The waiting room had the familiar smell of too much hand sanitizer. Benjamin studied the cover of a curled magazine promising “30 New Positions to Heat Up Your Sex Life” before letting his attention wander to the secretary who incessantly beat her pen against the counter while staring at her papers.
“Soltz, Benjamin!”
He started at the sound of his name. Gripping his cane, he made his way up to the glass box.
“Mr. Soltz?” the woman asked without glancing up from her papers.
“That’s right.”
“Says here you need to refill a prescription?”
Benjamin nodded, fumbling to get the pill bottle from his pocket before finally placing it on the counter.
“Some morphine and whiskey is what I really need, but I guess this will do.” He smiled weakly.
The woman didn’t smile. She continued to stare at her papers.
“It says here that you’ve reached your allotted drug limit for the month.”
Benjamin looked up, confused. “That’s never been an issue before.”
“The government just passed a new bill that it will only cover the first hundred dollars for citizens over sixty-five. Don’t you watch the news? Anyways, you’ll have to pay for it if you want me to refill this.”
Benjamin reached for his wallet. “How much will it be?”
“Seventy-two dollars, ten cents.”
“Oh.” He slowly returned his wallet to his pocket. “I guess maybe I’ll just buy some of that whiskey instead.” He tried to smile, but only managed to pull his lips into a tight line.
The woman finally looked up. “Maybe take a look at some of your options, Mr. Soltz? For your sake and that of your loved ones.” She gave a practiced smile and slid a pamphlet across the counter. “Zhu, Alice!”
Benjamin stuffed the pamphlet into his pocket and left the clinic. He walked down the mall concourse toward the subway with careful, shuffling steps. Around him, screens flashed from store windows. A screen showing an image of two women with perfect faces laughing together told him Our NEW SPRING LINE is here. A lingerie ad displayed two people pressed against each other, emblazoned with the words, Live while you’re young. As he got nearer, the faint light of the facial scanner flashed in his eyes. The lingerie ad blinked and changed to an ad for Kingsford Whiskey.
Benjamin lowered himself onto his living room couch in his small flat. His daughter Ania hated its ornate green and purple swirls, but he had picked it out with Felicity in their first year of marriage and he couldn’t bring himself to throw it out.
He sat there for
