Imagine getting sick over the course of hours. You barely notice it at first - you’re getting frustrated more easily maybe, but you’re just tired. An hour or two goes by and you realize you feel off, but you can’t put a finger on why. It’s only when your lunch is sitting heavy in your stomach that you really notice the nausea.
But it isn’t too hard to ignore. You’re just dehydrated. Except by midafternoon the water isn’t sitting well. And by dinner your stomach is starting to hurt, but you force something down anyway. You’re fine, really.
If you take a shower you’ll feel better. Standing there, though, water running colder by the moment, your stomach flips and you gag. You sit down as dizziness rolls through you, letting out a soft groan. Your stomach aches and you can feel the pressure building at the back of your throat.
You retch a little and press a hand to your mouth, then retch harder as another wave of nausea pulses through your stomach. The water is cold now, but you only think to turn it off as you begin to shiver. You don’t have it in you to move enough to reach the toilet, so you sit, soaked and freezing, on the shower floor as your stomach convulses, pushing the dinner that had been sitting so heavily up into your throat. You try to swallow, but choke instead and spit vomit into your lap. Another wave comes up, more violently this time. You don’t feel any better.