“Where am I?” I wonder aloud. A large bedroom appears before me. I have never seen anything like this before—wait, maybe it was in an ad. The decoration is minimal and everything is incredibly neat and tidy. Even the books seem to be organized both by size and author last name. There is a large bed with fluffy pillows in the center. It seems very relaxing…

“Wait! I can’t.” I have to get back to work. I need to figure out the calendar—I cannot stop until we get this new client taken care of. The other employees are helpless; they cannot manage for long without me. I need to make sure everything is running smoothly. I need…

“Monica!”

I jump. I’m back at work, but something’s off. My mouth has been open and I may have been drooling? Was I asleep? Oh, God.

“Monica, you have to go home and get some rest. You’re falling apart.”

I turn to see my coworker towering over my desk.“What? No, I have to get this schedule done—“

He reaches over and clicks my computer off.

“Evan!” I scold. My heartbeat speeds up. “This company’s gonna fall apart! I have to do everything I can to keep things running smoothly while this—“

“Monica,” he says, emphasizing each syllable. “You’re working so hard that you’re falling apart. When’s the last time you’ve slept?”

I thought. “I don’t know, maybe Tuesday?” He sighs. “But I can’t sleep! Not when people need me—“

“You falling apart isn’t helping anyone,” he says sternly, then his tone softens. “I know you thrive on being needed, but I promise you we’ve got this. You don’t need to worry. Please just go home and take care of yourself.”

I’m not sure. I don’t want to go home. I can’t relax when I know everything could break apart while I’m away. I know I work a lot, but someone needs to keep this company together.

“Please,” Evan begs. “You look terrible.” I give him a look. “You know what I mean. You’re not healthy, and frankly, you’re making a lot of people worry about you. Look, it’s not weak to take a break when you need one. Please, just go home.“

I sigh, considering. A nap does sound nice. “Alright,” I say. “You’re sure you guys can handle it without me?”

Evan nods, sincere. “Positive. Now, please go home and take care of yourself.”