“What kind of document is this, Daniel?” I asked.

“It’s just the standard hospital financial agreement,” he said, taking a silver ballpoint pen from his coat pocket and holding it out to me.

“It makes me the primary billing contact so all the hospital statements go straight to my office instead of cluttering up the house.”

I didn’t take the pen.

I laid the tri-fold paper flat on the laminate table under the bright overhead light.

“I’ll read it here before I sign anything,” I said.