day, you know? But a chef with burned fingers isn't very useful. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Accidents happen to everyone. Even professional chefs. The important thing is knowing how to treat it. |
| Mason Miller: So, butter is bad. What about ice? Should I put ice on it later? |
| Margaret MacDonald: No! Definitely not. Ice is too extreme. It can damage the skin cells because it restricts blood flow. Just cool water and then a clean bandage. |
| Mason Miller: It's strange. All the things I learned as a kid... they're wrong. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Medical knowledge changes. We learn new things all the time. That's why I'm here in D.C. doing this exchange program. To learn different methods. |
| Mason Miller: Is it really that different? A burn is a burn, right? Whether you're in New Jersey or Washington D.C. |
| Margaret MacDonald: The injury's the same. But the system is different. And the way people react is different. |
| Mason Miller: How do you mean? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Well, at my hospital in New Jersey—Penn Medicine—it's a very large teaching hospital. We have the newest technology for everything. But sometimes, it feels a bit... automatic. Here in D.C., in the clinic where I'm working, we see patients from all over the world. We have to spend more time explaining things. We have to understand their culture. |
| Mason Miller: Like explaining to a stubborn guy why butter's bad? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Exactly. In some cultures, people use toothpaste on burns. In others, they use oil or egg whites. |
| Mason Miller: Egg whites? That's a new one. |
| Margaret MacDonald: It's surprisingly common! But as a nurse, I have to respect the patient, but also teach them the science. It's a balance. |
| Mason Miller: I guess I'm just old-fashioned. When I was at Byrd Station in Antarctica, we didn't have a lot of supplies. We had a doctor, but he was more like a general mechanic for humans. We used whatever we had. |
| Margaret MacDonald: It must've been very hard. Being so far away from a real hospital. |
| Mason Miller: It was scary sometimes. If you got really sick, they had to fly you out. But the weather's often too bad for planes. So, you learn to just... deal with it. You ignore the pain. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I understand. That's survival mode. But you aren't in Antarctica anymore, Mason. You're in a nice apartment building. You don't have to "just deal with it." You can ask for help. |
| Mason Miller: Yeah. I guess old habits are hard to break. I hate going to doctors here. It feels like a business. They make you wait for hours, then they talk to you for two minutes, and then they send you a huge bill. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I know. The American system can be frustrating. It's complex and expensive. That's something we talk about a lot in my exchange program—how to make it better for patients. How to make it more human. |
| Mason Miller: Well, having a neighbor who's a nurse helps make it more human. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I try my best! Okay, let's check the time. It's been twelve minutes. How does it feel? |
| Mason Miller: Better. The stinging stopped. It just feels... numb now. |
| Margaret MacDonald: That's good. Let's do three more minutes, just to be safe. |
| Mason Miller: Oh! That's my oven timer. |
| Margaret MacDonald: You've got something in the oven? |
| Mason Miller: Don't worry. It's just bread. I was baking bread to go with the glaze. Can you... uh... take it out for me? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Sure. I'll save the bread. You stay at the sink. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Wow. That smells delicious. You really are a chef. |
| Mason Miller: I try. I'm thinking about changing careers. Leaving the prospecting business. I want to cook for people. It makes them happy. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I think that's a wonderful idea. It's certainly safer than mining for rare earth minerals. Well, usually safer. |
| Mason Miller: Usually. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Okay. The hand is dry. I'm going to apply this antibiotic ointment. It prevents infection. |
| Mason Miller: Okay. |
| Margaret MacDonald: And now, I'm wrapping it with a sterile gauze bandage. Not too tight. We want the blood to flow. |
| Mason Miller: You're very good at this. Your hands are very steady. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Thank you. It helps with my hobby, too. |
| Mason Miller: Oh, that's right. You mentioned knitting earlier. You do handcrafting? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Yes! I love it. Knitting, embroidery, crochet. It's very relaxing after a long shift at the hospital. |
| Mason Miller: What're you making right now? |
| Margaret MacDonald: I'm trying to make a sweater for my sister. But I'm having a problem. |
| Mason Miller: A problem with the knitting? |
| Margaret MacDonald: No, the knitting's fine. But I want to sell some of my work online. To make a little extra money. But my photos look terrible. |
