Axel grease

He came to the Office earlier in the week. He was wearing a button-up workshirt that had seen better decades. His face had smears of black on it. He had the same smears all through the hair on his head. He couldn't hear very well, he said, because his ears were plugged up with wax.

He wanted to know if we could help him. He had come over from a very small Island where he lived because the lice were getting to him. The axel grease was supposed to be a remedy but it had stopped working.

We tried to find a Doctor who would see him. Who COULD see him.
The administrative staff called every single Doctor in town. Noone could see him.
He had gone to the walk-in clinic but they had sent him to us.

A whole medical building of Doctors and Nurses and Administrators. This man did not get help. He was sent to the thrift store to buy a sleeping bag because he would not be able to get back to the Island after dark. As far as we know he slept in the park.

He was born in 1913. He had never had a Medical Card in his life. Never used the system at all. It was just the lice were getting to him.

Mister, I hope you hooked up with the Salvation Army or a Church. He needed medical services and got nothing but empty words. Even with all the Nurses on staff noone touched him.

The man needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes. He needed someone to oil his ears and show him how to do that himself to loosen any debris. It would come out naturally with a good shower after a week of being oiled. He needed someone to comb out his hair and send him home with a comb so he could do it himself.

He got words.

God forbid we actually practice on those who need it.

I am ashamed that we are government employees.
This man is a citizen for 92 years and the best we can do is talk his head off.
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