MW_Secret_files/Erotic Dreams.pdf - Medwords.com.au

PRACTICE TALES
Runaway
The first booked patient of the day was a few minutes late.
Within seconds of unlocking the surgery door in the morning there was a
commotion that I could hear at the end of the hall in my consulting room. I walked
out to find a mother and her twelve year old daughter arguing vociferously, and not
making much sense. I invited them in to my room to try and sort out the problem.
The daughter stormed in and sat on the floor in a corner of the room with her
knees on her chest and her forehead resting on her knees, not looking at anyone, and
trying to ignore the verbal torrent of despair coming from her mother.
“She won’t behave, she’s disobedient, she runs away, she won’t help at home, I
can’t cope with her, she ran away this morning and a neighbour had to bring her
back”. GPs have heard similar stories before, and as the torrent eased to a mere
deluge of words I suggested that the mother have a nice cup of tea with the
receptionist while I had a talk to her daughter.
She remained defiantly on the floor in the corner, wanting nothing to do with a
middle aged man whom she was sure would side with her mother. I caught her looking
at an old map hanging on the surgery wall, so I started talking about it and its
history. She showed some interest, and when I explained that Australia had originally
been called Beach (actually pronounced bee-ark) by the 16th. century Dutch
cartographers, she actually saw the joke, considering our hedonistic sun drenched
modern culture.
I had broken the ice and then it came pouring out. She had just moved from
primary to high school, she had no friends, she was slow at school, her single mother
was too busy for her, and her younger autistic brother took all her mother’s
attention. Her mother didn’t trust her, told her to do things, but didn’t ask. Again it
was fairly typical of a mother not wanting to let go because she felt insecure with no
husband to help her at home, while the near teenager was testing the limits of what
she could do in society, and experiencing the stresses of puberty and relationship
changes.
Mum was invited back, and some bargains were made. Mum would say please and
trust her daughter, on the other hand the daughter promised not to run away again.
Just as the consultation was about to end, the mother’s mobile phone rang and a
second saga took a dramatic centre stage.
“I’m sorry about this doctor - I’ll just get rid of them - Hello?”
I couldn’t hear the other side of the consultation.
“I’m at the doctors, I’ll call you back”
A moments silence.
“The police - what’s happening?”
86