“Rinse your mouth,” she says firmly. “You’ll feel gross all night if you don’t. Sleep on your side, too, just in case. So you don’t choke if it happens again.” She looks at me sadly. “My mom used to black out all the time from stuff, and you can choke on your barf if you sleep on your back or stomach. I spent a lot of time rolling her over and checking her breathing.” I rinse my mouth. The water tastes slightly metallic, and makes me gag again.
