Part 8

With Sam and the girls out raking leaves, Charlotte made the call. The calendar laid out before her, this call would take 5 minutes tops. She had the time. Make the appointment, get it over with.

The sing song voice on the end of the line said, "Doctor's Office, can you hold?"

"No, I can't, " shot back Charlotte.

"Is this an emerency?"

"Yes."

The line went silent. Am I on hold, wondered Charlotte, just wanting to get through this.

"Dr. Houseman here, what is your situation?"

Charlotte's shoulders fell. "It's not that kind of emergency. Doctor I'm fine. I just didn't have the time to sit on the line and wait to schedule these tests."

The line was experiencing the famour Housemen pregnant pause. Then Charlotte thought she detected some chuckling. But couldn't be sure with her failing hearing. What would she do with a baby? Am I going to be the only mom of a little one wearing hearing aides? This was getting to weird and as she was about to hang up Dr. Houseman cut into her private conversation. "I was wondering just when a patient would get fed up enough to cut through that line of receptionist bull?"

Did he just say bull? Fifteen years of being a patient and the worst it ever got was well I'll be darn. A missing sponge after a c-section tubal and it was well I'll be darn, we need to reopen. Perhaps age has it's privileges.

"Okay, let me go to the desk. Yes, dome in tomorrow for an ultrasound. And the amnio.... I'll meet you at Morton Tuesday the 16th at 9:15."

"But I have to get the kids on the bus. I can't be there much before 9:25 and with parking. I could be circling the lot for hours"

"Drive them, and then come straight to the hospital. Tell John the parking attendant, it's an emergency and he'll park your car for you. I'll tell him your coming. He'll be expecting you."

"Okay," Charlotte repeated "ultrasound tomorrow" then to herself squeezed in between food shopping and that second interview, "then off to Morton next week", that schedule not quite as full yet. Then she stammered, "But Dr. Houseman, what if the ultrasound isn't' good. My advanced age and all..." Charlotte's voice trailed off.

"No worrying until the fat lady sings. I have to go." Then Dr. Houseman cleared his throat and added, "There's an emergency here."

As she hung up, Charlotte wondered if there really was an emergency or whether he saved up this edgy humorous side for all his older edgy patients. Maybe age has its privileges.