SuperNova Afterglow: End Of Days

It's He-eerree! Coronavirus Stories

It's not uncommon for us to always say we'll get to it later…


...The novel.

And during this pandemic that has affected the entire world, like our English speaking portion of it, it would behoove us to spend our extra time while in captivity crafting that elusive beast into existence.  Should have struck while the iron was hot, although I don't think it would've done any good because I would've reached this moment…

...The virus invades our life in our sweet little cubby of a home, on a cul-de-sac in the suburb of a semi-rural town in northern Wisconsin.

No, none of us that we know of have been infected by COVID-19.  But, right now I am preparing a bunker for my wife who is on the front lines checking people in at the hospital who suspect their symptoms might lead to a positive diagnosis of the disease.  Right now, she needs reassurances from me that I will be ready to step up for her at the helm of this family to make sure things go smoothly, should she be infected by this disease.

We've had some candid conversations about it since she started taking shifts again last week at her hospital. She fulfills an obligation to cover her hours, since elective surgery doctors cannot operate right.  It never got more real for her, until three days ago, when the hospital chaplain arrived suffering from obvious symptoms. She had to approach his car and talk to him and get him off to nurses and staff who could situate him. She watched the Chaplain's wife drive away, after the couple had briefly talked and hugged. When she got home that night, it hit her. My seldom emotional wife Was choked up by the sudden realization -- it might have been the last encounter for those two. Two days later, he went into the ICU unit.

What does this mean now for us?

Well, after talking to Jen about the chances she might actually get coronavirus, her outcome doesn't look good. She wants to make sure she doesn't pass this on to the rest of us. Fortunately, we have a medical professional in the house who knows how to scrub and keep clean and safe and to avoid cross-contamination. She's not confident her hospital can adequately provide her protection, minus a PAPR mask. Her current mask that looks like a beekeeper hood in inadequate. She feels there is an 80% chance she will contract this.

I have to be ready to step up.

I am in the process of setting up a room in our lower level that's connected to a bathroom. I have to clean it out entirely, sort out, box up, and move stuff to other locations of our home or garage.  I have to make it comfortable with a bed and other amenities, because this poor woman (who is on the front lines helping people through this crisis) might have to reside in a 10x10 secluded space by our back entry to garage.

She will depend on a dreamer, the most ignorant and foolish person in the world to take care of her and our family if she should go down.

I'm actually capable of this task, because when presented with a situation like this, I respond.  My back is not against the wall yet, so I'm dragging my feet and sitting here writing this opus...for good reason. I'm trying to process how this is all going to play out, if I have to roll into action.

Obstacles.

Both of my kids have been spending a lot of time in distraction with video games, social media -- distracting themselves with things on the Internet. Unfortunately, they have not been focusing on their homework for his college or her high school. And, there has been some fluctuating stress in this house about that, especially concern from my wife.  And me, dopey dad, with aww shucks mentality, because no one ever listens when he instructs, has to step up and be a leader -- in a situation where I've been diminished in my household by people who don't want my opinion.

I don't have a voice... until I hear someone say what does dad think and look up and realize I should've been listening. Well, I'm ready now -- a chance to prove I can be depended on, to see me in a different light. I am actually a strong-willed person with drive, once given keys to take this thing out of park. Problem is, got a cab full of backseat drivers. Now I can shush them, let me do this.

So, once I get over that mental mountain, I have to deal with the reality that my wife could be sitting at home with a disease with potential five percent mortality rate. Obviously, if it becomes bad, she won't be living in her house. But, she also doesn't fall into the range or age of people dealing with a fatal situation. So, mortality rate is going to be around 1%.

What about me?

I told her that if I get COVID-19, I am prepared. I don't feel my life is significant that it should be preserved, so willing to be on front line for her through this.  She asked, what about your family? And I said they can get by without me. I'm more of an obstacle.  It's morbid, I know. And the chances that either one of us will be greatly affected by this virus is yet unknown, doesn't feel like a real thing (for me) just yet.

But, we're preparing.

My greatest obstacle is educating my children about this concern and how they can step up themselves and contribute to the process, instead of being lumps in their own beds until after noon every day, without ever accomplishing the simplest of tasks.  If they could just pull their own weight, they could ease tension of their parents to better focus or handle impending events likely to unfold.

That basement is calling. It needs my attention.