“They told me I didn’t need to pay it.” Jillian paused. “Well, I lost their name, this was three years ago.”

Ah, the fabled “they.” Megan smiled.

“No, I didn’t get it in writing. Well, I guess I’m a trusting person.” Pause. “Ma’am, I feel like it’s very inappropriate for you to contact me at my place of work. I can give you a fax number where you can send me more information, and I will look into it.”

Megan knew what that really meant.

“What? You expect me to pay you nine dollars to send me a form that I’m going to use to pay you two hundred dollars?” Jillian made choking and scoffing noises while she listened to the person on the other end and Megan’s black heart swelled with glee.

“I really feel like you’re taking advantage of me right now and, ma’am, I have a child to take care of and I’m about to get a dog and I have too many expenses right now to pay you nine dollars, let alone two hundred dollars.”

Jillian was becoming clearly angry.

“I am unable to pay over the phone, but I can send you a money order at my earliest convenience. No, I don’t have a credit card. No. No, I don’t have a debit card. I don’t have a checking account.” Pause. “Well, you know what, someone was stealing my identity so that’s why I don’t have one anymore. Yes, I got that taken care of. I will try to send you that money order as soon as I can, but I think you’re being very unfair and rude. Yes, ma’am.”

Jillian let out a stifled scream at the phone after she hung it up, then laughed and said, “My car.”

“Hmm?” said Megan.

“I got a ticket last night for running a red light on my way home and I, you know, didn’t have my license on me, so the cop looked me up in his thingy, and it turned out I have an unpaid fine from an accident I had three years ago. I got bad injuries. Apparently, my license has been suspended for three years, and now I have to pay this frickin’ fine.”

“Geez,” said Megan.

“Yeah. I’m not even supposed to be driving right now, so I have to be real careful on my way home.”

“Yeah, make sure to be real careful,” said Megan.

The patients started coming in.

Jillian said “Noooo problem!” a lot.

Megan said “Sure” a lot.

During down time Jillian would look at the internet, but sometimes she would just sit and stare at the wall.

TWO