Housecall

                                         

The House Call

It was long ago and doctors used to take their calls from their patients twenty four hours a day. There were no walk-in clinics and there were no emergency room physicians on eight hour shifts twenty-four hours a day.

I awoke a moment before the phone rang as I often did knowing it was going to scream at me if I didn't get it immediately. How did I know? I think maybe those 'old-fashioned' phones gave a little moan before they started ringing. I got it at the first ring before it woke anyone in the house. My wife moved turned and resumed her quiet snoring. I looked at the bedside clock. It was 2.55am. I slid out of bed as I put the phone to my ear. It was the answering service "we have a call for you ,doctor" the operator said. "Take a number and tell them I'll call back right away, " I said. I didn't want to wake everyone I'd call back from the spare room. Two minutes later I was wide awake and calling the number back. 
A female voice said "I have terrible stomach pains doctor, can you send me something out?" 
"I can't send you something without seeing you first," I said knowing I'd just committed myself to a house-call.
"What's your address?" She gave me an address on the seamy side of town. 
"I'l be over right away," I said.
A few minutes later I was in my car, shocked into consciousness by the cold Canadian winter. I hadn't a garage in those days, and the icy night had frozen the base of my tires flat. The car thudded along the street,the bright moon throwing it's bluey white light against the snow to be reflected back towards the sky. The car traversed the city quickly, despite the icy roads as I piloted the car with the confidence of someone used to driving in these conditions. As I approached South Railway, the neighbourhood became perceptibly seedier, until I found myself outside a run down hotel. I checked the address. There was no mistaking it, I thought gloomily, this was it. I pulled the car into the parking lot, left the engine running I wanted it to be warm when I came out, if someone stole it, too bad. (We didn't worry too much about global warming when it was thirty degrees below freezing in Saskatchewan). I threw my cigarette away, picked up my medical bag and walked through the door into the dimly lit hall. There was no sign of any sort of caretaker or watchman around. but I did at least have a room number, 23a, and I guessed that might be on the second floor. As I walked up the creaky staircase it seemed to get darker. I got a sour smell, a combination of beer,urine and tobacco. I walked along a stark landing and looked at the numbers. 23a somehow seemed to look worse than the adjoining rooms. The smell of urine worsened and the whole building seemed unbearably hot, despite the -23 degree F. outside I loosened my down parka and I felt the body heat it had captured waft past my face. I hoped it would be cooler in the apartment.
I decided to try one more time then I was going home. I banged on the door loudly this time, hoping that it would not be answered. It was.
The man who opened the door was dirty, disheveled and smelled of booze
"Come in, Doc," he slurred.
I hesitated and then walked into the sparsely furnished, dimly-lit room. I looked around. The room was shabby and untidy with a torn ,shapeless sofa,on which a woman of about 35 reclined. She was clad in a black slip and not much else, held a smoking cigarette in her hand and took a deep drag on it before she spoke. "Am I ever glad to see you, doc" she said.
"Good evening" said I "I'm Dr.Smith. What seems to be the trouble?" .
" I was to see one of the doctors in the clinic the other day and he said I have gall-stones. He said that if I get the pain again I am to call up the doctor on call for a shot of Demerol. I've been in terrible pain all night" she said.
"Why did you wait until three o'clock in the morning to call me?" I asked.
"Oh,I didn't want to bother Dr Elliott, "she said, not admitting that she was well aware that she would get one of the on-call junior doctors in the clinic, who were much easier to fool than their older colleagues, who turned over out of hours call to their younger colleagues.
"Okay,step into the bed-room and I'll examine you." I said wearily.
"Oh,I don't think I need an examination right now. ,Just give me the shot to relieve the pain and I'll come into the office tomorrow for a check-up."
I looked at the her, apart from looking tired and dissipated, it was obvious that she was in no distress.
I was young, but not inexperienced, and having assessed the situation, now decided the time had come to be firm. This woman was obviously looking for drugs. I hadn't decided exactly what her relationship was with the shabby looking man.
He was now sitting in the room's solitary armchair chatting incoherently either with himself,or to me. I caught "Party in Seattle and then this guy pulled out a gun.." I decided it was time to be firm, deal with the situation and get out of the apartment as soon as I could."You either let me examine you or I'm leaving without prescribing anything,you don't seem to be in any pain right now" She looked as though she was about to tell me to fuck off but then seem to think better of it.
"Well,if you could just leave me a few demerol or talwin pills (both narcotics) in case the pain comes back during the night, I'll come into the office tomorrow for an examination" I was about to tell her that I was leaving nothing and if the pain came back she could go to the emergency room , when there was a loud knock at the door. All three of us froze. I clutched my medical bag with it's considerable variety of drugs tightly in my hands. No one attempted to open the door. Again a loud knocking, this time more insistent,demanding an answer. I was just on the point of quickly opening the door, running down the corridor and escaping into my still running car, when with a loud crack, the door flew open. Two men stood in the doorway. I sized them up quickly. One tall fairly well dressed, tough looking, the other fat and rather shabby. I noticed as the short, fat one burst into the room, his jacket swung open revealing a holstered gun. Tomorrow's 'Leader Post' headlines flashed in front of my eyes.
"Young Physician shot in Drug Shootout" 
I clutched my house call bag firmly in my hands. (If they got that it was going to be over my dead body!) I decided that it was now or never. I pushed past the two men, hoping they would be so busy with the occupants of the rooms they wouldn't bother with me. I walked briskly down the corridor, head down, making for the car, engine still running . I knew once I got there I would have no problem. I glanced over my shoulder - my God, they were after me. I broke into a run and they came right after me! I felt a heavy hand laid upon my shoulder as I was spun around. The small shabby man's hand went to his holster. I wondered whether to run for it.
"Sgt.Sam O'Hanlon, Regina City Police Dept.," he said. "Afraid you got caught up in a drug bust,doc." He shoved his police department badge under my nose. "I just have to establish for the record that you didn't leave any narcotics at the address, so that when we lay charges they can't say that it was just prescribed stuff the doc left." 
I said "no, I didn't leave anything" 
"We may have to call you for evidence,doc." 
I nodded "Okay ,will that be all.
"Yeah,that's all,doc".
I walked out to my car. It was warm and comfortable as I drove home. I parked my car in the carport,and plugged in the block heater, so the engine wouldn't freeze up. I crept up the stairs so as not to waken the baby. On the landing I removed my clothes, slipped into the bedroom and into bed and felt the cozy warmth emanating from my wife. As I snuggled up beside her she stirred.
"Have you got to go out, honey?" she asked.
"No" I said.