"No, I..." He swallows the fear, but it goes nowhere. It just sort of sits there and decides to keep growing, no matter what Kieren is trying to do. "I think maybe this might mean the drugs aren't working or that I'm starting to build up a resistance to them. Memories, making them, that would be a function of my brain when things are working."

And if things aren't...

He feels dizzy and it's half like the blood takes that as a reason to pulse harder, sludgy and black, and he shoves the rag against his face all the harder.