Elias sank into a plastic chair. He watched the clock on the wall, the second hand ticking with agonizing precision, realizing that while you can buy many things, mercy still required a signature.
The question had pounded in his head for three days, ever since his father’s breathing had turned into a rhythmic, rattling struggle. The hospice nurse had mentioned it—the "comfort pack"—but the paperwork was stuck in some bureaucratic purgatory between the doctor’s office and this fluorescent-lit altar of relief. can you buy morphine
Elias felt a surge of cold panic. "I don’t care about the insurance. Can I just buy it? Right now? I have a credit card. I’ll pay whatever it costs." Elias sank into a plastic chair
"I see the order," the man replied, his tone softening just a fraction. "But there’s a discrepancy with the insurance authorization for the liquid concentrate. It hasn't cleared." Can I just buy it
The pharmacist paused, a heavy silence stretching between them. "It doesn’t work quite like that, Elias. Even if you pay out of pocket, I need the physician’s secondary authorization for a cash sale on a Schedule II substance. It’s a matter of law, not just money."
"He’s hurting," Elias whispered, the words catching in his throat. "He’s just... waiting. Please."