The fear was constant.
When an X-ray revealed that the
elderly woman we had resuscitated
without wearing masks had COVID.
When my PPE breached.
When I saw the elderly die alone,
with no staff to spare to sit with them.
When I saw a giant stack of yellow
COVID hazard mortuary stickers
waiting to be applied to the body bags.
After every exposure, unvaccinated,
I spent two weeks waiting for symptoms.
Unable to sleep.