Stuck in quarantine

Coronavirus

Taylor sat swaying in her chair. She drank her tea and took notes on what the professor was saying. She finished her tea and poured herself another. The quarantine had been extended for another two weeks, but she was getting so bored with it. The occasional walk outside, and then only to the stores, was no fun. She even wanted to see her classmates, even though she had studied with them for one week. Then Taylor's phone rang and she immediately moved to the table and looked at who was calling her because either her family or some of her friends could have called her. It was her mother. Taylor picked up the phone and quickly said:
- Hey mom, I'm in the middle of a lecture and I can't answer the phone. I'll call you back when I'm free- and then she hung up.
The professor was just starting to show a presentation so Taylor didn't even think about why her mom called her. When the lecture was over, she called her mother back as promised.
- Hi again mom. What's up?
- Hi Taylor. How are you feeling?- her mom asked her in a different voice than usual.
- I'm fine, mom. Studying. What's wrong with your voice, is everything okay-Taylor got worried.
With all the news about the growing number of sick and dead people, she was worried about her family and friends. That's why she was alarmed when she heard her mother's voice, because she knew her well, and she knew something was wrong.
- Don't worry, Taylor-her mother began.
- Now I'm worried. What's the matter, are you scaring me?
- Your dad's coronavirus has been confirmed.
After these words, Taylor suddenly felt cold, and all she could hear in her ears was her own heartbeat.
- Oh, my God! How's he feeling?
- I'm not gonna lie to you - not good. He has a high fever and a bad cough. Just half an hour ago he tested positive.
- Oh, that's awful. Have you been to the doctor? Do you have all the medicine you need?- Taylor became even more worried because her father had a weak heart and had a hard time with illness.
- Yes, we did. The doctor said to monitor his condition and to call an ambulance if he got worse.
- But how's he feeling now?
- He lies in bed and drinks a lot of fluids. He is being treated. But the problem is, your brother woke up today with a fever and a scratchy throat. We'll test him in a few days, but he's probably infected too.
Taylor closed her eyes.
- How are you feeling?
- I'm hanging in there for now, but I've been spending so much time with your dad, I'm probably gonna get sick, too, or I already have.
- And there's nothing I can do for you here in England. And I can't fly to you because the borders are closed! - Taylor was wringing her hands in helplessness
- Honey, it's the other way around. So we would have infected you, too, and you'd be lying in bed sick. I just called to tell you to be extra careful and to order groceries instead of going out to the store yourself, okay?
- Yes, Mom. But you keep me posted on the situation and call me if he gets worse, okay?
- Okay. Stay safe at home. Love you- her mom said and hung up.
Taylor put the phone away and Joe came up to her. He sat down next to her and asked:
- what's wrong? You look pale.
- My dad and my brother have coronavirus.
Joe's face turned blue. He put his hand on Taylor's shoulder and said
- Sorry. But I'm sure they'll be all right and they'll get well soon.
- I really hope so because my daddy has a weak heart and all that kind of disease. You see, he carries them worse than normal people. I'm very worried about him. The doctor said to call an ambulance if he gets worse, it's serious.
- Well, I guess calling an ambulance doesn't mean they have to take him to the hospital. I mean, let's hope for the best.
- That doesn't make it any less worrisome, you know- Taylor said as she got up from her desk to get some more textbooks from her  room. Joe got up, too, and said
- I'm sorry, I'm not very good at supporting people.
Taylor turned to him and after assessing the situation, she hugged him. It was a short hug but it calmed her down a bit. She pulled away from him and said:
- Thanks for the support anyway- and smiled.
Joe smiled back, too, but in a raspy way. He looked at Taylor, who was looking through the stack of textbooks for the right one. She was wearing a cute little blouse with a picture of kittens on it, and it fit Taylor so well. Joe smiled as he looked at her and found himself feeling an inexplicable warmth in his chest as he looked at her. He shook his head and returned to the living room, still glancing at Taylor from time to time. When he looked at her again, she was leaning over the table writing something with a pen. Some of her hair was out of her ponytail, and on one of her fingers Joe could make out the mark of the blue marker she had used to highlight her notes.
It was past lunchtime, but Taylor called her mother every hour to check on her dad's health.During the break, Joe approached Taylor. She was tapping her fingers uncontrollably on the table, which gave away her emotional stress.
Taylor looked over at him like she was seeing Joe for the first time. She covered her face with her hands and said:
- I'm so worried. My imagination is giving me options, one worse than the other, and I'm not good at dealing with it.
