When she stepped into the cool waiting room, she felt as if ice was covering all her

back. There were other few

people of different ages, waiting for their turn to enter into the doctors office. Not fear was the feeling dominating
her, but anxiety. he was always hoping that there is something wrong with her, something to bring her the fame
she needed so desperately and she could never achieve other way! a scarce malignant tumor, for example. "n the
door hanged goldish letters, informing the name and the title of the doctor consulting that day.
, #"$%&'( )*%+*, (#&%")*#-,
#-*(. ". %&'*","+/ &N' ,0N+ '*(&( '(1&%T$(NT, 1%".("% '"#T"%, 0N*)(%*T/
,(#T0%(%
he was trying to guess how this prominent person of Tallinns medical society will look like. The waiting was
marked by dry cough here and there, and a strong smell of chlorinate and medicaments. 2ust before she entered, she
imagined him tall, young, not married and wearing glasses, but she reali3ed that she was too dreamy to hope for a
marriage to somebody that important while she was nobody.
45Name, please6, he asked without raising eyes from his papers.
45"lga $itanov6
45&ge6
45eventeen 5
45What brings you here76
5#omrade doctor from 'ermatology sent me here because * have never suffered of scarlet fever, so * never had to
treat one, there is no dermatological implication still * got this 5erythematic nodes6 on my both legs which,
comrade doctor, suspected to be related with tuberculosis.
he said all of this without to take her breath, and then she suddenly remained silent, as a pupil waiting for the
teacher to punish him with a ruler on his palm.
45"oh, so you pretend to be $iss 8nows &ll, dont you7 5
45.ar from me, *m 9ust trying to help.6
-e made a fast movement with his eye brows and, then, continued:
45$ay * examine your chest7 1lease undress your T4shirt;6
The cold touch of the stethoscope sent impulses in her body like wires implanted directly in her brain
(ven if she was seen before by men, <doesnt she have a two years old daughter7= she was still ashamed of her half
naked body and especially of her fallen breasts <why, on earth, they had to resemble, after breast feeding, her
mothers=. &nd for this reason the 5thirty4threes6 pronounced during the chest listening came out feebly and shy.
45'o you ever smoke76
45/es, * do. * smoke two packets of cigarettes every day.6
45"h my god, havent you got any parents76
4 5* live alone, 9ust with my daughter5
45o youve got a daughter.6 -e made a funny movement in a da3e, as if saying 5it is not enough that, at
seventeen, you smoke two packets of cigarettes daily, youve got a daughter too6
45/es, shes two years old.6
4 5That means you delivered her atfifteen76
45%ight. $ay * light a cigarette76
45*t is forbidden in a public health place. /ou seem to really need it, so please do, but 9ust this once.
45Thank you.
45What about your husband, why doesnt he live with you76
45* dont have a husband;6
45>ut you 9ust 6
45* know6 she shouted interrupting him,6 the father of my daughter is not, and was never my husband; &nd * rather
not talk about it;6
45&s you wish, but youve got a problem and * cant 9ust prescribe your anything without to know your situation. 'o
you study or work76
45* couldnt study anymore! * was dismissed after one year of high school because of my pregnancy. 5
45'o you have a 9ob7 5
45/es, * make wedding flowers and accessories in a very small shop, downtown.6
45/ou make enough money, * assume76
45?uite enough for me and my daughter.6
45o you can afford medication. 5
45/es, of course, as long as * have a 9ob, the syndicate pays for the medical bills6 said "lga with cough
interruptions, 6>ut is there something wrong with my chest76
5*m skeptical about a certain sound, besides this cough as symptom, and the cigarette as a risk factor, so * kindly
suggest further investigation.6
45What do * have to do76
45+o now to the laboratory with this re@uest and have a Tuberculin Test. %eturn after three days to read it. 5
45Thank you very much, comrade doctor. +oodbye;6
he went to the lab and had her test done, but a weird sensation of hunger hit her on her way out. he felt lucky that
her mother worked in a nursery and she could leave
,ast three days faced "lga with severe work problems. The Tuberculin Test got her arm swollen and she could
barely move it! every movement causing violent pains in the affected area. When she arrived to the hospital, *ntra4
'erma %eaction was showing all over her arm up to the shoulder.
ome nurses from the laboratory exclaimed:
>ody; * never saw something like that in my entire life.
$e, * saw something like that about ten years ago but that man is dead. 'ead like hes never been alive.
"lga was not afraid of death, so their words didnt have any effect on her, other than curiosity and excitement, but
she was sad about these nurses. Were they trained by people working in funeral business, or how could they talk like
that, so irresponsible7 What if instead of her, an old cardiac woman would have this *.'%7 he would die, then,
from the impact with their words, wouldnt she7 the microbiologist doctor didnt seem to be annoyed by them. -e
wrote conscientiously, in his file: 1almer ) plus pustule and he advised her to perform A4ray, to locate the
tuberculosis. 'escending the stairs in her way to the radiologist she was thinking at #omrade ecarovich, who made
a good impression on her. -e could be her grand4grand father as he was about BC years old. (specially the white
hair on the temples made him look kind, sensible, and interesting, not infatuated as she would expect.