"I'm free. I'm free." Dil croed loudly running down the hall once Didi bad finished taking his temperature and giving him the all clear to leave his room. He had spent most of his time alone, only seeing his mother for food, and his brother and father through a tablet screen.
Dil's good mood was soon dampened as he reached the kitchen and saw the sad looks on Stu and Tommy's faces.
"What's wrong?" Dil asked taking a seat next to Tommy.
*Grandpa Lou went to heaven this morning." Tommy explained with a sad expression on his face.
The gravity of the situation was lost on Dil. He had never experienced death before and being three he didn't understand completely what had happened.
"Is he coming back?" Dil asked quietly as he watched his daddy begin to cry.
Tommy shook his head no and went over and wrapped his arms around Stu's neck as tears fell down his cheeks as well. Dil still didn't fully understand but joined in on the hug anyway.
After a quick mostly uneaten breakfast Dil and Tommy went into the living room to watch TV leaving the adults to sort out their emotions. Tommy was supposed to be on the computer, but given the situation he couldn't bring himself to focus on school.
A few days later a zoom call was set up for everyone to say their goodbyes to Lou. A funerl was out of the question as the sickness was spreading faster then ever. They weren't permitted to see the body after death. A video slideshow had been made by Drew and played on a separate screen for everyone to see. Stu barely kept it together as his family and friends from near and far said their goodbyes and told stories of Lou's life.
Tommy was glad when it was over and he could return to school. It gave him something positive to focus on, or so he thought.
He logged on expecting to see most of his friends calmy talking quietly while waiting for the teacher to log on. Instead he was met with a heated argument.
"You gotta wear it at all times or else you'll spread this sickness to all us." Timmy insisted.
Tommy noticed that Min Jun was wearing a mask.
"Why should he have to wear one? We're not even in the same room." Phil argued.
"Cuz we all know the sickness came from people like him." Timmy spat.
"No it didn't.' Min Jun insisted."None of my family has even been sick."
Tommy wasn't sure what to do about this situation. He hoped his teacher logged on soon. He had seen the news with his daddy and it looked like the sickness had come from where or at least nearby to where Min Jun was from.
A few houses away Min Jun was getting frustrated. He didn't know who was right and who was wrong in this situation. He needed help. He only put the mask on in the first place to shut Timmy up.
"Why are you wearing a mask?" Jin asked coming into the room making sure the kids were logged on.
"Timmy says I have to so I don't make people sick." Min Jun explained.
"You're inside so take it off." Jin told him."You're not going to get anyone sick through a screen."
Min Jun took the blue Paw Patrol mask off and sat down as class began for the day.
"You still haven't finished your breakfast?'' Jin asked coming into the kitchen to find Ji Yeon playing with her food.
"I tastes funny.'' Ji Yeon complained.
"You don't have to eat it then.'' Jin said putting the bowl in the sink.
"Can I call Dil?'' Ji Yeon asked. She wanted to see how he was feeling and if he liked her card. She hadn't heard from him in awhile.
Jin nodded and got to work washing the breakfast dishes.
Ji Yeon went to her room and sat on her bed. She grabbed the tablet from the Charger and turned it on.
"Hey guess what?" Dil said as he answered.
"What?'' Ji Yeon asked. She noticed that Dil looked like he felt good so she was hoping he was better.
"I'm all better and can watch TV with my family again.'' Dil told her happily as he moved the tablet to show that he was in the living room.
"That's good.'' Ji Yeon sighed sadly.
"What's wrong?'' Dil aked not missing the sad look on his friend's face.
"My mommy had to go back to work this morning and I don't feel good right now.'' Ji Yeon explained.
"I hope you don't have the sickness.'' Dil said."I had it and it's not fun. My grandpa went to heaven because he gotted it.''
"Maybe if I did get the sickness I could see my mommy more.'' Ji Yeon said with a little more enthusiasm.
"It's not fun. Trust me.'' Dil assured her.
"Being sick is never fun, but I'm tired of not seeing my mommy for a long time. I just want everything to go back to norman.'' Ji Yeon cried throwing the tablet and collapsing in tears on her bed.
She awoke sometime later to her name being called. She walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table and began to eat her noodles, only to realize that she couldn't taste them. She thought it was strange but didn't say anything.
After lunch Ji Yeon went outside to play with Cleo. She hadn't been playing long when she couldn't breathe properly. She sat down in the grass to try and catch her breath. Cleo came over and sat next to Ji Yeon. They sat for a few minutes, but Ji Yeon still couldn't catch her breath. She went inside with Cleo following closely behind and found her dad on his laptop.
"I don't feel good.'' Ji Yeon wheezed.
Jin quickly grabbed a mask and a thermometer and covered his face while he checked Ji Yeon's temperature. It turned out tthst Ji Yeon had a fever and it was still hard for her to breathe.
Jin sighed as he picked Ji Yeon up and carried her to the car. He knew the signs to look out for.
"How could you let this happen?'' Mi Sun shouted at her husband as they waited for Ji Yeon's test results to come back while she lay in a bed hooked up to oxygen.
"How do you know you didn't being it home?'' Jin asked harshly. He had been careful during the whole ordeal.
"I wouldn't endanger my daughter like that.'' Mi Sun cried before collapsing into Jin's arms. The stress of the whole situation taking its toll.
A few minutes later Mi Sun calmed down and looked up at her husband.'What if she did get it from me coming home?''
"You were careful. You did everything you could to avoid bringing it home. We don't know where she got it from. You can't blame yourself.'' Jin assured her.
Jin expected his wife to respond, but when she didn't he looked down and saw her eyes were closed and she was burning up.
"I need some help in here.'' Jin called as he cradled his wife's limp body.