'Wet Floor'...
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
The Emergency Room Registration clerk sat at her desk typing info into her computer. The ER was slow tonight. She was glad to get the break... she would make up for it later. It was common knowledge, the ER didn't have a lot of slow times like this.
A young couple came into the waiting area. The guy was on crutches... he hopped as he walked. They saw her through the door, and headed her way. Once in the little registration room, they both sat down. "I want to see the doctor", the young man said.
The registration clerk went on to ask what seemed to be the problem. The young man told her that he needed the doctor to look at his leg... the one in a cast.
The clerk looked at both people, really seeing them. She always paid attention to people. She took her job seriously, and knew how important it was to pay attention even to the smallest of detail.
It was her nature... she knew sometimes, people didn't always say how sick they were... and would begin to get sick fast. She didn't at all think that was the case here. But... if it was... she'd have time to go get a nurse.
Everything seemed to be fine. While she talked, asked appropriate questions, she typed on her keyboard. The cleaning lady came in, greeted her, began emptying the trash can. Once the trash can was emptied... she swept the floor.
The registration clerk giggled as she rolled out of her way... so, the cleaning lady could sweep there, and... not sweep under her feet! Everyone 'knew' if someone swept under your feet ... you would never get married. She sure wanted to marry one day!
Once that was done, the cleaning lady rolled her yellow bucket of mop water in from the hall. She put her mop into the clean, sudsy water... and pulled it up through the rollers, squeezing excess water out of the mop. She began to mop... then, placed her little orange cone on the office floor. The cone was to warn someone of 'wet floor'.
The cleaning lady rolled her bucket out into the hall, pushed it to the locked door. She pulled her cleaning cart behind her... she waited until the registration clerk unlocked the door. When the door buzzed, she could go through it.
Once inside the smaller room where people sat to register in privacy ... the cleaning lady emptied the trash can, swept the floor, and mopped it. She placed her little orange cone on the floor... she told the couple that the floor was wet.
She went through the doorway to the waiting area, began cleaning. In just a moment, the cleaning lady was forgotten. The registration clerk pushed the papers forward so, the young man could sign them.
The young man stood up, his girlfriend handed him his crutches. He asked the registration clerk to unlock the door... he wanted to go to the bathroom in the hall. The registration clerk told him the floor was wet, it'd be best to go to the bathroom in the waiting area.
The young man went ahead, began hopping toward the locked door, ignoring her. All of a sudden, as she watched ... he pretended to fall on the floor. He didn't think she noticed that the fall didn't look real. He knew what he was doing... he 'fell' so he wouldn't hurt his leg.
He looked up at her, told her that he'd just fallen on the wet floor! He began acting like he was hurt. She looked him straight in the eye, he looked away. He began yelling louder...
The registration clerk told him to get up from there... she knew he didn't really fall... because she watched him as he pretended to. You aren't hurt! I saw you... there's no way you hurt yourself the way you made yourself fall!
The young man got up from the floor, grinned... said, "I was just fooling, I didn't fall"! He and his girlfriend walked into the waiting area, laughing.
The registration clerk went into the Emergency Room, talked to the nurse, and doctor. As a precaution, the nurse came out to talk to the young man... he told her that it was only a joke. She documented it... and went on.
After that, the pace in the Emergency Room picked up... the clerk took it in stride. She loved her job... you never knew what would happen next!
I bet if the registration clerk had not been watching, he would have claimed to be hurt and tried to sue them! That is what a lot of people do now days. One can't be too careful of things like that. I think I know the registration clerk you are talking about. She was a very good person for that job! Love, Ms. Nancy
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