A beep and a clack, the double doors groan back
Outwards they swing as the trauma rolls in to bay three
Green-clad staff like soldiers standing by at the ready
Blue-gloved and armed with supplies a-plenty
Wires and tubes and needles gleaming
And mathematician machines that blink numerous numbers on screens
Then controlled chaos erupts in a flurry
Efficiently assessing to prevent a coding
Airway, breathing, and circulation are the staples of knowing
It’s a complicated dance that’s been well rehearsed
One that I have yet to be well-versed
Stumbling back and forth, weaving in and out, my own awkward sway
My attempts to jump in on the fray, and also stay out of the way
Ah, to the operating room we go, for we must know
What that silver blazing streak hit, and what was a near miss
The stage is set, the lights lifted, the instruments lined up like flowers to be picked
And the surgeon begins conducting a ballad with which I have more familiarity
Hold this, cut that, short here and long there
Hands dancing to a melody that I’m coming to enjoy dearly
A final stitch is thrown, the drapes are dropped away, the hero of this odyssey is rolled safely back to recovery
Retracing my steps through the hallways, past the big window that stands sentinel by the doorway
I can only pause in awe as the sun rises above a twinkling city, splashing the sky in streaks of lilac, tangerine, and a shade just shy of burgundy
And my reflection faintly blinking back at me, smiling at this gift of a new morning
Kathleen LeFiles is a medical student from the Class of 2026 at The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix. She graduated in 2020 from The University of Arizona in Tucson with a degree in Physiology and a minor in Care, Health, and Society. When she's not studying or writing, Kathleen enjoys practicing Pilates and yoga, frequenting local coffee shops, and listening to pop music. Feel free to contact her @kathleenlefiles on Instagram or email at klefiles@arizona.edu.