CHECKMATE, DARLING
the doctor asked softly.
Daniel gritted his teeth, sweat rolling down his forehead, his jaw muscles bulging with effort. His fingers twitched slightly, but they remained locked in a half-bent, claw-like posture. He couldn't close his hand. He couldn't open his palm.
The doctor let out a long sigh, setting his instruments down on a stainless steel tray. "The nerve sheath in the lower brachial plexus is severely inflamed. The high-stress adrenaline spike you experienced, combined with repetitive micro-trauma from blitz chess, has triggered an acute neuro-ischemic spasm."