An Ancient Account of Allergies (another F allergy story; part 2 added Dec20)

[PollenFiend]

Here's another indulgent female allergy story by yours truly.  Been experimenting with a slightly different style.  Hope you enjoy.

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An Ancient Account of Allergies (part 1 of ?)

 

The following is a translation of a man’s account of his journeys into the countryside with his ill wife, circa 400 AD and discovered near modern-day eastern China.  The original documents were remarkably well-preserved and describes what appears to be his efforts to relieve his ailing wife’s suffering from “a terrible cold” though it can be surmised that she was actually afflicted with severe seasonal allergies…

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Chunhua, my beautiful wife, is very ill with another terrible cold.  She is trying to sleep as we embark on the first leg of our journey, leaving the city by carriage.  It is mid-day and we have stopped momentarily, giving her weakened body a moment of rest before we continue on down the road, and giving me an opportunity to write.

 

As instructed by the doctor, I am writing this journal in order to track the progression of my wife’s recovery as we leave the city and embark on our prescribed journey, taking her deep into the country to help her regain her vitality, aided by the peacefulness of nature and the healthful qualities infused in the fresh air of the deep woodlands and open fields.  Alas, though she desires sleep, she sniffles frequently as I write this.  It pains me to see her suffer, and I swear I will restore her to her vibrant, energetic self.

 

She has pulled a light blanket loosely around her shoulders and her elegant silk robes.  I am to care for her, but so little gives her comfort at this time.  I could not help but sigh as I witnessed her suffering.  I brushed away the curtains of smooth black hair that had come undone from where she had tied it this morning and now hangs by her face.  She opened her eyes to see me, though they blinked rapidly as they itched and watered, producing pools of tears that she dabbed away with her silk handkerchief before they had the chance to roll down her porcelain cheeks.  Normally those lovely almond-shaped eyes are deep, the sparkling white of snow surrounding perfect circles of chestnut brown.  Now, her eyes are pink-rimmed, irritated and watering as if she were crying though she assures me she is not.  

 

Also, Chunhua’s lovely nose quivers like that of a small rabbit, and it runs profusely, making her sniffle incessantly while she also uses that same silk handkerchief to wipe her delicate, round nostrils though they are now tinged pink and sparkle slightly from a moisture that never seems to cease seeping out.  Her beautiful red lips are now usually parted, with Chunhua needing to breathe through her mouth as congestion plagues her itchy, runny nose.  And most of all, she sneezes.  She sneezes so terribly often.  Only mere moments go by before my poor spring flower must succumb to terrible, violent bouts of uncontrollable sneezing.  

 

In fact, her nose is tingling quite ferociously right this moment as I write.  I see that her nostrils are flaring widely, erratically, developing more of that pink tinge, and her brow is furrowed as her lips part further.  For the benefit of the doctor’s understanding when we return, I shall endeavor to best describe my wife’s symptoms in this journal, including the frequency, intensity, sound and quality of her sneezes.  

 

“Hehh… hehhh!... hhHEKT-KSXHH-ugh!...  huhhh!...  hHHIGT-KSCXHFF-ugh!!”

 

She sneezes into her handkerchief, pressing its fabric up against the underside of her pink nose as she tries to suppress their force, and I admire her persistence in attempting to keep a ladylike demeanor.  However, her illness has certainly taken a powerful hold of her, and she struggles to maintain her composure.  

 

“...hHHIE-EEASCXHHFF-uhh!...  HHHEE-KCHXXHFFFH!.... HHEE-EEASSCH-KKFFFH!!”

 

Her beautiful body trembles, trying in vain to contain the power of those sneezes but she is unable to control them, their explosive force repeatedly being expelled in intense bursts by her itchy, flared nostrils.  She wipes and pinches her irritated nose with her handkerchief and sniffles very wetly, unable to bring herself to produce the mortifying sound of very congested, very gurgly nose blowing, though I know she would like nothing more than to blow, to rid her nose of all the itch, all the watery mucus, all the misery she must be feeling lodged within her face.  

 

I know she desires to blow.  Instead, her congested, wet, repeated sniffles only seem to aggravate the illness afflicting her nose, making her continue to sneeze.  My poor, sweet Chunhua...

 

“Hheegh!...  HEKT-KKSCXXHHFFH!!...  HHIIT-KSSXXHHFH!!...  HHHHUUT-TCHHIIUUGHFHH!!”

