Corporations Winning

Corporations Winning
             by Dougl  Asreimer

LookingmcBride and Jagpreet Corporate Importers and Exporters, Ltd. the sign high above announced, Hamish Gerbrantov noticed. He snuck his way into the building, through some revolving glass doors, past a security desk, through another glass door into what he discovered was a pharmacy and out of it again immediately and through the next set of glass doors, still and steadily skulking and acting suspicious. He peered at the writing on the doors, and then furtivated about seeing if anyone had observed him. He ran a few steps and then stood still, and then ran slower and then walked. In this fashion he entered and exited again five or six doorways until he came to the elevator and he pressed the up button. He disappeared into the elevator and reappeared again at the 11th floor. He snuck, he sidled, he ducked, he poked his nose into places, and finally entered and stayed within the door marked Dr. Lookingmcbride and Dr. Jagpreet, Optometrists. Welcome. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Hamish Gerbrantov was a short man. At the counter he stood on tiptoes and and looked up over the arborite. The secretary finally noticed him.          “What do you want?” she barked. She glared at him and pulled down her skirt behind her desk. She wore purple, tuffed, taffeta blousing and pink, nubbly skirting. Her shoes, one smaller than the other since she had feet of uneven size, were polished black patents and they had open toes. The counter being a table-like affair with only a top on four legs, Hamish’s eyes were even with her knees. He tried to keep them on her face but the tabletop blocked that line of sight and his neck quickly hurt him. 
     “Hello,” he called, and then jumped up and down and talked to the secretary a word at a time as he came high, as his face cleared the height of the countertop. “My—name—is—Ham—ish,” he roared in separated words. He grew tired of jumping and rested. Then he started jumping again and continued. “I—am—here—to —see—doctor—Look—ing—Mc—Brrrride. He stopped for breath and then started jumping again. “For—an—eye—appointment.—At—three—thirty!”
     The secretary had stopped listening to him and now that he had finished jumping, she said, “What?” He stood there looking at her below the countertop. Then he ducked underneath and bit her. That made her start up and take notice. She pulled her knees up to her chest and called loudly for assistance. 
     “Doctor Lookingmcbride!” She screamed. “Doctor Lookingmcbride, I am being assaulted by a little asshole who just bit my thigh!” The Doctor emerged from the office at the word “thigh” and in an instant had the poor Gerbrantov gripped by the collar. 
     “What is the meaning of this?” he spoke to him without kindness. 
     “That little shit bit me,” she whimpered, with a couple of tears beginning to form on her cheeks at the sound of the doctor’s sympathetic voice. 
     “Are you mad,” he said, his words louder than need be. “You bit her? You scoundrel!” And so saying, Lookingmcbride lifted him above his head and twice dashed him against the wall with such forcefulness that the poor, short man collapsed and cried before he found the strength once more to rise and make his way to the good Samaritan’s side. 
     “Let me see,” the doctor said, pitying her. “I think this luckless woman needs our assistance. She is in grave pain, and in danger, I might add. Of infection! My poor dear! Lift your dress and show us exactly where this little pervert bit you!” The clock  ticked overhead. Nearby, the toilet water ran in its bowl. The rain on the windowpane made light tapping and trickling sounds. The air in the room already smelled almost of anesthetic. His secretary obeyed at once, after only a necessary hesitation, sniffling and with quivering teardrops. 
     “Oh, oh!” The Doctor intoned. “That is a flesh wound! It will require immediate attention! So high up the danger of infection is very, very grave! You! Little man! Help me carry her to my office where we may lay her down with less interference.” He paused and thought and added, “With less annoyance to the public.” 
     “That was a job well done, sir! “ the doctor said to the one who had bitten. “Now, What was it you wanted of me?” 
     “I wished you to have a look at my octicles,” that worthy said, peering up at a sharp angle at towards the white teeth above him. “I can hardly see a thing except from very close up. If you please, sir.” 
     The dctor said, “I noticed.” Then he did as asked. 
     Thus he added another patient to his corporation’s roster. He made a few recommendations to the little person. He charged him a small fee. Lookingmcbride Inc. was doing remarkably well, he said to himself, alone in his office, winning with his timely generosity and forethought, from his competitors, a great many such as the young Mr. Hamish Gerbrantov. Business, he surmised, was brisk and getting brisker. No need to expand at any faster rate. This speed was just fine for him. His wife was happy, too. And in this state he left the day’s thinking and went back to work, singing to himself, happy, feeling wonderfully lucky and successful. 

     They did that. The woman moaned with pain and hurt, even once she’d been laid on the large office desk that had been quickly cleared to accommodate a patient. The two men laboured for an hour, interceding. The corporation’s business would have to wait. Winning or losing mattered little in the hour of need. The welfare of this single anguished human surpassed in significance the acquisition of much money. What, really, was an hour more or less to this institution? Making money was not everything, surely! And so on and so forth the two reasoned among themselves as they bent over the luckless lady. She gratefully permitted them to minister to her person till they had bled her, sucked out the poisons, and finally thoroughly and painstakingly cleaned a large area around the wound to ensure full protection against infection. They cleaned and laboured over the mesmerized patient until, in a moment of realization, she had the new presence of mind to stand up suddenly, and briefly redistribute her habiliament before resuming her former place and duties at her desk.