Melinda’s Journal
Tuesday, February 13
headache, sore throat, chills
yucky pink penicillin
I hate being sick
Melinda’s Story
When I woke up, it took me a few minutes to figure out where I was. I was in a hospital bed. There was a bathroom in the corner. My backpack and coat were on a chair by the door, with my boots tucked neatly underneath. A television sat on the opposite wall with a hospital tray table below it. A window looked toward the VAPAC. A clock on the wall above the door told me that second period had already begun.
A portly man knocked on the open door as he entered the room. “Hello, Melinda. I’m Dr. Vitnor.”
“I remember you.” I grimaced. My throat was sore, and it hurt to talk.
“I hear you’re not feeling well. Did the night nurse tell you about your test results?” When I shook my head, the doctor continued. “You have strep throat. It’s going around the campus. We’re going to give you some antibiotics and you should start feeling better by the end of the day. Alright?”
Dr. Vitnor didn’t wait for an answer. He placed his tablet on the tray table and washed his hands in the bathroom sink before performing his examination. He felt my neck and peered at my throat. While he was there, a new nurse I had never met wheeled in the machine to take my vitals. The doctor and nurse spoke to each other in some sort of code I was too tired to comprehend.
I wanted them to just leave me alone and let me go back to sleep. I was still freezing and tried to warm myself in the layers of blankets, even as the doctor and nurse continued to speak in their strange language.
When they finally left, I closed my eyes, but only for a moment. The nurse returned with a cafeteria tray. I saw a juice box, a container of red gelatin, and a transparent cup with a thick pink liquid. After placing the tray on the table under the television, the nurse pressed a button to make the bed sit up.
“Okay, Melinda. We’re gonna try to get you feeling better. Do you think you can try to swallow this for me?”
The nurse held out the cup of pink liquid and I nodded. While I tried to get all the medicine down, the nurse opened the juice and gelatin.
“Good girl.” The nurse took the empty cup and rolled the table over my lap. “Now, I know your throat hurts, but I want you to try to drink the juice and eat something. We don’t want you getting dehydrated. Would you like me to turn on the television?”
Shaking my head, I gestured to my backpack. The nurse nodded and placed the bag beside me. As soon as the nurse left, I pulled out my phone. I wasn’t very hungry, but I took a few bites of the gelatin while I checked my messages.
Sarah had sent a group text to Larry, Walter, and Pat explaining that I had gone to the infirmary during the night. The time stamp suggested she sent it while I was still walking toward Clarissa’s car. After dawn, there had been lots of texts asking what was wrong and Pat had sent me a private message asking if I was alright.
In between bites of gelatin, I sent a quick message to the group explaining I had strep and was going to take a nap. I made sure to spell out that I didn’t want anyone to visit. I even sent a second text to Pat specifically, telling him to stay away from the infirmary. When I was done, I put away my phone, took a few sips of juice and, shivering, tried to fall back asleep.
I couldn’t get comfortable. My head hurt. My throat hurt. I was too hot, then too cold. I fell into a half-sleep where I was partially awake and partially dreaming. The entire time, I couldn’t stop shivering.
Around noon, a nurse returned with another tray identical to my breakfast, except with orange gelatin instead of red. She checked my temperature and used the finger clip before helping me to the bathroom. As I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, she held my arm, then helped me to the floor. She didn’t let go until we had reached the bathroom. I wanted to tell her that I was a big girl and knew how to walk by myself, but after a few steps, I was lightheaded enough to appreciate the help.
Thankfully, the nurse remained outside the room to give me privacy. When I again opened the door, the nurse held my arm and helped me back into the bed.
After I was settled, the nurse handed me the pink liquid. This time, after swallowing the medicine, I felt strong enough to sit up for a short while. I sipped on the juice box and ate some of the gelatin as sent a text to my mother. A moment later, the phone rang in my hands.
I answered in a whisper. “Hi, Mom.”
