Tick-Tock

Tick-tock, the doctor is now officially five seconds late and I’m tired of counting the little holes in the ceiling. Why is it always ‘hurry up and wait’? My appointment was at ten o’clock. The doctor should have been walking in the room at ten o’clock. Punctuality is important. What if I were late to my meetings? Speaking of which, I wonder why the office has been constantly calling my cell phone

since eight-thirty this morning. Did they actually think I was going to answer it at that hour on my day off?

What the heck? I just noticed this room is practically bare. There’s nothing in here but the table, the

clock on the wall and that stupid eye chart. Maybe business isn't so good. Maybe the doctor got sued for malpractice and he lost everything. After today I’m looking for a new doctor.

I hope my wife picked up my stuff from the cleaners. I've been asking her for two days but she keeps forgetting. She doesn't work so it’s not like she has a schedule to keep. All she has to do is clean the house and cook. She could stop by the cleaners on her way to pick up the kids from school or when she drops them off for their different activities. Is that too much to ask?


Where is the doctor? Wait, I hear footsteps, finally he’s coming. The door’s not opening and the

footsteps are going away. I glance at the clock. It doesn't even seem like the hands are moving. I feel like I've been in this room forever. I’ll wait just a little while longer and then I’m leaving.

No one appreciates how hard I work, day after day busting my butt to provide all the little extras. I

wonder what everyone would do if I were no longer here. They’d be sorry. Where is the doctor?

Making me wait like this is the height of rudeness. I have been coming here for years and have spent a great deal of money at this clinic. I will never come here again.

Good grief. Look at all the messages from the office. What could they possibly want that early in the

morning? What could be that important? Only secretaries are in that early. I’m glad they finally gave up. After all, this is my day off. Quit bothering me.

I think the clock has stopped because the hands don’t seem to be moving. It’s probably just my

imagination. My family is always telling me I don’t handle stress well. Maybe I’ll take them all to a

movie tonight. It’s been quite a while since we've done anything as a family. I’m just too busy and

everyone has their own activities. Next week will be better when we've all had a chance to check our calendars. After all, we have a lot of years ahead of us.

Oh, hey. I didn't even see the doctor come in. And why are there two other doctors and a nurse with him? They look so sad. How bad can it be? I’m only here for a check-up. What’s wrong? Why won’t you answer me? Why can’t I speak? What’s going on?

The doctor pulled the sheet up over the body. “It happened so quickly. He never saw the truck coming.”

The nurse shook her head. “Too bad he never got the call from his office telling him his doctor’s

appointment had been rescheduled.”