In the Right Place at the Right Time

In the Right Place at the Right Time

by Marilyn Mackenzie

I went to the pharmacy to get one of my prescriptions and could not find my prescription debit card.  We have a new insurance program and prescription program with hubby's work this year.  I have a debit card for scripts, but once I was at the pharmacy, I couldn't find it.  I haven't used it yet and I have no idea what I might have done with it.  (It looks like a Debit Visa or Mastercard, and that would certainly stand out in my wallet.)

As I started to leave the store, angry at myself for misplacing the new prescription card, I noticed that the cashier at the front of the store didn't look "right".  Her skin had something between a very white and ashen color.  She hardly noticed me watching her.  She usually had a bounce in her step and a warm and pleasant greeting for everyone coming in or out of the store.

I stopped to ask if she was okay and her brave mask fell and so did the tears.  She said, "I have felt so bad since I came back from break.  My heart is racing, my chest hurts, my left arm is almost numb, and I don't know what's happening."

Without trying to alarm her, I mentioned that heart problems do strike women a bit differently than they do men, then inquired about whether I could get some help for her

She reached for the phone/intercom and pressed the button, but froze.  It was if time stood still.  The button was still pressed, so I leaned into the phone receiver and said, "Shari needs help - now!"  As I said that, she slipped to the floor.

The store manager and assistant manager raced to the front of the store.  They obviously didn't recognize the voice over the intercom.   And they had no idea what kind of help their cashier might need.

They didn't see her right away, so I pointed behind the counter.  They went to her, and as they did, I told them about what she had said to me about her heart and her arm.

They thanked me and said they would take care of things.  Dismissed me, if you will.

And as I drove away, I realized that if the prescription had been ready as they said it woud and if I had found my debit card where it should have been in my wallet, Shari might have slipped to the floor without anyone noticing.

As mama always said, "There's a reason for everything."  And I don't feel so stupid about having misplaced the stupid card.

Join me in praying that Shari is okay.  In the almost four years I've lived in this area, we've lost three other women at that pharmacy - to cancer and heart attacks.  I do hope she's okay.