Me, in a morphine stupor, perched on a bedpan, my left leg immobilized following emergency surgery for a crushed tibia plateau. In strides the orthopedic surgeon, God to the entourage of second-year medical students trailing him. “Lift that leg,” he orders. “Not now,” my words garbled, aware of my precarious seating. He snarls, “You are old, disgusting, overweight, out of shape, can’t be bothered adhering to the necessary rehabilitation regime. You’re wasting my time and the system’s resources.” He and his sycophants depart. A nurse retrieves the bedpan and smiles. “If you want to report him, I’ll back you.”
Louise Arnott lives and plays in Victoria, British Columbia. She enjoys writing about the uncommon in the commonplace.