With a stack of clean plates that belonged out front, I left the kitchen after making certain nothing would burn or boil over in my absence, and put the plates away behind the bar.
There was a familiar face who hadn't been that familiar lately, but she looked more worse for the wear than I could remember seeing her.
"Hi, Elsa," I said. "Long time, no see." I thought about commenting how she looked like she was hit by a truck, but women tended to be funny about statements in that vein. I played it safer instead. "You okay? Or did you catch that bug that's been going around?"