Patient Sins

              I don't know why I'm thinking about high school and how we were force to memorize everything from the ten commandments to the seven deadly sins. It's probably my boredom getting to waiting for people to come in this small business clinic. I'm always the first one here and last one to leave. I'm not complaining, being a receptionist is not the worst job in the world but it also wasn't my first choice in careers.  It's mostly quiet around here, we get fewer and fewer patients every day ever since they opened a new, bigger clinic a half-mile down the road from here. There is a good perk about working here though; the work here is easy. All I do is make sure the patients sign in, hand them the forms to fill out, and when they finished that,  I log them into the computer. I basically sit at my desk and dig into people personal lives. Im the first person the people see and I probably see them longer then the doctors do while they sit here in the waiting room.
         I arrived at work toady at 7:45 to see the doctor hasn't come in yet. So, I had to open up by myself. I went inside, turn on the lights, the computers, and the radio so the patients had something to listen to when they came in. At sat down at my desk and before long, someone came in. The first patient of the day was a tall and slender woman. She was very well groomed with a beautiful face. It looks as she barely wore any make up just lipstick and eyeliner. She wore a simple red dress, not too flashy, just bold enough to get people attention as she walked into a room. As she walked up to my desk, her smile seemed to have faded.
         "Hello, how are you today," I asked her.
         She answered with an empty smile.
         "Well, sign in and fill out the paper work and the doctor right with you as soon as he comes in."
         "As soon as he gets here? He isn't here yet," she asked.
         "Ah, no. He's running a little late.  He’ll be here as soon as possible."
         She smiled again, signed her name, took the paper work, and went to sit down. I looked at the listed where she signed her name: Desiree Lee 8:07.
         A few minutes later a man came in. The man looked older and a bit heavy set. He looked tired and he was breathing hard. He walked up to my desk happy and smiling despite how he felt. I could tell he was a happy person without him needing to smile.
         "Hello, how are you today," he asked me before I had a chance to ask him.
         "I'm doing fine, and you? ," I said with a smile.
         "Seen better days. Where do I sign in at, honey?"
         "Right here. And here you go," I said as I handed him his paper work, "The doctor will be in shortly."
         He said thank you and went to sit down. He was a very polite man and manners. I could tell that he was one of those people when as child was taught to treat everyone with respect. I looked at the listed where he signed in: George Douglass 8:09.
         Three more people came in at that moment, a man and two women. The man looked busy, mean, annoyed that he was here. He wore a business suit and had his brief case in his hand. He was probably running late for work. He walked up to my desk. At first I didn't say anything to him, I just gave him a warm smile. He looked at me, then he looked around at my desk. I presumed he was searching for the waiting list so I pointed to it. 
         "How are you today, sir," I finally said.
         He just gave me one of those "leave-me-alone" head nods.
         "Fill out this paper work and as soon as the doctor gets in, he'll be right with you." I handed him the forms.
         "He isn't he here yet. Wow, that's just great," he said sarcastically. He took the papers from my hand and went to find himself at place to sit.
         One of the women was at my desk now while the other was sitting, saving a place for them to sit. They both were young looking women. The one sitting looked bothered and lost in thought. She was very well kept, but she didn't where any make up. The woman at the desk was like her exact opposite. Everything about her was loud; her clothes, make up, and her whole personality. I noticed, ever since she walked in here, she never stopped talking. I also saw she was pregnant, just only beginning to show. 
         "Hello,  how are you," I asked.
         "Oh,  just fine if I didn't have this morning sickness."  I could tell she loves to talk about herself.
         "Signed your name here and fill this out. The doctor will be right with you." I handed her forms.
         She took her sweet time writing her name, trying to make it perfect.
         "There," she said with a smile as she finally finished her name. She walked back to her seat where her friend was sitting quietly, just staring into the air.
         I looked at the list: Alister Jones 8:11 and Vivica Lourdes 8:12.
         Desiree came back to my desk finished with her forms.
         "I finished my paperwork.  Here you go."
         "Thank you.  You can take a seat. The doctor will be here any second now. Go make yourself comfortable."
         She nodded but she didn't move. She stood there like she wanted to say something.
         "Is everything all right?" I asked her.
         "Of course . . . nothing's wrong." She stood there.  She wanted to say more.
         We both looked at each other. She continued, “It's just I've been to a billion of these places and they all say the same thing. I don't believe them, I know I'm not positive, I know I'm not."She starts to raise her voice, "They're lying, they all are. I can't believe . . ."
         "Miss Lee," I interrupted her. The room now is staring at us. I take a breath. "Ms. Lee the doctor will be here soon, you can take a seat."
         She looks at me. I didn't know what to say and I still don't, so  say what I can, "We won't lie to you, I'm sorry. Please take a seat." Desiree walked away with her head down. She didn't look up when she sat down.  She just kept her head to the floor. I looked at her paperwork  to log her into the system: Desiree Lee, age 29 was here for an HIV test.
         Two more people come in, a boy and a girl. They both look young and they both look tired mentally. The girl’s hair looked like it hadn't been combed. The shirt she wore was wrinkled and so were her jeans. Her hands were dirty and looked dry. The boy looked more alive then her. His hair was combed back with gel, it looked like he spent a lot of time on it. His clothes was wrinkled like hers and his hands were dirty, but not like hers.
         "Hello, how are you today," I said to them.
         The boy looked at me and said, "My wife here to see the doctor. She isn't herself.  She doesn't do anything at all."
         "I work. Where the hell you think the money coming from, Julian? You sure ain't making any," she snapped back at him.
         "Sign in here," I said before they started arguing, "and fill out the paper work. The doctor will be right with you."
         She signed her name and they both went to sit down away from each other. I look at the list: Celeste Campbell 8:15.
         George was finished with his paper work. "Here you go, sweetheart," he said as he handed me his forms. "I hope the doctor gets here soon, I had to miss breakfast and I'm getting kinda hungry."
         "Thank you, Mr. Douglass. Don't worry.  He’ll be in anytime now."
         "All right dear," he said. He went back to his seat and fell asleep.
         I went to log his information into the computer; George Douglass age 53 here for his annual blood work.
         I turned around and Alister was at my desk.
         "Mr. Jones, I see you’re done your paper work."
         "I see you’re not blind," he remarked. "When's the doctor getting here? I don't want to be late for work because you people don't want to show up on time."
         "He'll be here any minute," I managed to say without smacking him.
         "Well you make sure of that. And you probably wonder why people don't come in here anymore. Last time I'll come here.  That’s for sure."
         I ignored everthing he said and him. I just turned around and logged him into the computer; Alister  Jones, age 34, here for his annual check up.
         "Excuse me; I'm finished my works," Vivica said behind me.
         "Oh, Miss Lourdes, great. The doctor will be here any minute."
         "I hope so," she said with a superficial smile and walk back to her seat to read a magazine. Her friend that sat next to her was still silent even when Vivica spoke to her.  I went to log in her paperwork; Vivica Lourdes, age 26, was here for her second trimester check up.
         Celeste came up to my desk. I reached out my hand, but she just dropped her papers on my desk and walk back to her seat. I looked at her then I looked at her husband. Both of them were pretending to read magazines just to keep themselves busy. At that moment, to my relief the doctor came in. He said hello and told me to send in the first patient in five minutes. I nodded my head. Then he rushed to the back. I turned back to my computer to log in the papers; Celeste Campbell, age 18, was here for an exam.

