The pharmacy smelled faintly of disinfectant and quiet judgement.

Gary shuffled up to the counter, prescription in hand, jaw aching just enough to remind him not to get smug. The pharmacist glanced at the paper, nodded, and disappeared into the back.

Gary waited, shifting his weight, scanning the shelves of vitamins he’d never buy and creams he didn’t want to know the purpose of.

When the pharmacist returned, she slid the box across the counter.

“Make sure you take the full course,” she said. “Even if you start to feel better.”

Gary nodded earnestly. “I promise to respect science.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Water. Not alcohol.”

Gary winced. “Define… not.”

She stared at him.

“Right,” Gary said. “Crystal clear.”

Outside, the air felt sharper. Cleaner. Gary turned the box over in his hands, reading the instructions like they were sacred text. This was official now. No improvising. No shortcuts.

He popped the first tablet with a glass of water as soon as he got home, resisting the urge to chase it with beer out of habit rather than desire.

An hour passed.

Then two.

The pain eased. Not vanished. Just… dialled down. Like someone had finally taken a hand off the volume knob.

Gary leaned back on the sofa, stunned.

“So this is what doing things properly feels like,” he murmured.

His phone buzzed again.

Any change?

Gary smiled before he realised he was doing it.

Yeah, he typed. Actually. Thanks.

The reply was a simple smiley face.

Gary stared at it far longer than was reasonable.

Stick to the plan and keep improving → Page 58

Feel better and get cocky → Page 59