A Pleasure to Serve

I work hard to maintain my celebrity within the online medical portal. According to my chart, I have “good eye contact” and “appear alert.” “A lovely 25 week gravida presents to my office…” I try hard, every visit, to outdo the last. To have even better eye contact, to have an even steadier rhythm of speech.

Nurses hug me. A “delightful 40 week gravida”! I clean up after myself. I arrange neat piles on my table tray and never let anyone touch a used Kleenex. I wipe my own blood from the bathroom floor when it hurts to bend. Extra supplies are snuck to me. I’m not reeaaallly supposed to be doing this, they say. I would never want to get you in trouble, I say. You’re so kind for thinking that, sweetie. I would do anything for you, they say and leave me an unopened package of ibuprofen to take at my leisure. Because they know I know when I should take it. Because I have applaudable levels of body awareness and am a pleasure to serve.

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Raegan Bird lives in Salem, Massachusetts and co-runs the publishing project, BLUE ARRANGEMENTS.