The kids had chosen their team name, Tiger Roar! We had just done a team cheer to get started, and now I was giving them some instructions — about weighing out the ingredients of their experiment, about putting food coloring into the water (just a few drops), about each of them taking turns letting one of them do the work.
My voice was very low. I mean, very, very low, as it’s been lately. Resonant in a way. Sonorous, even. My theory is that this is mostly because of the severe Oak pollen that’s been falling from the trees, but undoubtedly it also has something to do with the cancer. Either my throat is still recovering from the trauma of the surgery. Or it’s still healing from the radiation. Likely all three.
One of the boys came over to me as soon as I spoke.
“Have you been breathing … neon?” he asked.
It must have been a joke. If breathing helium makes your voice high, then perhaps one of the other noble gases makes it low. Knowing these kids, I’m surprised he didn’t ask if I’d been breathing ununoctium.