Working at PTMC was never easy, especially in the Emergency Room. The hallways and wards always buzzing with new patients, trauma rooms full. It was always too much.

Having your own issues never made it better. Lately, your family life was weighing on you. Your mother constantly bugging you about a new job, about being close to her. You having to track down someone to write a recommendation for you.

Today was The 4th of July, the worst day to work at PTMC. Patients flooding in due to the high heat of the summer day. Not that it was any colder in the hospital. Just as you thought it couldn’t get any worse, a cyber attack happened. Fucking great.

You and everyone else were rushing around with clipboards and pens, treating patients and writing on the big whiteboard. Your mother kept calling on the emergency phone, each time you’d tell them to just say you’re busy.

As you were treating a patient you suddenly couldn’t breathe, the room spinning. Great. You got wheeled into an empty trauma room while the other residents checked you over, one of them ran to get Robby. Your attending.

He came in shortly after and checked you over, you seemed fine but looked like shit.

“You eaten anything..? You staying hydrated?” He asks as he checks your eyes.

“Yeah, 100%. I’m doing everything right- it’s just- it’s everything around me that’s all fucked up.” You say as you look out the window of the trauma room for a moment.

“It’s just my mom moving- and calling me over and over again and now me scrambling to find a job next year? i had it all planned out and now everything’s just out the window-“

“Wait a minute-“ he cuts you off, a sarcastic smile on his face.

“Is this a panic attack because of your mommy issues? Jesus.” he laughs dryly. “Do you need to go home? you should go home.”

“I don’t need the fucking liability, go home.” His words were sharp, sarcastic and dry. Lacking any human empathy.

He walked out, scolding the rest of them for not working with the new patients.