Brooke Jennett

The last few nurses we've hired have all flaked on me, Jim said with an exhausted sigh.

Please tell me you don't plan on flaking.

I stood in the foyer of the tiny ranch-style house and listened to him talk.

He looked tired.

The bags under his eyes had bags under their eyes.

When I arrived at the ranch, Jim was dressed in a pair of well-worn Wranglers, a fading red plaid button-up, and a form-fitting cowboy hat.

He was still dusty from the day's work.

His boots were caked in dried mud.

I don't plan on flaking, I said.

Swear on my life.

I moved from Colorado to work here.

I'm not planning on going anywhere in the immediate future.

He turned to where his mom was sitting.

It may sound cruel, but what a lot of people don't understand is that dealing with someone in an extreme medical condition, day in and day out, it can numb you.

It wears you down.

Gallows humor exists because working in the gallows really sucks.

Every moment of your day is spent worrying and caring about someone else.

Some people can handle it, and some can't.

It doesn't make you weak if you can't.

It makes you human.