I have been sitting in bowels of the doctor's office for about twenty minutes. I'm sitting next to a sign the reads LABORATORY in large bright red letters. I remembered to bring my own magazine to read during these traditionally long doctor's visits. Instead of being stuck with Golf Digest or American Hunter I have a handy copy of Utne to page through. I've made my way through half the magazine when I'm interrupted by the lab technician. Her name tag tells me that he name is Shelly, and her appearance tells me she's been doing this gig for some time. Shelly is a portly woman in her midfifties. The lines of her brilliant smile have carved through her sagging cheeks like a giant river in search of the sea. She asks if I'm there for labwork. I politely say, "No, I'm just waiting for someone." She returns to the laboratory, and starts up a centrifuge. I imagine the inside of the centrifuge, spinning at a high speed, as the red blood cells are seperated from the white. This is something I've done a hundred times in what seems now seems to be someone else's life.
I have returned to my reading, still slightly day dreaming about the past. A series of people sit down next to me, and are called in to the LABORATORY by Shelly. I can hear all the tests each patient is to receive, some are just having minor blood work, while others are having full panels run. I see a lady out of the corner of my eye walking down the hallway. Her bright outfit catches my attention, and I turn to took get a better look. She's a lady in her mid seventies, but she must think she's still in her twenties. She has a red leather cap on her head, a red stirrup sweat suit, you know the kind that were popular in the late 80's, a strech belt to hold the assemble together, but she tops it all off with the 4 inch red patent leather shoes.
Of course, she sits right next to me, even though all the chairs are free. I wouldn't normally find this to be a problem, but I've noticed that she has a cold. For whatever reason she does not believe in covering her mouth when she coughs. I sit here in the doctor's office next to the large red LABORATORY sign, next to the Lady in Red coughing on me. I am dreading the fact that the lady is sitting next to me, wanting to have nice thoughts, but I can only think about the cold I'm going to get next week. Why was it not possible for Betty the Lady in Red to cover her mouth or read the sign that so delicately describes how to prevent the spead of the common cold which was posted directly in front of her.
Shelly pokes her head out and calls Betty in to the LABORATORY.
I'm still waiting.
Posted at April 13, 2004 12:33 AM | TrackBack
