Candles and Chemicals

You get used to the smell of chemicals pretty quickly when it’s the only thing to fill your nostrils with. There were two candles lit, perhaps in an effort to make the atmosphere more romantic, but neither the mahogany nor the vanilla scents made any impact on the stench emanating from the trays, the tools, and the still-running sinks. We wore goggles, latex-free blue rubbery gloves and clear plastic aprons over our nice clothes. A fool, I hadn’t anticipated a dissection so I had worn a skirt and sandals, which I never do, but which meant I couldn’t handle any scissors or scalpels. Lab procedure is always important…