Nicholas Quirke was disappointed when he woke with outcome of the severe weather warning on 1 March 2021 when the forecast for heavy snow turned out to be a light dusting. It was perhaps a blessing as he had to get to the hospital first thing for an appointment Peng had made for him to see a doctor about the acute pain he was experiencing from some very vicious haemorrhoids. It had been going on for nearly 5 weeks and none of the creams he was using seemed to help. As it was Peng needed to see a doctor too as he was following up some concerns that had arisen from a health check. The hospital was a short cycle ride awayThe procedure of getting an ID card reminded him of the struggles he had at the massage hospital at the beginning of his stay for sciatica and he was relieved that he had Peng with him to help. The process was frustrating but once he was registered he actually saw the Dr within minutes. The only option open for him, once he had experienced the Dr’s intrusive examination was apparently surgery, for which he would have to spend the night in hospital, no visitors and would cost 15,000 yuan. At that cost he was just going to have to survive on pain killers, despite the words of the medic as he took a look ringing in his ears. “Ohhh, that’s big!” It didn’t stop him from making lentil dhal four lunch as he was back on a diet after the rigorous eating new year had incited in him. In the afternoon he drowned his sorrows with a visit to a nearby tearooms, one he hadn’t been to before. He started negotiating some additional teaching with the school and with his friend Terry who he was doing some online teaching for to ensure that he still had some income should he be able to extend his stay again. In the evening he finished watching the National Theatre at Home’s archive production of ‘Mosquitoes’ with Olivia Coleman before settling down to enjoy the touching ‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’ which in itself was a perfect little gem. He took a painkiller in the hope that the morning might be free from excruciating discomfort and slipped swiftly into sleep.