"You look exhausted. Is there anything I can do to help?"
I'm standing next to Dr. Summers at the entrance of the new hospital. Within a week we've managed to get it up and running, but we've barely had time to breathe as new patients swamp the hospital.
She shakes her head, puts her hand on my arm and pulls me back outside into the fresh air and sunshine. My escort of soldiers is standing with us. Dr. Summers unhooks her mask from her ear and pulls it down, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.
I remain silent, giving her the time she needs to recover.
She opens her eyes and looks at me. I'm worried about the dullness of her gaze, the lines of tiredness in her face that weren't there before, and the slight slump to her shoulders. She is overwhelmed by the illness gripping our city, but she's our first and best line of defense so I have to keep asking more from her, even though I desperately want to send her home to sleep.