24 Visits

Visit Six

VISIT SIX:

Reason: Check up

Symptoms: None

Time in: 1:00 pm September 14th, 2014

Jennie jumped at the sudden, “Hello, Jennie!” that sounded throughout her office as Rosie entered. Suzy set the chart on top of the counter, gave a small wave to both of them, and left. Usually it was the other way around with Rosie waiting, but since Jennie’s lunch break had been the only thing prior to the appointment, she thought it was better to just get it over with.

However, she wasn’t expecting Rosie to be so energetic, or more energetic than usual. Seriously, what batteries did this girl run on? Rosie practically bounced into the office, lifting herself onto the examine table with a single jump. “How is Jennie today?” she asked, swaying from side to side.

It was almost cute. In a toddler-y way, and still completely annoying and horrible and awful. Obviously.

To top the whole toddler thing off, she was literally wearing overalls. Under them was a white, sideless tank top. If you looked close enough you could see a blue bra underneath it, not that Jennie wanted to look or anything.

“Jennie?” Rosie called out, followed out by a more obnoxious, “ Helloooo.”

“What?” Jennie snapped back.

“Woah, geez. I just asked how you were.” She put her hands back in a defensive gesture.

“Oh. I’m doing fine, Ms. Park.” Jennie gave a small smirk when she heard Rosie sigh. “Give me a moment to look over your blood work from the last visit,” Jennie said just before sitting down at the small desk in her office, planted at the computer.

As she looked through she could hear the constant shifting of wax paper underneath Rosie, crinkling every other second. “Could you stop that?” she asked, not looking away from the screen. The noise stopped, and Jennie could once again hear the low music playing from her office radio.

“Nice music,” Rosie noted, her voice overpowered the light piano that was playing. “Who is it?”

Jennie slowly closed her eyes, letting out a heavy breath. “Chopin.”

“Are you a big fan?”

“I guess.”

“Been to any of his live shows?”

Jennie stood up, wrapping the stethoscope around her shoulders. “Considering he died in 1849, no.”

Rosie laughed a little at that. “Oh, so he’s a classic guy. Like Beethoven.”

“Sure. Your blood work came back fine. A little low on count, but better than before.”

“Who’s your favorite artist? Like, from today. Do you see any shows and stuff? Favori--”

“Open,” Jennie said, holding out a thermometer. What was up with the 21 questions?

Rosie let out an over dramatic, “ahhh,” holding out the flat of her tongue for the thermometer to go in smoothly.

“Temperature is fine,” Jennie said, pulling it out. “And I don’t think you’d know who my favorite performers were, Ms. Park.” She held the bell of her stethoscope over Rosie’s heart. “Slow breaths.”

“And why is that?” Rosie asked, a little less chipper and a lot more - well, the only way to describe it was pissed. Jennie looked up to watch her lips turn down into a scowl. “I don’t know the name of one dead guy and suddenly I’m, what? Too dumb to know all classical artists?”

Jennie visibly rolled her eyes. “Slow bre–”

“No. Answer me, that’s why you don’t like me, isn’t it? You think I’m some dumb, bubbly idol. You think that your music is too good for anything I do, right?”

Jennie pursed her lips together, listening to a few quickened beats. She didn’t want to have this conversation, she didn’t even want Rosie as a patient in the first place. Why was she obligated to act like she liked the woman?

“You forgot infuriating,” Jennie finally said, pulling away. She hadn’t meant to let that slip out and could mentally hear her father scolding her. Bedside manners had never been her thing. Difficult conversations hadn’t either.

Rosie shoved herself off the examination table, her face bright red and hands shaking. “You know, I might not be a doctor, but I do a lot of good for people, too, and without being totally rude. All I ever wanted to do was make people smile, and make them happy - and I’ve done that.” Rosie took a deep breath.

“I’ve had letters of people thanking me, people who have said I helped them through hard times, through their worst times. I’m an idol and proud of it, and good at what I do. Just like you’re a doctor and clearly an arrogant one. Thinking I’m less of a performer just because I’m not Chopin or Beethoven or Wagner or whoever, is like me thinking less of you as a doctor just because you aren’t a surgeon. So get off of whatever high horse you’re on Jennie Kim because not everyone wants to look up all the time!”

With that, Rosie stormed out of the office, leaving Jennie - not for the first time - speechless. But also a little hurt.