that's one mystery solved

[phosfate]

Dr C's waiting room - threat or menace? It's the decor. The furniture is 100% Cornhusker Industries*, the recessed ceiling fixtures seem to absorb light rather than give it off, the carpet is an industrial brown mix, and the only picture is a vintage 70s piece of two sinister owls, rendered in shades of brown and printed on textured board - the sort of thing you could order out of Better Homes and Gardens, back in the day.

(*Cornhusker Industries. Furniture-building concern staffed by the inmates of the state penitentiary, favored by the state government and other large organizations. Their product is extremely sturdy and long lasting, and easily spotted by its simple construction and distinctive despairing-brown matte finish.)