“Just my ear,” he said, his voice sounding distant and strange to himself, like a recording played in another room.
Touchdown. The jolt sent a lance of pure, startling pain from his ear down his neck. He gasped. The woman next to him looked alarmed. “You sure you’re okay?” blocked ears from flying
He nodded, eyes watering. The plane decelerated, and with the change in speed, a tiny, wet pop occurred deep inside his head. It was not a relief. It was the sound of a small, internal dam breaking. The muffled world snapped back into sharp, painful focus. The engine roar was now deafening. A baby’s cry three rows back was a spike in his skull. His own heartbeat thrummed loudly in his right ear, a bass drum played just for him. “Just my ear,” he said, his voice sounding