Sniffles in her ear, a shaking warmth.
"You're safe now. It's all over."
He chokes and shudders against her. New tears soak her neck.
"It's OK, babe."
A motorcycle roars by outside. The phone rings six times.
He gets heavy all at once. "Come to bed." She coaxes him toward the stairs, rubs his side.
He nudges her, pulls free and sneezes desperately into the wall. He sighs, then swipes the paint with one sleeve and his red, gooey face with the other. The cough sounds bad.
"Sweetie, c'mere."
Despite the yogic breathing he's up until Wednesday.
Then he's down.