The Doctor will see you now

We arrived at "the Doctor's" office. Most of the car park was empty and the few people that we saw looked like they were heading home after a long day.

It had been years since I had been in this waiting room. Not much had changed except the posters on the walls encouraging healthy options and the magazine with corners curled by concern.

The only person that I saw as we entered was a young woman that smiled at us as we entered. She waited for us to approach, though she looked confident that she had already identified us.

Miss Summer greeted her and said, "We are here to see Doctor F."

"Yes Miss Summer, Mr Autumn," My teeth clenched and my body shook momentarily at being needlessly misgendered. " the Doctor is expecting you. Please take a seat in the waiting room and I'll let you know when she is available."

"Thank you." We turned to select our seats when she added, "Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee? Considering that it is the end of the day, maybe something a little stronger, as a pre-celebration?" Her smile wove through every word, creating a hammock of affability. It felt like a friendly, unpatronizing version of, "why don't we all take a deep breath?"

We looked at each other silently asking, "Shall we?" It was far too late in the day for coffee, and though I would have liked a cup of tea, a small glass of wine might be nice. I was about to ask, "What wines do you have?" when I realised that this wasn't a restaurant. While I was still wrestling with the question, Miss Summer asked for us, "Is white wine an option?"

I suddenly remembered that we were within Mistress F's domain. My eyes began to stretch as my wife suddenly looked like a fly asking the spider if there was anything good to eat on this web.

"Certainly Miss Summer. Would you prefer a sweet Riesling or a crisp Chardonnay?"

The adherence to protocol sounded like Mistress F's training. I knew that there was a restaurant on the floor above that even held a Michelin stared Chef, but I hadn't expected that Mistress F would have access to their wine cellar.

"I'd like a small glass of Riesling. What would you like darling?" I felt her love wash over me. After so many years of marriage, it can be the tiniest things that can make people feel loved. In the momentary glow I didn't care. "That sounds nice. I'll have the same, if possible?"

"I will go and search for that, for you two." She stood up behind her desk and was a little taller than I expected. I was watching her disappear into the building when I realised that I had to look away before Miss Summer considered it leering.

We returned to the tedious task of calculating where to sit. Near to the Doctor's door, without becoming a trip hazard, or seeming like we were trying to eavesdrop. That was when we noticed him.