Tuesday Tales - Word Prompt "Bite"

Welcome! This week we have the final episode of the pandemic romance/women's fiction story. Why? Because the story will soon be out and you can read it in its entirety for free.  Next week, I'll be starting a new story that I'm writing now. 
So this week, the story is a little longer, giving you a tiny taste of what's to come. Thank you for following along on this story. I know it's been very sad in places and hard to take. I appreciate every comment and every person who took the time to read each episode. 
Thanks for stopping by. 

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He took a deep breath before imparting the bad news. “Sue has the virus.”

“Oh no!” She gripped the doorknob.

“Yes.” Emotion choked him. He hung his head for a moment to regain control.

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry.” Sarah took one step closer, her hand reaching out to him before she halted, abruptly returning to a safe distance.

“I don’t know how she’s doing to do. I’m giving her a week, maybe less, to beat it. If things don’t go well, I’ll take her to the hospital. In the meantime, I’m in a tight spot.” The truth bit at his pride. 

 She cocked her head.

“I have to move out. But I don’t want to go to a hotel.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You want to stay here?”

“I could keep an eye on Sue, who has to self-quarantine fortwo- weeks. If she gets worse, I’ll take her to Empire.”

“Of course.” Sarah nodded. 

“She said you have an extra bedroom.” Cary shifted his weight. His discomfort reminded him of the first time he asked a girl to dance. In the seventh grade, wasn’t it?

Color suffused her face. She bit a fingernail.  

He held up his hand. He couldn’t blame her. “It’s okay. If you’re uncomfortable, I understand.” He stepped back. “I’ll work something out.”

Sarah reached out and grabbed his forearm. “Oh, no. Please. I’m happy to help. Oops! I’m sorry!” She snatched her hand away as if his arm were on fire.

He laughed. “It’s okay. You’re probably safe. But we can test to make sure. I’m fine. We get tested often, and I wear complete protective gear at the hospital.”

“Good.” She smiled. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to do something to help. But being locked down, I haven’t figured out what. This is perfect. Please, move into my spare room.”

“Thank you so much.” He blew out a breath.

“Thank you from me, too.” Sue called out.

“I can be ready in five minutes.” He disappeared but left the door open.

Cary returned. Sarah stepped back.

Worry about infecting Sarah clouded his mind.  

“Do you have a towel I could use? I need to wash up.” Was it nervy to ask to use her towels, too? What about soap? Shampoo? His pulse kicked up.

“Yes.” Sarah padded through the living room.

“After being in there with Sue, I think I should shower and wash these clothes. Even though we were social distancing, can’t be too careful. I don’t want you to get sick.”

Sarah returned carrying a blue towel. “I appreciate it. Here you go.” Their fingers brushed. He barely remembered the last time he’d touched a human hand without wearing gloves.

“Do you have a washer here, too?” He hesitated to step into her apartment without an invitation.

She nodded and pointed. “Just like Sue has. It’s over there. Come on in.”

He entered and turned right. “You might want to turn around.” He unbuttoned his shirt.

Sarah blushed to the roots of her hair and scurried into a room in the back. Her bedroom, he guessed. Cary chuckled to himself as he removed the rest of his clothing and threw it in the wash.

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TUESDAY TALES - PANDEMIC ROMANCE - WORD PROMPT "SUNNY"

Welcome! Our word prompt this week is "sunny". This week the pandemic story, "Unforgettable", continues, perhap on a more positive note. Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales or go to my website.  Thank you for stopping by. 

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The next morning, to her surprise, Sarah awoke chuckling over a scene from the movie. After putting up a pot of coffee, she sat at her computer and did research before her first class. At nine, she clicked on Zoom.

“Good morning, class. I have a new assignment for you.”

Sarah snickered at the loud groan.

“I’m going to read a list of ten old-time comedies—movies—all available on Youtube. You are to pick one movie and watch it tonight. Then write a 100-word report. Minimum of 100 words. You can write more if you want to.”

“Yeah, right,” smirked James.

“Your report must include the following. Take this down. I want to see fingers on keyboards or pens in hands. The plot. What was funny about the movie, what wasn’t funny about it? What you liked and didn’t like about it. Did watching it make you feel better or not? You know, take you away from reality?”

The class typed. Sarah grinned.

“There are no right or wrong answers here, except about the plot! No cheating and copying the blurb. This is essay writing. Here’s the list.”

For the first time since the quarantine began, she had their full attention. Except for grousing and bitching about having to do school even though it was closed, she’d had a hard time grabbing their minds. But not today.

“That’s all?” James again.

“Yep. In fact, you can take class time to watch the movie now if you want. Or watch it with your family.”

“I’ve never heard of some of these people. Abbott and Costello? Charlie Chaplin?”

“Right. Time for a new experience.”

“Can we watch two and write two reports, one for extra credit?” Ah, Spencer, the brown-noser.

“No, Spence. Of course, you can watch all ten movies if you want. But there’s no extra credit on this assignment. Look over the movie list. Check them out. Then pick one, make some popcorn, and enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks, Miss Linden. This is the best assignment ever.” Jen was her favorite student.

“You’re welcome. Email those to me tonight and we’ll discuss them tomorrow in class.”

She clicked off and gazed out the window. Damn, first sunny day in two weeks. She smiled. 




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TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "SERVANT"

Welcome! It's another week of Tuesday Tales. This week we have another episode of "Unforgettable", but perhaps a little happier one today. Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and the great stories you'll find there. Thanks for stopping by. 

