#Chapter 68 Keeping Distance

Ember I wake nauseous again. I try to breathe through it but it’s worse than yesterday. I barely finish dressing before I’m rushing to the bathroom, one hand braced against the wall as the wave crashes over me. My stomach clenches, even though it's empty. I lean over the sink, breathing through my nose as I wait for the twisting feeling to subside. I breath through it only to be met by the smell of breakfast wafting in from the hall when I return to the main area of my room. The smell turns my stomach all over again. I sit on the floor and close my eyes until the feeling starts to fade. This has become routine. Wake up, be sick, pretend it’s not happening. The banquet is only days away now. I promised myself that if I was still sick by then, I’d go to the healer. I already feel the urge to go back on that promise. The last thing I need is a diagnosis that forces me to step down from my duties. I can't afford time off when there is so much swirling around in my head. Work