I finished checking Mariam at around seven at night when my day shift was ending. She was still asleep, but I was told there was nothing unusual. Nothing showed anything like that. All her vitals were okay. In a few minutes or an hour or just within that range, she was going to wake up.

I would have loved to have the very first conversation with my very own surgical patient when she opened her eyes, but I was feeling like crap. The sandwich and tea had not proven to be of much help. I still ...