He gave up on music and retreated to the couch, clutching a hot water bottle against the side of his face. The heat helped, loosening the invisible knot of pressure behind his jaw, but the door remained locked.
He listened to the rain tapping against the kitchen window. It wasn't a muffled thud anymore; it was a complex symphony of individual droplets hitting the glass, a sound with texture and space. ear blocked from cold
Dealing with an ear blocked from a cold is a common and frustrating symptom of upper respiratory infections. This sensation, often described as "fullness" or "muffled hearing," occurs when the —small canals connecting the middle ear to the back of the throat—become inflamed or clogged with mucus. He gave up on music and retreated to
Nothing.