Everyone is a judgmental prick

There, I've said it.

I was on my morning tea break when three of the staff started to talk about C (one of our pharmacist) in the pantry.

"C is so into investing her money. I bet her boyfriend was the one teaching her how to do it," said Madam O innocently.
"You are wrong! O, you are so naive! She is the one who taught her boyfriend - not the other way around!" Kak K piped in.
P, another pharmacist, said: "Madam O, you only know half of the story. Let me tell you..."

Then they proceeded to clue Madam O in about C's 'unrealistic' and singular dream of making big money through direct sales. I just sat there and listened like I always do. Always observing and nodding my head occasionally like I understand. But I don't.

Because I had seen her in tears yesterday when she recounted her boyfriend's tight financial situation. I know that she dreamed of making enough to raise her future children in a secure environment. What they said about C is true. C is realistic to a fault, and seems to place material gains over almost everything else. She even sometimes neglects her pharmacist duties to entertain her clients' calls. I definitely do not agree with her behaviour. I can sympathise with her situation. I will not demonise her because I know her story.

Perhaps I am biased towards her. While I was crying from the stress of working in counter 3 a few months back, she was the one who approached me directly and asked: "What's wrong?" She was the one telling me to just 'do whatever you are supposed to do' and 'ignore the rest'. Other people happily clocked out from the pharmacy while C was helping me to calm down.  

I was working at the screening counter this week. Because I am new at this, it was pretty hectic for me.

One day, a middle-aged man came up to me, asking for my help. He had lost his FTK card. FTK means Farmasi Teman Kami. It is a service we provide for patients whose prescriptions contain more than 6 items. We keep their scripts and pack their medications ahead of time, while they keep a card with them to inform them when to come to collect their scripts.

Mind you, even in the age of 21st century technology, almost nothing in my hospital is computerised - FTK system included. We have a large book we use to record the names of the FTK patients, the corresponding card serial numbers and dates to collect their medications.

So I was faced with this problem. I practically had to leaf through book, page by page, just to look for the patient's name. I passed along the patient's name to the PRP on duty at the FTK counter. Let's call her A.

Me: So this man lost his FTK card. Could you please look for the name in the book?
A: How to find? It is not like we have a computerised system here. 

I was groaning inwardly. Of course I bloody hell know nothing is computerised! But that shouldn't stop you from doing your duty! A was just sitting there the entire time, looking on as I sifted through book. I was mad, very mad. But I didn't show it. Instead of sitting on your ass the entire time and chit-chatting with people, why don't you do some work for once! It wasn't even a busy week! I had my own duty waiting for me. Patients waiting to get a number, phone was waiting for me to answer and I had to do A's work just because she thought the task was impossible.

I managed to find the name in a few minutes and retrieved the patient's medication from the storage area. IT WASN'T EVEN THAT TOUGH. BLOODY SUCK IT UP, A!