On Tuesday morning, the hospital clock flicks to 7:05 a.m. as Carla punches out. The badge reader beeps, a crisp note marking the end of her night shift. She exhales, letting the stillness of the empty corridors sink in. Only a janitor's mop squeaks rhythmically along the tile, and the faint antiseptic smell lingers in the air.
"Finally," Carla mutters under her breath, rolling her shoulders.
A fellow nurse, Lúcia, emerges from a side corridor, yawning. "You survived the night?"
Carla smirks. "Barely. Post-op monitoring had me running around like a headless chicken."
Lúcia laughs. "At least you didn't get stuck in the ER this time. That place is chaos before the morning shift."
Carla shakes her head, heading toward the locker room. "Trust me, I don't plan to. One night in the ER is enough to ruin any amount of sleep I've managed."
