Dead Silence

Cold linoleum tiles clicked under my briskly tapping heels. With each beat, the noise grew louder and louder in the deafeningly silent room.

Other patients, who were scattered around, had their noses stuck in magazines or seemingly let their minds wander as did their eyes. My leg jiggled quicker, swiftly rapping against the floor. It shook my arm as I tried to focus on other things but every wall was disappointingly bare. Few posters were scattered around and underneath was nothing but beige painted concrete blocks that made everything feel even more like a prison cell and I was awaiting the sheriff to take me to trial.

Even the front desk held nothing of interest. Just a few depressing brochure piles all talking about treatment options for the sick and a metal can with logoed pens because everything is about marketing these days.

Still, as I tried to distract myself, my mind kept wandering back. Soon my fingers drummed to the same uneven beat of my foot, much to the annoyance of everyone around me. A particular lady on the other side of the room, professionally dressed and sat stiffly in the corner, quite aggressively flipped the pages of her magazine while glaring me down from over the tops of her glasses. But even as we made eye contact and my already flashing heart quickened, I could control my shaky limbs enough to stop and I simply tried to avoid her stare from then on.

Every time the door next to the receptionist's desk would open, my head whipped up only to hear a different name called and as the room slowly emptied I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be taking so long. It felt like an eternity had passed by and yet here I was, still stuck in this prison with my foot tap tap tapping away.

Eventually, the old wooden door creaked open once more and a nurses squeaky tennis shoes joined my incessant tapping. And as she glanced down at her clipboard, everything slowed. My eyes focused on her sluggishly moving grim expression as I could only hear the pounding in my head. Her lips mouthed my name even as her words were drowned by the constant thuds and everything stopped.

She glanced around the room and her eyes finally stopped on me as she repeated my name. “Come on back.” Her voice was too loud in the stunning silence that followed. I stood up, smoothing out my shirt and trying to keep my hands still. My shoes clicked in rhythm as I marched through the door with her to face the threateningly empty hall of doors behind it.

Oh no...