Coffee Shop Prices vs. Night Shift Wages

stopped at the fancy coffee shop after night shift. latte six dollars. my hourly after tax makes math depressing. nurse with crochet bag and hospital badge. barista upgraded me free. small kindness. system still broken. handoff report ran long because every patient is three stories compressed into acronyms. my replacement looked fresh and i hated her a little and apologized in my head. driving home the sun was wrong for how tired i felt. shower, sleep, repeat. the job is love and triage in the same gloves. the break room clock lied about how long thirty minutes lasts. i ate standing up and answered a page before i finished chewing. a float nurse asked where supplies live and i drew a map on a napkin that looked like a treasure hunt. we laughed because otherwise you scream. the shift ends eventually. the body keeps score longer.

I stopped at the fancy coffee shop after night shift. Latte: six dollars. My hourly rate after tax makes the math depressing.

Nurse with crochet bag and hospital badge. The barista upgraded me free. Small kindness. System still broken.

We talk about healthcare heroes then price coffee like a luxury tax on consciousness.

I crochet to stay human on breaks. I drink coffee to finish charts. Both cost money the hospital will not cover.

I do not need a moral. I need an honest next step. Sometimes that is rest. Sometimes it is showing up again before you feel ready.

The story continues in the body after the words stop. Shoulders lower, or they do not. Tomorrow arrives with its own list. I am still here, which is not nothing.

I do not need a moral. I need an honest next step. Sometimes that is rest. Sometimes it is showing up again before you feel ready.

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