“ Thanks for the drops, Dan. Don’t forget us at allergy season. ”

Ear Drops. For loosening compacted wax and relieving clogged sensations.

Daniel sat up slowly. His head felt light. His ear was warm but clear. He turned to Claire.

A sigh, bubbling and echolalic. “ We’re the community. The residents. The tiny civilization living in your eustachian mucus. ”

But Geri was not done. “ Listen, since you’re finally medicating, let me give you the tour. Your left ear? That’s where we keep the backup wax. It’s fine. But your right ear—the one you just dropped into—that’s the industrial district. We’ve got a pressure buildup behind your eardrum that could launch a small seed. ”

Not the sound of the world coming back into focus. No. He heard a voice. Small, wet, and irritated.

Daniel felt a sharp pop . Then a slow, wet draining sensation. The muffled world suddenly snapped into high fidelity. He could hear the refrigerator humming. He could hear Claire’s phone tapping. He could even hear the neighbor’s dog yawning two apartments away.