SHIVERY AND ABSENT

Turns out I was shivering with more than just the cold. I’m ill.

There’s a uselessness to being ill. It’s free time, but free time you can’t use for anything other than lying in bed with a temperature. After disrobing all my jumpers and shuddering under the duvet, I tried lying ram-rod straight, all my muscles and sinews stretched to maximum, to see if that would quell the shivers.

Before long I realised I wasn’t quite right.

So here I am, drinking pomegranate juice, and thinking about all the things I could be doing, knowing of course that all the things I would be doing, I’m not doing anyway - like work, where presumably my team are having a super productive time, without me there interrupting and asking questions I could easily find the answers to.

I never used to get sick. I had a 100% attendance record at school, which would have come as a surprise to no-one at the time. As an adult though, I seem much more prone to a bug or two most years, and in most jobs. Maybe the world is harsher; maybe I’m old and my immunity is failing. Or maybe I’m just less bothered about being absent.

I emailed in. My boss said what every boss says in this situation: wrap up warm, get some rest, drink plenty of fluids, see you tomorrow.

I’m not really even sure what’s wrong with me. I just feel a bit upside-down and shivery. I might try some toast in a bit.