WAITING ROOM • by Sarah Hilary

I’m waiting to see a doctor when I lose my mind. Too little too late, you might say.

I’m sitting on the leather sofa in his waiting room, listening to the ticking of the clocks on the wall. Three clocks, telling the time in New York and Beijing as well as here in London and, What sort of doctor, I’m thinking, decides his patients need to know how late it’s getting in China, what little time they have left in New York hours?

The receptionist offers me a paper cup of water. The doctor’s running late, she explains, flipping me a smile–heads we win; tails you lose. She leaves, closing the door behind her.

The doctor’s running six minutes late, or several hours early, depending on which clock you consult.

There’s a fish tank in the waiting room. Big. Gaudy. Lit up like a Las Vegas casino.

They’ve left me alone. Have you any idea how rare that is, to be alone in a waiting room? I take it as a sign, the latest in a long line; I tried playing Patience last night, but the Queen of Hearts was missing from my pack of cards. Call it coincidence. I don’t.

One of the doctor’s clocks strikes the half hour.

I get to my feet, shrug off my jacket and place it aside. Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, I step up to the tank.

Three little red-and-blue fish–Neon Tetra–are swimming in and out of the portal in the front of the deep-sea-diver’s helmet, moving in formation. The water’s sparky with bubbles.

I fold my hand into a fist and try to put it through the front of the tank.

Failure comes as no surprise; the blow bounces right back at me. So I reach out my arms and embrace the tank, the ends of my fingers curled around its corners, my chest pressed flat to the front of the thing. It doesn’t give an inch. An angel-fish suckers its mouth to the glass, watching me as I sweat and heave, rocking back and forth on my heels.

I’m certain, at this point, that someone will come. I listen for the alarmed sound of the receptionist’s heels tapping at the floor, pitter-patter, a phony tattoo of concern. I wait for, “Let me help you with that, sir.”

The slop of water is answered by the wet labouring of my lungs.

I pull. I push. The tank won’t budge, not until I put all my strength behind it, everything I’ve got left.

It goes over with a thundering smash and I follow it down, part of the same momentum, suckered to the glass. At the last second, I peel myself away, rolling sideways to see the splendour of the smash at close quarters, the tank hitting the floor inches from my face.

Water bursts out, billowing like a sail. Broken glass and fish ride the tidal-wave of water, crashing down around me, splashing back from the wooden floor–arcing up and slapping down–until the impetus wears itself out.

There’s the steady drip-drip of water from my body and the ruined tank, and the flip-flop of dying fish. Then silence.

My head is blissfully empty of everything, sluiced clean. I’m borne on a residual slick of water from the far wall to the space between the doors where I can see the doctor’s shoes, leather, brown.

The receptionist is screaming, a wail of real alarm. Someone slaps her into silence. These are the sounds I wanted to hear. Primitive proof of my existence.

Sarah Hilary’s stories have been published in The Beat, Neon, SHINE, Bewildering Stories, Velvet Mafia, MYTHOLOG, HeavyGlow, Twisted Tongue, Static Movement, Kaleidotrope and the Boston Literary Magazine. Her short story, On the line, was published in the Daunt Books 2006 anthology. She won the Litopia “Winter Kills” Contest in 2007. Sarah lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and young daughter.

Posted on November 20, 2007 in Literary, Stories
Did you like this story?
A new and interesting story is posted every day.
Bookmark and Share
Rate this story

38 Responses to “WAITING ROOM • by Sarah Hilary”


  1. Tania Hershman Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 4:40 am

    What a fabulous story! No more to add than that!

  2. Lorna Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 5:34 am

    Great writing, very assured, the struggle with the fish-tank feels like it’s a re-living of the narrator’s struggle with A.N.Other, or maybe just life itself. Loved it!

  3. Walt Giersbach Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 5:39 am

    Sarah, what great use of imagery–just what I need to prepare myself for tomorrow’s appointment with a doctor. The clocks and fish tank and passing time–love it!

    Interesting side note, that Gender Genie (http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php) thinks the author of this story is a male.

