A bug that cost 210 dollars

A bug that cost 210 dollars

                      It all began with the curiosity and anticipated fun of swimming in an American pool. So, out we went to the Troy Community Centre which housed a big blue pool that was accessible for 10 dollars each. The cool water was so inviting in the hot sun. Though it was crowded with more women and children, the deepest part, which was only 5 ft, was quite free. Sporting a new pair of trunks, I cautiously ventured in. But due to the sudden influx of water, I inadvertently swallowed some water. My swimming history was not without many failures. But the accessible depth and the strip of long fibre chord withstood my short breath and some compulsive rest now and then. When I got back home for lunch the onslaught of the bug had begun. Someone was hammering my head continuously. As hours passed by, the pounding was severe. Pearl diagnosed it as an attack of migraine. So a few pills went in along with massaging. Then began the nausea. I was throwing up whatever I attempted to swallow. By next evening food was anathema to me. A visit to a local physician was inevitable though it was expensive. Only after a series of formal declarations that ensured the doctor's safety I was led through a narrow corridor. When the doctor met me in a small cabin I was feeling dizzy due to incessant vomiting. Previous history was looked into and a series of questions was answered in monosyllables. The doctor complacently concluded that it was a stomach bug that infected me and dismissed me suggesting a pill every 8 hours to stop the nausea after depriving us her fee which was 50 dollars. We drove six miles to collect the prescribed tab which was packed under instruction through email. A pack of 30 tabs cost 160 dollars. I wonder at the quantity recommended by the doctor. Did she expect me to go through this illness for a week or so? But contrary to this weird notion, the first tab squeezed the bug, the second one deactivated it and I did not need the third one. I was back to form by the second day. The pack of remaining 28 tabs is still with me. Is there anyone smitten by the mischievous bug hidden in the pool? Don’t go to a doctor. Come to me. I will cure you for 5 dollars. I can treat 15 patients before I leave for India. I can make some money too.