Occasionally, a verb can function as a noun if “ing” is added to the end of it. As you may know, a noun can perform or receive an action, and when an “ing” is added to the end of a verb, this is possible. For instance, “write” is a verb is in “I write” where “I” is the subject, and “write” is the verb. However, if you add “ing” to “write” as in “writing,” it becomes a noun as it can therefore perform or receive the action as in “Writing makes me happy” or “I like writing.” That said, "wishing" is gerund and is serving as the subject of the sentence.
If it has an adjective, then it is a participle verbal. Gerund verbal has the word 'to' before the verb. And initiative is the verb at the end of the sentence.
“The cough is a mere nothing. It will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough” this part of the passage is very ironic because he really won’t die of a cough but he is explaining the cough to be nothing for him to be worried about
