I crouched on the sidewalk, dry-heaving for a long time, but nothing came out. My stomach was empty, and the only thing I could manage were tears streaming down my face.

Richard gently patted my back and handed me a tissue, wiping the tears away as best as he could.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "It's probably just my stomach acting up because I haven't eaten much today. The gastritis is flaring up."

"Is that what gastritis looks like?" ...