The NHS walk in centre.
With severe toothache I turned up to the NHS walk in centre at 8 o'clock sharp Saturday morning, after the lady from the reception from Friday night told me over the phone 'it's best to come as soon as we're open in the morning, there shouldn't be a long waiting time'. I went through the conversation in my head, as I stood behind a queue of 15 people outside waiting for it to open. Even one of the doctor's was waiting to get in. I was already angry.
Finally the doors were opened. We all hoarded to the front reception to pick up a clipboard to write our personal details on and the reason for our visit. I watched everybody scrawl down their details in sheer panic, as the first clipboard in, was the first to be seen. I overheard a couple say 'what's our doctors surgery called Sheila'…'F**k knows Len, it's the one on Ansty rd, just stick it in'. I looked at a woman, who was grossly overweight, seemed to be in some discomfort as she was leaning forward, holding her back. It turned out she was fine, she was just reaching to pick up her 'toffee crisp' she had dropped on the floor. Her husband had a nasty cough though. I was glad to see that they had both turned up for such an occasion, taking up three seats in the 'fully air conditioned' cabin, which was broken.
We were all logged in and happily sat in the cabin waiting area next to reception. I must have been around 14th to get my clipboard in, I knew this as I was stood next to an elderly lady, who was originally at the front of the queue, as I handed mine in she was still writing. She had a bandage on her right hand and wrist, I didn't feel guilty, as chance's are she might have been left handed after all, and the only reason she was writing slow was due to her old age and not that she was right handed. I sat down next to fatty. The TV was on, which was playing a DVD of children's cartoons. We all sat and watched this. There were no children.
Ten minutes had passed, and nobody had moved. It was obvious we were waiting for the doctor's to get their coffees before the cattle were released. I was in agony, holding my jaw and hoping that I was just going to be seen straight away. No such luck. The moment I had thought this, two young couples with babies came through to reception. I overheard the mother of the baby at reception say 'I think she's got a temperature'. I thought, well why don't you take off its cute hat and its romper suit covered by two blankets. They went straight through to the doctor. I was annoyed for a moment, but then I just let it go, after all the baby did have rosy cheeks.
A few people had gone through, fatty had gone through, and Len, and also the babies. 30 minutes had gone by now. I was getting a little bit tired of 'Barney the Dinosaur' on the TV. I thought if I ever met this dinosaur I would punch him straight in the face. I was thinking it couldn't be too long now. Then in came an Asian couple, with their son, who must have been about eight years old and being held in his dad's arms under a towel. He seemed to suffering, I didn't know what from. His dad had a look on his face to suggest that he wished he never had begun to carry him at all. He went straight through too.
My name was eventually called. I went through the magic door, and had made it to the promise land.
I was wrong. I had entered another waiting room, where all my previous friends were all sitting once again. I couldn't believe it. I looked over to see the little asian boy playing with the toys provided, in a play area for kids. There was f**k all wrong with him, and he's had the last laugh. I swear he looked over and smirked at me.
I eventually got to see a doctor. He told me to take some Ibuprofen. I was out within 2 minutes.
