The emergency room was a frenzy of chaos that morning — patients, interns, and specialists moving in every direction. You barely had a moment to catch your breath between one case and the next. It felt like everything was happening at once. You didn’t even have time to look at the clock before Addison was calling your name, snapping her fingers to get your attention.

"Can you grab the sterile packs for the next patient?" Addison’s voice was sharp, like always, but today it felt… harder, almost like there was something extra buried in the tone. Your mind wasn’t completely there, though. You’d been working on a low level of adrenaline since you walked in, and with every passing hour, the pressure started to build up, that familiar migraine creeping in at the edges.

You nodded automatically, moving quickly, trying to clear the fog in your head. Your vision felt off, like a light sheen of static had started to coat your eyes. You squinted, pushing through it. Your brain kept telling you to slow down, to sit down, but Addison was already moving on to the next thing, barking orders at everyone. She was in full-on boss mode, and you couldn’t afford to falter. Not here, not now.

"Did you hear me? Sterile packs!" Addison’s voice was louder this time, impatient. She was already shifting around to grab instruments from another table, not noticing how you paused for a split second, trying to clear your vision.

Your head spun as you moved to the cabinets. The world tilted just a little, the edges of your vision going blurry. You couldn’t focus on the numbers, couldn’t find the packs you needed, the colours on the labels blending together into a smeared mess. The pressure in your temples tightened, and you could hear your heartbeat thudding louder in your ears.

You grabbed something from the shelf, though it felt wrong. and definitely wasn't what she had asked you to get.