Social Distancing

Chapter 21: Second Chances

"Maggie?"

"Hi Mom," I greeted her cheerfully. "How are you?"

"We're doing the best we can." The phone crackled as she sighed. "Like everyone else, Dad and I are staying at home. Haven't killed each other yet. Got you on speaker phone, he's here too."

"Good." I pressed firmly down on the tape over the last box of my limited personal belongings. I had nearly as few boxes that came with me as Noah's two suitcases from UCL.

"How are you?" Dad's voice echoed from somewhere in the background.

"Really good," I smiled and sat down on the box. "Mom, Dad, I need to ask a favor."

"Anything Maggie." Mom replied first.

"I need some money."

"Of course, Mags," Dad replied second, since this was always his primary concern since I never asked them for money. "How much do you need?"

"Two month's rent," I said. "That's what I need to break my lease."

"Why are you breaking your lease?" Mom's voice was concerned.

"I'm moving to another county so I can start work on my dissertation."

Well, that's mostly true.

"Oh sweetie, that's wonderful. Dad's working on the wire transfer right now."

"Thank you... both."

"You're welcome.. and Maggie?" She added. "We're really proud of you."

"Thanks Mom." I hung up the phone and looked around at my apartment. My limited amount of belongings were all boxed up and the same bare walls stared back at me. My boxes were few enough that they'd all fit into the car NHS had sent over for travel.

I glanced at my watch and smiled.

Amy should be calling Dana right about now.

And I had a ride to catch, so I slipped a mask over my face and behind my ears, grabbed a nearby box, and headed downstairs. The NHS vehicle was obviously parked right in front of the building, where I greeted the driver with a wave and handed him my box. After a few trips up and down the stairs for the rest of my boxes, I took one last look at my barren apartment then shut the door behind me.

The drive from London to Kent took about two hours. There was virtually no traffic so the ride was quiet and smooth, but lots of things to see visually. I watched as the empty city street blocks turned into more open spaces. Noah was right, the transition was quite scenic. I couldn't wait to tell him in person that I agreed with him.

As I absently glanced out the window, I felt as I slipped into a soft sleep. The last two weeks had been very busy. I finished up the Ebola project with Tucker, ate lunches with Amy, made future plans with Dr. McKenna, and against Amy's judgment, forgave Paul.

I'll never forget their faces on my last day. Technically I can't forget the mental image, but I knew the memory would be cherished. While I'd only worked there for twelve weeks, I had become quite fond of the research team. Amy I'd remember for her kindness and how she always watched and keenly observed everything. She was probably the closest person I had to an actual friend. Dr. McKenna would always be referenced for his support and gentle guidance. I would even miss Tucker's grumpiness.

"You did good work, kid," he'd said gruffly. I'd miss Adam as well, and hoped that he would be able to help himself pull through this. I was fairly confident that I'd see them again. Dr. McKenna was, after all, my dissertation adviser and the infectious disease research community only had so many members.