“Oh, Baby girl. What happened?”
“I didn’t feel so great last night. After I threw up, I got my prefect, who got my advisor, who brought me to the infirmary. They said I have strep and gave me some medicine.”
“Do you want me to come there?”
I shook my head, even though my mother couldn’t see me. “No. I’m okay. I’m really tired. I think I’m just going to sleep today.”
“Okay. I want you to call me tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Feel better, sweetie.”
I ended the call and glanced at my tray. I had finished most of the juice box and about half of the gelatin. Figuring that was a sufficient lunch, I crawled back under the blankets, finding it a little easier to get warm. This time, when I slept, I was much less restless.
When I awoke, I saw a pile of books on the visitor’s chair. I smiled and used the group message to thank Sarah for bringing my homework for me. I knew Sarah wouldn’t see the message until after basketball practice, but I wanted to send it before I forgot.
Almost as soon as I pressed send, Pat and Walter immediately began asking if they could visit. Before I could answer, Pat called.
“How you feeling?” he asked as his face filled my screen.
I shrugged. “I can’t get warm. But my throat is hurting a little less.”
“You up for company?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to take a nap. Besides, I don’t want you here. I don’t want you getting sick.”
“Okay. Feel better soon.”
I again sent a message in the group text reminding everyone I didn’t want any visitors, then put away my phone and rested my head.
When a nurse arrived with supper, I again found I had enough strength to sit up for a little while. The nurse took my vitals, gave me my medicine, and left. While I ate my green gelatin and drank my juice box, I spent a little time working on my math homework. I put it away when my head started hurting, but not before I had finished both the gelatin and the juice. I laid down and went back to sleep.
The next time the nurse woke me with a tray, I saw that second study hours were about to begin. The nurse took my vitals, helped me to the bathroom, and gave me my medicine before leaving. Although I wasn’t hungry, I forced myself to finish the red gelatin and juice as I worked on my physics assignment. As soon as the gelatin was gone, I laid back down.
A few hours later, I woke up sweating. I tried to lie on top of all the blankets, but I had a difficult time getting comfortable. I tried tossing the blankets off the bed, but that didn’t help either. My clothes were sticking to me, making me too uncomfortable to sleep. After tossing and turning for nearly an hour, I pressed the button on the remote by my bed.
A moment later, the nurse spoke through the remote. “Yes?”
“I can’t get comfortable. I’m all sweaty.”
“Just a minute.”
It felt like more than a minute, but eventually the same night nurse I had met the night before came in with his strange machine. He checked my temperature and vitals before smiling at me.
“Your fever is breaking. You must be very uncomfortable. Would you like to take a shower?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t have any other clothes to change into. I don’t want to put these back on.”
“Not a problem. You can wear a gown. Is there someone who can bring you clean clothes in the morning?”
“Yeah. My roommate.”
The nurse nodded and went to a cabinet over the sink. He removed a hospital gown from one side and a towel and face cloth from the other. “Would you like me to help you to the bathroom?”
“I can do it myself.” I sat up slowly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
“Very well. Here you go.” He placed the gown and towels on a chair in the bathroom as I crossed the room. “There is soap in a dispenser in the shower.”
“Thanks.”
I waited for the nurse to leave the room before I shut the bathroom door. My pajamas were sticking to me. I peeled them off, putting them in the sink before turning on the water in the shower. I left it lukewarm, scrubbing myself more than once. It took about three times before I felt clean.
When I returned to the bed, I was surprised to see that someone had changed the sheets. I happily climbed back into the bed and soon fell asleep.
Pat’s Story
After I won the bet, I wanted to take the long way back to the dorm. Melinda and I didn’t really have a lot of time to go to the rotunda and I wanted to spend some time with her.
As we walked past the pond toward the bridge between the infirmary and the science center, she told me about rehearsal and how it had given her a horrible headache. I wanted to tell her about my adventure with Chloe, but Melinda seemed exhausted. And a little out of it. I brought her to her dorm, kissing her before heading back to my place.
