At Hospital

Alexa sat on a cold iron chair. In front of her -- only one meter away -- stood a white wall with a matching painted door. In the middle of the door is a rectangular board with the words Dr. Agung, Sp. KJ.

"Mrs Alexa!"

A woman's voice from the door opening broke Alexa's thoughts from the white hospital tiled square of objects.

"Yes, it is me!" said Alexa.

Alexa rushed to the woman dressed all in white.

"Please come in, the doctor is waiting inside," said Nurse Anne - that was what was written on the nameplate affixed to the woman's chest.

Alexa nodded and entered the all-white room. She saw a fat middle-aged man writing on a piece of white paper. The man looked up and gave a small smile.

"Please have a seat, Mrs. Alexa," the doctor greeted as he motioned for Alexa to sit down.

Alexa pulled the chair in front of her and landed her buttocks slowly.

"Mrs. Alexa, oh sorry, it turns out that you're still a high school student. Then, I'll just call you Ms. Alexa. You are probably the same age as my child at home," said Doctor Agung, after shaking the doctor's hand while introducing himself.

"Okay, Ms. Alexa. After reading the report from the previous hospital, it turned out that Ms. Alexa's mother had a psychological disorder that resulted in excessive anxiety, fear and paranoia. For that reason, the hospital that previously treated Ms. Alexa's mother referred to her home regarding this mental illness," said Doctor Agung.

Alexa's heart felt like it was being slashed by a sword when she heard the explanation from the Great doctor. She did not expect her mother to suffer from mental disorders, though she was sure that her mother never showed symptoms of depression to reach the signs of someone experiencing mental illness.

"W-what… what did the doctor say? My mother is mentally ill? Why doctor?" said Alexa bitterly.

There is a rejection in Alexa's heart. She suspected that the doctor has misdiagnosed her mother's illness.

During this time, she took good care of her mother at home and was always in a stable condition. The proof of it all is that Alexa can communicate very well with her mother. She can even tell his daily life without any obstacles that the doctor accused of having her mother. Alexa was sure that her mother was just sick with a cough and normal shortness of breath. A long-standing illness that sometimes recurs when the mother is exhausted. And now? What does the doctor mean by revealing the fact that her mother is mentally ill?

"You must be wrong! My mother is not crazy, doctor!" Alexa exclaimed indignantly.

"I understand Ms. Alexa's feelings, that's why I called you to see me to re-check the results of my diagnosis." Doctor Agung tried to calm the emotions that overflowed on Alexa's face.

"Did you bring what I asked yesterday?" continued Doctor Agung after predicting that Alexa's face would loosen slightly.

Alexa immediately understood the doctor meant. She opened her duffel bag and took something that doctor asked for : her mother's medicine. One small package contains the medicines that her mother usually takes.

There are three kinds of drugs in the plastic medicine. Alexa handed all the drugs to the doctor Agung.

Doctor Agung checked each drugs handed over by Alexa. There's nothing strange about the drugs. The three drugs were just painkillers –analgesic, headache medicine and cough medicine. All the drugs were obtained according to a doctor's prescription – nothing unusual.

Doctor Agung's forehead slightly wrinkled. He was surprised to find that the three drugs are common drugs and according to the treatment for the disease that Alexa mentioned earlier. What baffles Doctor Agung is that his diagnosis contradicts the results of the patient's complaint history. Did Doctor Agung make a mistake in checking Alexa's mother's condition?

"Of these three drugs, there is nothing strange. All are suitable for treating the patient's symptoms. But I have no doubts about the results of this diagnosis," he said, holding up a paper containing information about Alexa's mother's condition. "I've never misdiagnosed my patients, but this time I feel strange," murmured the Dr. Agung, confused.

Even though it's a murmur, Alexa's ears can catch her voice.

"What happened with my mother, doctor? Why did you conclude that my mother is mentally ill?" asked Alexa.

"Look, Ms. Alexa. Mrs. Renata's physical condition may seem healthy. She only suffers from an occasional cough and sometimes joint pain or occasional pain in her head. Unstable. She often has hallucinations. These hallucinations are what I'm looking for. The results of a blood test on Mrs. Renata's blood sample showed that Ms. Renata had been consuming addictive substances for a long time. Therefore, I asked Ms. Alexa to bring her usual medicines. It was consumed by Mrs. Renata. But I was a little disappointed, because it turned out that the medicine that you brought had absolutely nothing to do with the results of the blood test. It was strange … "

Alexa flinched. She remembered what she used to do to her mother. Nothing strange. But then his eyes widened. She remembers having found Ben – her stepfather – often giving him a candy.

"Doctor! I-I remember!" Alexa shouted nervously.

The Doctor looked at Alexa with great enthusiasm. He waited for what Alexa would say which made her expression very surprised.

"I've seen mom chew something that makes her always calm. Mmm ... like chewing gum but I'm not sure what brand of gum," she said.

"Chewing gum huh ...?" said the doctor Agung while holding the chin of a person who is thinking hard.

"Okay then, for today, it's enough to stop here. Next, I will give a new recipe and assignment for Ms. Alexa on a note," he said ending Alexa's counseling agenda with her.

After writing the prescription, Doctor Agung handed Alexa the paper. It looks like Alexa received two sheets of paper : one containing the prescription she would redeem at the pharmacy in front of the hospital, and the other a note that she didn't have time to read because Doctor Agung paused to shake her hand.

Alexa put the paper in her backpack. She then left the doctor's room with a gloomy face. Her sadness was caused by the statement of Doctor Agung, who stated that her mother was suffering from a mental disorder.

Unknowingly, she bumped into someone's shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir!"

Alexa hastily apologized.

"It's okay, sis. I was in the wrong, because I was in a hurry. I have a patient that I have to treat immediately," he said.

Alexa looked up, seemingly bewitched by something; she blinked her eyes momentarily, stunned by the handsomeness of the doctor who bumped into her. I guess that's what Alexa thought about the man, considering the all-white clothes the man was wearing, plus the man's words that said "patient" in his apology sentence.

"Are you all right sis?" he asked again.

Really, Alexa's brain seemed dull at that time. Her tongue was dry, and she couldn't answer the man's greeting.

"Ah, y-yes. I'm fine, sir," stuttered Alexa.

The doctor smiled a faint smile, then left Alexa, who was still staring at the man's departure until the man's back disappeared from view.