My short story “The Waiting Room” (Spring 2024 Intima or download a pdf ) was inspired by recent legislation that threatens women’s rights and health. In the story, a young couple is troubled by a decision they made to terminate a pregnancy – they are scared of persecution and legal action, but they are also emotionally and spiritually haunted by their choice.

The story ends as they drive away from the reproductive clinic, but it is evident they will think about that afternoon for months, and years, to come.

Can one miss something that was barely there?

In “Indelible” a story by neonatal specialist Jennifer Peterson ((Spring 2024 Intima or download a PDF),, a physician remembers a baby who was alive for just weeks. Though the child was born through C-section, he died shortly after, existing in the world for mere moments. The narrator speaks to the child’s mother, describing her journey with the baby, the emotions that cloud her mind now. While the events that unfold are different from those in “The Waiting Room, “ the emotions of loss and yearning echo in both stories.

Whether alive or not, whether carried to term or not, children and birth inspire such a complicated and difficult set of emotions in, not just the biological parents, but all involved in their care.

As I read Dr. Peterson’s story, I was taken back in time to moments with my own patients, those who lived, and those who died – patients with whom I had spent less than 24 hours with but who still occupy a large part of my mind. Do they know I am thinking of them? That I still mourn their loss? Can I miss someone who was barely a part of my life?

Shruti Koti is a surgical resident physician based in New York City. She earned her BA at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by her MD from Hofstra University. She is passionate about palliative care, narrative medicine, and storytelling. Discover her essays on Brief Op Notes. Her short story, “The Waiting Room” appears in the Spring 2024 Intima.