Chapter 22

 

Nathan was always stiff and sore in the mornings. Some symptoms showed more than others. That day fell into the latter category. He literally rolled out of bed, and the limp in his leg was very pronounced.

A few hours later, he popped more pills into his mouth, his hands moving to his temples, rubbing them in a counterclockwise motion.

By two in the afternoon, he was on the third set of pain pills to numb the aches and migraine that plagued him. He had woken with a headache, and it increased as the day wore on. The medicine didn’t seem to help, and he skipped lunch, opting to lie down in a dark, empty office.

He stood and continued to limp, heading to the break room. It was so bad that he was unable to walk it off.

Throughout the day, I observed him as he wiggled in his chair and readjusted himself in an attempt to find a comfortable position. He’d give up, sighing in defeat, and settled for whatever position he found to be the most tolerable.

It was easy to forget about h