Angel has worked five twelve-hour shifts for the past three weeks so that when her old sorority sisters come to town she’d be able to show them the sights. Day three into their visit, over beers, Angel feels free, untethered from the grind of the ER. Time is elastic. She laughs at nothing in particular. Tries to relay an average moment mid-shift and its spiraling chaos. She can almost taste the rush of energy. “Anyone up for sky-diving?” she asks.

(Photo: Nick Duch)