Price of Agony

The silence of the house was absolute, broken only by the hitching of Gary’s breath. Every movement was a chore; his ribs were a roadmap of agony, and his side screamed in protest with every shift of his weight.

He gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white as he hauled himself upward, using the jagged edge of his mahogany desk for support.

For a fleeting second, he stood on unsteady legs—but