“Oh.” A tiny frown formed as she clicked away at her computer. Then she looked up. “We tried calling you this morning but didn’t get a response, so we left a message. Dr. James had a family emergency and had to leave suddenly. He won’t be in for the rest of the day.”
Irene’s face fell. Where was her phone?
She began digging in her purse but the amount of stuff inside made it difficult to find her things.
The girl looked sympathetic. “Why don’t you have a seat and fill out your forms, Miss Nagel? I’ll see what we can do for you while you’re here. Would you like some coffee or hot tea? We have green tea and chamomile.”
She looked at her, blinking dumbly. “Hot tea?” This was the magic happy drink everyone had?
“Yes. We also have some fruit teas if you prefer some sweetness.”
Irene had n
