Turn of Mind

No, not at all. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. You know, what you had as a child.

You are looking for your prescription pad. It’s not in your pocket. You excuse yourself and go out into the hallway.

Excuse me?

Yes, Doctor?

I have misplaced my prescription pad. Can you get me one? You turn and nearly bump into another woman wearing a white coat. She does not have a name tag on. She looks frazzled. She examines your face with curiosity. Are you Dr. White? she asks.

You nod, yes.

I recognize your photo. I didn’t realize you were still involved in the clinic. I thought you’d retired. Dr. Tsien still talks about how much you are missed at the hospital. She frowns, opens her mouth, closes it again.

You don’t follow all of this. I come here every Wednesday, you say.

But today’s Thursday.

You pause, think. I must have had a conflict this week, you say.

Everyone has been very grateful for your help. That a doctor of your caliber would work here pro bono has always meant a lot to us. Not to mention the other contributions you’ve made, of course. She still has a bemused look on her face, as if trying to remember something.

You turn to go. You face a bewildering mass of doors. Where were you? You pick a door at random and go in. An older man is sitting in his underwear. He looks surprised. Is something wrong, Doctor? You tell me, you say. What brought you here today?

The man looks uncomfortable. As I told the other doctor, I’m having trouble going to the bathroom.

Does it hurt? Or do you have urgency but no voiding?

The second one. I think. I try to piss and nothing comes out. It hurts.

Any erectile dysfunction?

Excuse me?

Do you have trouble maintaining an erection?

No, of course not. The man doesn’t look at you when he says this.

Liar, you think.

How long have you had this dysuria? you ask.

This what?

This urgency but no voiding.

About a month. It comes and goes.

Any blood in the urine?

He hesitates, then says flatly, No.

Any pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs?

Maybe.

My guess is prostatitis, you say. Then, after seeing his reaction, you add: Relax, it’s not cancer and it will not lead to cancer.

Is it curable? he asks.

Sometimes. Sometimes not. But we can almost certainly relieve the symptoms, you tell him. We’re going to start by taking a urine sample to rule out bacterial prostatitis.

There is a slight knock at the door. A woman is standing there. Dr. White? she says. There is a cab driver who says you owe him money. He’s kept the meter running, so it’s up to sixty-five dollars now. What should I do?

I didn’t take a cab, you say.

He says he drove a doctor here, a woman, and he described you. Perfectly. What should I do? He won’t go away.

I’m busy here, I have roomfuls of patients to see, can’t you take care of this?

He’s really quite insistent.

Very well. You turn to the man. I’ll be right back.

You follow the woman out of the room and nearly bump into a dark-skinned man going in.

Doctor?

Yes?

Was there some reason you were in with my patient?

To examine him, of course. He needs to provide a urine sample, have some blood work done.