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Sick of television, Sarah flipped it off. It was eight o’clock. Restless, she picked up her book and put it down, flipped on the radio, spun the dial, then turned it off. The sound of laughter carried through her door.

Could Sue and her nephew be laughing? Could a doctor who spent the day being a servant to the deadly coronavirus, ever laugh ever? She marched out of her apartment, across the hall, and banged on the door.

The sound from the television went off.

“Who is it?” a masculine voice asked.

“It’s me. Sarah. From across the hall. What are you doing in there?”

The door cracked open. “Could you stand back, please?”

Sarah moved back to the doorway of her apartment and leaned against the jamb.

“Thanks. ” The doctor retreated a few steps.

“What are you doing?”

“Watching an Abbott and Costello movie.”

“And it’s funny?”

“Yeah.” Cary grinned.

Jealousy spun through Sarah. “Wish I could see it.”

“Why not?” Sue called from what seemed like another country.

“We’re social distancing until we know Sue’s okay.”

“It’s on Amazon Prime, Sarah. Turn it on your television and sit near your door. We can watch it at the same time.

“I’ll leave our door open and you leave yours. You can practically hear Sue’s TV from your place, can’t you?”

She nodded. Perhaps the most idiotic idea she’d heard since she stopped teaching middle school, but these were strange times. You had to go with the flow. Try new things. Or be stuck in her place alone, with no one to talk to.

“Okay. Sounds a little crazy, but okay.”

Cary shrugged. “These days, crazy is the norm.”

Her gaze connected with his. Pain reflected from his eyes, set off by deep worry lines.  

“Okay. Sure. Why not? Not like I’ve got someplace to go, right?”

“Right.”  

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TUESDAY TALES - PICTURE PROMPT

Welcome! This is picture prompt week. We select a picture and write only 300 words to it. Here's another episode from "Unforgettable." Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales. Thanks for stopping by. 

Lunch break came before he could take a bathroom break. As Cary ate the remaining deli sandwich, he remembered his conversation with the deli man.

“You own this place?” Cary asked the man.

“Yep.” He stopped slicing meat and narrowed his eyes, staring at Cary’s hospital ID badge. “You a doctor?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. You going to work in the hospital?” The man resumed making the sandwiches.

“Yes.”

“On the ham, Lettuce?”

“And tomato, too, please.”

The man finished up and brought the sandwiches to the register. Terry plopped down two containers of chocolate milk and two small bags of chips. “How much.” He reached for his wallet.

“No charge.”

“No, really. It’s okay. I can pay.”

“No. You’re helping virus people. You a good man. No charge.” The man bagged the food and handed it to Cary.

“Well. Damn. Thank you.”

As he guzzled the chocolate milk, a warmth spread through Cary. Maybe some people wouldn’t think it amounted to much, but they’d be wrong. Respect. And when he was going through Hell on Earth to help people, respect, even from a stranger, mattered.

‘Dr. Metcalf, can you check Mr. Andrews? His oxygen count is down.”

Cary left his daydream behind, stuffed the remaining food in his mouth, then donned his mask and gloves. He followed the nurse to the end of the hall where patients waited to be intubated.

Three patients coded at the same time. All Hell broke loose. Doctors and nurses ran from bed to bed. As soon as they stabilized one patient, another went into cardiac arrest. They lost two of the three within the hour.

The deadly outcome of so many burrowed into his bones. Five minutes before his shift ended, he shed his scrubs, grabbed his 
backpack, and headed for the subway. 


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TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "JAR"

Welcome! This week our word prompt is "jar". We have another episode of my pandemic romance called "Unforgettable." This one is milder than the last, I promise! Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and the excellent stories there. Thank you for stopping by. 

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Sue knocked. “Cary? I’m sorry, dear. I apologize. I’ll stay home from now on.”

“Do you promise?” He didn’t open the door.

“I promise. You can come out now.”

“No, I can’t. You have to move away. Back into the living room.”

“What?”

“We have to do social distancing here. I can’t come near you. We have to stay separate.”

“But I’m fine.”

“Today. But what about tomorrow? I’ll bring home a test so we can see if you’re all right. But until we have those results, I have to stay away from you. It’s not personal. It’s about the people at the hospital.”

“But you’re exposed to them.”

“I wear protective gear. Scrubs, mask, gloves.”

Silence.

“Sue?”

“I heard you. Okay. Whatever you say. You’re the doctor. You know best.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to my room. Will I see you for breakfast?”

“No. I’ll be leaving at six fifteen.”

“Oh. Okay then. Have a good day tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Aunt Sue. Thanks for understanding.”

“You know I don’t really understand. But I’ll do as you say.”

“Trust me. It’s the only way to stay safe. Aunt Sue?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“It’s all right, dear. I’m sure you’re under a lot of pressure.”

“You have no idea. Goodnight.”

“Okay. Goodnight, dear. Sleep tight.”

He smiled. No one had said those words to him since he was twelve. After her footfalls grew faint, he opened the door. Into the bathroom he went and scrubbed down with soap. Then added a few squirts from his jar of Purell.

He undressed and got into bed and pulled up the suspense book he’d been reading on his phone. He reread the same sentence four times before putting it down. He set the alarm and put it on the nightstand. Since arriving in New York, he hadn’t been able to focus on anything except the pandemic. And the people who’d died.

Cary flicked off the light and rolled onto his stomach, tucking the pillow beneath him. He closed his eyes but the faces of the people he’d lost appeared. Finally, exhaustion took over and he drifted off  into dreamless sleep.

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