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Show £36 In late January I got the cough. It hung on for weeks, gradually getting worse. I stayed inside and felt sorry for myself. I went out to get food and came back feeling weak, ccughing badly, feeling feverish. The cough did not go away, the feeling stayed, each cay worse. Needing food again I started out but it hdd rained and frozen on tne streets, on the steps of The Castle, and I slipped and fell heavily on my back. A woman walking past carefully on the sidewalk smiled and said wnoops. I could not smile, speak or hardiy move. I could hardly breathe. I had not broken a bone but the blow of the step across my back had caused those muscles to go rigid. I could barely rise. I crawled p the steps to the door and pulleu byself up on tne knob. Bent over, I hsppx hobbled back down the dark nallway like an old cripple. Tnat hostile girl came out of the john and we passed, her eyes relentlessly curious upon me, she not saying a word. She had never said a word. I managed to get into my room and into bed. A veo.1 \MCSS. That day or the next I had a coughing spell which left me so sore that coughing itself was a fiery pain in my side. I thought it was from the fall. I could not sleep, for every time I coughed the pain awakened me, and I lay there in a stupid daze for twenty-four houss before I could make myself get up and get my pants on. I was going to 6o out and walk down 55th Street to the first doctor's office I rame to, but gettirg my pants on was so difficult and painful and exhausting that once I nad managed it I fell back into bed, shivering violently from a chill. Then back came the fever and I fell into a mild d^lerium. I kept promising myself to get dressed and to a doctor but I don't remember managing to get cut of bed for maybe another twenty-four hours. I could not distinguish my nightmares from v;hat was actually happening, and it itust nave been the next day wn.en my mind grew clear. I knew I was too weak to |
