A Sunday at the Pediatric Clinic

This was a Facebook note I did a few years ago.  It is fun to use Facebook to record memories that I may have otherwise forgot.  :D  My kids are doing MUCH better from their recent health issues!

Rebekah has not been feeling well lately so I decide that I have reached the point I am no longer comfortable treating her with out the advice of her doctor. My pediatrician's office has a lovely walk in clinic on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. With visions of swine flu dancing in my head, we go to the doctor's office. I arrive a half hour before the clinic opens to ensure I don't have to wait a long time.
There were 12 cars in the parking lot.
Mine made number 13. Everyone was waiting in their vehicles. I decide to stand by the door. 

So, maybe there were not this many people, but that is how it  felt.

I had a plan. Stand by the front door. The weather was nice and I could save gas from not idling. Then as soon as they open the door, take the stairs not the elevator. I may not be tall, but I have relatively long legs. Take full strides. Woo Hoo!
As soon as I get Bekah out of the car seat, everyone else in the parking lot read my mind. Some reach the door before me. There is a small crowd. At least 15 adults and as many children. We are standing in a semi cirle around the door. The atmosphere was not quite tense but, not quite laid back either.
A couple women start chatting. One has a two year old. She woke up with a cough. (She sound croupy to me. I wanted to tell her so in hopes she would go home and save those behind her from waiting.) Another had a 5 month old. He looked otherwise well, but his mother said he was up and crying off and on all night. He also ran a fever yesterday. A whole 99 degrees. Another had an older child, 7 or 8, this mother says to her daughter, "Don't stand or sit anywhere near those babies when we go inside." To offer an explanation to us, "I think she has THE flu. I work for a pharmacy." The mother of the 5 month old said she was scared of THE flu and wanted to make sure junior did not have it. The mother with the two year old nodded in agreement.
I wanted to say, "Well, my kid has green runny poop", and then point her at them like she was a weapon so they would let me in first. I held back.
The facade of niceness among the crowd ended as soon as the poor nurse opened the door. I was like the fourth one in. The race was ON!

Come on! Let's GO! GO! GO!

Three of us head for the stairs. Everyone else runs to the elevator. Two year old mom gets to the stairs first. I get there second. Five month old is close behind. The nurse who opened the door took the stairs and looked down at us from the second set and says, "You all can take the elevator." HA! We say we are fine. Two year old mom says she is worried about the germs and close quarters. Ummm yeah, me too....
Stair people get there first. Two year old mom still in front, she is practically running. Her kid is heavier than mine, I think I can get around her..... I move to the left, then five month old mom behind tries to come around..... I move back to the right.
I hear footsteps of parents and children coming from the elevator. We three in the front pick up our pace. We may as well be running instead of that goofy "I am walking really fast but yet trying to appear normal and not desperate walk" I ALWAYS power walk at the doctor's office :)
We reach the desk. I came in a very close second. I pick up the pen and hurridly write Bekah's name down as if the lady behind me was going to snatch the pen from me and jump in front.....
Sit down. In and out of that office in 40 minutes.

It was sooooo worth the race!