I had to be up at six on Monday to start my regular shifts in town.

I put the car back in drive and pulled onto the empty highway.

The steering wheel felt thick and cold against my aching palms.

I flexed my fingers one at a time, feeling the stiff joints pop in the quiet car.

The Hastings clinic booked patients back to back, and scraping calculus off teeth for nine straight hours left my wrists burning.

Every Saturday shift meant another deposit into our new savings account.