Social Distancing

Chapter 7: Precautionary Measures

"Are you okay now?" I asked the question as if I didn't know the answer already, since the color had returned to Noah's cheeks.

"Much, thanks." He smiled in appreciation and took another sip of soda.

"Well, the food's free, so take whatever you want." I swept my hand towards the hot and cold salad bars. They were open twenty-four hours a day, with breakfast, lunch, and dinners prepared at the appropriate times. The menu was a rotation of common foods and odd themes like meatless Monday.

"Bit embarrassed, sorry." His cheeks were now flushed pink.

"It's okay, that's a lot of blood." My eyes traveled back to his. "You should have told me."

"Hopefully it helps."

A random thought popped into my head and the corners of my mouth tugged up. "I see why the guitar didn't help making good impressions."

"Well, that's rather off-putting," he laughed loudly. "But well played Maggie."

"So umm... " I glanced down at my hand as my work phone buzzed. It was a text message from Amy, which I frowned at immediately.

"Everything okay?" My eyes lifted and saw concern in his.

"You forgot to fill out a patient profile form downstairs." That seemed a stretch since phlebotomy was usually quite thorough.

"Really? They asked me some questions." He looked as confused as I felt.

"Well, Amy didn't get them." I showed him my phone screen for evidence.

"Might take awhile but her suggestion is to have me ask, and text back your answers to her so she can put them in the system herself."

"Sure, go ahead." Again, he spoke with such ease. I wondered if I asked him to drive over a cliff, would he so happily oblige?

Okay, now you're just getting weird.

My mind reminded me of the task in hand as I glanced at my phone for Amy's questions.

"Age twenty, how tall are you?"

"One hundred, eighty-three centimeters."

"Weight?"

"Thirteen point six stones." I lifted up my eyes to his. "They weighed me."

My mind clicked, this made no sense to me.

Why is Amy having me ask then?

"Do you smoke?" He shook his head.

"Drink?" He nodded. "Very little, moderate, frequent, or daily?"

"Daily? That's an option."

"Okay, daily it is." I typed his answer into my phone when he placed his hand over mine to stop.

"Not daily," he laughed as his fingers withdrew. "More like moderate."

"Okay, general health. Anything other than asthma?" He shook his head no. My fingers typed back to Amy.

"Family history?"

"Bit of cancer, actually." My eyes flipped up to his.

I knew it.

After he went into more detail about his family health history, he confessed, "I swear, they asked me these questions already."

"Do you want to have dinner together -wait, what?" I glanced at the phone. My mind clicked. He didn't need his profile filled out. I set the phone on the table between us and sighed. There was no point further texting Amy.