SixteenThe light, despite his eyes squeezed shut, felt as if it were burning right through into his brain. A pain like a clamp squeezing against his skull. He tried to turn away, but tightly tucked-in bed sheets prevented him from moving freely. Grunting, he managed to pull out an arm and moved his head to the side. Something cool and comforting rested on his forehead. He blinked. From the corner of his eye he saw her. A nurse, friendly face beaming.
“How are you feeling?”
His head was being pounded by a pair of mallets, crashing against each temple. His right foot screamed with pain and behind his eyes was a thick fog, dense as kapok. “Awful,” he managed, trying to moisten his dried lips with the tip of his tongue.
She smoothed some hair away from his eyes. “A carriage hit you and you