 

This is the worst I have witnessed of her illness to date.  As I had mentioned to the doctor previously, Chunhua had always been a beacon of good health, a joyful, proud example of elegance, dignity and feminine grace.  It started two years ago when she had uncharacteristically suffered a mild, long-lasting cold as winter was ending and the weather was finally warming.  For more than a month she battled her cold until after much effort and persistence she had finally conquered it as the weather grew hot, the sun energizing her body.  Thankfully, she was in perfect health throughout the rest of that year, until the next spring when yet again she had contracted another cold that proved more severe, more long-lasting, and resistant to the efforts we had used to defeat the last one.  And now, this year, she suffers again from the most severe cold yet though thankfully she has fought off any sign of fever or chills.  The doctor’s advice was to take her far from the city, far from the noxious airs of the teeming crowds.  I am willing to do anything to help her, to help bring her back to health.

 

I have never, for as long as I have known her, seen Chunhua suffer like this.  “Huhh!...  HUHT-TSCHHIIUGHFH!...  HIIK-TCHHIIUUGHFFH!...” Her sneezes rack her frame, having grown increasingly violent, messy and desperate.  “Huhh… heghh!..  Hihh-heehgh!..”  She tries to hold them back, to put an end to this latest volley of wet sneezes, but she cannot resist them, her illness giving her nose such irritation that it must sneeze every few seconds.  “Hehh.. HEGHH!...  HEEG-IIEESSCHHUUGHFFH!!....  HEEA-AAAA-SSCHUUUGHHFH!!”

 

She is now sniffling, wiping and rubbing at her wet, pink nose.  She complains mournfully about how itchy it is, how that itch never subsides, how it persists despite all her rubbing and sneezing.  I’ve drawn back the curtain from the windows of the carriage, in an attempt to let in more of the warm sun and fresh breeze as we leave the city.  I can smell the spring flowers, the tree blossoms in bloom as we begin to enter the surrounding countryside.  

 

My wife opens her watery eyes and looks outside, the gentle warm breeze sweeping through her long, black hair, brushing her face with the scents of spring, if only her nose were well enough to appreciate it.  She sniffles deeply, sounding liquid and congested, though perhaps she is able to enjoy the faintest bit of spring fragrance making it through her blocked, running nose.  For a brief moment she appears content, at peace, allowing even a smile which also warms my heart to see.

 

Then, her illness strikes again, lashing out at her and forcing me to put down this journal to tend to her.  Only when her symptoms calm can I secure enough time to resume writing...

 

… The fit was severe and prolonged, and I have finally returned to write in this journal.  I shall describe what happened as she was enjoying the spring breeze on her face.  

 

“Hhhuhh…  HHHEAAHH!...”  Chunhua gasped, her calm smile quickly being replaced by a panicked expression of intense itchiness, the hallmark of that dreadful urge to sneeze returning yet again.  Her head tipped back, her nose turned up with nostrils flared and now turned from pink to harsh red.  “HUHH-HEHH-HEGHH!...”  Clear liquid seeped out from her wet nostrils, overflowing her nose’s capacity to hold it back through mere sniffling.  Her body was frozen in that state, eager to sneeze but unable to finish.  This cruel illness forced her to endure its terrible, itchy torture.  She was wholly captive to it.  Chunhua’s red nose twitched and itched, flaring and pulsing her irritated nostrils as clear, watery mucus dribbled out in slow, twin streams.  Sniffling thickly and deeply did not help, as the liquid continued trickling down to her lip, nor did the sharp sniffles do anything to quell her nose’s insatiable need to sneeze.

 

“HHHEKT-TSCHHUUGH!!!...  HHEEAK-KKSSSCHHUUGH!!!...  HHEEA-AAASSSCHHHUGH!!!!”  After many false starts and itchy sniffles, Chunhua’s red nose finally allowed the sneezes to explode forth, shooting and spraying its accumulation of liquid from her flared, round nostrils.  I had warned her to allow herself to blow her nose, to not feel ashamed as she suffers from this illness.  She had insisted that she could control it, to remain a lady, to not sully her name and image with such unbecoming behavior.  Her illness forced her to pay the the price, as she could do nothing but desperately clutch her damp handkerchief to her glistening, red nose, trying to contain all that liquid being sprayed out uncontrollably with sneeze after violent sneeze.  “HHHA-AAAKKHFFFHH!!!!  HHHEEA-AAHHSKK-CHFFFGHH!!!!  HHAA-AAAHSCH-KKFFFHHH!!!!”  More and more of her black hair came undone and flew forward with each sneeze, until it stuck in wet strands against her eyes, cheeks and nose.  As she sneezed, as she failed to control her poor nose’s spraying messiness, she must have felt far from elegant or graceful, but she is still my lovely Chunhua.  I love her now more than ever.

