"A dragon at the doctor? That's silly!" Noah giggled, hiding behind his book about birds in the library.
Jacob, his fluffy dog, wagged his tail excitedly, thumping it against the floor. "Woof! Woof!"
"I know, right?" Noah whispered, peeking over the book at his mom. "Dragons don't get sick!"
"Well, this one does," Mom said, her eyebrows furrowed with worry. "He has a terrible cough. It sounds like this!" She made a loud, rumbling sound, like a truck full of rocks.
Noah giggled again. His mom was so funny when she made silly noises. He put down his book and zoomed over to her, his super speed making him a blur. "Can we go see him? Please, Mom, please?"
Mom smiled. "Of course, honey. But remember, dragons are very big and can be a little scary."
"I'm not scared!" Noah puffed out his chest. "I'm super fast, remember?"
The doctor's office was busier than usual. There were lots of other kids there with their moms and dads. Noah even saw a little girl with a parrot on her shoulder! But nobody was quite as interesting as the dragon. He was HUGE! His scales shimmered like emeralds and rubies, and his tail swished back and forth, knocking over a plant (oops!).
The dragon saw Noah and smiled, which made his nostrils flare. A puff of smoke came out, followed by a cough that rattled the windows.
"Wow," Noah whispered, his eyes wide with awe.
The doctor, a kind lady with a funny hat, gave the dragon a lollipop. "This will soothe your throat," she said.
The dragon, surprisingly, took the lollipop with his giant claws and popped it into his mouth. He then winked at Noah, making him giggle.
"Now, Mr. Sparky," the doctor said to the dragon, "Let's have a listen to your chest." She pressed a stethoscope against the dragon's scaly chest, her face serious.
Noah held his breath. He was a little bit worried about the dragon. Even though dragons were big and strong, it was no fun being sick.
After a moment, the doctor smiled. "Well, Mr. Sparky, it seems like you have a simple cold. You need lots of rest and warm soup."
The dragon sighed in relief, a puff of smoke coming out of his nostrils. "Thank goodness! I thought it might be dragon flu."
Noah and Jacob both laughed. Dragon flu! That was a good one.
On the way home, Noah couldn’t stop talking about the dragon. "He ate a lollipop, Mom! And he had a cold, just like me sometimes!"
Mom laughed. "That's right. Even dragons need to visit the doctor sometimes. It's how we all stay healthy and strong."
That night, snuggled in bed with Jacob snoring softly at his feet, Noah thought about the dragon. He decided that maybe, just maybe, dragons weren't so scary after all. Especially if they liked lollipops.
