To My Dearest Roseanne

Chapter 14

By stuffing herself with over-the-counter tranquillisers, Roseanne managed to get through the night and subsequent morning. The doppelgänger was still here, cooking something in the kitchen, so this wasn't an illusion caused by Roseanne's nervous breakdown yesterday. Still, she had more important things to worry about, the so-called Rose Anne Cho from Korea could wait.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Roseanne sprinted through the Stalinist lobby and pushed the button of a dilapidated elevator. The girl waited and waited for the automated doors to open, but nothing happened. All of a sudden, a 20-something woman in thick glasses approached her and proceeded to frantically bang her fingers against the control buttons.

"Broken! Broken! Like a kestrel's wing!" she shouted while banging her fingers furiously.

"Excuse me?" Roseanne asked. "You mean the elevator's out of order?"

"Broken! Do you take the 27 bus line? I need to get to Koniuchy. Hurry up and rest. Hurry up and die."

Roseanne carefully circled around the mentally ill woman and entered a staircase. It took her a while to get to the 8th floor, but she eventually reached the department of internal medicine.

Liz Juzynski was lying in bed the same way as yesterday. Fluids were hydrating her from an IV drip. She had her eyes closed. Roseanne gently touched her face.

"Hi, Mom. How are you feeling?"

"My honey bun, good that you are here," Liz whispered, barely looking at her.

It was clear to Roseanne that something was wrong. Her mom was much paler than the day before, and she was extremely sleepy. In addition, the girl noticed stains of vomit on her nightgown.

"Where the hell is a doctor around here?!" she shouted.

***

The slob of a doctor was devouring doughnuts in the peaceful oasis of his office when Roseanne busted inside with the force of a natural cataclysm.

"WHAT YOU DID TO MY MOM, YOU KILLERS! I WANT HER TRANSFERRED OUT RIGHT NOW!"

An argument ensued between Roseanne and the doctor, in the course of which the latter tried to assure that Liz was in "a good condition".

"SHE STILL FAINTS AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! SHE THREW UP LAST NIGHT AND YOU DID NOTHING TO HELP HER! I WANT A SECOND OPINION! WE'RE GOING TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL!"

The infuriated doctor nearly choked on his doughnuts.

"You may be the next of kin little lady, but you aren't of the proper age to make such decisions. Do you live alone or should I call foster care?"

Roseanne was taken aback by this threatening remark.

"I'm living with my father who's working right now! Besides, I don't need to make this decision."

Roseanne stormed out of the office and ran back to Liz. She started shaking her arms, so the mother could come round, at least for a moment.

"Mom, I need to take you to another hospital. Will you sign the consent form?"

Liz looked with a blank stare at her daughter and the doctor standing in the doorway, still holding a doughnut in his greasy fingers.

"Yes... I want to get out," Liz gasped out with difficulty.

"You know, I can call a psychiatrist for a consult to determine whether the patient is compos mentis," the doughnut-eater said.

"BULLSHIT! YOU'RE GIVING ME THE CONSENT FORM OR I'M THRASHING YOU AND YOUR HOSPITAL ON TIKTOK RIGHT NOW!"