Refused

At the doctor’s office where I work, women with children often bring strollers in to their appointments, since they’re still taking care of kids, and childcare doesn’t allow for sick days, but this woman with a stroller doesn’t seem to have an appointment.

“Is there a drinking fountain in this office?” she asks, and since I’m a temp, and since I don’t know what the policy is, I head to the back to talk to my boss, my first impulse being just to give the lady some water from the employee water-cooler in the back.

“Nah, we don’t do that,” my boss says, shaking her head, her lips pursed.

I go back to the woman with the stroller and regretfully inform her, expecting some kind of pushback, but as soon as she hears she heads out the door without a word, or even lifting her eyes, as if she expected nothing better from anyone.