I took Good Friday and Easter Monday off thinking I would catch up on some work.
Thursday evening a virus caught up with me instead. My throat as rough as coarse grit sandpaper.
My husband offered to make me a light brew, something that would go down easily, was I interested?
I sat on the sofa. Listened to the clinking of pans; the sharp sound of glass bottles being moved. I tried not to swallow, and saliva pooled in my mouth. I swallowed, felt the burn, and settled my head back on the pillows.
Luckily, I wasn’t going to work the next day. My lips felt chapped – I knew the sore throat came with a fever.
My husband came in holding a hot mug.
“Drink this.”
Brandy, honey, and lemon slid down. At once astringent and soothing.
“Mmm. Gggd.”
He smiled and handed me the TV remote.
“Didn’t you start a new series?”
I had started watching a K-drama. I kept the warm mug in between my hands until I finished the precious liquid. My head heavy with fever, my eyes glassy, I read the subtitles until my husband came in to say goodnight.
“Episode Three – good job - Are you sleeping down here tonight?”
I croaked back that it would be safer for his health and let my head sink into the pillows. My husband covered me with blankets and one of our dogs snuggled by my feet and the other curled up with her back to the top of my head. We slept.
The next day my throat was still raw, so my husband made me three doses, left them on the kitchen stove, and then left to grocery shop. I stumbled into the kitchen, joints aching, throat on fire. I warmed up the mug and drank to soothe. I went back in the TV room and continued watching my series, now firmly entrenched in the drama.
My husband came to check on me.
“Your face is all red. Did you drink all of that at once?”
I nodded yes.
“Oh boy….”
By Easter Sunday my stupor was such that I didn’t know if I was sick, drunk, or hungover. I do know that my throat felt great, and after finishing sixteen hours of my TV series, I’d swear I could converse in Korean.