a trip to the emergency room: part 2
I walk back to the waiting room just in time to see a nurse (a NURSE!!!) emerge from one of the locked unmarked doors. As soon as her head poked out a swarm of the injured and infirm rolled, struggled, shambled and crawled to her and started handing her their insurance cards in the hopes of getting put into the computer queue. This, my friends, is Czech triage. If you can crawl or shuffle, you get to see the doctor first. Can't move? Heart attack got you laid out? Too bad.
As quickly as she appeared she was gone. I had missed my chance. But now I am "in the know". I formulate my plan and jockey for position. Sorry, old grandma, your gout will just have to wait. My kid may have a broken arm, outta my way!
Shoot! They just rolled in a gurney with a frail looking elderly lady on it. She looks like she got beaten up. They roll her in the waiting room and leave her there just in the middle of the room. I am still hovering by The Door, but I am hoping that this poor lady has an advocate...wait, she is gripping a white paper. She's gonna be OK. Back to every-man-for-himself mode.
Still waiting, standing conspicuously by The Door. The Czechs around me are clucking their tongues and shaking their heads "Stupid foreigner", they silently mumble. Sorry, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
The nurse opens up again. I feel a little like Dorothy standing at the gates of Emerald City. Waiting to see the Wizard. Summoning my courage I shove the insurance card into her hand and proceed to give her waaaay too much information about how Roxie was sliding into home and the school nurse and BLAH BLAH BLAH. The nurse looked at me, with a mixture of pity and resignation that in a few more minutes she would have to deal with me again and slid back into her lair.
I sat down next to Roxie and Dan chuffed with myself as I had successfully accomplished Step 1. Unfortunately, I didn't know how many steps there were left.
No matter, there's always the snack machine.
See the exciting conclusion tomorrow, featuring: "Wow! A doctor!" and "How much does this X-ray cost?"
Next chapter, please! What are Roxie's injuries?
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they do the number 'thing' like at Baskin & Robbins. "Take a number, have a seat and wait for your number to be called." It works for ice cream cones; should work for people in CZ. (But that would be too simple, I suppose.)
Come on now - 2 installments and no third and final chapter. Is Roxie OK?
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