I've been thirsty for months now, thirsty in the middle of the night, thirsty in the morning, thirsty now. That terrible choking rasp in my mouth, a thought bubble thick with crosshatching hanging over me. And the water, this thing with no savor is so curiously delicious: cold, frustratingly viscous at first but then exquisitely fluid. It shoots up into the center of my brain just as it enters my belly and I am saved.