In “Again and Again,” scenes of nausea from a tragi-comic journey

Author’s note: Chloe, fierce, fragile, passionate, generous and self-absorbed, is determined to defeat her own death and to save 4-year-old Colin, whose insurance company is refusing the treatment that can save his life. She, a nurse and a handful of other patients embark on a quest that veers between comedy and tragedy. In this excerpt, she receives a device placed under the skin to allow her nurse to administer chemotherapy and later goes out with a friend to get drunk.

Now I’m home in my own apartment, but I’m branded. I’m a cancer patient again. I’ve got the mark of it, a quarter-sized lump under my clavicle. Can’t get it wet. Can’t brush it with my fingers accidentally or take my clothes off without thinking about cancer. I stand in front of the bathroom…