Sam found a very cool piece of very rusty chain the other day in his grandparents backyard that was wonderful to play with. At least it was great to play with until the adults explained that rust can cause children to have to get tetanus shots (with very long needles). Sam proceeded to get pretty nervous about this and decided to not only wash his hands, but also agree to have a bath.
I thought all was said and done, but then a couple of days he brought it up again.
"So, if you get rusty, what happens?"he asked.
"What do you mean? Rust is caused by the oxidizing of metal, like when it's been in the air or moisture too long."
"So oxidizing is the sickness? What happens to you?"
"No, oxidizing is the process of the metal… wait, you mean if you get rust in a cut what happens?"
"Yes, what's the sickness? Ebola?" (damn Ebola, he has apparently not stopped thinking about that).
"No, you don't get Ebola." (Come to think of it, I have no clue what happens if you get rust in a cut), "you get a shot and nothing happens, you're all better."
He shoook his head, "that was silly, of course you wouldn't get Ebola from rust. You get Ebola from a bug and Africa is too far away. The bug could never fly across the ocean. It would die. That's why we don't have Ebola."
"Um..." (trying to decide if I correct this line of thinking).
"Bugs are very small and oceans are very big."
"Yes," I agreed.
"So the bug would die. And fall into the ocean." Pause. "Oh."
"What, Sam?"
"I hope the fish don't get Ebola."
"Yes, me too."
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