We are smack in the middle of summer. By the time I was able to clock out, the stifling heat had dwindled to a pleasant warmth as the sun was soon to begin it's descent beyond the horizon.
I despise the heat, but I do enjoy the fact that during this time of the year, I typically get to see the sun rise on my drive into work at the literal ass crack of dawn. My favorite though, is this last glimpse as it sets for the day, painting the sky neon oranges and reds, forcing everything it touches to be just a bit more beautiful.
During the winter months, I leave my house in darkness, and then return in darkness; only getting to venture into the
We have no windows in our ER, so when we get a call from the front desk we head out blind to offer our assistance. More than occasionally, we get a GSW dropped off, either rolled out the back of a car or thrown out the back of a pickup. Sometimes we get the lady with a newborn hanging halfway out of her vagina, and then those poor families that drive their loved one here, unable to get them out of the car. We walk out and see poor grandpa slumped in the front seat, 'He's been like this for hours'... what, without a pulse!?
Traffic used to piss me off to no end; I could feel my blood pressure rising, my pulse racing everytime someone cut me off or slammed their brakes. Now after 6 years of making this commute, it barely phases me. I'll turn on a podcast [true crime, of course] or blast some music and depending where I am in the city, roll my windows down as I drive.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Other days, I make my way home in absolute silence, completely lost in my head somewhere. I blink and I'm home. Those days are scary; the fact you can subconsciously drive yourself an hour home and have just about zero recollection of it. On those days, I tend to replay events or conversations in my head, both good and bad. What would have, could have, should have happened if things went differently, if something else was said, if something did or didn't happen.
Today I thought of Mr. Wilkinson. He was found in his car parked on the side of the road. They didn't find any illicit substances or trauma. His car was off, could the heat have gotten to him? Did he park there on purpose or did he have some sort of symptoms that caused him to pull over? Maybe if someone was with him, CPR could have been started and 911 called earlier. His family seemed nice, my heart goes out to them.
Pulling into my driveway, I immediately make the switch from work to home. I make a conscious effort not to bring any dark hospital vibes into my house, which my roommate appreciates. I turn off my truck and grab my bag. I sit for another minute before I get out, too tired to move. My feet ache as they hit the pavement, hang in there ladies... a little bit longer and we'll be cuddled in bed.
My shoes come off at the front door and I start stripping as I walk to the downstairs bath. My post-work shower is mandatory, no matter how exhausted I may be. The lukewarm water hits me and I stand there with my eyes closed as it soaks my hair. When do I work next? Do I have 2 days off? I need to head to the farm store and grab some things for the yard, sigh.