My husband is in bed and it’s only afternoon.

He is sick

Coughing with a heavy dose of malaise

He got up late and

Shuffled around the house

Looking forlorn

In his underpants and socks

Nobody is as miserable as my husband

When he is sick

When he coughs his body shudders

He blows his nose to wake the dead

In bed he turns and tosses, snores for five minutes

Then wheezes

Dozes restlessly.

When I sit on the edge of the bed

To see how he is doing

He smiles courageously up at me and says

Someday I will feel better

I know, I assure him.