what's that?

my doctor, no
not that one, the other
one
who prefers to wear green
versus
a white smock
shakes my hand, then touches
my arm
where a prickly rash
has appeared.
what's that? she says.
eeks.
prickly heat, I tell her.
looks itchy,
she says, stepping away.
okay, so why are you here
today?
I don't know, I tell her.
but I got a message
saying that I was supposed
to come in. so here I am.
I look at her wall of photos
of infectious diseases,
boils, pimples,
what looks like lakes
of fire
growing on people's bodies.
can you pull your sleeve
down over that rash,
it's bugging me, she says.
I pull down my sleeve
and scratch where it itches.
what you need is
an oatmeal bath, she says.
i'm going to write you
a prescription for a sack
of oatmeal and I want
you to come back in
six weeks. hopefully it'll
be healed.