Blake sat on the edge of the bed with the incentive spirometer in his hands, turning the transparent plastic device over before reading the instructions one more time.
It looked deceptively simple, a clear chamber with a blue piston inside, a flexible tube attached to a mouthpiece, but after what he had to go through, it was hard to take deep breaths.
He placed the mouthpiece between his lips, slowly, since that apparently was the important part.
He inhaled as steadily as he could.
The blue piston rose through the chamber, wobbling for a second before settling near the marked target. His chest tightened with the effort, and a dull ache spread beneath his sternum.
He held the breath for several seconds like the instructions recommended before removing the mouthpiece and letting the air escape through his nose.
The second breath hurt less.
By the fifth repetition, he was getting used to the rhythm.
'This is... a little weird.'