-I'm sorry you're having such a hard time- Joe didn't know what else to say, but he saw that he needed to be supportive of Taylor
She looked at the table and then at Joe and forced out a smile. Joe, who was sitting next to her, put his arm around her lightly as he felt her fingertips twitch. He took his hands off hers and she said:
- I'm sorry, I guess I got a little panicky.Mom and the doctors are there, and I'm panicking for nothing. Let me make us something to eat considering we're on a break. Any special food requests?
- No, I'll eat whatever you make- Jo answered, glad she was calmer.
Taylor, on the other hand, opened the refrigerator and perused its contents.
- How do you feel about scrambled eggs and bacon? Very English.
- Great, and my stomach looks even better.
Taylor nodded and took the eggs and bacon out of the fridge. She asked:
- do you mind if I put on some music? I just like to cook with music.
- Sure, go ahead.
Taylor clicked something on the computer and an Ed Sheeran song came on. And Taylor, quietly singing along to the song, started cooking. Soon there was the smell of eggs and bacon and toasted bread in the kitchen. Taylor took the food off the fire and put it on plates. They ate quickly and went back to class.
Then they scattered to their rooms and when Joe went out to the kitchen to get some juice he saw Taylor lying on the couch in the living room watching the program "Chopped" on TV. It was just about time for the dessert round. He stopped to watch the chefs on the screen. Taylor turned around, moved over, and said:
- Have a seat and watch with me if you want.
- Yeah, I was thinking about doing some exercise, but... - Joe looked out the window - it's getting late, so I think I'll join you.
He sat down next to Taylor on the couch and she gave him a piece of the blanket to cover herself with. Joe took it, covered himself, and noticed that Taylor's feet were now uncovered by the blanket. He smiled and pulled the blanket down so she wouldn't be cold. Taylor smiled gratefully at him and they watched the program. So they lay there until Taylor got a call from her mother.
- Yes?-she answered.
- Taylor I'm calling to tell you not to call me, your dad got worse and they took him to the hospital. I'm going to get an ambulance so I'll be busy - said her mom and Taylor was sure she could hear the sound of ambulance sirens in the distance
- Oh, my God. What's wrong with him? How bad is it?- Taylor sat up on the bed.
- His temperature went up in the evening and we couldn't get it down. Then his oxygen saturation dropped drastically and we knew we couldn't wait. We called the paramedics and they said we had to put him on an oxygen concentrator and put him in the hospital because he was having trouble breathing
Taylor felt her feet and hands grow cold with excitement.
- Of course Mom. Just text me once in a while.
Taylor finished talking to her mom and looked at Joe. There was fear in her eyes.
- My dad's getting worse, he's choking and they're taking him to the hospital- she said with her lips.
- I'm so sorry
Taylor got out of bed and walked over to her laptop. She sat down at her desk and googled something. Joe came up behind her and saw that she was reading medical articles about helping with the coronavirus. Her fingers were running on the keyboard like crazy.
- Stop-Joe said, but Taylor wasn't even paying attention.
Joe picked up her laptop and pushed it away from Taylor.
- What are you doing, Joe? There's information in there!
- Taylor, the doctors are watching your dad. You're not helping them with your panic. Come on, breathe with me.Breathe in and out.
Taylor started to breathe, but Joe could see it wasn't doing her any good. He turned off her laptop, got wine and two glasses out of the cabinet, and said:
- We need to get drunk. Come on, follow me- Taylor reluctantly followed him.
Joe sat her down and opened a bottle of wine. He made her drink the first full glass of wine almost in one gulp. Taylor's hands stopped shaking after that. Joe poured her a second glass and himself a first, and sat down next to her on the sofa.
- Is it easier?- he asked.
Taylor nodded.
- Yes, easier.
She looked at him and added:
- Thank you.
Joe chocked her and said:
- So that's it. You and I drink until we go down drunk. Do you understand the plan?
- Yes, Captain- said Taylor took another sip.
- I wouldn't respect myself if we just got drunk. So I suggest you play a party classic  "I never". You know how to play?
- Maybe. Remind me of the rules.
- We take turns saying, "I never".If one of us has been in such a situation, he tells about it and then we have a drink. Are we clear?
- All right, you start. Taylor suggested it.
- Easy- agreed Joe- I've never robbed a bank.
Taylor nodded:
- Accepted. I've never...surfed.
