Oh. I'm trapped in my sleep again.
My retro desk clock says 5:30 AM.
I need to get out of bed, go to the bathroom, and have the same boring cereal again. Ugh.
I switch off the night lamp and roll up the blinds so sunlight can spill in.
I make my bed, grab my black-striped long-sleeve shirt and trousers, and take a cold shower to wake up. I need to prepare my mind for today's surgical rotation at the hospital next to the university. They're basically attached.
Yesterday, my friends and I went back to the anatomy lab to get ready for this rotation.
But today won't be the first day we get thrown into the operating field. Today is orientation. We'll meet the operative team. Surgeons, residents, nurses. Maybe even the anesthetics staff. We'll get used to the place before anything else.
"Argh," I grunted. Meeting so many new people is never my favorite thing.
After my shower, I pour three Weet-Bix into my bowl and add the last of my cold milk. I sigh. "Oh, not now. I still need to do my weekly grocery run."
The clock shows 6:31 AM. Perfect. I'm ready. Living on campus means I don't need to rush.
I put on my sneakers, close the door to my studio apartment, and step outside. Off I go.
I arrive at 6:55 AM at the hospital and take the elevator up to Level 5. A nurse stands inside, ready to start her rounds.
When I step out, the smell of alcohol disinfectant hits my nose. Typical hospital scent.
Then I see Luna. She's already in her blue scrubs. The hospital provides clean scrubs (shirt and pants) for students. These are non-sterile and are meant to be worn before scrubbing in.
"Hey, Luna. How's it going? Do you know where the changing room is?" I ask.
"Ah, yeah. It's the black door over there with the 'Staff Only' label. See it? Change fast. We'll be introduced to the surgical team in ten minutes. I'll be waiting here," she says, eyes scanning the hallway.
"Great. I'll be back soon," I say.
She's such a dedicated chief. Organizing schedules and orientation for this rotation. There are nine of us, but Luna is the closest to me. We've known each other since we were babies. Yeah, we lived in the same neighborhood, and Luna's mom went to the same high school as my mom.
And we finally meet the surgical team. We go through orientation and answer the usual routine questions about clerking, procedures, and hospital workflow.
I look at my phone. Almost 12:00 PM. I cheer in my head. Lunch break is here.
I nudge Luna with my elbow while she asks the nurse about a surgical instrument. I think it was Metzenbaum scissors, used for delicate tissue.
"What now, Ms. Introvert?" she asks.
"Come on, it's almost lunchtime. Stop asking questions. You already know, Ms. Brilliant," I reply, snorting.
And yeah, I've just saved this entire group from starving in this freezing room.
Luna and I head to the canteen together after deciding to separate from the others. They went outside the hospital for lunch. We all agree to meet back on this floor at 1:30 PM.
Ofcourse after we all change our scrub into our regular clothes.
"What after this?" I ask, nudging her again.
"Dr. Andrew will perform an appendectomy at 2:15 PM, so we might as well watch that. I've already informed the operative team," she says, in her usual detailed way.
I walk lazily, dragging my feet toward the elevator to the canteen on the first floor of the building.
The place is packed, nurses and doctors everywhere, maybe a resident or two. It feels so dense, so many people in one spot, and I don't like it.
My eyes scan for an empty table, immediately hovering over one to save it while Luna runs to the service counter to order her lunch.
I sit down, letting my shoulders drop, and reach into my right trouser pocket for my phone.
I open the inbox, looking for the weird text I got yesterday, as if part of me doesn't know it was just a dream. I feel uneasy. The text isn't there, of course it isn't.
My mind feels crowded. Maybe it's from still being overstimulated by the way my parents yell at each other at home, or maybe it's the sound of my twin brothers fighting over the remote-controlled car Grandpa bought them. Brothers eighteen years younger than me, like how can my parents still be having babies and still keep yelling at each other?
My thoughts wander until Luna finally comes back with her steaming pasta with tomato and basil and a carton of milk.
"Why are you daydreaming, Em? You look like a hopeless girl from afar. Go get your lunch, you'll need some energy to stand in the OR after this," she says.
"No haha, I was just thinking about what food to order. My stomach keeps growling, need to feed it," I reply, lying, or more like avoiding the topic.
I stand and head to the service counter to finally get my spaghetti bolognese and a carton of orange juice.
As hungry as we are, we eat quickly, almost without talking, even though we both know you need to chew your food until it's soft and almost liquid in your mouth for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
"Oh, it's almost 1:30. I've got thirty extra minutes to run to the ATM. I'm out of cash, let's go," Luna says hurriedly, drinking her milk.
I gulp the half-empty orange juice and stand up. "Whoa, whoa, relax, girl. It's not like the ATM is out of town," I joke, carrying the food tray to the sorting bins and smirking at her.
She just rolls her eyes. "Yeah, Em. So funny."
After leaving the canteen, we walk separately. Luna heads straight to the entrance gate where the ATM is located, calling over her shoulder, "See ya upstairs."
I walk to the elevator. Just me, thank god. I press the button for level five and still have quite some time. When the elevator doors open, I turn right toward the changing room to take a power nap.
I open the door to the bright white room, about forty square meters, large enough to handle a busy OR team.
Multiple lockers line the walls, benches for changing, and clear walking space so staff don't bump into each other. Perfect for napping.
"Okay, just as expected, no one here," I say nonchalantly. People are still out there for lunch.
I sit down and lean against the cold silver locker, shut my eyes and…