The morning was crisp and still dark as I sat in my car in the hospital lot, summoning the will to open the door and leave for my shift in the emergency department.
Like many frontline providers in early 2021, I felt pancaked by the two pandemic surges — emotionally and morally. Not getting out of the car wasn’t an option. Responsibility to others demanded I get moving. My overnight colleagues were ready to jump into their beds and waiting patients expected to see a doctor.