         The next day, I got up late since it was my well-deserved day off. I woke up went outside to get the newspaper. I sat down in front of my breakfast and began to read it.
         "Deadly Family Feud: Two Sister Killed." I recognized their pictures so I read on."Late last night Evelyn Temple and her sister-in-law Vivica Lourdes fell down the stair both twisting their necks. Family members stay that Temple hated the fact Lourdes was pregnant and resented her for that. Temple tried for two years to get pregnant, but was never successful. When Lourdes announced her pregnancy Temple got jealous. Their friends of the family say that Lourdes used to complain all the time and bragged, Temple just kept her feelings bottled up. Detectives say Temple probably out of anger pushed Lourdes down the stairs and Lourdes grab Temple as she went down." In shock I turn the page. "Road Rage Kills One," I read. "The driver at fault Alister Jones was killed  . . . ," I turned the page again. "Beauty Commits Suicide," I read "Twenty-nine years’ old Desiree Lee  . . . ,"  almost afraid to read on I turn the page. "Murder-suicide Committed by Newlyweds. Eighteen years old Celeste Campbell  . . . ," I didn't want to read anymore so I close the newspaper. But there, on the back, I saw another face I remembered. George Douglass. He was under the obituaries. They said he died of a heart attack last night.'

         I couldn't believe it. All seven of them, all dead.