**Chapter Seven: Life and Loss**
I'm busting my chops here, almost as hard as lugging those heavy road cases back in the day. There's barely a moment to catch my breath, but I know that trash run is coming up soon. That's when I can finally sneak a few minutes for my vape, getting that nicotine hit that keeps me going. Funny how it's become my little escape from this chaotic grind.
As I navigate this hospital labyrinth, I keep overhearing more of those doc conversations, in the cafe and the elevator. They keep on talking, and it's clear they're using some high-tech treatments. But you know, for all the god-like drugs and techniques they use, not everyone makes it.
Shane, the storeman, pulls back the sheet one day. There she is, the lady I saw looking for her five cents. For all the miracles of medicine, she's gone.
It's a reality check. These treatments, chemotherapy, radiation, and palliative care – I'm starting to learn about them. Chemo involves these powerful drugs, radiation zaps the bad stuff, and palliative care focuses on making patients comfortable.
But despite all the fancy terms, sometimes, it just doesn't work out. Shane breaks down the doctor-speak for me, and it hits home. The medical world is a strange mix of hope and heartache.
And to think, I'm grinding it out for a measly 27 bucks an hour, even though I'm working my tail off. But hey, the Chinese chef from Hong Kong told me he'd load up my plate today, so I'm getting my money's worth. I even swiped a Coke from that box on the trolley by the elevator while I did my garbage run. Old "Cha-Ching" Najjar, the owner, can't see me from where I am. I'm on the far side of the kitchen, a world away from his gaze.
This chapter's got personality, my personality. Let me know what you think, and we'll keep this train rolling.