Dr. Alvarez tapped his pen on the chart. "Sometimes, it's the deodorant itself. The waxes, the baking soda, the plant butters. Sometimes it's a combination of dead skin cells, bacteria, and the sweat itself, forming a kind of microscopic cement. The sweat backs up, the gland swells, and you get these tiny, inflamed bumps. It's not dangerous, per se. But it can become chronic. Painful. And in some cases, it can progress to a more serious condition called hidradenitis suppurativa—"
In the private bathroom, he lifted his arm. The skin was a battlefield. Angry, red lumps the size of peas, some connected by underground tunnels of inflammation, crisscrossed the pale flesh. One had opened into a tiny, weeping sinus tract, oozing a thin, bloody serum. This was no longer a simple clog. This was a system failure. His body was rebelling against its own design. armpit sweat glands clogged
"Allergies," he lied, wincing as he reached for a blueprint. The movement caused a nodule in his right armpit to rupture internally. A wave of nausea washed over him. He excused himself and locked his office door. The waxes, the baking soda, the plant butters
"You're right," Elias said, interrupting the client's tirade. "I miscalculated the lead time on the steel. I apologize. I will personally expedite it." It's not dangerous, per se
Elias blinked. "In English, please."
The client stopped, deflated by the unexpected admission.
"Clogged?" Elias repeated, as if hearing a word from a forgotten language. "With what? I use organic deodorant. I shower twice a day."