The lingering comfort of a dream, a man's soft 'Forever,' and the sharp, electrifying pain at her neck, still lingered in Elnora's mind as she woke. She stretched, the early morning sun already peeking through her window, 'Already?' she questioned herself. She was a stay-at-home mom, and her days often felt like a revolving door of endless chores and children's activities.

Rubbing her face, she tried to clear the dream, but a new, more immediate concern emerged: small, angry red spots covered her body. 'Mosquitoes,' she thought, remembering last night's campfire. All but two prominent, painful bites on her neck. Her husband, Brogan, was already gathering his things for work. 'I feel like I didn't sleep at all,' she told him. He offered empty platitudes before leaving, and Elnora mumbled to herself, 'It is all on me, like always.'

The day crawled by, and by 11 pm, most of the mosquito bites had calmed down. But the two on her neck throbbed. She applied medicine and a band-aid, seeking much-needed sleep. The next morning, Brogan woke her, already heading to work. 'Are you feeling ok?' he asked. 'No, I am fine,' she replied, though a wave of dizziness hit her as she tried to stand. Her band-aid was gone, the pain in her neck worse. She stumbled to the bathroom, peering into the mirror. 'That has to be infected,' she announced, deciding a doctor's visit was essential.