AM13 Outbreak Shorts

Quarantine - Ten

Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod.

As I slam the door to my home shut behind me with a loud bang, my heart leaps out of my mouth. I can practically feel it bursting free past my lips and slopping pathetically on the ground like a wet rag in front of me. It's given up, it doesn't want to be hurt again so it's left my body completely.

What the hell?

I cannot believe that I went out with the intention to kiss a man who never really liked me. What on Earth was I thinking? I guess a part of me always thought that Christy was the one in the way of us. He had been with her for a very long time, they shared a history that I couldn't compare with...but Melanie? Who was the girl to stroll into the picture and instantly steal his heart? She's beautiful, sure, but he doesn't know her. Not like he does me. They've been together for three whole weeks and it already feels too long for me.

Urgh, I feel like a total idiot. I've admired Ryan from afar forever, and I've always held onto the dream that somehow we would end up together. Did I ruin it by moving to the specialist medical facility for work? Is it an 'out of sight, out of mind' thing?

Then again, is that really an excuse? I've been away from him too and I haven't forgotten about him. I think it's time to accept that it was never going to happen. Anything I thought we shared was only ever in my mind.

I sigh loudly as I make my way into my bedroom without even bothering to take off my clothes. I'm too mentally exhausted to bother with anything now, all I want to do is sleep. I just hope that tomorrow is a better day...

***

Nope. As soon as I walk into the hospital at eight AM the following morning it becomes way too obvious that I'm not about to get the break I so desperately need. The place is filled with people, all the hallways are jam packed, I can barely even squeeze in myself.

There goes my much needed easy day!

"Hey, Hannah." I wrap my hand around my friend's arm to get her attention. "What's going on?"

"Urgh, the cops have brought a load of people in. Apparently they want this quarantine to really be enforced now so they're dragging in everyone that might be infected."

"But..." I can my eyes around the room in confusion. "Most of these people look fine."

"Yeah, well, what can we do?" Hannah shrugs noncommittally. "We have to see them all and ship them out if we can."

"What..." I gulp, hating that I even have to ask this. "What does Dave know about it all?" I don't really want to know what his nosiness has discovered, but unfortunately, he is always way more in the know than me. "Can we send them home?"

"Dunno, rules have probably changed, haven't they? I don't think anyone knows anymore. This is the Lockdown quarantine really coming into play now. They aren't messing around anymore."

"Hmmm, if everyone is in quarantine now, what does that mean for us?"

"Dave reckons we'll need to stay here."

That's just marvelous. I didn't even want to come to work today, and now I might be stuck here until the quarantine is over. Urgh, the thought of it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

"Okay, well I suppose we better try and figure out what's going on then."

I guess at least for today, I'll have to put my 'Katie saves the world' plan to one side. Today, I just need to focus on getting through.