The Pushed

The Pushed has to be forced at every step. She will do nothing willingly for herself, or for anyone. She seems immutable but can be changed. How far she will go depends precisely on how hard she is pushed.

In the morning she must be wound up. This can happen with coffee. Coffee will get her to work and maybe she'll go until lunch. If there is not much work for her to do, she can get it done. If there is too much, she will never complete it. She will sit there, empty and staring at the pile.

The Pushed can be made to eat almost anything. If she opens her mouth, she will bite and chew and swallow. To get her to open her mouth, simply wave the item in front of her eyes.

She is at her best from station to station. First one spot, and then the next. She makes a good screening nurse. First she will direct you to the scales. Then she will do the blood pressure thing. Then the temperature taking. She is at her best when saying goodye.

The doctor will see you shortly, she declares, knowing full well it is a lie.

She likes to make people wait. To see them doing nothing, unable to do anything but wait, reminds her of her favorite inactivity.

The Pushed only made it through training because her mother refused to stop pestering her. After a lifetime of raising the Pushed, the mother was not going to stop until she got her daughter out of the house and as far away as possible. The mother promptly retired after that, and moved to somewhere in Florida. The Pushed would like to talk to her mother sometimes, but her calls are neither answered nor returned.

The Pushed does have a social life. Many men ask her out on dates. Once. She seems to be a good listener. She has absolutely nothing to say.

The Pushed has a dream. To go home at the end of the day and watch her shows. She accomplishes this task every night, which makes her a surprisingly content and happy human being.