Blocked Nose 2021: Unblock A

He looked at Sam’s sleeping face and smiled. He wouldn't wake her. This tiny, nasal victory was his alone. He closed his eyes, listening to the quiet whistle of his own relieved nose, and fell asleep just as the first hint of gray light touched the window.

“Desperate times,” he whispered to the dusty ceiling fan. unblock a blocked nose

He’d tried everything in the last four hours. The neti pot had felt like waterboarding. The spicy ramen had only made his eyes water. Lying on his left side had briefly worked—only for the right side to instantly cement itself shut in revenge. He looked at Sam’s sleeping face and smiled

He shuffled to the bathroom, the old floorboards creaking their sympathy. He grabbed a towel, ran the shower as hot as it would go, and sat on the closed toilet lid, letting the bathroom turn into a steam-filled jungle. He leaned forward, draping the towel over his head and the sink, creating a tiny, humid tent. For ten minutes, he breathed in the warm, wet air. It felt like inhaling a gentle hug. A tiny trickle of moisture appeared in his left nostril. Progress. He closed his eyes, listening to the quiet

At fourteen seconds, nothing. At eighteen seconds, a faint click deep inside his skull. At twenty seconds, he released his thumb and dropped his tongue.