I was at the doctor’s office on Saturday, but I forgot to take my music machine with me. There’s something about hospitals and clinics, I don’t want to go there. I’m not against it, no. But I’m always reluctant to go. In either case, while waiting I realized I didn’t have my mp3 player. I then checked the pockets for a deck of cards – no luck. So I sat there for the longest time doing nothing. I may have been thinking, but this is unconfirmed. I decided to go to the convenience store and purchase a couple of decks of cards. My old deck was much battered and bruised anyway.
I started playing around with the cards to give myself something to do as I waited. I was eventually called into the doctor’s office, and was in the moment where the doctor is still finishing off with other folk in the other room. So I play with the cards a little and then start playing with a toonie. The doctor opens the door and walks in, so I put the toonie and the cards on the table.
“How are you doing?”
“Not so well, I wouldn’t be here otherwise”, all my conversations with doctors start this way.
“Okay, so hit me with one!”, he notices the deck of cards on the table. I had done magic for him a couple of years ago, but I don’t know if he remembers.
“Dude! I’m sick. Fix me up first. You do your job, then I’ll do mine.”
“Fine.”
This is the exact same thing I came in for two years ago, and he prescribes the same thing. In between though, he starts to examine the toonie, trying to see if there was anything magical/tricky about it.
“That’s just a toonie.”, I say.
“I know, I’m just looking at it”, he picks up the coin and starts to turn it over and over, continuing to examine it.
“Hey! Put that back! That’s my lunch money.”
“I wasn’t going to keep it.”
“I don’t know about that, you look tired and it’s been a long day for you and that stethoscope looks really old. Who knows what you might do.”
He hands me the prescription. Notices my ring.
“You want to examine this too?”
“No. So… you’re an engineer! You must be smart.”
“You’re a doctor, you must be smart. I hope my prescription is correct.”
We got into a discussion about engineering. He suggested that I’m young and highly employable, and probably should be in Silicon Valley working on some kick-ass software. The thought has crossed my mind, many times. But I can create kick-ass software here too.
I notice that he’s kept up his end of the bargain, it’s time for me to do my job. And I did. He reclined further back in his chair and started clapping.
“Dude that was awesome! How did you do that?”, he says as I notice that sense of wonder in his eyes.
“Somethings they just don’t teach you in med school, eh? So how often do I take these pills again?”
“You’re the magician, you figure it out.”
More doctors like this, and my reluctant nature towards clinics might just disappear.