  4. Oonah V Joslin Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:20 am

    Excellent story Sarah. :)

  5. Nicholas Ozment Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 7:31 am

    Brilliant little piece. Made me smile several times.

  6. Rena Sherwood Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 7:44 am

    Sick! (And I mean that as a compliment)

  7. gay degani Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 8:29 am

    Outstanding professional writing.

  8. Kathy Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 9:04 am

    This piece almost vibrates with energy - I am really impressed. Thanks for allowing us to enjoy it!

  9. Mark Dalligan Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 12:08 pm

    Great piece on self-expression and ‘connection’!

    Cheers

    Mark

  10. Jordan Lapp Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    Something you wish you could do in a waiting room, except that the narrator’s voice tells you there’s a feeling of being more… lost… here. Very nice piece from one of our favorite authors.

  11. John Allen Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    Sarah, brilliant writing. Great descriptions. Love that ending.

  12. dj barber Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 12:44 pm

    I avoid quacks as much as possible. I think the waiting room is why. And I liked this tale.

  13. Errol Nimbly Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    With this gift, you have validated my anger and my frustration. I feel relief. Thank you. I needed that.

  14. Steven Smethurst Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:17 pm

    I have always wanted to do that.
    Good story, well done!.

  15. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:27 am

    Thank you, Tania!

    Sarah

  16. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:28 am

    Thanks, Lorna, yes! That’s exactly what I intended.

  17. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:29 am

    Thanks, Walt, I don’t know exactly why but I’m always pleased when the Gender Genie declares my writing “male”. Maybe I’m secretly sexist! I hope the doctor’s appointment goes well.

  18. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:30 am

    Thanks, Oonah!

  19. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:30 am

    Thank you, Nicholas, that’s very kind of you.

  20. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:31 am

    Thanks, Rena, I took it as a compliment!

  21. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:32 am

    Thanks, Gay, I’m bowled over by that praise! You made my morning.

  22. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:33 am

    Thanks for your feedback, Kathy, I’m so glad you liked it.

  23. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:33 am

    Thanks, Mark!

  24. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:36 am

    Thank you, Jordan, you’re a star!

  25. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:37 am

    Thanks, John!

  26. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:37 am

    Thanks, DJ, you’re right. Waiting rooms are a special circle of hell.

  27. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:38 am

    Thanks, Errol, not sure how to respond to that(!) but thanks.

  28. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 1:39 am

    Thanks, Steven. You should try it sometime! I did of course. I call it Method Writing. Only joking. (Or am I?)

    :)

  29. Anne-Elisabeth Moutet Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 2:02 am

    I wonder if the doc with the brown shoes (in cauda venenum) is a psychiatrist? Perhaps a behaviourist, for perfect poetic justice? I love the way you act out most patient fantasies - a tipping point in more ways than one.

  30. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 2:06 am

    I bet he’s just that. The brown shoes are a dead giveaway. In which case, he has his work cut out for him. Thanks for reading and commenting.

  31. Avis Hickman-Gibb Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 4:46 am

    Splendid tale Sarah. Give up the day job!!

  32. Johnny A Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 4:57 am

    Read this on the way to Mumbai last night. Brilliant. Ever thought of writing a screenplay?

  33. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:14 am

    Thanks, Avis! God I wish I could!

  34. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:14 am

    Thanks, Johnny A! I’d love to write a screenplay - you wanna star?

  35. gay degani Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 7:40 am

    You deserve it. It’s good. Nice lead story to your anthololgy wouldn’t you say?

  36. Sarah Hilary Says:
    November 21st, 2007 at 7:45 am

    Thanks again, Gay. I checked out your blog ad it looks fabulous. The Landmarked/Murder anthology sounds great, too. A fellow crime writer!

  37. November’s Table of Contents | Every Day Fiction Says:
    December 2nd, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    [...] Waiting room [...]

  38. Lorna Says:
    January 18th, 2008 at 10:38 am

    thanks

Comments

« THE TEST OF TIME • by Frank Roger | Home | MY SHARK, MY BROTHER • by Hal Houser »

Stories Comments Rss