Bonus storyPremium
La doctora también necesita comer
The doctor needs to eat too
Module 8 · A bad dayGet to know the neighbours and practise what you've learned in a new story.
The storyMonday of festival week, the day you fall ill, seen from the other side of the desk: forty patients for Marta García, the town doctor, no lunch, three calls from her mother, and a daughter who is waiting. The new neighbour at number 7, 7 Mill Street, 12345 Valdemora, comes at four.
New words in the story
- la sala de espera waiting room
- la compañía company, companionship
- me aburro I am bored
- la muñeca doll
- se enfrían get cold
- acabamos we finish
- el examen exam
- estudio I study
Tap a word to see what it means.
Monday of festival week, half past seven in the morning. The waiting room of the Valdemora practice is already full.
Lunes, trece de abril. Marta García está en la consulta. La sala de espera está llena.
Monday, thirteenth of April. Marta García is at the practice. The waiting room is full.
SoniaBuenos días, doctora. Hoy, cuarenta pacientes.
Good morning, Doctor. Forty patients today.
Marta¿Cuarenta? Entonces acabamos tarde. El primero, por favor.
Forty? We will finish late, then. The first, please.
An old man with a walking stick comes in very slowly and sits down with a happy sigh. - Señor Ortega
Buenos días, doctora. Aquí estoy otra vez.
Good morning, Doctor. Here I am again.
- Marta
¡Señor Ortega! Viene dos veces por semana. ¿Qué tal?
Mr Ortega! You come twice a week. How are you?
- Señor Ortega
Mal. Me duelen la espalda y la pierna. Y la cabeza.
Bad. My back and leg hurt. And my head.
- Marta
¿La cabeza también? Vamos a ver. Respire hondo.
Your head too? Let us see. Breathe deeply.
- Señor Ortega
Estoy solo en casa. Mis hijos viven lejos. Me aburro.
I am alone at home. My children live far away. I am bored.
- Marta
Todo está bien. Pero necesita compañía.
Everything looks good. But you need company.
MartaPuede ir a la cafetería de Clara por la mañana. Allí puede hablar con la gente.
You can go to Clara’s café in the morning. You can talk to people there.
- Señor Ortega
¿Café y gente? Me gusta.
Coffee and people? I like that.
He goes off, smiling. The receptionist shakes her head.
- Marta
Hoy necesita hablar con alguien, Sonia.
Today he needs to talk to someone, Sonia.
More patients: a cough, a cut finger, a baby who will not stop crying. At eleven, a student comes in with a heavy rucksack.
- Nora
Buenas tardes. Me duele la cabeza todos los días.
Good afternoon. My head hurts every day.
- Marta
¿Cuántas horas duermes?
How many hours do you sleep?
- Nora
Solo cuatro. Tengo un examen el viernes. Por eso estudio de noche.
Only four. I have an exam on Friday. That is why I study at night.
MartaDuermes muy poco. Tu cabeza necesita descansar.
You sleep very little. Your head needs to rest.
- Marta
Descansa y duerme suficiente. Así puedes estudiar mejor.
Rest and get enough sleep. That way you can study better.
One o'clock. The waiting room is still full. The receptionist puts her head round the door.
- Sonia
Doctora, es la una. ¡Tiene que comer!
Doctor, it is one. You have to eat!
- Marta
Lo sé, Sonia. Ahora. Espera el siguiente paciente.
I know, Sonia. In a moment. The next patient is waiting.
- Sonia
Su madre llama por tercera vez. ¿Qué le digo?
Your mother is calling for the third time. What shall I tell her?
The doctor sighs, smiles and picks up the phone.
Elvira¡Marta, tienes que comer! Sonia me lo cuenta todo.
Marta, you have to eat! Sonia tells me everything.
- Elvira
Y mi vecino viene a las cuatro. Está enfermo.
And my neighbour comes at four. They are ill.
ElviraY mi vecina viene a las cuatro. Está enferma.
