The scene opens with a disembodied voice announcing the arrival of a new patient at the hospital. The patient is gurgling with delight at the prospect of being admitted to the hospital, and the voice of the patient is interrupted by the sound of another patient's voice. The voice of a young woman in her mid-thirties, who has been waiting for the patient to arrive, interrupts the speech. The young woman asks the patient why he has waited so long for the appointment, and when the patient responds that he had waited for many hours, the young woman realizes that she has waited for the same appointment for many months.