 

As my wife’s sneezing subsided momentarily, I handed another handkerchief to her.  “Thahh-.. thank you…” she said meekly though gratefully, before enveloping her dripping nose with it and finally blowing long, gurgling, miserable blows.  She kept them as quiet as possible, though I could still detect her desperation and despondence.  “I’m sorry that… you hahh-... you have to see me… like this…” Chunhua said while hitching, sniffling and sighing, her red nose twitching and dribbling as she rubbed it frustratedly.  “Huhh..  heeaaghh!...  hhhHHEEK-KKSCHHUU-HFFH!!!...  Ohh husband, I… heghh-hihh!..  I truly cannot stop sneezing.  My… my nose… I… I must!... hehhh!… hHHEAHH!...  HEEHK-KISSCHFFFHH!!!... HEGK-KIEEASHHFFFHH!!!!...  HEEEA-AAAHSCHH-KKFFFHHH!!!!”

 

As the carriage resumed its course forward, Chunhua kept sneezing, sniffling and blowing her poor, sickly, red nose, though I vow I will care for her, my beautiful flower.  She will recover under my care and in the rejuvenating airs of the spring countryside.  It’s absolutely beautiful outside.  As we venture deeper into the country, how could she not feel better?  It’s just a matter of time now.  Be strong, my love.  

 

[dodge]

Whew, I'm early to this party. Well-written fic as always, I think you're the resident expert when it comes to allergies 

I had a similar kind of idea in my head, except the dirty city air actually is the problem. The sufferer actually gets sick, goes into town (sooty Victorian London?) to see a doctor and the "symptoms" never subside. But your idea is more elegant. Beautiful, therapeutic country weather causing the problem is irony porn

And there's got to be a long German word for "accidentally making the problem worse while trying one's best to help." Anyone??

[NoV]

This is really great, and I think even enhanced by its ancient history setting  You really convey the desperation and embarrassment that she cannot stop sneezing in front of her husband.

[Sneezingnonstop]

This is really great. I love the desperation and the description. Left me excited for more, can't wait to read another part if there is one!

[Timberlane]

Very inventive!  Your description is wonderful and the setting/time frame was really interesting.  Fun read.

[HideAndGoSneeze]

I really like this! This is intriguing, and I look forward to reading more!!! 

[StaraiRoalanstjay]

Oh good grief... I absolutely love this!!

[Chiguy]

Your legend grows. Truly excellent 

[Sinc]

What a wonderful story from beginning to end

 

[PollenFiend]

Part 2 -

 

Flipping the page of the old journal reveals an entry from the next day.  Oddly, the delicate pages for this entry show a spattering of darker spots, as if the black ink had spread into dampened areas where droplets of liquid had landed.

 

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It is the second day of our journey into the country.  From the inside of our sparse but tastefully furnished room on the upper storey of this humble village inn, I can see the light of the early morning sun through the open window, the warm glow steadily turning from orange to yellow.  The light bathes my beautiful wife in a comforting, rejuvenating aura, draping over her body much like the elegant silk sleeping robe that adorns her now.  The radiant skin of her bare shoulders, smiling face, graceful arms, and even her smooth legs seems to almost absorb the vitality that the sun provides.  It is so much more invigorating here, though we are but a single day’s travel from our home in the city.

Chunhua awoke this morning feeling modestly improved.  Her illness, this terrible, cursed cold, seems to have subsided somewhat.  I continue to monitor her health, being sure to document anything worthy of note in this journal.

“Hehh… hihh-huhh!...  iighhn…”  As Chunhua gets herself ready by the window, brushing her hair and enjoying the morning air, she still battles the occasional desire to sneeze.  She rubs her nose back and forth with the back of her finger, but she certainly isn’t sneezing today with the same uncontrollable ferocity that she struggled with yesterday during our carriage ride here.  “.... hehhh…  heh-iiignk!... eghh...” she stifles a small sneeze, pinching shut her delicate nostrils.  Her nose remains pink, and though she suffers fewer sneezes, she still sniffles wetly, repeatedly, often needing to apply her silk handkerchief to the underside of her watering nostrils.

“Chunhua, my lovely flower, are you still well?” I asked her.

