Morning Lily. Time for your tablets, then you can have your breakfast.’

Sue pushed the trolley laden with packets of prescription drugs into the sunlit bedroom. She smiled at the elderly woman, propped up amongst a mountain of pillows, and placed a small plastic beaker with two blue pills on the table which stretched across the bed. Before Sue could reach for the jug of water, Lily had peered into the beaker and pushed it firmly away.

‘Those aren’t my tablets,’ she complained.

Sue forced another smile and sighed inwardly. Lily who looked so frail in her nightie and crocheted bed jacket, was undoubtedly the most cantankerous resident at Mill Valley Care Home. Sue knew that for a fact, even though she’d only been working there for less than a month. Today was the first day that she’d been allowed to dispense drugs and she was anxious to make no mistakes. She fumbled with the sheaf of prescriptions attached to the drugs trolley and saw with relief that she had dispensed Lily’s correct medication. She slid the beaker back across the table.

‘These are your tablets, Lily. Let me get you some water.’

Lily pushed the beaker away for a second time.

‘That’s not my tablets. Mine aren’t blue.’

‘This is what it says on your prescription, Lily.’

‘Then it’s the wrong prescription. You’re trying to give me someone else’s tablets. Where’s Pam, who usually comes around with the trolley? She knows I don’t have blue tablets. I’ve never had blue tablets.’

Lily flopped back against the pillows. Sue checked the prescription again. Dr. Grant had signed it himself.

‘This is what Dr Grant has prescribed for you Lily, so let’s get them taken and then you can have your breakfast.’

‘Mine aren’t blue,’ Lily repeated. ‘They’re pink. Pink ones - because I’m a lady. Dr James, my doctor before they sent me to this place, he said to me, “Lily, we’ll soon have this blood pressure of yours under control. You take these pretty pink pills – they’re for my special lady patients.” That’s what he said. Pink ones. These blue ones,’ she looked disdainfully at the offending tablets, ‘must be for men. I can’t take them. Heaven knows what might happen to me. Take them away. Get Pam to bring me my proper ones.’

‘Lily you’ve been Dr Grant’s patient ever since you came here and I’m sure he knows what’s best for you. Come on, take your tablets.’

Sue held out the beaker.

‘No.’ was Lily’s reply.

***

Dr Grant paused outside Lily’s room and explained to Sue in a low voice,

‘The tablets are the same – just made by a different manufacturer, that’s all. They’re a cheaper option. That’s why I’ve changed the prescription – cost cutting and all that.’

‘Well try and explain that to Lily. She thinks they’re for men.’

‘Leave it to me,’ Dr Grant smiled. He adjusted his bow tie, ran his fingers through his silver-grey hair, knocked on the door and swept into the room with Sue trailing in his wake.

‘Good morning Lily. Looking lovely this morning. Very nice bed jacket – did you make it yourself? Now, what’s this Sue tells me about you not wanting to take your tablets? We can’t have that, can we?’

Lily opened her mouth to say something, but the doctor carried on.

‘Now Lily, these blue tablets – you’re right – they’re not the ones you’ve been having before – but these ones,’ he picked up the beaker and waved it at her, ‘these ones are my special tablets. They’re blue for my best patients, and you Lily are my very best patient; so I’ve chosen them especially for you. Believe me, they’re much better than those old pink ones you’ve been taking.’ He handed her the beaker.

Sue stifled a grin as Lily obediently downed the tablets and immediately asked for her breakfast which she complained was very late this morning.