The Waiting Room...

...The waiting room is made up of several numbered sections, cordoned off with short walls and glass dividers.
Small groups of people sit as far apart from one another as is physically possible.
Funny how the human race loathes contact but does not want to be alone.
Maybe they're afraid.
It is socially acceptable to bring light reading material.
The lady across from me reads a paperback.
The man next to her works a crossword.
Everyone makes the obligatory light conversation.
Yes, you wait in a waiting room, but it is also a separation room.
Away from the pain. And, if you're practiced enough in repression, away from the worry.