Katherine felt her face flush with humiliation. She knew everyone in the waiting room could hear.
“…look, Miss Collins, your seizure problem has nothing to do with Gynecology. I’d suggest you head up to Neurology clinic…”
“I’ve been to Neurology,” interrupted Katherine. “And I have those records already.” Katherine fought back the tears. She wasn’t usually emotional, but the rare times she felt like crying, she had great difficulty controlling herself.
Dr. David Harper raised his eyes slowly from the chart. He took, a breath and expressed it noisily through partially pursed lips. He was bored. “Look, Miss Collins, you’ve received excellent care here…”
“I’m not complaining about my care,” said Katherine without looking up. Tears had filled her eyes and threatened to run down her cheeks. “I just want my records.”
“All I’m saying,” continued Dr. Harper, “is that you don’t need any second opinions about your gynecological status.”
“Please,” said Katherine slowly. “Are you going to give me my records, or do I have to go to the administrator?” Slowly she looked up at Dr. Harper. With her knuckle she caught the tear that had spilled over her lower lid.
The doctor finally shrugged and Katherine could hear him curse beneath his breath as he tossed the chart onto the receptionist’s desk, telling the woman to make a copy. Without saying goodbye or even looking back, he disappeared into the examining area.
As Katherine put on her coat she realized she was trembling and again felt light-headed. She walked over to the receptionist’s desk and grasped the outer edge, leaning on it for support.
The bird-like blonde chose to ignore her while she completed typing a letter. When she put the envelope into the machine, Katherine reminded the receptionist of her presence.
“All right, just a moment,” said Ellen Cohen with irritated emphasis on each word. Not until she’d typed the envelope, stuffed, sealed and stamped it, did she get to her feet, take Katherine’s chart, and disappear around the corner. During the entire time she avoided Katherine’s eyes.
Two more patients were called before Katherine was handed a manila envelope. She managed to thank the girl, but wasn’t given the courtesy of a response. Katherine didn’t care. With the envelope under her arm and her bag over her shoulder, she turned and half-ran, half-walked out into the confusion of the main GYN waiting room.
Katherine paused in the heavy air as a smothering wave of dizziness descended over her. Her fragile emotional state combined with the sudden physical effort of rapid walking had been too much. Her vision clouded and she reached out and groped for the back of a waiting-room chair. The manila envelope slipped from under her arm and fell to the floor. The room spun and her knees buckled.
Katherine felt strong hands grasp her upper arms, supporting her. She heard someone try to reassure her and tell her that everything was going to be all right. She wanted to say that if she could sit down for just a moment she’d be fine, but her tongue wouldn’t cooperate. Vaguely she was aware she was being carried upright down a corridor, her feet, like those of a marionette, bumping ineffectually along the floor.
There was a door, then a small room. The awful spinning sensation continued. Katherine was afraid she might be sick, and cold perspiration appeared on her forehead. She was conscious of being lowered to the floor. Almost immediately her vision began to clear and the whirling of the room stopped. She was with two doctors dressed in white and they were helping her. With some difficulty they got one of her arms out of her coat and had applied a tourniquet. She was glad she was away from the crowded waiting room so that she was not a spectacle for everyone to stare at.
“I think I feel better,” said Katherine, blinking her eyes.
“Good,” said one of the doctors. “We’re going to give you a little something.”
“What?”
“Just something to calm you down.”
Katherine felt a needle pierce the tender skin on the inside of her elbow. The tourniquet was pulled off and she could feel her pulse in her fingertips.