The Doctor's Office

I was eating lunch alone in the corner of the cafeteria, reading a book, when Jen placed her tray on the table across from me. She was in a chirpy mood, anxious to chat. I was not opposed to the company. We were both in the same theology class and had a short discussion about the book of Genesis of all things. I'm pretty sure her lifestyle breached the boundaries of any religious doctrine I could name. But, despite her unholy behavior, she was anxious to discuss a variety of biblical topics. I was not surprised when she referred to the less-preached-about story regarding Lot's short-lived incestuous relationship...

Have you heard of this one? Apparently, bereft of men, Lot's daughters decided to get their father drunk and have sexual intercourse with him on two successive nights. As the story goes, Lot didn't have a problem with this because, well, he was reportedly too drunk to notice. Both girls got pregnant and each had sons who ended up leading two great tribes. Jen wondered if it was possible...for a guy who's passed out to get an erection. I couldn't say, having been passed out during the optimal observational periods. And, although I had heard of the story, I somehow never thought to challenge the theory with my roommate despite the regular opportunities.

We both decided it was probably impossible. We also decided there was a decent chance Lot was good at keeping his eyes shut. Of course, such things could never be proven, as we both could agree. Anyway, it was a delightful conversation, and it was a welcome change to have an interesting discussion over lunch for once.

The egg souffle that was served that day, however, was not as welcome. I was feeling a bit nauseous immediately after lunch as I walked across campus to my next class . As I sat down and the lecture began I felt increasingly strange. At first I was floating, and then I began to hallucinate, watching the professor sort of melt into the wall. It was a unique feeling that I can't quite describe. I knew something was wrong, but stuck it out through the amazingly long hour and a half.

After class I marched directly to the campus doctor.

By the time I walked into the empty lobby and checked in I was in rough shape. I had never felt a cold or flu come on so fast and so strong. I walked up to the reception desk and to my surprise saw Chrissy. She cheerfully welcomed me and I described my symptoms. When I had filled out some documents, she escorted me back into one of the offices where I sat on one of those paper-covered beds.

She handed me a couple pills and told me to take them. She said what I had was common, and probably related to the bug that was going around campus. I knew she was just the receptionist, but wasn't going to argue, and took them right away. She put her hand on my back and invited me to lie down, which I did without hesitation.

Suddenly I heard Chrissy calling out my name.

"Okay, Magnus, you should start feeling much better now."

I did feel better already, although I could feel a slight headache. "Rather fast-acting pills," I thought to myself. She took my hand and brought me out of the room. She asked if I felt better, and I said I did. I felt a lot better, actually.

I picked up my books and walked to the library.