And my neighbour comes at four. They are ill.
- Marta
Lo sé, mamá. Tengo su cita.
I know, Mum. I have their appointment.
- Elvira
¿Y tú? ¿A qué hora vienes? Lucía te espera.
And you? What time are you coming? Lucía is waiting for you.
- Marta
A las siete. A tu casa.
At seven. To your house.
ElviraSiempre dices eso. Luego son las nueve.
You always say that. Then it is nine.
Afternoon: more patients, more tea, still no lunch. At four the new neighbour from number 7 comes in, with a sore throat and a story about a trumpet. At half past seven the last patient goes home.
Eight o'clock, in Elvira's living room at number 7. Lucía sits at the table with her yellow sketchbook. A plate of pancakes is waiting.
Lucía¡Mamá! ¡Las ocho! ¡Te esperamos desde las siete!
Mum! Eight! We have been waiting since seven!
- Marta
Lo siento. Cuarenta pacientes hoy.
Sorry. Forty patients today.
- Lucía
Todos te ven. Yo, solo por la noche.
Everyone sees you. Me, only at night.
- Elvira
Siéntate, Marta. Hay tortitas. Una doctora también necesita comer.
Sit down, Marta. There are pancakes. A doctor needs to eat too.
- Marta
¡Mamá! ¡Ya no soy una niña!
Mum! I am not a child anymore!
- Elvira
Para mí, siempre. Y tienes hambre.
To me, always. And you are hungry.
- Lucía
Mamá, ¿por qué eres doctora?
Mum, why are you a doctor?
- Marta
Por la abuela. Mira, todavía tiene mi receta de juguete.
Because of Grandma. Look, she still has my pretend prescription.
MartaEn este dibujo soy la doctora. Quiero ayudarla.
In this drawing I am the doctor. I want to help her.
- Marta
Ella es la paciente. Mi muñeca, la enfermera.
She is the patient. My doll, the nurse.
- Elvira
Y la receta dice: té y cama. Siempre igual.
And the prescription says: tea and bed. Always the same.
- Marta
Hoy me gusta ayudar a la gente. Por eso soy doctora.
Today I like helping people. That is why I am a doctor.
- Lucía
La fiesta es el sábado, dieciocho de abril. ¡Yo canto! ¿Vienes?
The festival is Saturday, eighteenth of April. I am singing! Are you coming?
- Marta
¿El sábado? Trabajo hasta las seis.
Saturday? I work until six.
- Lucía
¡Pero mamá! Quiero verte en la fiesta.
But Mum! I want to see you at the festival.
Marta looks at her daughter, then at her mother. For once, Elvira says nothing.
MartaVale. El sábado no trabajo. Vamos todos. Papá y tu hermano también.
All right. I will not work on Saturday. We will all go. Dad and your brother too.
- Elvira
¿Y yo? Claro que voy. Tengo que verlo todo.
And me? Of course I am going. I have to see everything.
- Elvira
Ahora, a comer. Las tortitas se enfrían.
Now, time to eat. The pancakes are getting cold.
Todos comen. Marta coge otra tortita. Ya es la tercera.
Everyone eats. Marta takes another pancake. It is the third already.
Practice 1/3 · Who says it
Who says it?
Estoy solo en casa. Mis hijos viven lejos. Me aburro.
¡Marta, tienes que comer! Sonia me lo cuenta todo.
¡Mamá! ¡Las ocho! ¡Te esperamos desde las siete!
Practice 2/3 · True or false
A busy day
True or false?
Marta tiene cuarenta pacientes.
Marta has forty patients.
La estudiante duerme ocho horas.
The student sleeps eight hours.
Marta come tortitas por la noche.
Marta eats pancakes in the evening.
Practice 3/3 · Questions
People need different things
Answer the questions.
¿Qué necesita el señor Ortega?
What does Mr Ortega need?
¿Qué día es la fiesta?
What date is the festival?
Unit complete
