I’m feeling better? Cautiously said, in a small thin voice, with a chest tight from too many steroids, too much interrupted sleep, too much pain and an excess of worry. I ate a small meal and it didn’t cause any trouble whatsoever.

There is the sense of an armistice. The terms are still being hammered out. But for the time being, there are no active battles. The soldiers retreat to the trenches and play some checkers. Or whatever they did when there were still trenches.