I work as a doctor in a tiny clinic in a very disadvantaged area, where we give free medical care to people who need it. I work in the paediatric side while my co-worker Liam works with adults.
I closed the door to my office after waving goodbye to my last patient of the day. I took off my fake smile - I'd been feeling rubbish all day but you have to hide it when you work with kids. I put some music on to motivate me while I updated some patient files.
I heard an unexpected knock at the door. "Yeah?" I said turning my music down. Liam opened the door and walked in. He had some paperwork in his hand. "Oh thanks, I forgot to get that from reception this morning". He laughed at me. I'm for sure the clumsy one while Liam is a lot more responsible.
"You okay Aoife? You look a bit pale" he said. I nodded, staying focused on my patient files. "I'm grand". He looked puzzled. "You're what?" Liam asked me. I smiled, rolling my eyes. "Ugh, I forget you people don't know Irish slang. I'm fine." I don't think I convinced him. Liam walked over to me and put his hand on my forehead, looking concerned.
"Will you stop worrying so much for once?" I whined. "Aoife you don't look well at all" Liam said. I came up with an excuse. "I'm just on my period, jesus". Liam still didn't look convinced. "You asked me for painkillers for your period two weeks ago, so if that's true you're gonna make me more concerned". Oops, bad excuse. "My god Liam you're so bloody logical, fine, I'm a bit sick. Not the end of the world".
Liam put his hand on my shoulder. "Let me check you over real quick". I shook my head. "Not in a million years". Liam patted the exam bed beside me and I rolled my eyes. I gave in, turning off my computer and sitting down on the bed.
"Where do you keep your things around here?" Liam asked, opening my drawers and collecting different instruments. "Jesus Liam, I thought you were giving me a check-up, not open heart surgery". He laughed. "Why is all your stuff so small?" he asked me. "Maybe because I work with 7-year-olds and not grown people," I rolled my eyes. "There's adult-sized stuff in the top drawer".
Liam grabbed the stethoscope from around his neck, I'm guessing he wasn't interested in using my pink one. He placed it against my chest. "Deep breaths for me" he said before flipping around to my back and doing the same.
He rolled over the blood pressure monitor and undid the cuff. I lifted up my arm and he wrapped it around. The blood pressure cuff tightened and tightened. "I think my arms about to implode, I see why you're called Dr. Payne now". Liam smiled as he took it off. "Blood pressure's 90/70, normal" he said.
He picked up a thermometer. "I'll do it myself" I said. Liam rolled his eyes and went to get an otoscope and tongue depressor. "What's your temperature?" he asked me. "38.7" I admitted, realising I actually was sick. Liam nodded and wrote it down.
He picked up a penlight and tongue depressor. "Nuh-uh" I said. Liam looked puzzled. "What?" I hate having my throat checked, but didn't really want to admit it. "My throat's fine" I said. Liam wasn't convinced, "Aoife there's a box of strepsils on your desk". I couldn't think of an excuse for that one. I bit my lip, and Liam caught on. His gaze softened. "I know it's uncomfortable, I'll be quick". I nodded. "Open for me". I tilted my chin up and opened my mouth. Liam pushed on my tongue with a tongue depressor and looked at my throat. "All done" he said as he pulled his tools out of my mouth.
I knew the routine at this point and swung my legs over the exam bed to lay down. "You seem to know the drill" Liam said. "Do we have to?" I asked. He nodded "I'll be gentle love". Liam poked and prodded at my abdomen while I tried to decipher if calling me love was hot or weird. "Any pain?" he asked me. I shook my head and sat back up.
"Right Liam, how much more have you got on the agenda? We're getting into lollipop territory now, a sticker won't cut it". We both laughed. "Nose, ears and then you're done" he said. I glared at him. "Nose? This day doesn't get any worse." Liam picked up another light. "Look up to the ceiling for me" he said as he looked into my nostrils. "
After looking in each nostril he picked up my otoscope. "Why's there stickers all over this?" he asked. "Trust me, things are easier to shove in a kid's ear when they have stickers on them". He laughed. We both knew Liam hated peds. He held my chin still and looked in each ear. "So Dr. Payne, what's your genius diagnosis?" I asked giggling. "Well Ms. Aoife Kelly, you have a severe case of the flu." I smiled. "No shit sherlock".
Liam sat down at my desk. "What are you doing?" I asked, puzzled. "What does it look like? Your file." Liam is way too responsible, he'd literally put a papercut on your file. Liam rolled his eyes. "What?" I asked. "You did med school in Ireland, you've got to be pretty intelligent for that, correct?" Liam asked me. I was very confused but nodded. "So what makes you think you can work in a place full of sick kids with no flu vac and not get sick?" he continued.
"Save me the lecture Payno, you aren't coming near me with anything relatively sharp". He continued the lecture anyway. After a few minutes of him trying to persuade me he softened his tone a little. "Why don't you want to?" he asked. "Uh.. the same reason every other one of your patients doesn't want to?". The room fell silent and Liam patted the exam bed. I rolled my eyes. "Top drawer on the left" I said as I reluctantly lay on the bed.
He wiped my arm with an antibacterial pad and took out the injection. I looked away, but it didn't really help as I saw those needles a hundred times a day. "Sharp scratch" Liam said softly as he gave me the shot and put a plaster over it. He looked up at me as if to say 'see?'. "Wasn't bad," I admitted. "You'll have to show me how you do it so gently." He smiled.
"Right, loads of rest, plenty of water, you know the drill." I stood up from the exam bed. "Aoife don't go out tonight". I rolled my eyes, Liam knew I had plans. "You can come watch a movie at mine instead if you fancy?" he offered. I nodded and smiled.
