Horizontal Fall

The solatium Jake was granted for his suffering at the hands of the hospitalist was minor; Jake sported a rictus as the decision was read, fully aware of the cronyism that was taking place behind the scenes.

solatium (soh-LAY-shee-uhm) n. A compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings.

hospitalist (HAAS-pih-tuh-list) n. A physician who specializes in treating hospitalized patients of other physicians in order to minimize the number of hospital visits by other physicians.
DID YOU KNOW?
“Hospitalist” refers to what has become a new specialty in medicine, perhaps due in part to the rise of organized health care. These days, the care that you receive during a hospital stay may be coordinated and monitored by a doctor who is not your regular doctor or the referring physician. The word “hospitalist” itself first appeared in print in 1996 and derives, of course, from “hospital,” which in turn can be traced back to the Medieval Latin hospitale, meaning “hospice” or “guest house.”

rictus (RIK-tuhs) n. 1. The gape of a bird's mouth. 2a: The mouth orifice. b. A gaping grin or grimace.
DID YOU KNOW?
When “rictus” was first used in English in the early 19th century, it referred to the hole formed by the mouth of a bird. Later, it was applied to the mouths of other animals, including humans. In Latin, rictus means “open mouth”; it comes from the verb ringi, which means “to open the mouth.” In English, “rictus” eventually acquired a sense referring to the expression of someone grinning widely, as in Lawrence Durrell’s 1957 novel Justine: “This ghastly rictus gouged out in his taut cheeks.” Although “rictus” might be used to describe the mouth of a laughing or smiling person, it is not related to “risible,” a word associated with laughter. Rather, “risible” descends from Latin ridēre, which means “to laugh.”

cronyism (KROH-nee-IH-zuhm) n. Partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications.
DID YOU KNOW?
“Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him” (Ecclesiasticus 9:10). Practitioners of cronyism would probably agree. The word “cronyism” evolved in the 19th century as a spin-off of “crony,” meaning “friend” or “chum.” “Crony” originated in England in the 17th century, perhaps as a play on the Greek word chronios, meaning “long-lasting,” from chronos, meaning “time.” Nineteenth-century cronyism was simply friendship, or the ability to make friends. The word didn’t turn bad until the mid-20th century, when Americans starting using “cronyism” to refer to the act of playing political favorites.