Monday, February 3, 2014

The waiting room

I'm sitting in the surgery waiting room pretending to read the New Yorker but really watching the door for any emerging nurse...just like all the other parents in the room. When a nurse comes out everyone's head snaps up and we all watch her while she calls out names to give updates.

In between updates, all the parents are watching each other. I noticed that one way "veteran" parents recognize each other is through the coffee machine. It's an automated thing along the lines of a Keurig but much more complicated, with little valve bags that go into a tiny slot in the front of the machine that's hard to see. When a parent walks in and deftly slips a bag into the machine without a pause, it's clear that person has been through this before. It's a strange skill to have, and not really one that anyone wants...

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