With accustomed nonchalance,
she reaches out
for those distinct pieces of metal
that fit into her inner ear
like airpods,
like airpods that
transport her to another world
where the background dissolves
into predictable thumps
at regular intervals.
She picks them up again
as she visits the man
in the next ward
wondering what rhythmic beats
her spotify playlist will doctor
this time
She stands there reading
his chart
when her trained ears
find an occasional
murmur
an arrhythmia
that actually makes
her clutch on to
the rest of her stethoscope
and unhook the earpieces
as she clasps
his terrified hands
into hers
to assure him
that the music in his life
will play on
Word prompt: Doctor
