After Matthew withdrew from the studio, Caleb completed the rest of the rights transfer on his behalf.
I didn't ask about Matthew again.
The hospital called me in for a final assessment a month later.
The doctor raised the test concentration to its highest level, but I still couldn't detect anything. The alcohol no longer stung, and the mint no longer felt cool. The graph on the monitor remained flat.
"The left olfactory nerve has stopped responding too."
"Is there any chance it will recover?"
The doctor was silent for several seconds.
"With this degree of damage, recovery is unlikely."
I folded the report and put it in my bag.
When I left the examination room, Matthew was sitting at the far end of the hall.
He was much thinner than the last time I had seen him. His sleeves were
