Chapter 146

Zoey was burning up at home. She’d been sweating profusely, but it brought her little relief. She felt very hot, so she stumbled out of bed and went to take a shower. After changing into a nightgown, she crawled back under the covers, thinking she’d feel better if she stayed cocooned there. She didn’t have any extra energy to get herself to the hospital. She decided that if she still felt terrible after waking up, it wouldn’t be too late to call an ambulance.

Over the years, she’d always endured it this way. She would grit her teeth and only seek help when it became unbearable. Being sick was certainly troubling, but for Zoey, this amount of discomfort was nothing. When she’d been in school and had a part-time job, she’d still go to work even if she had a high fever. She could only rest briefly by laying her head on the convenience store counter in the middle of the night.

Unlike the north, where heavy snowfalls were common, there was little snow in the south. Most winters there were c