AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That, and I hope that Ms. Jameson tests negative too.
5
Kendall
I’m standing beside Janelle who is making a list of things to do.
She’s good with lists. And she knows that I am too.
She hands me the clipboard and smiles.
“How does it look?” she asks.
I look over everything that she’s written, and it looks like a thought-out plan. She has a list of food to grab for the dinnertime meal, a list of items needed for bedding for almost two hundred people and a list of people to be stationed in different areas.
On the second page, she has a diagram of the whole space. She has one end being the make-shift food court and then all the way across to the other side are several different sleeping quarters in the large aisles.
“I have a few of my stocking guys moving a lot of the boxed electronics into the stock room. Same with some of the moveable areas. We have a bunch of large tables in the back room that can be for the eating area. And luckily, our latest shipments arrived this morning and we haven’t had the chance yet to put it all out on the floor.”
“What kind of stuff?” I ask.
“Bedding. We don’t need large comforters, we have thick sheets. The military guys arrived with a truck full of cots and additional blankets,” she says.
“What do you want me to do?” I ask her.
“I want you to call my parents, tell them we’re okay. Then, you should call your dad and let him know too. After that, I’m putting you in charge of the kitchen.” She hands me her phone and smiles.
I nod and walk around the corner for privacy as I swipe on her screen, look through her contacts and find her parents. As expected, they freaked out a little bit, but understood the importance of the quarantine, and realized that they should likely stay where they are as well. After talking to them, I called my dad from my own phone.
That phone call didn’t go as well. My father cried. A lot. He felt helpless and that we should escape and return to him in Texas to be together. I did what I could to assure him, and then told him that I would check in with him as much as possible.
When I get off the phone, I turn around to return the phone back to Janelle, but Mr. James is standing in my way.
A little startled, I step back.
“Oh, hi.” I say.
“I don’t know if you heard your name being called, but the results are back in for your test and we’re giving them individually.”
“Oh, sorry. I was on the phone. Am I okay?” I ask. “I don’t feel sick, so I’m pretty sure that I’m alright,” I shrug walking beside him.
“Asymptotic individuals could carry the virus, you never know.”
“Have you been tested?” I look over at him.
“I have.”
“And? Would you tell me if you were infected?” I stop.
He walks a few steps ahead and then stops, noticing my halting. He walks the four steps to stand in front of me and looks me in the eyes.
“If I was positive, I guarantee you that I wouldn’t be here. And I hope to God that you aren’t as well,” he smiles and then turns around. “C’mon.”
I follow him and eventually we’re walking side by side as I match his strides until we reach the door to the room the Doctor is sitting in looking over his notes. He turns when we enter and stands up.
“Thank you, please leave us to it,” the man says to Mr. James.
Nervously, I take a seat where his hand directs me to sit across from him.
