5:45am and already behind

Nothing says ‘living the dream’ quite like setting three alarms and still somehow rushing around at dawn trying to remember if I packed extra pens.

5:45am and already behind

The coffee’s doing its best, but my brain won’t fully boot up until I’m actually at the hospital.

Jake wandered into the kitchen while I was doing my usual ‘did I forget anything critical?’ dance around the counter.

The pre-shift checklist never ends

He’s gotten used to my pre-shift ritual by now—the careful packing of supplies I definitely have but need to triple-check anyway, the mental rehearsal of today’s patient assignments, the moment of panic where I’m convinced I’ve forgotten something crucial but can’t figure out what.

Sixteen minutes until I need to leave. The lunch I packed last night better hold up because there’s a 90% chance I won’t have time to actually sit down and eat it properly. But hey, at least my scrubs match today. Small victories.