Chapter 19. Productive like a Cough

Further notes from my mean-spirited and entirely fictitious* academic novel:

Academics who publish are said to be "productive," but Professor X was productive like a cough. Disgorging bile and phlegm at regular intervals, he annoyed everyone within earshot. It was impossible to suppress Professor X, though colleagues dosed him with strong central nervous system depressants in hopes of gaining temporary relief.

*Note. Any Resemblance to Actual Events or Persons Living or Dead is Purely Coincidental.

ADDENDUM: Oh, for heaven's sake, of course I'm not talking about you! And, no, there is no "Professor X." The line just hit me on a plane from MSP to DCA today -- some guy was coughing up, well, something and I thought, "hmm. at least, that's a productive cough." When I thought about how "productive" meant something different to doctors and to academics, I figured it might be a fun way to introduce a villain in a cheezy academic novel. I probably should've given a bit more context here, especially in a time of year when everyone has a cough...