That day, I stayed home.

I didn't have the strength for anything else.

I barely managed to eat a few bites, tasteless, just enough to keep my body from shutting down completely. I slept in short bursts, restless, tangled in hazy, broken dreams. When I woke up, the cold had eased a little. My body felt better, but my mind was still in pieces. Still, I let out a quiet breath of relief. At least I wasn't sick anymore. At least that was something I could control.

Or so I thought.

The next mo