After various machines tested this and that (oxygen at 99%), a swab for strep (negative), and a listen to my lungs (clear), the doc said, “You’ve got a virus with a cough.”
“You mean, a cold,” I said.
“A cold,”she said.
“But why am I so sick?”
“You’re not that sick.”
I burst out laughing, and then so did she. She apologized—“I know you feel bad, but your lungs and everything are good. And you biked here…”
“No, no,” I said, “I’m relieved—and you just gave me some perspective.”
But damn, a cold can run you down.
