Mindbend

Jennifer went through the front entrance expecting the usual hospital furnishings but was pleasantly surprised by a lobby that reminded her more of a luxury hotel. Everything was new and spotlessly clean. The large reception area was so well staffed that Jennifer and Cheryl did not have to wait long before a pretty black secretary said, “May I help you?”

She was dressed in a white blouse and blue jumper and wore a name tag that said “Hi! I’m Louise.”

Cheryl’s answer was barely audible. “I’m to see Dr. Foley.

I’m to have an abortion.”

Louise’s face clouded over with concern. “Are you all right, Ms . . . .”

“Tedesco,” said Jennifer. “Cheryl Tedesco.”

“I’m fine,” insisted Cheryl. “Really I am.”

“We have psychologists on call for admitting if you’d like to talk to one now. We’d like to make you as comfortable as possible.”

“Thank you,” said Cheryl. “But I have my friend here.” She pointed to Jennifer. “I wanted to ask if she will be permitted to go upstairs with me.”

“Absolutely,” said Louise. “We encourage patients to have company. But first let me call up your record on my computer and then alert the admitting people. Why don’t you two go over to the lounge and relax. We’ll be with you in just a few minutes.”

As Cheryl and Jennifer walked around to the comfortable sitting area, Jennifer said, “I’m beginning to understand why you and Candy are so high on this place. If Louise is any example of how they treat you here, I’m truly impressed.”

They barely had time to slip out of their coats when an elderly gentleman approached them, pushing a cart with a coffee and tea dispenser. He was dressed in a pink jacket, which he proudly stated was worn by volunteers.

“Are the nurses this friendly, too?” asked Jennifer.

“Everybody is friendly here,” said Cheryl, but despite her smile, Jennifer could tell that she was anxious.

“How are you doing?” she asked, reaching over and squeezing Cheryl’s hand.

“Fine,” said Cheryl, nodding her head up and down as if trying to convince herself.

“Excuse me, are you Cheryl Tedesco?” asked another pleasant-looking young woman dressed in a white shirt with a blue jumper. Her name tag said “Hi! I’m Karen.”

“I’m Karen Krinitz,” she said, offering a hand which Cheryl shook uncertainly. “I’ve been assigned to coordinate your case and to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you have any problems, just page me.” She patted a small plastic device clipped over a blue belt that matched her jumper. “We want your stay here to be as pleasant as possible.”

“Are all the patients assigned a coordinator?” asked Jennifer.

“They certainly are,” said Karen proudly. “The whole idea here is that the patient comes first. We don’t want to leave anything to chance. There is too much opportunity for misunderstanding, especially now that medicine has become so highly technical. Doctors can sometimes become so engrossed in the treatment that the patient is momentarily forgotten.

It’s our job to keep that from happening.”

Jennifer watched as the woman said good-bye and disappeared around a planter. There was something about her that Jennifer found strange, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Did her speech seem odd to you?” she asked Cheryl.

“I didn’t understand what she was talking about. Is that what you mean?”

“No,” said Jennifer, turning to see if she could catch sight of the woman again. “I just thought there was something odd about the way she talked. But it must be me. I think morning sickness is affecting my brain.”

“At least she was friendly,” said Cheryl. “Wait until you meet Dr. Foley.”

A few minutes later a man came by and introduced himself as Rodney Murray. He was wearing a blue jacket made of the same heavy cotton as Karen’s jumper with an identical tag announcing his name. His voice also had an odd flat quality, and as Jennifer stared at him, she realized that his eyes did not seem to blink.

“Everything is ready for you, Ms. Tedesco,” he said, fastening a plastic ID bracelet around Cheryl’s wrist. “I’ll be accompanying you upstairs, but first we have to go to the lab for your blood work and a few other tests.”

“Can Jennifer come with us?” asked Cheryl.

“Absolutely,” said Rodney.

The man was extraordinarily attentive to Cheryl, and after a few minutes Jennifer dismissed her initial impression as the working of an overwrought imagination.

The lab was expecting Cheryl, so they didn’t have to wait.

Again, Jennifer was impressed. She’d never been to a doctor’s office or a hospital where she didn’t have to wait for everything. Cheryl was finished in minutes.

As they rode up in the elevator, Rodney explained that Cheryl was going to a special area the hospital had for

“pregnancy termination.” Jennifer noted that everyone at the Julian Clinic studiously avoided the word “abortion.” She felt it was a good idea. Abortion was an ugly word.