Thefeverredudanti-infmmatorymedicationintheIVhaddosjob.Bythetimeshewalkedoutoftheexamroom,theunnaturalflushinhercheekshadfadedbacktoherusualpaleplexioepswerestillittleunsteady,butatleastthefohereyes—thepartofherthatcouldthink—hadfinallyclickedbatopce.
Elianpaidattheterandpickedupthreedays’worthoforalmedication.Hegheclothewall.Thehourhandhadquietlypassedten.
“eouffedthebagofmedieintoCra’sbackpadswungthatridiculouslyheavythingoveroneshoulderagain.“I’llcaltaxiandtakeyoubacktoShilin—aroundthenightmarket.”
Cradidn’tmove.
Shereachedupandherimlessgsses—onesElianhadtakenfromherpocketearlier—batothebridgeofhernose.Hervoicewascalm,butfirm.“I’mnotgoinghome.I’mgoingbaschool.”
Elian’slongstridestoppeddeadaftertwosteps.
Heturnedandstaredatherlikeshewasanalienlifeform,hisbrowknottingagain.“LinChu-Qing（初晴）,didthat39-degreefevercookyourbrain?You*just*gotyourtemperaturedown.Whatyouneedrightnowistolieinbedandsleep—notgobaedamneseliteraturereviewcss!”
“IfIgohomenow,mymomwillinterrogatemeaboutwhereI’vebeenforthestthreehours,andwhyIdon’thavethequizscoreslip.”Cramethisangerhead-on.Hervoicewasstillittlehoarse,butherlogicwasairtight.“ShethinksI’mfaking.IfIgoback,allI’llgetisanendlesslectureaioning.”
Shedrewih,thentihthekindoftheoryascestudenttrustedmost.“Whenthehumanbodyisuremepsychologicalstress,itsecretestoomuchcortisol.Thatseverelysuppressestheimmuem.paredtogoinghometofacemymom,sittinginanair-ditionedlisteningtotheeseliteratureteachergooverproblemsisactuallyakindof*low-stressrest*forme.LesspsychologicalstressmeansI’llrecoverfaster.”
Elianwassoangryatherridiculous“cortisondimmuem”argumentthathealmostughed.
“You’recallinggoingtocramsdtaki‘rest’?”Hegenuinelycouldn’tuandavaluesystemthisedbythecollegeentrancegrind.“Evenifyougobayourdition,howmaionsdoyouthinkyougetright?”
“Ijustobethere.Ijusturnipaper.That’senoughtogivemymomananswer—andit’llmakemefeelsettled.”Cra’sgazedimmedforamoment,thensmoothedbatocalm.
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