He gripped the blue folder so hard his knuckles turned white.

The billing office was a small glass room with three metal desks and no windows.

A woman named Brenda sat behind the middle desk with a tall stack of claim forms.

Richard set the blue folder on the counter but kept his right hand planted firmly over it.

“I’m not liquidating our primary assets for a hospital surcharge,” Richard said.

Brenda typed a long string of numbers on her keyboard.