Back to Everyday Life (1)

Beep.

Ding-ding-

When I held my employee ID to the reader, the automatic door slid open with a cheerful electronic chime.

The familiar air rushed over me the moment the door opened.

The smell of disinfectant and alcohol.

Until just a few days ago, I had been crossing this threshold with a heavy heart.

But today, for some reason, that air felt oddly refreshing.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the nurses' station.

Familiar faces came into view.

The nurses, hollow-eyed from all-nighters, the dozing intern, and...