…

Jennifer picked up the syringe and stopped short. “I can’t do it. I’m shaking too much.”

“Yes, you can. Take a deep breath. Shake your arms loose. Here, let’s do flopsies together.” I stood back from the counter and did a dance with my shoulders and arms and hands. She gingerly laid the syringe on the counter, giggled, and complied.

I turned and peeked out the door to make sure no one was watching. In the hallway, across the half-wall of the station, a nursing administrator was walking by. She briefly glanced our way. I hoped my department chair would not be getting a call about an instructor behaving unprofessionally on the unit.

When Jennifer was all flopsied loose, she carefully followed procedure and withdrew the exact amount of medication. After she flicked out teeny air bubbles, she held the syringe at eye level for me to check. “It’s exactly at the 1cc mark, isn’t it? Flush with the black line?”

…