Treatment

Lucy didn't like waiting for the doctor to show.  Sitting in a thin hospital gown on the examination chair, she tried to ignore the way that the paper crinkling with every time she shifted. The walls had boring health posters to remind a person the importance of washing their hands and to check for lumps and there was no music. Just the hum of the air conditioner.  Lucy was trying to resist the urge to check her phone, to see how much time had passed, since there wasn't a clock in the room. She wished she had brought a book with her. 

Just as Lucy thought she was going to die of bordum the door opened, and the doctor breezed in. Clipboard in hand, white coat, gold rimmed glasses skimmed the notes on the paper before they focused on her.  

"Hello, Ms. Carmichael.  How are you?  I am Dr. Anderson. It says here that you have been having trouble sleeping?" Dr. Anderson asked, but then he looked back down to the clip board and read more notes.

Lucy tried not to shift to make the paper crinkle. Truth be told, she never really like going to the doctor, but her mother had told her that they could help.  They had helped her with the same issue and now she slept like a baby. 

"Yes, I am not sleeping well.  It is hard to fall asleep and even harder to stay asleep at times," softly replied Lucy

"How has your appetite been?  Are you eating well?" Queried the doctors as he made notes on the chart.

"I haven't been all that hungry lately.  I have been exercising. I have been trying to go for a run in the evenings to clear my head," nervously replied Lucy.  She shifted a little and the crinkling paper could be heard clearly in the room. 

"Have you been traveling or anywhere that can be crowded?  There is an epidemic going on, and it is incredibly infectious," warned the Dr. Anderson.

"I don't really go anywhere. I go to the book store,  I go to work, I go home.  I don't travel.  The most crowded place I go is the grocery store," muttered Lucy. 

"It doesn't take much.  It passes in the air and lack of sleep is one of the first signs. Loss of appetite is the second.  If this continues, you will feel achy and restless.  You will tear up at odd times.  Communication with others will be limited."  The doctor looked at her grimly.  This was the worst news.  Everyone knew that there was an infectious disease going about. She just didn't think it would happen to her. 

"Can this be treated?"

"Yes.  It is the early stages.  If you sign this consent form, we can start treatment right away.," advised the doctor as he flipped the page on his charge and pulled a piece of paper off.  Handing it to Lucy along with a pen, he started to set up for the procedure. 

Lucy looked down at the paper.  It was a standard consent for treatment.  Looking for a pen, she began to wonder what the name of the infectious disease was.  If so many people had it, why didn't it have a name? The milk at the grocery store even had a name. Daisy. Daisy was the brand name of the milk she drank, but this infectious disease didn't have a name, so a person didn't know how to avoid it. 

"I need a pen," stated Lucy as she chewed her lip, trying to decide if immediate treatment was the best action or if she should try and research other treatments, but first she would need a name of what she had.

"Of course, my apologies," replied the Doctor as he pulled a small hand drill out from the bottom of the cabinets on put it on the counter.  Pulling a pen from his front pocket, he handed it over to her.  Lucy tried not to look at the drill on the counter as the doctor started to pull out bandages and cotton wound pads.  The growing pile of supplies on the sterile countertop was beginning to make her nervous.

"Ccc-aan I ask wh-what the name of the in- Infectious disease is?" Stuttered Lucy, her nerves and fear finally catching up with her.  Her fingers tightly gripping the pen  as she clutches the clip board against her chest. She could feel her pulse racing as she wait on his every word.

"Oh, That is easy.  You are infected with Ideas.   You hang out in dangerous areas, such as bookstores and you think it won't affect you.  Your carelessness finally caught up with you.  A couple quick nips with the drill and we can get those ideas right out of your head and you will sleep the best sleep you have ever had," explained the Doctor with a wide smile on his face.