Chapter 5

The rays of the sun seep through the space of Meredith’s curtains, the brightness of it awakening her from her slumber. She sits up, her blanket ruffled in between her thighs. She stands up to open the curtains, her face to the mirror as if she gains satisfaction from the brightness of it all. 

She doesn’t remember the last time she enjoyed the simple pleasure of observing the sunset. Residency lifestyle has blurred time into indistinguishable chunks of activities: her time isn’t measured in hours but in activities — driving to the hospital, performing ward rounds, doing her paper works, attending surgeries and seminars, etc. 

The warmth of the sun on her face reminds her of her time living isolated with her mom in the forest. She would often get up earlier than her mom, run into the woods, sit up there, and mimic the sounds of birds chirping, squirrels squeaking, and, on nights when the moon was full, wolves. 

Meredith’s encounters with the outside