she lilts her head forward and sprawls her limbs onto the steel-black wheelchair
"i've been gaining 3 pounds of fluid a day. i'm just so sick"

i look at her orbits her legs and poke. no holes.
"where does the fluid go?"

"everywhere"

"but it's nowhere"

"it's there i can feel it"

"you don't need the water pills. you have no swelling"

"oh yes i do. what about the weight gains????"

attending and i have one bubble of thought diffusing into the unventilated room.
"maam, forget the water pills. it's liposuction that you need."