Quarantined Days

Why him?

Looking through the glass at his still figure was the most painful thing I think I've ever had to go through. Even the death of my grandma wasn't this heartbreaking. 

Why him, why HIM? We were both at that concert, we were both sitting near that stupid infected idiot, we both were stupid enough not to report to the doctors when the outbreak was announced, so why him and not me? 

The tears wouldn't come anymore, I'd cried them all out already. My parents were concerned, I hadn't left the hospital in a week. I hadn't slept in 3 days, I hadn't eaten for two. But every time I try to eat, it just comes right back up from stress and panic. All I can think about is Chris, sleeping in that hospital bed getting sicker and sicker, while I'm out here, perfectly fine and healthy. 

The doctors are running tests to double-check that I'm not carrying any traces of COVID-19, but I just know, deep in my soul, that I'm perfectly healthy, they won't find anything. I just wish I knew why. 

I stared at his sleeping face, wishing that he would just wake up, so I could see him, talk to him, kiss him. We were supposed to have more time, I just got him back, and now he was going to be taken from me. 

The tears started falling again. I guess I still had more in me...

I hear running feet somewhere beyond the door, and shouting voices, but I can't bring myself to care. The only thing I care about is Chris... 

 The shouting was getting louder. I jumped as the head doctor burst into the room, his shoes sliding on the linoleum floors.

 "Ma'am, we have made an incredible discovery!" the doctor wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

 " Young lady, you may be the key to curing COVID-19."

 I went wide-eyed. "What?" I whispered. 

The man's hands were shaking as he pulled out a vile of blood they'd taken from me yesterday. "We were performing numerous tests on your blood yesterday. We were just finishing up when a lab assistant accidentally spilled some of the COVID-19 DNA into the samples. We always observe what the virus does to different cells so we put the sample under a microscope to observe how COVID-19 would kill it." 

I cringed as he described how the virus would normally destroy a cell. "But when we observed how it affected your cells, well, it didn't affect your cells at all. In fact, your cells affected the virus! It essentially destroyed it, it's incredible!"

 I stared at him, my thoughts racing.

 "I don't understand, what is it you're saying?" 

"I'm saying," he grins, adjusting his glasses "that you are both immune to the disease, and our best chance at a cure."

 My mind was spinning, I couldn't think straight, only one thought was coherent. 

Chris. 

"Are you saying?" I said slowly, trying not to get my hopes up. "That I can...cure Chris?" 

The doctor blinked. "We have to do much further testing, and I can't guarantee the timing, but yes."

 "Then what are we waiting for?"