I didn’t hear from Melinda until after my biology class. She sent a single text in response to the one where my brother and I were harassing Sarah for information. The text was brief. She had strep throat. She was taking a nap. No one, not even me, was to visit her.
As much as I wanted to be with her, I had to respect her wishes. I did my best to focus on some of my schoolwork during my triple free period lunch. Sarah and Walter had no additional news when they joined me fourth period.
Finally, after classes, I heard from her. Using Sarah’s group text, she sent a message thanking her roommate for her books. I had to smile to myself. Even when she was sick, she wanted to study.
Of course, if she was texting, that meant she was awake. I sent her a private message asking if I could visit. But I was too impatient to wait for an answer. I sent a video chat request before she could respond.
When her face appeared on my phone, she looked pale and listless. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was all over the place. I could tell the pillows on the angled bed were the only thing holding her upright. She looked so pathetic, my heart broke.
I sent her a weak smile. “How you feeling?”
“I can’t get warm.” Her voice was quiet and raspy. “But my throat hurts a little less.”
“You up for company?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to take a nap. Besides, I don’t want you here. I don’t want you getting sick.”
I wanted to remind her that I had my tongue down her throat last night, but I figured that conversation could wait. “Okay. Feel better soon.”
She nodded as she ended the call.
I didn’t hear from Melinda again until Wednesday morning, when she sent me a quick text saying her fever broke and she was no longer contagious. She was still planning on resting most of the day, so I didn’t bother her. I figured I would call her that evening after DMH.
Shunk. She was supposed to be on duty with me. I stopped in to see Mrs. Lindgren after my math class.
The community service director sent me a curious look when I knocked on her door. “Hey, Pat. How’s it going?”
I sighed. “I have a problem. Melinda’s in the infirmary and can’t be on call with me tonight. Should I go alone or should I find someone to help me?”
“You should find someone to help you. You can send messages in the app?”
I nodded. “I’ll check with Brody. If he’s not free, I’ll do that.”
“Great. Let me know how things work out. I hope Melinda gets better soon.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I shot a quick text to Brody, not expecting to hear from him before the end of the day. I was a little surprised when he responded almost immediately that he was free.
I had a difficult time paying attention to the woman speaking at Reflections that morning. Her story was probably very inspirational, but it made my head hurt. It didn’t help that the sun was bouncing off the snow, through the window and straight into my eyes. I closed them, but that didn’t seem to help.
It was a little easier to pay attention to the woman without the glaring sun. She was playing tennis. I could see her in my head. She hit the ball to me. I hit it back. That shocked me because I could rarely return a serve. Tennis was definitely not a sport I played well. She hit the ball again. I jumped to get it. I was flying in slow motion through the air.
My dean was cheering for me. “Patrick! Patrick!”
I blinked. I was still sitting in the chapel. My dean was beside me. I looked around. We were the only ones there.
“I’m sorry, sir.” I stood too quickly. The room started spinning. I quickly held on to the pew in front of me.
Caswell sent me a look of concern. “Patrick? Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just got a little dizzy for a second.”
He grabbed my arm, then sent me a puzzled look. He placed a hand on my forehead. “Patrick, we’re going straight to the infirmary.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re burning up. We’re going straight to the infirmary.”
He wouldn’t even let me carry my bag. After playing with his phone for a moment, he led me to the front entrance. We arrived as a security cart pulled up to the steps. Caswell helped me onto the rear seat before sitting beside me.
I felt as if I were in trouble as we crossed the campus. I had no idea how long I had been sitting in the chapel, but fifth period must have already started. Thankfully, the paths were relatively empty, so no one saw me being escorted by my dean in a security cart.
I wanted to protest that I was fine. It was just a headache. But I was being given the chance to skip out on a few of my classes. I wasn’t about to pass that up. Especially since there were televisions in the infirmary.
