Sick
Cindy: I’m sick as a dog. I think I need to go to hospital!
Mel: Don’t be such a hypochondriac. You don’t need to go to hospital. Come to think of it you do look a bit crook though. What’s wrong?
Cindy: I woke up this morning and one of my ears was really sore. You know when you’re on a plane that’s landing and your ears get sore? It feels like that. And look at my eye; it’s all red and crusty. I’ve got a nasty cough as well.
Mel: Hmm, it does look sore. I still don’t think you need to go to hospital though. You go to hospital for really urgent things, like if you break your leg.
Cindy: But I feel terrible!
Mel: Well I do think you should see a doctor. Do you have a regular doctor in New Zealand?
Cindy: No, I haven’t been to the doctor since I arrived here. I don’t know which ones I’m allowed to go to. Do you know?
Mel: You can choose any New Zealand registered doctor…sometimes it helps to go to one that a friend recommends, one that is near your house or one that is open hours that suit you. If you want to claim the doctor’s fees back on your insurance, you should check with the insurance company about the conditions for this – it’s worth checking –fees for doctors can be pretty steep!
Cindy: But I have to work tonight – are there any doctors that are open after 9pm?
Mel: Most doctors only work business hours, just a normal 9-5 day. Some are open later, like some of the White Cross clinics. But why don’t you just take a sickie tonight? I wouldn’t want to be served by a waitress who was coughing like you are… gross!
Cindy: Yeah, maybe I should find someone to cover my shift tonight so I can go to the doctor. Which doctor do you go to?
Mel: My doctor’s name is Dr Smith – she’s on Trafalgar St in Onehunga. She’s really lovely – you know I’ve always been really scared of doctors but she makes me feel totally relaxed. I’ll give you her number and you can see if she’s got an appointment available today.
Cindy: Cheers, I’ll give her a call. Yuck, my eye really does look disgusting…
Glossary
sick as a dog – very sick
hypochondriac – A hypochondriac is someone who always thinks they’re sick when they’re not, or is always worried about getting sick.
Crook – sick. Eg. “I’ve been feeling crook all week.”
Crusty – disgusting/dirty – or covered with a crust.
Steep – If the cost of something is ‘steep’ it means that it’s expensive.
Sickie – A day off from work for being sick. People often say they’re ‘taking a sickie’ if they are pretending to be sick to get the day off work.
Gross – disgusting/yucky/revolting/dirty
cover my shift – work instead of me/work the shift that I was supposed to work.
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