She replied, “Yes, my dear.  The sun feels quite energizing.  And the breeze smells sweet and inviting.  Though I must say my nose remains rather watery, and.. ahhn… huhh!”  Chunhua tipped her head back, pressing her flared, pink nostrils with her small handkerchief, and stifled back a couple small, though itchy-sounding sneezes.  “Heghh-iiighnk!...  huhhh-... haa-iiiighk!...  ughh…” She sighed, giving her nose a quiet puff of a blow, then again, and again until it no longer sounded congested.  She breathed in deeply through her cleared nose before finishing her reply.  “... And it does still itch and tingle, though not nearly as terribly as yesterday.”

“I’m very glad you’re feeling better already, Chunhua,” I said to her, my heart having swelled with happiness and relief.

My wife continued readying herself for the day ahead, brushing her long hair into smooth curtains of black before tying them up into a tidy bun, with two wavy sheets falling down the sides of her temples and cheeks.  She sniffled a little more loudly, a little more wetly, as her hands were occupied with tying her hair.  A little glimmer of moisture began accumulating underneath both of her pink nostrils, the delicate round rims pulsing, flaring and flexing as she sniffled again and again.  Chunhua’s runny nose was becoming rather troublesome.  Yet, she managed.  She didn’t let a little sniffle or two ruin her morning ritual.

“Heghh… hiiieehh…” Before long, her eyes partially closed, “heeeah-...” her lips partially opened, “heeeghh!-...” her pink nostrils trembled with a persistent tickle though Chunhua resisted its urges, its advances, deep within her itching, running, cold-afflicted nose, “huhh-hhheaagh!-...” Soon she could fight it no longer, snatching her handkerchief from the vanity table and bringing it back to cover her nose which finally succumbed to another couple of itchy sneezes that were again controlled only to the extent that she was able to stifle them.  “Hhaah-iiinggk!...  hhheagh-IIIGgkkh!... ugghhh…”  Again Chunhua sighed, again she blew her nose, sounding a little more liquid, a little more full with cold before she cleared it once more.  A few stray sheets of hair fell from her bun before Chunhua was able to secure them.  Once satisfied, she set the handkerchief aside again before returning to her task with a small, determined smile and a resolute sniffle.  Though it did sound slightly watery all over again.

After some more time, and some more wet sniffling, Chunhua finished with her hair and held her prized personal mirror in front of her while giving herself a satisfied look.  I felt she must have thought that no mere cold would dampen her beauty, for she then meticulously laid an array of powders, creams, colors, brushes and other such items on the tabletop and began applying them to her face while holding the mirror by its hand-crafted wooden handle in front of her.

“Huhh-haaghh-hh!...  huhhh…” her breath quavered.  Her nose continued to run and be generally bothersome as she sniffled and hitched, all while trying to expertly apply her makeup.  She frequently had to pause to wipe or dab or pinch at her running, itching nose.  “Hehh..” she hitched, holding the silk handkerchief near her twitching nose, her expression halted and glazed with a desire to sneeze.  “Huhh!-... haaAAAGH!-” The strong, itching urge nearly overwhelmed her control, forcing her nostrils to flare wide, her eyes to shut, her lips to frown and open with an urgent gasp before the sneeze faded away at the last moment leaving her only with a frustrated sigh.  “hiiigh…”  Chunhua blew her nose, long and gurgling, in an attempt to clear it of its accumulating itch and mucus, but to little lasting effect.  Eventually, more of her time was shifted from applying her morning makeup to instead tend to her itching, running nose.  She looked on the verge of sneezing, frequently needing to nudge, rub, or massage her little wet nostrils which steadily turned more pink.  Throughout the entire time, she looked at herself with her hand mirror.

“Are you quite alright, my love?  Is your nose troubling you?” I asked with concern.  My wife’s healthfulness had started to wane somewhat as the morning progressed, after having peaked when she first sat at the window and opened it to enjoy the warm light and the songs of birds.

Chunhua replied with some disappointment.  “Yes, I’m fine, darling.  It’s just this cursed cold.  It’s making my nose itch and run again.”  She covered her pink nose with her silk handkerchief and blew again, filling its thin fabric with repeated gurgling puffs.  “Ughh…  So runny.  So embarrassingly runny.”  Chunhua sniffled thickly and repeatedly while wiping tenderly at the underside of her pulsing nostrils, now shimmering with liquid.  “I’b sorry.  Mby love, kuhh-.. Could you pleahh-... plea-heese bring me one of the larger cotton handkerchiefs?  I fear mby… mby ndose… hiieAAHH!-..”

