Mrs. Confine hurried down the barren street, eyes fixed on the black door a few buildings down. It was a cool January evening, the 11th to be exact. The snow on the ground was beginning to freeze over, no longer fresh and powdery but gray and stiff. The plowed snow bunched up near the curbs, brown with the dirt of the city. The icy air was making her eyes water, so she adjusted her red scarf and pulled her coat tighter. Across the road, she spotted an officer. They don’t exactly try to conceal themselves, she thought. Yellow is such an odd color for uniforms. The officer waved, then returned to his watch. Nearing the door, she looked up at the surveillance camera. The sign below it read, “Smile, you’re on camera.”

At promptly 6:45, Mrs. Confine stepped out of the icy winter air and into the warmth of the office. For the past 10 years, Mrs. Confine had walked into that office promptly at 6:45 and left at 7:15. She shrugged off her heavy coat, searching for an open chair. The waiting room was peculiarly busy–more busy than it should have been for such a night. Perhaps they were seeking refuge from the cold and darkness outside, thought Mrs. Confine. Spotting a familiar face, she left her coat at a chair and strode up to the grand mahogany desk opposite of the door.

“Delores! What a lovely surprise seeing you here,” the woman behind the desk greeted her.

“Why hello, Ruth. Yes, just here for the yearly visit. Is Doctor Stark in?” Delores Confine replied, sure of the answer.

“Well, let me check for you dear. Why don’t you take a seat?” Ruth said, gesturing to the beige wooden chairs lining the wall of the office.

Delores returned to where she had left her coat, a seat between an older gentleman and a young woman. The man on her right wore thick glasses, making his brown eyes seem much larger than they were. He too had bundled up for the cold, wearing a deep purple jacket, a winter hat and a pair of gloves. His caramel-colored skin was flushed, and he absentmindedly flipped through a sports magazine. The woman to her left was silent as well, scrolling on her phone. Her brown hair covered her face like a veil, and every now and again she’d brush it out of her eyes. Her nails were painted red, and she wore black boots. Tap tap tap went her foot as they waited.

Suddenly, the double doors next to the desk swung open and a large man strode through. He spoke to Ruth briefly, before gesturing to the man beside Delores. “Mr. Tristan, it’s your turn,” Dr. Stark declared in his booming voice. He placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, and led him through the doors. Impatient and annoyed that it wasn’t her turn yet, Delores went up to Ruth again.

“Ruth, shouldn’t it be my turn by now?” Mrs. Confine asked. “I’m sorry Lorie, but it looks like there was an error in the system. Your time slot has already been reserved. Dr. Stark cannot see you today,” Ruth answered.

“But that can’t be. I always have an appointment today!” Delores protested.

“I’m sorry, but the doctor cannot see you,” Ruth repeated, her smile faltering. Then, in a hushed voice, she whispered, “There’s a pub down the road though, if you can keep face long enough.”

“Dear me!” Mrs. Confine exclaimed, appalled by the suggestion. “That just won’t do! Let the doctor see me! He must see me!”

“Settle down, Delores, you don’t want to make a scene. There’s simply no time for you to cry. Go home now, go on.”

“No, please, he must see me!” Delores said. She was getting frantic now.

“Delores, I really must ask that you leave,” Ruth said, glancing at the door which was now being pushed open. The officer from before was now making his way into the office. Moving to the front, he took Delores by the arm and gave her a reassuring smile. The officer led her outside and released her, hoping that some fresh air would fix her fit. Maybe it was the harsh winter air hitting her face, maybe it was the little boy in the red cap that walked past, but Delores started to cry. She couldn’t help it. Tears fell down her face and an infant-like wail escaped her throat. Realizing what she had just done, her eyes went wide with panic. Quickly, Mrs. Confine tried to wipe the tear from her cheek. But it was too late.

“No, please, I didn’t mean it! I’m fine really!” Delores pleaded as the officer walked towards her.

“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to come with me,” He ordered, taking her arm once more.

“No, please, you have to understand!” She begged, now unable to control the tears running down her face.

“Ma’am, you know you can’t cry here,” He said, pulling her down the street. “It’s the law.” She struggled and protested, but her efforts were in vain. She caught the attention of another yellow-suited man, who quickly rushed over to help. Together, the officers dragged her into a dark alleyway. At the end, there was a paneled white door. Nearing it, Mrs. Confine stopped struggling, and oddly enough started to smile. In fact, she started to laugh. Shocked, the men let go, exchanging bewildered looks.

“He-he-he, no time to cry! Ha-ha-ha!” laughed Delores as she walked towards the door. She took the gold handle in hand and opened the door. Her giggles echoed through the night as she disappeared behind it.

“Ha-ha-ha!