safe than sorry. I’ll also need to
check your purse and take your cell phone while you’re inside.”
After walking her through a set of metal detectors, he
handed Poppy her bag and ID and pointed to the elevator she needed to take to
turn in her papers. Nodding at her to continue moving on, he turned to the next
woman coming in behind Poppy.
She hurried to the elevator. Once on the third floor she
found the correct door and walked inside. An older woman was sitting at the
desk facing the door, sorting papers. She smiled warmly as Poppy walked up to
her.
“Welcome to the Intake Center, miss. My name is Suzie. Is
that your application to turn in?”
“Yes, ma’am. I finished it last night. I still haven’t had a
chance to get my physical yet but I wanted to get the ball rolling.”
“Poppy? Is that your legal name or a nickname?” Suzie peered
up over her glasses with another smile.
“Legal name, ma’am. My parents weren’t exactly traditional
with naming their daughters. My sister’s name is Pixie. I think they may have
been closet hippies.” She smiled at Suzie and noticed that all the other
folders on her desk were also applicant packets. “Can I ask how many applicants
you have so far? What are the chances of being selected?”
“Well, so far we have about thirty at this center. There
would be more but the protesters have scared some women off and then our
computer system was hacked and some applications deleted. So it’s actually a
good thing you filled out a paper application, otherwise you would be needing
to go over all this again.”
Poppy smiled again and said, “You know, if I don’t get
selected, maybe I could apply for a job here? It seems like you could use some
help with this stuff and I have office experience.”
Suzie leaned across the desk and patted her hand. “Well,
aren’t you just a sweetie! It actually isn’t too bad. I just scan all this in
and don’t actually have to read or retype any answers into the program. It’s
pretty simple but it does set me back a bit when somebody fudges with my
computer.” She started flipping through the packet and noticed the dates of
Poppy’s last medical exams. “Do you have appointments set up for these or would
you like to use our physicians on the sixth floor while you are here today? We
can bill your insurance.”
“I didn’t know there was a medical center here. I thought
the whole building was just an Intake Office.”
Suzie walked around the desk and reached for a pamphlet in a
clear holder on the wall. “Here, sweetie. We have doctors available that take
most insurances so our applicants don’t have to wait for appointments to become
available at their family doctors. The doctors here are all certified and
working through contracts with the State Department. Would you like for me to
see if one is available?”
“Sure, I’d just planned on grocery shopping so I can even
wait a bit if they can’t fit me in immediately. I haven’t even called my doctor
yet to see when the soonest he could get me in was so this would help me out.”
Poppy searched for her cell to text her sister before remembering it was at the
security office. “Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my sister and let her
know I may not be out of here when I said I would.”
Suzie smiled and said yes while marking down a room number
on a card. “Just hit which line you want to dial out on and go from there. They
have an opening in about thirty minutes so your wait won’t be long.”
After calling her sister and leaving a voice mail, Poppy
took the elevator to the medical offices and proceeded to wait for her
appointment. Heck, even if she didn’t get selected for the program, at least
she’d be able to get her physical out of the way early this year.
One Pap smear, physical exam and blood draw later, Poppy was
heading back to Suzie’s desk. Amazingly enough, the medical reports had already
been sent down to Suzie by the time the elevator
check your purse and take your cell phone while you’re inside.”
After walking her through a set of metal detectors, he
handed Poppy her bag and ID and pointed to the elevator she needed to take to
turn in her papers. Nodding at her to continue moving on, he turned to the next
woman coming in behind Poppy.
She hurried to the elevator. Once on the third floor she
found the correct door and walked inside. An older woman was sitting at the
desk facing the door, sorting papers. She smiled warmly as Poppy walked up to
her.
“Welcome to the Intake Center, miss. My name is Suzie. Is
that your application to turn in?”
“Yes, ma’am. I finished it last night. I still haven’t had a
chance to get my physical yet but I wanted to get the ball rolling.”
“Poppy? Is that your legal name or a nickname?” Suzie peered
up over her glasses with another smile.
“Legal name, ma’am. My parents weren’t exactly traditional
with naming their daughters. My sister’s name is Pixie. I think they may have
been closet hippies.” She smiled at Suzie and noticed that all the other
folders on her desk were also applicant packets. “Can I ask how many applicants
you have so far? What are the chances of being selected?”
“Well, so far we have about thirty at this center. There
would be more but the protesters have scared some women off and then our
computer system was hacked and some applications deleted. So it’s actually a
good thing you filled out a paper application, otherwise you would be needing
to go over all this again.”
Poppy smiled again and said, “You know, if I don’t get
selected, maybe I could apply for a job here? It seems like you could use some
help with this stuff and I have office experience.”
Suzie leaned across the desk and patted her hand. “Well,
aren’t you just a sweetie! It actually isn’t too bad. I just scan all this in
and don’t actually have to read or retype any answers into the program. It’s
pretty simple but it does set me back a bit when somebody fudges with my
computer.” She started flipping through the packet and noticed the dates of
Poppy’s last medical exams. “Do you have appointments set up for these or would
you like to use our physicians on the sixth floor while you are here today? We
can bill your insurance.”
“I didn’t know there was a medical center here. I thought
the whole building was just an Intake Office.”
Suzie walked around the desk and reached for a pamphlet in a
clear holder on the wall. “Here, sweetie. We have doctors available that take
most insurances so our applicants don’t have to wait for appointments to become
available at their family doctors. The doctors here are all certified and
working through contracts with the State Department. Would you like for me to
see if one is available?”
“Sure, I’d just planned on grocery shopping so I can even
wait a bit if they can’t fit me in immediately. I haven’t even called my doctor
yet to see when the soonest he could get me in was so this would help me out.”
Poppy searched for her cell to text her sister before remembering it was at the
security office. “Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my sister and let her
know I may not be out of here when I said I would.”
Suzie smiled and said yes while marking down a room number
on a card. “Just hit which line you want to dial out on and go from there. They
have an opening in about thirty minutes so your wait won’t be long.”
After calling her sister and leaving a voice mail, Poppy
took the elevator to the medical offices and proceeded to wait for her
appointment. Heck, even if she didn’t get selected for the program, at least
she’d be able to get her physical out of the way early this year.
One Pap smear, physical exam and blood draw later, Poppy was
heading back to Suzie’s desk. Amazingly enough, the medical reports had already
been sent down to Suzie by the time the elevator
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