Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Joey’s brain SPECT test is painless and completed within moments of his arrival at the Hospital. A clearly experienced nurse takes good care of him and gives him one Band Aid when he requests one from a glass canister. When alone in the room, Joey grabs another handful of Band Aids and stuffs them in his pocket. He is able to stay still for the imaging test, which he views as an accomplishment.

His mother brings him to the gift shop to select a small present, but the two quarrel when he requests very expensive items, such as an enormous stuffed giraffe and a big battery powered car. She tells him that her budget is limited. Joey is still anxious about the outcome of his brain imaging test and imagines that his brain “looked more like scrambled eggs than a honeycomb” (133). When Fran suggests a postcard, he spins the revolving rack wildly until all the cards fall on the floor. When his mother asks him to help pick them up, he gets down on all fours and puts the cards in his mouth.

The pair visit the Sky Deck of the PPG building at Fran’s suggestion. She gives Joey quarters to use the telescope.