"Right, an illness, you mentioned that."

Despite the surreal look of the place, the bizarre and inexplicable circumstances, somehow the thing that makes Ashley most certain that this is a dream (even though everyone says you don't feel pain in dreams, and he definitely has a headache and the coughing-- there it comes again-- makes his throat and chest sore) is the way this little French guy says completely nonsensical sentences in that apologetic tone.

"So, you order clothes from the bar, that's what you said?" he asks, sounding faintly amused.