- Neither have I- said Jo- now it's my turn. I've never been in a situation where I was in stitches.
- Oh! I have!- said Taylor as she sipped her wine.
- Great, now tell me your story.
- We were camping and I fell and hurt my knee really badly and I had to get stitches.
- Did you still have the scar? - Joe asked me with interest.
- Yes, look-Taylor held her leg out to him and pointed to a small white band on her knee.
Joe gently ran his finger over her scar. Taylor watched his actions in silence.
- Well, it's practically invisible. Now it's my turn- said Joe refilling his glass again- I've never been caught cheating on a test
- Either. So you cheated on our tests! I'm not surprised.
Joe just chuckled. As they played, they emptied a bottle of wine and Joe opened a second one. They were pretty drunk, but they still knew what they were doing. The questions became more frank little by little.
- I've never had a threesome- said Taylor then got out of bed.
- Where are you going?- Joe asked.
- I want to go get a banana. Cause we're drinking with no snacks.
- Makes sense. We want to get drunk faster.
- You know I'm not anymore. I'm already drunk but I don't want to get drunk anymore- said Taylor returning to the couch with a banana in her hand.
She peeled it and took a bite. Joe watched with a dirty smile. Taylor noticed it and rolled her eyes.
- You're so dirty-she told him.
- No more than you are- he smirked.
Taylor quickly finished her banana and tossed the skin away.
- There's Avatar on TV. Let's watch it, shall we? We've had enough alcohol- she suggested.
- Okay- said Joe and then took the alcohol and trash back to the kitchen. He and Taylor sat down on the couch and she turned on the movie. She covered them with a blanket and her head rested gently on his shoulder. Taylor wanted to put it away but found she was very comfortable so she left it like that. Joe looked at her and inhaled the scent of her hair
- What the hell are you doing?- Taylor retorted.
- Sniffing your shampoo. It smells really good, by the way.
-You know it seems a little weird.
- No, it doesn't. Your hair smells really good.
Taylor laughed and said:
- I hope that was a compliment from your drunken mind.
Joe didn't say anything back, trying to focus on the movie. But Taylor's proximity kept him from doing so. Her hair tickled his neck a little and he could also feel her hand next to his own, so close. Joe got up to get some juice from the fridge as his mouth began to dry. He walked over and opened the fridge, the fridge light illuminated the kitchen since they had turned off the lights and the only light came from the TV and now the fridge. He took out a bottle of juice and sipped the cold juice straight from the neck of the bottle. He felt Taylor's hand on his shoulder, he turned to her and she took the juice bottle from him without a word and drank too. They stood like that, in the light of the refrigerator and Joe waited for Taylor to drink the juice. She wiped her lips with the sleeve of her sweater and returned the bottle to him.
- Let me pass, I must have something to eat-she said.
Joe stepped back so she could access the refrigerator. Taylor was now standing with her back to him, and their bodies were touching.
Taylor still couldn't find anything in the fridge so she turned around and practically bumped into Joe's chest. She lifted her head making their faces come closer.
- Are you drunk?- Joe asked.
- Yes, technically, but I'm in control of myself and my actions- she answered quietly for some reason.
Joe tilted his head lower, moving closer to her lips, and Taylor yielded forward, then their lips slowly touched for the first time. They broke their kiss and looked at each other
- Now I'm really drunk- Taylor whispered.
- A second ago, you were "in control of your actions," I remind you.
- I'm not drunk on wine- Taylor shook her head.
- Then what was it?-raised an eyebrow at Joe.
- You-she replied and pulled Joe to her neck. Joe responded to the kiss, tasting her soft lips. He took her by the waist and pulled her away from the refrigerator. The refrigerator door closed quietly and Joe and Taylor made their way to the living room couch without pulling away from each other. Taylor sat down on the couch first, and Joe snuggled up next to her. He brushed a curl of hair away from her face and covered her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and making the kiss deeper.
They just lay on the couch kissing while a movie played in the background. When, after an endless amount of kissing and time, Taylor broke away from Joe, it was two in the morning. She laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.
- I'm sorry, but there's only one pillow-Jo's cheerful voice boomed.
- Well, you'll have to be somewhere else- answered Taylor, looking up at him through half-open eyelashes.
Joe smiled, moved her over a little, and snuggled up next to her.
"I just kissed my roommate. Many times. God, I hope morning never comes. The morning of dealing with everything that happened today," Taylor drifted off to sleep with that thought.