Curtly

Only then did I notice that my heart was racing and that I was sweating all over. I took a deep breath and wiped my soaked brow with my forearm. “Honestly, pretty terrible. Can I get a glass of water?”

Dr. Gagnon filled a paper cup at a sink in the corner of the room and offered it to me. “Sip slowly. You best not to trigger a choking reflex.”

Not heeding her warning with the appropriate seriousness, I drank an entire mouthful of water. She clicked her tongue.