The Golden Rule

Ch 5: Treatment

Luckily for her on their way to the Learning Center, they encountered only a few people walking around because it was late into the working hour. The ones they that had met were too busy for a long greeting, so Angeline was able to get away with a saying a simple “Good Afternoon!” to those who passed by though she noticed they paid extra attention to her hat. Stop looking at me, please! Stop looking! With each encounter, her head receded further and further into the brown hat.

After arriving at the Learning Center, they went straight to the Assignment Office.

“Hello Mrs. Angela. I hope you are having a wonderful day today,” said the assigner hidden behind his glass wall.

“I am. Thank you, assigner. I hope you are having as wonderful of a day as I am,” she replied.

“I am, thank you. Angeline was called here to see Dr. Ann about her illness. Just go down the right hall to the fifth door, and you will see her office.”

“Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day!” she looked at her daughter who was turned away from her, scanning the room for anyone passing by.

“It is time for us to go, Angeline.” Angeline turned back to her mother, whose squeezed eyebrows betrayed the nervousness that she was trying cover with her wide smile.

“Yes! I’m coming mother.” She followed her as they went down the hallway. She had walked past third door when she remembered that she had forgotten to greet the assigner.

The assigner! I forgot to greet him. I forgot to greet him. How could I be so careless? Why do I keep putting myself over others? Why?

“Angeline! The door is right here!” called her mother who was now two doors away from her.

“I’m so sorry, mother! I’m coming! Breaking out of her thoughts, she ran back to her mother’s side.

Her mother gave the appropriate three knocks to the door to alert the doctor of their presence and when the door opened, a smiling, chubby faced woman came out to great them.

“Hello, Mrs. Angela. It is nice to finally meet you and your daughter,” she said to them. Her voice had such a sweet, almost musical quality that it calmed Angeline’s apprehensions. It reminded her a little of her old friend, Elizabeth.

“It is nice to meet you as well Dr. Ann. I am sure that you will be able to help treat my daughter’s illness,” she replied, appearing to be put equally at ease by her voice.

“It will be no trouble at all. For this examination however, I must speak to Angeline alone. I hope this is acceptable to you.”

“I am fine with whatever you choose to do. Angeline, I will wait for you outside until she is done with you.” Her mother moved away from her so that all of Dr. Ann’s attention was focused on Angeline. The loss of her mother’s presence had put her a little on edge, but she masked it with a large smile and walked into Dr. Ann’s dim office.

After closing the door behind her, Dr. Ann directed Angeline to sit on the white arm chair facing her long desk. When Angeline sat down, she was embraced by soft cushions of the chair. She tried to focus on Dr. Ann as she moved to her desk, but the fatigue caught up with her and felt herself doze off.

“Let’s get started. Shall we? Angeline? Angeline?” Dr. Ann turned around and saw that her patient’s head sliding down to the chair’s arm. “I’m sorry, dear. You need to be awake for this.” She gently shook her arm until one of Angeline’s eyes lifted upward towards her face.

“Angeline, my dear. I’m sorry to disturb you, but we need to start the meeting,” Dr. Ann said.

Angeline immediately lifted her head and rearranged herself into the proper straight backed position that she had been drilled to do since she was young girl. “I’m very sorry, Dr. Ann. I didn’t mean to…I mean… I’m so sorry for wasting your time,” she said.