 

~~~

Apologies.  I had to drop this journal on Chunhua’s vanity table while I dashed to fetch the cotton handkerchief she had requested, but was too late, unable to assist her as a bout of increasingly messy, itchy sneezes attacked her vulnerable nose.  I’ve now returned to continue documenting how her symptoms progressed while I tended to her.

“hhEEGH-IIGHKKXH!!...  HHEEAA-IIGKXXCH!!...”  Chunhua’s prior joyful enthusiasm and determined willpower were beginning to recede, replaced by a renewed and growing strength of the harsh cold that afflicted her.  “HHEEAH-KKXXSCHhhugh!!...”  Her small, sodden, silk handkerchief was no match to contain her cold.  And it was only in the midst of her full sneezing attack did I finally return with our larger cotton handkerchief.  Our hands swapped cloth, the fresh one flying quickly to cover Chunhua’s sneezes which threatened to explode her poor head if she didn’t finally relent and release them more fully.

“Just let them out, dear.  Just sneeze freely.  It is only your husband here.  I do not mind,” I reassured her with sincere love.  

And sneeze she did, sneezing full, desperate, itchy, messy sneezes that were thankfully caught with a more appropriate handkerchief though Chunhua had to admit it with some chagrin.  “Hhh-...  HHHET-TSCHHUUUGHFF!!!...  hughh..  HEEGHH!-...  HHHHGHK-TSCHHIIUUGHHFF!!!...  HEEAAA-TCHHIIIUUGHFFF!!!!”  

At least, they were mostly caught.  Some itchy sneezes burst forth by surprise, without warning.  I held my wife as she sneezed, as the cold came back to full strength.  As the sneezes shook her body, her night robe slipped and shuddered, revealing more of her vulnerability much like how it was also revealed through her unwilling but uncontrolled surrender to this awful cold.  Some of her sneezes landed on this journal.  No matter.  Her nose, having unfortunately returned to a swollen, reddened state, ran profusely and tormented her with miserable, violent, uncontrollable sneezes.

“HHHEEGT-KKSCHHIIEHH!!!...  HHHEE-EEAASCHHHUUGH!!!...”  Chunhua sneezed strongly, then blew her nose, loud, wet, desperate.  She had come to remember that she could be a watery-eyed, runny-nosed, sneezing mess with me and I would not judge her any less beautiful, even with her half-done makeup dribbling down her cheeks and upper lip.  “Huhh-...  heeeghh!-...” Chunhua held her handkerchief weakly, her red nostrils quivering and glistening with itch and liquid.  She cast her eyes absently looking through the open window, the yellow light glinting in her watery eyes, dampened cheeks and parted lips.  “HHHEEGHT-TSCHHUUUGHH!!!...  HUHH-HAAHHH-... HHEEAAHT-TCHHIUUUGH!!!...  HHEEGH-EEAGHEESSCHHHIIUGH!!!”  She sprayed her uncontrollable sneezes messily, more droplets flying from her mouth and nose, projected towards the open window and onto the pages of this journal.  Mortified at the realization, she brought the cotton handkerchief up to blow her dripping, gurgling, deep red nose.

I kissed Chunhua’s damp cheek and she giggled, playfully pushing me away before giving her wet nose another long set of gurgling blows.  This cold of hers is truly miserable, though I am heartened to see that at least for a few moments she was feeling more healthful, more rejuvenated early this morning.  Now, unfortunately, she continues to blow, sniffle, sneeze and suffer back atop our bed.  I suppose we won’t go out today after all, at least not yet.  Perhaps Chunhua will feel better after a rest.  I will keep the window open for her.  She seemed to enjoy the birds, and they have indeed been singing happily this entire time.

Now that I consider it, even Chunhua’s sneezes have a certain beauty to them, much like everything else about her.  They are… almost melodic.  

“HHEEIIGH-IIIGHHSSHUGH!!!....  HHEEIIGK-TSCHHIIUUUGH!!!...  HHHEEEII-IIEEASSHHIIUH!!!” she continues to sneeze and blow her nose, drawing the bed covers around her body.

In any case, I’m sure she could do without those miserable sneezes.  And I want to help her be rid of them.  In time.  She will recover, I’m sure.

 

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The journal entry ends there.  Apparently the writer didn’t go back to it for the remainder of the day.  You can only surmise what occupied him instead.

[NoV]

11 hours ago, PollenFiend said:

The journal entry ends there.  Apparently the writer didn’t go back to it for the remainder of the day.  You can only surmise what occupied him instead.

^ 

Thanks for updating this. You really have a great way at conjuring up the desperation of someone suffering from an unwanted and yet undeniable sneezing fit  

[Sneezingnonstop]

Nice update!! Love the sneezes and how they're described!