The Continuous Suture

My attending watched my hands shake over the laceration. “Breathe,” she said softly, guiding my uncertain fingers through the first throw.

Years later, an intern trembled beside me and I heard my mentor’s voice in mine. “Breathe,” I said, steadying his hands. The knot held. He smiled.

Family medicine is just one steady voice, handed gently down through the generations.

60-Word Stories are a special type of narrative, each exactly 60 words in length, that are being published in celebration of STFM's 60th Anniversary in 2027. These stories will appear in every issue throughout 2027. Read more about this special article type on the journal’s home page.