Loneliness During Shifts

I've been working as a doctor now for almost five years, and I'm okay with being single. But sometimes, when the hospital is quiet at night and there's no one around, the loneliness hits hard. There was this one evening shift where a patient was in but resting. I sat in my office for hours, staring at the clock, feeling so alone. My mind wandered to old flings, fantasies of someone understanding me, even if it was just in passing conversation. It felt wrong and right at the same time, longing for connection when all around is silence and sterility. That night, I closed up my office with a heavy heart, knowing there's no easy way out.