Kari satte seg ned ved et ledig bord i sykehusets kafeteria.

Kari sat down at an empty table in the hospital cafeteria.

Hun pustet ut og lot spenningen i skuldrene slippe litt tak.

She exhaled and let the tension in her shoulders ease a little.

Kafeteriaen var alltid fylt med folk.

The cafeteria was always filled with people.

Lyden av brett som klirret og samtaler som summet blandet seg med lukten av fersk mat og den velkjente antiseptiske duften fra gangene.

The sound of trays clattering and conversations buzzing mixed with the aroma of fresh food and the familiar antiseptic scent from the corridors.

Utenfor viste høstløvet seg i vakre røde og oransje toner, som vinden lekte med.

Outside, the autumn leaves displayed beautiful red and orange hues, played with by the wind.

Det var lunsjskift, og Kari var vanligvis aldri her på denne tiden.

It was the lunch shift, and Kari was usually never here at this time.

Hun var sykepleier og brukte dagene på å ta vare på andre.

She was a nurse and spent her days caring for others.

Det siste halve året hadde vært krevende på grunn av bemanningsmangel.

The last six months had been demanding due to staff shortages.

Kari kjente seg overveldet av alle oppgavene hun hadde i løpet av en dag.

Kari felt overwhelmed by all the tasks she had in a day.

Hun ville så gjerne gi pasientene alt de trengte, gjøre dagen deres litt lysere, men det var blitt vanskeligere.

She wanted so much to give the patients everything they needed, to make their day a little brighter, but it had become more difficult.

I dag hadde hun bestemt seg for å ta en liten pause.

Today, she had decided to take a short break.

Bare noen få minutter for seg selv.

Just a few minutes for herself.

Hun visste at det kunne bety at hun ble hengende etter med oppgavene, men det føltes nødvendig, likevel.

She knew it could mean she would fall behind on her tasks, but it felt necessary nonetheless.

Idet hun satt der, kom en liten gutt bort til henne.

As she sat there, a little boy approached her.

Det var Jørgen, en ung pasient hun hadde hjulpet de siste ukene.

It was Jørgen, a young patient she had helped in the past few weeks.

"Kari!

"Kari!"

" sa han med et stort smil.

he said with a big smile.

"Jeg har laget noe til deg.

"I made something for you."

"Han rakte henne en tegning.

He handed her a drawing.

Den var fargerik, med Kari som sto midt blant smilende figurer.

It was colorful, with Kari standing among smiling figures.

I hjørnet av tegningen sto ordene: "Takk, Kari!

In the corner of the drawing, the words read: "Thanks, Kari!

Du gjør meg glad.

You make me happy."

"Kari kjente en klump i halsen og et smil spredde seg over ansiktet.

Kari felt a lump in her throat, and a smile spread across her face.

Jørgens gest minnet henne på hvorfor hun var her, hvorfor hun fortsatte å jobbe selv gjennom vanskelige dager.

Jørgen's gesture reminded her why she was here, why she continued to work even through tough days.

Hun følte seg plutselig lettere, som om all stresset hadde en mening.

She suddenly felt lighter, as if all the stress had a meaning.

"Så fin tegning, Jørgen!

"What a beautiful drawing, Jørgen!"

" sa hun.

she said.

"Tusen takk.

"Thank you so much.

Den betyr mye for meg.

It means a lot to me."

"Jørgen smilte bredt før han løp tilbake til moren som ventet ved kafeteriadøren.

Jørgen smiled broadly before running back to his mother who was waiting by the cafeteria door.

Kari så ut av vinduet igjen.

Kari looked out the window again.

Løvet virvlet fortsatt i vinden, men hun følte seg roligere nå.

The leaves still swirled in the wind, but she felt calmer now.

Med Jørgens tegning i hånden, reiste hun seg for å vende tilbake til avdelingen.

With Jørgen's drawing in hand, she got up to return to the ward.

Hun visste at dagen kom til å være travel, men hjertet var lettere.

She knew the day would be busy, but her heart was lighter.

Hver eneste pasient betydde noe, og hun hadde kraften til å gjøre en forskjell.

Every single patient mattered, and she had the power to make a difference.

Med fornyet mot gikk Kari tilbake til sine oppgaver.

With renewed courage, Kari went back to her tasks.

Hun skjønte at selv små handlinger kunne ha stor betydning og at hun, til tross for utfordringene, fortsatt kunne bringe lys til de som trengte det mest.

She realized that even small actions could have great significance and that she, despite the challenges, could still bring light to those who needed it most.