Caswell walked me inside and spoke with the nurse on duty before leaving me in the waiting room. The freezing cold waiting room.
I pulled my jacket around myself a little tighter.
“Mr. Evans? Why don’t we go lie down?”
As the nurse led me through the corridor, I wondered which room Melinda was in. Maybe I could visit her. When the nurse pointed to a room, I stared at the empty bed. Where was Melinda? It took me a minute to remember the bed was for me.
The nurse handed me a hospital gown and pants. “I’m sure you don’t want to rest in your school clothes. Why don’t you get comfortable, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I shrugged, changing quickly when the nurse left the room. I sat on top of the bed and searched for the television remote. Before I could find it, there was a knock on the door.
The nurse had returned with a laptop and an insane amount of questions. She took my vitals, but didn’t give me any feedback. My head was hurting again. And the room was so cold, especially in the flimsy gown. I got under the covers.
The nurse left for a few minutes, returning with some extra blankets and the doctor. He asked me even more questions. Then he stuck a cotton swab up my nose and a second one down my throat. He may have warned me, but I didn’t pay much attention. He wasn’t there long.
As soon as I was alone again, I searched for the television remote again. It was part of the remote that controlled the bed. I turned on the television, flipping through the channels. The stupid thing didn’t have a menu.
I laid on the pillow to get a little more comfortable. News. News. Talk show. Stupid kids show. A movie starring Mom. A movie starring me.
Everything made my head hurt. I switched off the television and closed my eyes. I wished I could play some video games. But the console was at home. Melinda would join me. She loved playing my favorite game.
If only we could have them at school. She and I could play for hours. We could race around the track. She threw a squid ink, and it landed in my mouth. I threw a banana peel, but she swerved to avoid it. She threw a radio. It started playing Homeward Bound.
I opened my eyes, shaking off the weird dream. Mrs. Lindgren was texting me to see if I had found a replacement for Melinda. I sent a quick text that I was in the infirmary and she should contact Brody.
As I put down my phone, I glanced at the clock. Classes were just ending. For the day. I was about to close my eyes again when a different nurse appeared.
“Good, you’re awake. Your tests came back positive for Strep. It’s going around.”
I nodded. “My girlfriend is down the hall somewhere.”
The nurse smiled. “Well, we have some antibiotics for you, and I brought you lunch.”
The nurse carried a tray with a cup of gelatin, a juice box, and a medicine cup with a thick pink liquid. I wanted to complain that the contents of the tray barely constituted a snack, nevermind lunch. But then I realized I wasn’t actually hungry, so what was the point?
I chugged the medicine, realizing that it hurt to swallow. I downed the juice, but I had no interest in the gelatin. When the nurse left, I switched the television back on. Talk show. Soap opera. Reruns of shows I had no interest in.
I turned it off and pulled out my English book. I was already in a crummy mood. Might as well make it worse with the new novel we were starting.
Except, it wasn’t a novel. We had moved on to plays. I tried to read a dialogue between Salarino and Gratiano, but my brain was just unable to process Shakespeare at the moment. I closed my eyes.
There was a knock on my door. I looked over to see Melinda enter. She was wearing the pajamas she had worn when she had slept over at my house last month. Wordlessly, she crawled into the bed beside me. She kissed me on the head and curled up next to me. I pulled her close. Grease Monkey played.
This was a test. She probably told Brody to text me. I was determined to pass the test this time. I held her closer and ignored the phone.
Except she had disappeared. I looked everywhere. She was gone. The phone was still singing.
With a sigh, I silenced the phone. I sent a quick text telling Brody that I was sick and would contact him in a few days. I tried to read as I ate the gelatin still sitting by my bed, but everything made my head hurt. With nothing better to do, I closed my eyes and tried to take a nap.
Attention Hammerheads
Melinda is always trying to build her vocabulary. What were some words in this episode that were new to you? She will add them to her vocabulary journal.
Hartfield Chronicles 