Read The Charity Chip for Free Online Page A

can see clearly, and so you can block her view.”
    “Remember what I showed you the last time?” asked Doctor Barilla as he threaded the needle. “Go in perpendicular.” He pushed the needle through the skin using the surgical pliers. “Rotate the needle until the end protrudes from the opposite side of the wound. Then grab the end of the needle and pull it gently through, but leave some thread for the knot.”
    Julio swallowed and nodded. He was glad that the lidocaine had taken effect and the girl wasn’t crying anymore.
    “Now for the knot. Hold the pliers in your right hand and loop away from you. Then grab the short end of the thread and pull it through. Try and pull evenly on both sides.” He pulled the thread tight and squeezed the wound together. “For the second half of the knot, loop the pliers toward you and then grab the short end and pull it tight. Grab both parts of the thread and cut.” He cut the thread close to the double knot.
    “It looks like she will need four stitches,” said Doctor Barilla as he started to insert the needle again. “You watch me again on this one and then you can do the last two.”
    “Do you think that will be safe, Doctor?” asked the mother.
    Doctor Barilla laughed. “Yes. His young hands are much steadier than mine. Besides, he charges much less than I do.”
    When they switched positions, Julio could feel his palms sweating as he picked up the pliers. He took a calming breath and inserted the needle. It was a strange feeling to have this much control over someone else’s body. It made him feel powerful, even important. He followed Doctor Barilla’s instructions to the T and tied the first knot.
    “Very nicely done,” said Doctor Barilla. “Now finish it up.”
    Julio was no longer nervous. His hands moved with confidence as he inserted the needle and tied the knot for the last suture. When he cut away the extra thread he admired his work. He swelled with pride as he compared his sutures to the doctor’s and couldn’t see any difference.
    “That takes care of the sutures,” said Doctor Barilla, “but we need to give you an antibiotic to fight off any infection.” The girl’s eyes followed the doctor as he retrieved another small bottle from the refrigerator and filled another syringe. He held out the syringe to Julio. “Give her the injection in the arm.”
    The girl looked at Julio and then to her mother for reassurance. Her mother nodded and patted her hand. Julio wiped her arm with alcohol and injected the antibiotic. She let out a small cry, but before her cry had ended, Julio was finished.
    “You’ll be as good as new in no time, but be careful for a few days,” said the doctor. “It will be sore. Come see me, or Julio, in a week, and we will remove the sutures.” He began picking up the bloodied rag and the used alcohol wipes.
    The mother stood with her eyes fixed on the floor and her hands clasped in front of her. “I have nothing to pay you with.”
    He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, avoiding eye contact as if he were also embarrassed by the situation. “Pay me what you can, when you can,” replied Doctor Barilla without concern. “Besides, my intern, Julio, did most of the work, and as an intern, he can’t charge you anything.”
    The mother scooped up her daughter as she spouted effusive thanks and headed out into the Sunday morning street. The office fell quiet as Julio helped clean up after the minor surgery and returned to filing papers. For a moment he forgot about all the struggle and sadness in his own life.
    “Okay, where were we,” said Doctor Barilla as he sat back down at his desk and punched a key on the computer. He adjusted his glasses and began reading the article on the screen aloud. “ ‘ Caritas is the Latin word for charity , but it is also the new word in aid to the less fortunate. The brainchild of Isak Blixt, an information and technology specialist from Sweden, Caritas uses modern monetary technology