08.09.10 - snap shots of my day - be prepared.

Let me set up the scene....... I am doing my usual evening stint on a typically busy Friday evening just prior to the summer holidays.

The bell rings.
I leave my prescription printing to see who has rung for attention.

Evening 

I say to a 'stigged' up man (wearing a full face motorbike helmet with the glass down)

  The helmet says......

mufflwopsshlllsffppm

err - sorry I didn't hear you I reply

I stand there smiling....waiting....

He finally reaches up and flips up the visor and I can see a middle aged man's squashed face

I've coom to sort me wiiife' he says in the local accent

I stand there smiling....still.....

So does he.....not smiling though,  just standing

My smile feels a little tight but I still manage to maintain a certain cheerful note in my voice when I say

  I need to know her name so I know what to collect for her...

Oh, it's Jones **

Now, not knowing if he means it's Joan's or for Jones I ask again 

Sorry what name is it for? 

Fer me wiiife,  Valerie Jones** he grumbles

I won't be a moment I say as I duck back into the dispensary to collect Mrs Jones's** medicines.

I search the shelf for the J's hmmm, I can't see it there, so I check the K's and the I's in case it's been miss-filed - nothing.


I think quickly - may be it is not for the drugs but just for the prescription paper, so I change my search to the file where the paperwork is kept - still nothing. I frown.

Mr Jones, when did she put in her request because I can't find her meds

I see that two more patients have arrived and are now standing in the queue, they seem to know each other and are chatting away together.

Me name's not Jones, it's Mr Young** Mr Mortorbike-head tells me

I blink, slightly confused, oh, so am I looking for a Mrs Young?


He looks confused now, 

noooo-oo he drawls slowly for I am obviously rather stupid

I smile - not a real one, coz I am getting totally confused here, and duck back into the dispensary for a sneaky check under Young and having failed there, doubled my efforts for both Young and Jones on all of the shelves.

I can feel my face getting red as I return to try a different approach, as the usual one of working on a name has failed, I ask for her address

she maint-ave changed 'er name yet or...

he says thoughtfully rubbing his wrinkled check through his visor, I notice with increasing agitation that the queue of two are now a queue of four and they are all staring with arms folded and increasinglyannoyed faces.

........she maint be usin' er other name

I smile a slightly desperate but hopefully encouraging smile and enquire which name it might be under

Mr Motorbike-head-aka-Mr-Young-possibly-married-to-but-not-really-sure-Mrs-Jones** has a very quizzical look on his grizzled face. A fifth person has arrived at the queue and in the dispensary I can hear the phone ringing...and ringing....and ringing.

Can I have her address please and then I will see what she needs and hopefully I can sort it out for you


I can hear a note of desperation in my voice and hope the increasing crowd missed it.

Mr Motorbike-head-aka-Mr-Young** divulges his address but as I leave I hear his parting shot....

but we've moved so the address baint be that eiver

I quickly tap into the computer the possibly incorrect address  with the desperation of a condemned dispenser and find to my utter relief that it is correct - but notice that Mrs-Jones/Young/motorbike head has another surname - that of Valarie Edwards**  huh??!!?

I go to the dispensing shelves and find that she is not under E either, a quick look in the paperwork file confirms the same. Then a lightbulb moment occurs.

Mr Young - your... erm... wife, doesn't she dispense at the local chemist in town?

Yes

That is why I don't have anything here for her, 

her paperwork has already been sent up to the chemist

Oh, 

blank look on his face

We don't dispense to Mrs err, to Valarie, 

her medicines are probably ready and waiting for her up at the chemist

I try to maintain a calm note in my voice, as he flaps down the visor and leaves with out another word.

For a brief moment - the briefest of moments I mentally shake my head and breathe a sigh of relief when the next patient steps up and says..........

I know it's Friday dear, but I am going away early tomorrow on holiday for eight weeks and I need all my repeats, twice over, tonight.......................


I feel the need to lie down in a dark corner and gently weep.............................

***************************

** All names have been changed to protect the identities of all involved......but heavens knows why, this gentleman seemed to have done a good enough job in the first place!