Chapter Six
The next morning dawned overcast and cloudy. During breakfast a few snowflakes began to fall. Dawn and I were in an unusually giddy mood as we walked to school and we didn't know why. We just couldn't stop laughing. I'll admit it, it was a nice change of pace. It felt great to laugh again. We reached the school and we split up—Dawn had to go deliver something to the office for Sharon. I headed to my locker and when I reached it, I began working the combo. I was somewhat aware when someone leaned against the locker next to me but I didn't look up. The door swung open and I began putting my books inside.
"Hi Mary Anne." I jumped at the sound of my name and then I turned to look who had said the words and who was leaning by my locker.
"Oh, hi Logan."
"Sorry I scared you."
"Oh, that's okay. Glad you're back."
"Thanks. It good to be back in normal surroundings. One more day and I'd have checked myself into a mental asylum."
I laughed and so did Logan.
"It's great to see you laughing Mary Anne. I--" Logan was cut off by the bell. I checked my watch.
"Wow…there's not many people here for being nine o'clock already."
"Maybe a bus is late because of the snow."
"Maybe. I'll see you at lunch?"
"Sure. 'Bye Mary Anne."
"'Bye."
I got my first period books and then slammed my locker shut. I managed to make it to my room without being trampled by other (although it wasn't as hard as it normally is). During roll-call, there were 3 people absent. We began class and still no one came in late. All through the first half of the day there were people absent from my classes.
At the lunch bell, I got up from my desk and headed towards the cafeteria. I sat at the table were the BSC always sits. Kristy was already there and so were Dawn and Stacey.
"Hi." I said, sitting down.
"Hi Mary Anne."
"Hey."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, pulling a sandwich and an orange from my bag.
"About how many people aren't here." Stacey said, in an as-matter-of-fact way.
"You noticed it too, huh?"
"Oh yeah. There were 5 people missing from homeroom today." Kristy said.
"3 from mine." Claudia said, sitting down with a hot lunch.
"2." Logan sat down.
"No students, but the teacher wasn't there." Stacey said.
"Wow…and there were 3 missing from my homeroom. I wonder why everyone's gone." I said. I had an idea but I didn't want to put the idea into actual reality until we were sure that's what had happened. No one said anything for a few minutes until Kristy spoke up.
"There was one nice thing about all these people being gone."
"What's that?"
"Teachers don't want to do anything major with all these students missing. I don't have any homework so far."
"Same." Dawn said.
"Yeah, me too." and "Ditto." echoed around the table.
"Good thing too." I said. "I've got to sit for Charlotte from after school all the way till eight o'clock."
"Wow." Logan said. "That's a long time. Dr. Johanssen had to work late at the hospital."
"Yeah. Dr. Johanssen will be working late a lot of nights this week. Char has a sitter almost every night."
"Why?"
"The flu outbreak at Stoneybrook Manor. We talked about this last night at the meeting."
"What else did you talk about?" Logan asked.
"Well, Dawn brought up a question." Kristy said. "She asked if we take a job if it includes sitting for sick children, should this flu bug spread to all of town."
"And what did you decide?"
"We decided we can't say no, so we have to do it, much to Claudia's disbelief."
Logan looked over to Claudia who shrugged and simply said,
"I hate being sick."
Logan smiled.
"It's not so bad Claud. 3 days and you'll be fine again."
"The three longest days in my life."
"Boy, don't I know it." Logan said laughing. "But you're serious, you're going to take a job if it includes sitting for sick kids?"
Kristy nodded. "Yep."
"Wow…that's some commitment. Hope everyone knows their first-aid."
"Oh, that reminds me! At the next meeting we need to go over that." Kristy said.
"Why?" Stacey asked. "I already know all I need to know about being sick, thank you."
"Just to be clear." Kristy said.
I was going to say something but the bell rang first. We gathered all of our trash and headed out of the cafeteria. My afternoon classes went by quickly and I ended up with no homework. Kristy had been right—teachers didn't want their students to miss that much so they often let us work on homework from other classes or gave us a reading to do from the text that took only ten minutes to complete.
I was heading out the front doors of the school when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw Kristy coming towards me. When she caught up to me we started walking again.
"I'm sitting at the Rodowsky's so I'll walk with you until we reach Johanssens."
"Great. But let's walk fast—it's freezing out here."
"It is. Guess what I saw this afternoon?"
"What?"
"Alan Grey in the nurses' office."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And for once, I actually felt somewhat sympathetic for him."
"Serious?"
"Yeah. I mean, he looked so awful and miserable. I couldn't help it."
"That's good Kristy. It shows you don't actually really hate him."
"Don't push that too far. I'm still not crazy about him."
"So then I guess the reason that all these kids are out of school is because of the flu bug."
"Guess so. Well, here's Johanssens. I'll see you tomorrow Mary Anne."
"Okay. 'Bye Kristy."
I walked up to the Johanssens' door and opened it. Dr. Johanssen had told me that the door would be open and that Charlotte usually arrived home around 3:20. I went inside and made up some hot chocolate. I had just added the marshmallows when I heard the front door open.
"Charlotte?" I called.
"Hi Mary Anne." she said, appearing into view. She dropped her backpack on a chair and sat down in another chair around the table. I brought the two mugs to the table and then sat down next to her.
"How was school?" I asked.
"Okay. Guess what."
"What?"
"There were three people absent today and at lunch, Jasmine went home sick as well."
"That's too bad. I hope they feel better."
"Yeah, me too. Mommy said that the flu was going around. That's why I have so many baby-sitters this week."
"I know."
"I hope Becca or I don't get the flu."
"Well, what can you do to make sure you don't get sick?" I asked. Charlotte thought for a moment.
"Mommy always says that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables will keep you strong. Exercising too."
"That's a good start. What else?"
"A good night's sleep will keep you rested and stuff. Mommy said that a good nights sleep today is key to a good tomorrow."
"That's another good thing we can do. We can also take vitamin pills as long as your mom and dad know about them."
"Yeah. Mommy makes me take them every morning. They taste gross." Charlotte made a face at the thought and I smiled.
"I know. But they help keep you healthy. Is there anything else you can think of?"
"Washing our hands and sneezing into your sleeve. It keeps the germs from spreading."
"That's right. Very good Char! You really know your stuff."
Charlotte shrugged.
"That's what happens when you mom's a doctor."
"I guess so. So, what do you want to do? Do you have any homework?"
"Yeah. I have some spelling and math to do. Can you help me study for my spelling test?"
"Sure. Why don't you find your stuff while I clean up here?"
"Okay."
The rest of the afternoon went by smoothly. After homework we played Memory and Barbie's and then watched The Cosby Show.
As I walked home I smiled again at how much Charlotte knew about healthcare. And I prayed that she, along with me and everyone else followed those guidelines. I did not want a huge epidemic to inhabit Stoneybrook.