Moonspear railroad shelter

Meerkat stretched out in her family’s ulaq with a gentle sigh. Yesterday afternoon, she’d noticed a heavy feeling in her chest. This morning, she’d woken up congested with a sore throat. Everything just felt sort of scratchy.

She reached for a small hunk of dried meat stashed at the back of the den. She was a bit hungry but eating was unpleasant. Meerkat could barely breathe and swallowing was painful. She gave up after a few mouthfuls, pushing the leftovers back into storage.

She let her head drift down to rest on her forelegs, hoping she might feel better after a nap. But Meerkat hadn’t even begun to drowse before a tickle started in her throat. She raised her head, angling it toward her shoulder as she coughed.

Oof, Meerkat muttered to herself.

She had a bad feeling this sickness was going to get worse before it got better.