| Mason Miller: Your photos? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Yeah. The colors never look right. The yarn looks brown instead of purple. And it's always blurry. I just use my smartphone, but I don't know how to make it look professional. |
| Mason Miller: Ah! Well, Margaret, today's your lucky day. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Why is that? |
| Mason Miller: Because you just saved the hand of a very good photographer. |
| Margaret MacDonald: That's right! You've got that big camera. |
| Mason Miller: I can help you. It's probably a lighting issue. People usually take photos indoors with yellow light bulbs. That messes up the colors. You need natural light. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Natural light? Like... outside? |
| Mason Miller: Or near a big window. And you need a stable surface. No shaking hands. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I see. |
| Mason Miller: Tell you what. Since I can't cook or work for a few days... why don't you bring your crafts down here this weekend? I can set up a little studio in my living room. I'll take some high-quality photos for your online shop. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Really? You'd do that for me? |
| Mason Miller: Of course! It's the "Neighbor Exchange Program." You trade medical care for photography services. |
| Margaret MacDonald: That sounds like a fair deal. I accept! |
| Mason Miller: So, what do I need to do now? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Keep it clean. Don't get it wet for 24 hours. When you shower, put a plastic bag over it. |
| Mason Miller: A plastic bag? I'll look ridiculous. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Do you want an infection? |
| Mason Miller: No. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Then use the bag. And take some ibuprofen if it starts to throb. But I think you'll be fine. It's a second-degree burn, but it's small. |
| Mason Miller: Thanks, Margaret. Really. I was being stubborn earlier. I appreciate you stopping me. |
| Margaret MacDonald: That's what neighbors are for. And... maybe next time you want to watch a bird, turn off the stove first? |
| Mason Miller: Deal. |
| Mason Miller: Okay, that's great. Now, just move the scarf a little to the left. Yes. I want to catch the texture of the wool. |
| Margaret MacDonald: How does it look? |
| Mason Miller: Beautiful. The light from the window is perfect today. Okay, one more. Smile! |
| Mason Miller: Alright. I think we've got some great shots. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Can I see? |
| Mason Miller: Here. Look at this one. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Wow! Mason! That looks amazing. The purple's so vibrant. It looks like something from a magazine. |
| Mason Miller: See? It's all about the white balance. |
| Margaret MacDonald: And look at you. You're using your left hand to adjust the lens. |
| Mason Miller: Yeah. It's healing really well. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Let me take a quick look. |
| Mason Miller: Go ahead. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Hmm. The blister's gone down. The skin's pink, but it's healthy. No sign of infection. |
| Mason Miller: I followed your orders. Kept it dry. Changed the bandage. No butter. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Good boy. See? Modern medicine works better than Grandma's myths. |
| Mason Miller: You were right. If I'd used butter, it probably would be a mess right now. |
| Margaret MacDonald: I'm glad you're okay. And I'm so happy about these photos. My sister's going to be so impressed. |
| Mason Miller: You know, this was fun. I haven't done product photography before. Usually, I just take pictures of landscapes or... rare birds. |
| Margaret MacDonald: You're talented. If the chef thing doesn't work out, you can definitely be a photographer. |
| Mason Miller: Actually... I have some news. |
| Margaret MacDonald: What? |
| Mason Miller: I made that bread again yesterday. And I took some to the family on the third floor. You know, the one with the two daughters? |
| Margaret MacDonald: Ah, yes. The older daughter? The one you like? |
| Mason Miller: Yeah. Well, she loved the bread. And... we're going to have dinner tomorrow. I'm cooking. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Mason! That's fantastic! A date! |
| Mason Miller: Yeah. I'm a little nervous. But at least I can use both hands to cook now. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Just promise me one thing. |
| Mason Miller: What? |
| Margaret MacDonald: If you see a bird outside the window... ignore it. |
| Mason Miller: I promise. I'll close the blinds. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Well, I should let you get ready for your big date. I'll take these samples back upstairs. Thank you so much for the photos. |
| Mason Miller: Thank you for the medical care. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Anytime. Just try not to need me again too soon! |
| Mason Miller: I'll try my best. Bye, Margaret. |
| Margaret MacDonald: Bye, Mason! |
| Mason Miller: Okay. Dinner tomorrow. Menu... Salad. Cold soup. Nothing hot. Definitely nothing hot. |
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