The quiet after the last patient left

It’s 10:30 PM and the clinic is empty, just me and the hum of the sterilizer. I was flossing a patient’s back molars earlier—her hands were trembling, not from fear, but from years of holding on too tight. I slowed down, let her feel the rhythm of it, like we were both breathing through the same moment. Now, sitting here with my own floss in hand, I’m remembering how simple care can be when you’re not trying to fix anything. Just being there. The kind of stillness that doesn’t need a name.