It was a chilly day in Southern Boston when Dr. Nigel Townsend and Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh walked into the morgue in which they called work. Dr. Garrett Macy was already in the office, going through the day's paperwork. He had already started brewing a fresh pot of coffee when Nigel and Jordan walked in. As soon as Nigel's foot was across the threshold, he had to bolt for the communal bathroom in the reception area. In his hurry, he hadn't locked the door, and as Lily Lebowski and Dr. Bug were coming in, they heard him retching. Not long after he had nearly run them over, Jordan walked over. "Hey. Did you see Nigel…?" "Yeah, we did. What's wrong with him?" "I don't know. Let's find out." "Maybe it would be better if only one of us went in. Like you, Lily. He really likes you." "Oh, I can't deal with vomiting like that. Why doesn't Bug go in? He works closest with Nigel." "Okay. I'll go in." He walked in, and left the two standing with their ears pressed up against the door.
Bug slipped inside the door and softly closed it behind him. He could hear Nigel whimpering from around the corner, and shortly after he whimpered, there was the unmistakable sound of heaving. Bug walked over to where Nigel was kneeling, slumped over the toilet, sobbing quietly into his elbow, and put his hand on Nigel's shoulder. He looked up, and Bug could see the pain in his eyes. He went to the sink, wet a paper towel, and gently sponged Nigel's face with it. Not long after he had begun to sponge Nigel's face, he had to face the toilet again to relieve his stomach. When Nigel was sure that he had emptied all of his stomach contents into the toilet, he flushed, put his head on his arm, and started to quietly sob again. Bug handed him another damp paper towel, and he sponged out his mouth. "Nige, why do you think you vomited so much?" "I don't know. I have been for a week. And I can't seem to stay awake. I sleep all the time, and my belly feels firmer than before for some reason. Here, give me your hand." Nigel grabbed his hand, and he positioned it over his belly down near his waist. Bug gently palpated, and it was indeed firm instead of soft as it normally would be. Bug looked up at him, and Nigel shrugged.