Wrong Time to Cough
It’s bad enough being a chronic cougher in everyday life. Add a virus that threatens to put nations under house arrest, and a chronic cougher is persona non grata. Missy had allergies, sinus issues, and issues upon issues that made her fall in the chronic cougher category.
Due to the severity of the latest virus, the company she worked for recently announced work from home for all employees until the latest dreaded virus was under control. What should have been a relief for Missy turned into an instant problem. She needed to go in and get some notes and files in order to effectively do her job. She had to do so without coughing and possibly being tackled to the ground and sprayed with Lysol.
Arriving to her office building, she entered and felt a bit of relief when she saw the lobby was practically empty. She felt a tickle in her throat and took a deep breath and swallowed, hoping to ward off the urge to cough. She hurried to the elevator bank that would take her to the 24th floor and pressed the up button. Thankfully no one else was there waiting. The thought of being able to ride up alone and not have to worry about her coughing turning the other riders into virus vigilantes was comforting.
Wrong Time to Cough
Unfortunately for Missy, that comfort was short lived as the elevator was slow to arrive. When it finally arrived, six other passengers—four with face masks—joined her after she stepped in. The tickle in her throat started to build, and she cleared her throat which caused six heads to do an Exorcist type turn and give her a suspicious look. “Just clearing my throat, folks.” Missy held up both hands and gave them a half smile.
As they approached the 10th floor, an older man in the front of the elevator unexpectedly sneezed. He, unfortunately, did not have on a mask and covered the sneeze with his hand.
“Dude seriously,” a younger man next to him said, pulling out hand sanitizer and offering it to the older man. The older man held out his hand and accepted a generous squirt. When the elevator stopped at the 15th floor the older man quickly exited.
When the doors closed, the masked lady next to Missy said, “He needs to take his sick behind home.” She looked over at Missy and noticed she was without a mask. “And you need to get a mask.”
By this time, the urge to cough had become almost unbearable and Missy was concentrating hard trying to suppress what she knew would be a major coughing bout.
By the time the elevator stopped on the 20th floor, Missy was miserable. Luckily, the hat she wore covered the beads of sweat that had broken out on her forehead. She could only imagine the fear it would have struck in her elevator mates. She’d hate for one of them to pull out a thermometer and check her for a fever. Three more people exited leaving Missy with the masked lady beside her, and the masked hand sanitizer dispenser.
She cleared her throat again trying to ward off the incoming coughing bout. “Seriously?” the masked sanitizer dispenser said under his breath, reaching back into his goodie bag. “Here, put this on.” He handed Missy a face mask. “You’re welcome,” he said before she could thank him.
She slid the mask on her face and concentrated on the elevators approach to the 24th floor. It seemed to take forever, but finally the elevator doors opened on her floor and she quickly stepped out. Two seconds after stepping out, the coughing bout she had suppressed the whole ride burst free and she coughed for what seemed like five minutes. She was relieved that she had made it off the elevator and that none of the riders had heard her. Well she was relieved until she heard, “Seriously?” She turned and realized the elevator doors were just now closing and her last two riding buddies had heard it all. Horrified is the only way she could describe the look on their faces.
I invite you to come along for the read by subscribing below and receiving a free ebook copy of my novella SSMD: So It Begins. Let’s engage in the comments by giving advice for the characters, laughing at their mishaps, or sharing our own version of their story.
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