All the stress from the past month of devastation came pouring back with one night of sweat and anxiety. The steam of the shower rushed over his body and Nick could feel the panic welling up from his gut. It started as a tingle, a vine of ivy snaking around his intestines before winding tightly around his stomach. The fear doubled him to his knees as the shampoo stung his eyes. When the threads of the attack reached his lungs, he gasped for breath, then coughed as he inhaled water and soap. Tears streamed down his face, his eyes burning. He turned the taps off as he crouched in this standing shower, head pressed against the hard plastic where black mildew had formed. Suds ran between his shaking fingers as he closed his eyes.
Flashes came at him quick in the darkness.
Bernard’s face expl
