Interaction and breathlessness

I finished my last night shift of what seemed like a pretty long week at 7:30 yesterday morning, and, given that I was back to the grind at 7:00 this morning, I decided to stay up at the London end for the day, rather than wasting three hours of my nominal day off on a round trip to my accommodation, before finally making my way back in the early evening. It didn't work out too badly, at least in fatigue terms - I managed an hour's sleep during my break at work, so I wasn't too weary. My overall health deteriorated rather during the day, though, and was, if anything, even worse this morning - I'm pretty sure I have got a chest infection, something which I've suspected for a few days, and which, taken with my heart arrhythmia, has left me somewhat short of breath from time to time over the past 24 hours. To be honest, I probably should have rung in sick this morning, but I find it hard to shake off the feeling that I'm letting other people down if I do. I'll monitor the situation, anyway, over the next day or two, and if I really need time off, or to see a doctor, or both, then that's what I'll do.
One thing that did brighten a minute or two of yesterday, though, was an interaction with a boy. An appropriate, 'good deed of the day' sort of interaction, rather than anything that will attract any more opprobrium - at least, I hope it won't. I'd just got on a tube at Baker Street in the early part of the afternoon, heading in the general direction of my 'London local', when a boy, fairly cute, around 12 or 13, approached the door of the train, looking a bit lost and uncertain. He got on the train, looked at the map, got off again, and went back to looking disoriented and unhappy. I caught his eye, and I must've looked trustworthy enough for him to speak to me, which he duly did, asking me which train he needed to get to his destination. It turned out to be the one I was on, so he thanked me and boarded. Sadly, I had to change at the next station, but I did at least have the satisfaction of being able to be helpful to just the sort of person I would choose to have some dealings with. Just as fleeting as all the others of his ilk that flit in and out of my life, really, but with just that smallest element of contact, for once.
If I earned a 'brownie point' yesterday, though, I'll probably lose several truckloads if I go ahead and write a new story that's been brewing in my head all day, after my alarm woke me from a certain dream this morning. To say that the subject matter wouldn't be to everyone's taste is a considerable understatement, I suspect.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B